In the 21st century, geriatrics will increasingly dominate U.S. health care as the median age of the population progressively increases. Academic departments of geriatrics have been created in nations that have already experienced this shift. As an alternative strategy that builds on traditional strengths of academic medicine in the United States, departments of internal medicine should lead a multidepartmental, pan-institutional response to the aging imperative. Recognition of gerontology and geriatric medicine as central to the missions of internal medicine in clinical care, education, and research must be increased. In the process, academic departments of internal medicine will develop a high level of geriatric expertise and will launch many programs that address this challenge. Successful development of geriatric programs will serve as a catalyst to strengthen the integration among and between generalists and subspecialists. This will entail developing optimal sites and systems of geriatric care--at different levels of care and over time--that can enhance the geriatric education of medical students, residents, fellows, and practicing physicians. The study of aging and geriatric health care will also become an integral part of departmental research, in its subspecialty divisions as well as its divisions of general internal medicine and geriatrics. This strategy is urgently recommended as both a challenge and an opportunity for all departments of internal medicine.

An association between use of zidovudine and didanosine and a rare but life-threatening syndrome of hepatic steatosis, lactic acidosis, and myopathy has been reported.

Diarrheal illness is the most common medical disorder among travelers from developed to developing countries and is common among expatriate residents in developing countries.

Infection with hepatitis G virus (HGV), also known as GB virus C, is prevalent but is not known to be associated with any chronic disease. Infection with HGV may affect the risk for AIDS in HIV-infected persons.

To review the cause, pathophysiologic characteristics, cost, and treatment of alcohol-induced hangover.

Despite a recent increase in the attention given to improving end-of-life care, our understanding of what constitutes a good death is surprisingly lacking. The purpose of this study was to gather descriptions of the components of a good death from patients, families, and providers through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Seventy-five participants-including physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, hospice volunteers, patients, and recently bereaved family members-were recruited from a university medical center, a Veterans Affairs medical center, and a community hospice. Participants identified six major components of a good death: pain and symptom management, clear decision making, preparation for death, completion, contributing to others, and affirmation of the whole person. The six themes are process-oriented attributes of a good death, and each has biomedical, psychological, social, and spiritual components. Physicians' discussions of a good death differed greatly from those of other groups. Physicians offered the most biomedical perspective, and patients, families, and other health care professionals defined a broad range of attributes integral to the quality of dying. Although there is no "right" way to die, these six themes may be used as a framework for understanding what participants tend to value at the end of life. Biomedical care is critical, but it is only a point of departure toward total end-of-life care. For patients and families, psychosocial and spiritual issues are as important as physiologic concerns.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) affects 1 in 1600 to 1 in 5000 patients who receive ticlopidine, but little is known about the pathogenesis of this complication.

Depressive disorders are persistent, recurring illnesses that cause great suffering for patients and their families.

Coenzyme Q10 is commonly used to treat congestive heart failure on the basis of data from several unblinded, subjective studies. Few randomized, blinded, controlled studies have evaluated objective measures of cardiac performance.

Approximately 4 million persons in the United States and probably more than 100 million persons worldwide are infected with hepatitis C virus. The virus has the unique ability to cause persistent infection in susceptible hosts after parenteral or percutaneous transmission, and its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The immunologic correlates of protection and viral clearance and the pathogenesis of liver injury are yet to be defined, but recent studies suggest the importance of cell-mediated immune responses. Although 70% to 80% of infected persons become chronic carriers, most have relatively mild disease with slow progression. However, chronic and progressive hepatitis C carries significant morbidity and mortality and is a major cause of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and liver cancer. Development of an effective hepatitis C virus vaccine is not imminent, but recent advances in technology and basic knowledge of molecular virology and immunology have engendered novel approaches to the fundamental problems encountered in vaccine development. Current therapy for hepatitis C, although effective in some patients, is problematic and still evolving. Advances in modern biology and immunology promise new therapies for this important disease.

Overt hypothyroidism has been found to be associated with cardiovascular disease. Whether subclinical hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity are also risk factors for cardiovascular disease is controversial.

Screening for hereditary hemochromatosis is traditionally done by using serum iron studies. However, mutation analysis of the hemochromatosis-associated HFE gene has recently become available.

Few investigations include both subjective and objective measurements of the effectiveness of treatments for osteoarthritis of the knee. Beneficial interventions may decrease the disability associated with osteoarthritis and the need for more invasive treatments.

The sequelae during the first two decades after acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have been well studied, but the outcome thereafter is unknown.

This paper reviews a humanistic risk management policy that includes early injury review, steadfast maintenance of the relationship between the hospital and the patient, proactive full disclosure to patients who have been injured because of accidents or medical negligence, and fair compensation for injuries. The financial consequences of this type of policy are not yet known; however, one Veterans Affairs medical center, which has been using humanistic risk management since 1987, has had encouragingly moderate liability payments. The Department of Veterans Affairs now requires such a policy for all of its facilities; therefore, comprehensive experience may be only a few years away.