Andrew L. Avins, MD, MPH

Andrew L. Avins, MD, MPH, is a Research Scientist at the Division of Research (DOR), Kaiser Permanente, Northern California and is a board-certified general internist. Dr. Avins also holds appointments in the Department of Medicine and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he remains active in the clinical and teaching programs.

Dr. Avins’ research interests include: musculoskeletal diseases, preventive medicine (with an emphasis on screening and treatment policies), complementary and alternative medicine (with an emphasis on clinical trials of alternative therapies), and research methodologies.

Current Positions:

	Research Scientist, Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
	Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine and Associate Adjunct Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA
	Physician, Urgent Care, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, CA
	Staff Physician, General Internal Medicine Section, Medical Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA

Primary Research Interests:

	Musculoskeletal diseases
	Preventive medicine
	Complementary & alternative medicine
	Research methodologies, with an emphasis on clinical trials

Current Research Projects:

	Herbal extracts in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia
	Oral steroid therapy for acute herniated lumbar discs
	Efficacy of acupuncture for chronic low back pain
	Massage therapy for cancer-related fatigue
	Liver toxicity of statin medications
	The association between placebo adherence and health outcomes

Completed Research Projects (partial listing):

	Predictors and prevalence of HIV infection among alcoholics in treatment
	Screening strategies for hypercholesterolemia
	Association of hypertriglyceridemia with coronary heart disease
	The effect of saw palmetto in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Selected Publications:

