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Results of a second-opinion trial among patients recommended for coronary angiography

Article Abstract:

Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who have been scheduled for coronary angiography may defer the procedure safely if they pass a series of heart function tests. A total of 168 patients with CAD who had been scheduled or recommended for angiography were seen at the Lown Cardiovascular Center in Boston. They were questioned about symptoms of angina and congestive heart failure and given a series of tests including an exercise stress test, an echocardiogram, a radionuclide scan and a 24-hour ECG. Only nine patients were subsequently recommended for angiography. After an average follow-up of almost four years, only 11 of the original group had died. Sixty-six percent were well and had never been hospitalized. Only one-third said their angina had gotten worse. Half said their health was very good or excellent. Angiography is often a prelude to coronary bypass surgery or angioplasty, but many of these patients can be managed with drugs alone.

Care and treatment, Research, Planning, Coronary heart disease, Angiography, Second opinions (Medical care)

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Physician responsibility in the nuclear age

Article Abstract:

Physicians must continue their efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons. In late 1980, three US and three Soviet doctors formed a group called the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). This organization gained members worldwide who were committed to abolishing nuclear weapons. They educated the public about the issues and roused them into action. In less than five years, the IPPNW's efforts were rewarded with a Nobel Peace Prize. Their practical suggestions for reversing the nuclear arms race became the basis of nuclear disarmament strategies. Once the immediate threat of nuclear war passed, some members abandoned the IPPNW to attend to more pressing social problems. The IPPNW's cause warrants continued promotion in 1995 because both the US and the former Soviet Union still have large numbers of strategic weapons, nuclear proliferation may recur, and there is no comprehensive treaty prohibiting nuclear testing.

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

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Medicine and Nuclear War

Article Abstract:

Many physicians have been active in the anti-nuclear movement. In the 1950s, most physicians focused on civil defense, as did the federal government. This changed in 1962 when a group called Physicians for Social Responsibility documented the health effects of nuclear explosions and urged physicians to play a greater role in preventing nuclear war. In 1980, several physicians formed International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), which won the Nobel Prize in 1985. In 1994, IPPNW created the Abolition 2000 campaign, whose goal is the permanent elimination of nuclear weapons within a specified time frame.

Antinuclear movement

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