This issue provides a clinical overview of depression, focusing on screening, diagnosis, treatment, and practice improvement. The content of In the Clinic is drawn from the clinical information and education resources of the American College of Physicians (ACP), including MKSAP (Medical Knowledge and Self-Assessment Program). Annals of Internal Medicine editors develop In the Clinic in collaboration with the ACP's Medical Education and Publishing divisions and with the assistance of additional science writers and physician writers.

The prevalence of diabetes in the United States is rising. Twelve percent of U.S. adults have diabetes and another 37% have impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. Diabetes is a major risk factor for such outcomes as cardiovascular disease, blindness, chronic kidney disease, and limb amputation. An important consideration is whether screening for abnormal glucose levels or diabetes reduces cardiovascular or all-cause morbidity and mortality. In October 2015, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force published recommendations on screening for abnormal blood glucose and concluded that intensive lifestyle interventions have a moderate benefit in reducing progression to diabetes in patients who have abnormal blood glucose levels detected by screening. It found inadequate evidence that such screening reduces cardiovascular or all-cause mortality and no evidence of psychological or other harms from screening. The Task Force recommends glucose screening every 3 years for adults aged 40 to 70 years who are overweight or obese and do not have symptoms of diabetes. In this article, we present the case of a man who meets these criteria and explore his preferences and concerns regarding screening. Two experts then debate screening merits and benefits, the significance of abnormal blood glucose levels and diabetes as cardiovascular risk factors, and application of the guidelines to this particular patient.

Linking national, state, and community data systems to data from prevention programs could allow for longer-term assessment of outcomes and evaluation of interventions to prevent suicide.

No randomized, controlled trials of screening colonoscopy have been completed, and ongoing trials exclude persons aged 75 years or older. The Medicare program, however, reimburses screening colonoscopy without an upper age limit.

The total time a patient is disabled likely has a greater influence on his or her quality of life than the initial occurrence of disability alone.

Growing evidence shows that hospitals are increasingly employing physicians.

Earlier studies reporting varying risk estimates for congenital malformation in offspring of mothers undergoing vaccination against H1N1 influenza during pregnancy did not consider the potential role of confounding by familial (genetic and shared environmental) factors.