	Avins AL, Haber RJ, Hulley SB. The status of hypertriglyceridemia as a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Clinics in Laboratory Medicine 1989; 9:153-68
	Avins AL, Lo B. To tell or not to tell: the ethics of HIV test notification in epidemiologic research. American Journal of Public Health, 1989; 79:1544-8
	Lessler D, Avins AL. Cost, uncertainty, and doctor's decisions: the case of thrombolytic therapy. Archives of Internal Medicine, 1992; 152:1665-1672
	Avins AL, Woods W, Lo B, Hulley SB. A novel use of the link-file system for longitudinal studies of HIV infection: a practical solution to an ethical dilemma. AIDS 1993; 7:109-13
	Avins AL, Woods WJ, Lindan CP, Hudes ES, Clark W, Hulley SB. HIV infection and risk behaviors among heterosexuals in alcohol treatment programs. JAMA 1994; 271:515-8.
	Haber RJ, Avins AL. Do ratings on the American Board of Internal Medicine resident evaluation form detect differences in clinical competence? Journal of General Internal Medicine 1994; 9:140-5
	Phillips KA, Lowe RA, Kahn JG, Lurie P, Avins AL, Ciccarone D. The cost-effectiveness of Human Immunodeficiency Virus testing of health care workers in the United States. JAMA 1994; 271:851-8
	Garber AM, Avins AL. Triglyceride concentration and coronary heart disease. BMJ 1994; 309:2-3
	Lindan CP, Avins AL, Woods WJ, Hudes ES, Clark W, Hulley SB. Frequency of HIV testing and low validity of self-reported test results among alcoholics and drug users. AIDS 1994; 8:1149-55
	Lurie P, Avins AL, Phillips KA, Kahn JG, Lowe RA, Ciccarone D. The cost-effectiveness of voluntary counseling and testing of hospital inpatients for HIV infection. JAMA, 1994; 272:1832-8.
	Boscarino JA, Avins AL, Woods WJ, Lindan CP, Hudes ES, Clark W. Alcohol-related risk factors associated with HIV infection among alcoholics entering treatment. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 1995; 56:642-53
	Woods WJ, Avins AL, Lindan CP, Hudes ES, Boscarino JA, Clark W. Predictors of HIV-related risk behaviors among heterosexuals in alcohol treatment. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 1996; 57:486-93
	Avins AL, Browner WS. Lowering risk without lowering cholesterol: implications for national cholesterol policy. Annals of Internal Medicine 1996; 125:502-6
	Avins AL, Lindan CP, Woods WJ, Hudes ES, Boscarino JA, Kay J, Clark W, Hulley SB. Changes in HIV-related behaviors among heterosexual alcoholics following alcohol treatment. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 1997; 44:47-55
	Whooley MA, Avins AL, Miranda J, Browner WS. Case-finding instruments for depression: two questions are as good as many. Journal of General Internal Medicine 1997; 12:439-45
	Avins AL, Browner WS. Improving the prediction of coronary heart disease to aid in the management of high cholesterol levels. JAMA 1998; 279:445-9
	Go AS, Barron HV, Rundle AC, Ornato JP, Avins AL. Bundle branch block and in-hospital mortality in acute myocardial infarction. Annals of Internal Medicine 1998;129:690-7
	Avins AL. Can unequal be more fair? Ethics, subject allocation, and randomized clinical trials. Journal of Medical Ethics 1998;24:401-8
	Avins AL, Neuhaus JM. Do triglycerides provide clinically meaningful information about coronary heart disease risk? Archives of Internal Medicine 2000; 160:2050-6
	Kearny DJ, Avins AL, McQuaid KR. Treatment of uninvestigated dyspepsia with cisapride for patients with negative Helicobacter pylori serologies, American Journal of Gastroenterology 2000; 95:2212-7
	Aldana SG, Whitmer WR, Greenlaw R, Avins AL, Salberg A, Barnhurst M, Fellingham G, Lipsenthal L. Cardiovascular risk reductions associated with aggressive lifestyle modification and cardiac rehabilitation. Heart Lung 2003;32:374-82
	Bent S, Goldberg H, Padula A, Avins AL. Spontaneous Bleeding Associated with Ginkgo biloba. J Gen Intern Med. 2005 Jul;20(7):657-61.
	Aldana SG, Whitmore WR, Greenlaw R, Avins AL, Thomas D, Salberg A, Greenwell A, Lipsenthal L, Fellingham GW. Effect of intense lifestyle modification and cardiac rehabilitation on psychosocial cardiovascular disease risk factors and quality of life. Behavior Modification, in press
	Avins AL, Bent S, Neuhaus JM. Use of an embedded N-of-1 trial to improve adherence and increase the information from a clinical study. Controlled Clinical Trials 2005:26:397-401
	Bent S, Kane C, Shinohara K, Neuhaus J, Hudes ES, Goldberg H, Avins AL. Saw palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia, New England Journal of Medicine 2006;354:557-66
	Avins AL, Bent S. Saw palmetto and lower urinary tract symptoms: what is the latest evidence? Current Urological Reports, in press
	Bent S, Padula A, Avins AL. Questioning patients about adverse medical events: a randomized controlled trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, in press
	Kohlwes RJ, Shunk RL, Avins A, Garber J, Bent S, Shlipak MG, The PRIME Curriculum: Clinical Research Training during Residency, Journal of General Internal Medicine, in press
	Bent S, Kane C, Shinohara K, Neuhaus J, Hudes ES, Goldberg H, Avins AL. Saw Palmetto for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. N Engl J Med. 2006 Feb 9;354(6):557-566.
	Bent S, Padula A, Avins AL. Brief communication: Better ways to question patients about adverse medical events: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2006 Feb 21;144(4):257-61.
	Kohlwes RJ, Shunk RL, Avins A, Garber J, Bent S, Shlipak MG. The prime curriculum. Clinical research training during residency. J Gen Intern Med. 2006 May;21(5):506-9.
	Aldana SG, Whitmer WR, Greenlaw R, Avins AL, Thomas D, Salberg A, Greenwell A, Lipsenthal L, Fellingham GW. Effect of intense lifestyle modification and cardiac rehabilitation on psychosocial cardiovascular disease risk factors and quality of life. Behav Modif 2006;30:507-25.
	Kohlwes RJ, Shunk RL, Avins A, Garber J, Bent S, Shlipak MG. The prime curriculum. