Michael Tam

Dr Michael Tam is a clinical academic Specialist General Practitioner, combining the provision of family medicine, research, health services development, and governance. Michael’s clinical interest is in the whole-person primary care of people living with mental illness. He is actively involved in mental health policy, strategy, and governance, with local, state, and national bodies. Michael’s research is in integrated care and preventive care in general practice. He has expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Most commented posts

  1. Incidence and progression of thyroid dysfunction in elderly — 2 comments
  2. Glucosamine and/or chondroitin for osteoarthritis — 2 comments
  3. N95 respirators vs surgical masks to prevent transmission of respiratory tract infections to staff in primary care — 1 comment
  4. Zinc for the common cold — 1 comment
  5. Daily aspirin on long-term risk of death due to cancer — 1 comment

Author's posts

Antipsychotics and the risk of venous thromboembolism

Parker C, Coupland C, Hippisley-Cox J. Antipsychotic drugs and risk of venous thromboembolism: nested case-control study. BMJ 2010;341:c4245.
Antipsychotic drugs are associated with a 32% increased risk of venous thromboembolism.

Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=191

Daily aspirin on long-term risk of death due to cancer

Rothwell PM, et al. Effect of daily aspirin on long-term risk of death due to cancer: analysis of individual patient data from randomised trials. Lancet 2011; 377(9759): 31-41
Daily aspirin (≥ 75 mg) taken by participants in cardiovascular studies reduced the risk of cancer death.

Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=723

Statins, coronary heart disease and abnormal LFTs

Athyros VG, et al. Safety and efficacy of long-term statin treatment for cardiovascular events in patients with CHD and abnormal LFTs in GREACE Study: a post-hoc analysis. Lancet 2010; 376: 1916–22
Statin are effective and safe in patients with established coronary heart disease but with mild-to-moderate abnormal liver function tests.

Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=686

Symptoms and signs of croup and epiglottitis

Tibballs J, Watson T. Symptoms and signs differentiating croup and epiglottitis. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. (2010) 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2010.01892.x
Cough and drooling can be helpful in differentiating croup and epiglottitis in children with acute stridor.

Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=562

Antihypertensive drugs and the risk of cancer

Bangalore S, et al. Antihypertensive drugs and risk of cancer: network meta-analyses and trial sequential analyses of 324,168 participants from randomised trials. Lancet Oncol (2010)
Antihypertensive drugs do not appear to increase cancer risk or cancer-related deaths.

Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=549

Antibiotics for acute otitis media in young children

Tähtinen PA, et al. A placebo-controlled trial of antimicrobial treatment for acute otitis media. N Engl J Med 2011; 364: 116-26
Children aged 6-35 months with acute otitis media may benefit from amoxicillin-clavulanate but at the cost of adverse events.

Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=1065

PSA at age 60 and death or metastasis from prostate cancer

Vickers AJ, et al. PSA concentration at age 60 and death or metastasis from prostate cancer: case-control study. BMJ 2010;341:c4521
Men aged 60 years with a PSA < 1.0 ng/mL have less than a 0.5% risk of prostate cancer metastasis or prostate cancer death by age 85.

Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=289

Effect of home testing of INR on clinical events

Matchar DB, et al. Effect of home testing of INR on clinical events. N Engl J Med 2010;363:1608-20
Home INR self-testing does not appear to improve or worsen strokes, major bleeds or death when compared to high quality practice based management of anticoagulation.

Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=282

Glucosamine and/or chondroitin for osteoarthritis

Wandel S, et al. Effects of glucosamine, chondroitin, or placebo in patients with osteoarthritis of hip or knee: network meta-analysis. BMJ 2010;341:c4675
Glucosamine, chondroitin and their combination do not improve pain or reduce joint space loss in osteoarthritis of the hip or knee.

Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=270

Drug company information and physicians’ prescribing

Spurling GK, et al. Information from pharmaceutical companies and the quality, quantity and cost of physicians’ prescribing: a systematic review. PLoS Med, 2010; 7(10)
Exposure does not improve prescribing quality, reduce prescribing frequency or reduce prescribing costs.

Permanent link to this article: https://evidencebasedmedicine.com.au/?p=265

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