Pulmonary tuberculosis is disease that involves the lung parenchyma, and is often infectious (i.e., contagious [determined by sputum smear examination for acid-fast bacilli and mycobacterial culture]). Laryngeal tuberculosis is rare but highly infectious. Because the emphasis for pre-immigration medical evaluation is on infectiousness, for the purpose of this document, pulmonary tuberculosis refers to both disease [...]

Family physicians will frequently encounter patients with osteoporosis, a condition that is often asymptomatic until a fracture occurs. Treatment of the fracture can be initiated without further diagnostic testing. Thereafter, treatment of osteoporosis includes (1) prevention of further bone loss through weight-bearing exercise, tobacco and alcohol avoidance, hormone replacement therapy in women, and raloxifene and [...]

Despite the fact that osteoporosis is common in older persons (nearly 50% of women and 30-45% of men over the age of 50 are osteopenic or osteoporotic), many patients are not assessed or treated for osteoporosis or falls and fracture reduction [1]. A white woman over the age of 50 has a 50% lifetime risk [...]

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue predisposing to an increased risk of fracture. Although there are currently no practical methods to assess overall bone strength, bone mineral density [BMD] correlates closely with skeletal load-bearing capacity and fracture risk. The World Health Organization [WHO], therefore, [...]

Osteoporosis is a medical condition characterized by a reduction in bone mass resulting in weakening of the bone and increased risk of fracture particularly of the vertebra, hip, and wrist. It is estimated in the United States that it affects 10 million individuals and another 18 million individuals are at risk. Of these over 80 [...]

Osteoporosis, or porous bone, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist. It is often called a “silent” disease because it has no discernable symptoms until there is a bone fracture. Like other [...]

Low-trauma fractures, especially in women over
40 and men over 50 years of age, can be devastating. They often result in deformity, chronic pain, and loss of mobility and independence that sometimes require admission into nursing homes or long-term care facilities. Their profound impact on quality of life has not yet been fully calculated. One-year mortality [...]

Osteoporosis is the consequence of continued bone loss throughout adulthood, low achieved peak bone mass, or both. We recommend maintaining peak bone mass for all patients. To achieve and maintain maximum bone density, patients should have risks for osteoporosis reviewed when they present to their provider offices. In addition to reviewing historical risk factors (discussed [...]

ALL is by far the most common type of leukemia occurring in children and shows a distinctive age-distribution pattern, with a marked incidence peak at 2-3 years of age. The peak at 2-3 years of age is much less apparent for black children than for white children, with this difference accounting for the substantially lower [...]

The annual number of new mesothelioma cases in Canadian men continues to rise Mesothelioma[1] is a rare, highly fatal cancer. Exposure to asbestos is the most common cause: 80% or more of men diagnosed with mesothelioma were likely exposed to asbestos in the workplace [1]. Workplace exposure to asbestos continues in Canada, primarily in the [...]

The etiology of mesothelioma cases is relatively simple. Apart from the various forms of asbestos and high doses of in situ emissions, other causes are unknown (this greatly simplifies confounding controls in etiological studies). In the industrial society, for less than one quarter of persons contracting pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, it is quite difficult to [...]

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Counties in northeastern Minnesota
Figure 2. Steps in the investigation of mesothelioma among iron mining employees
Figure F-1. Male mesothelioma rates by county compared to statewide average, 1988-1999
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Number and percentage of workers in the Minnesota Iron Miners cohort, by
company (Mineral Resources Health Assessment Program, University of
Minnesota, 1981-1984)
Table 2. Completeness [...]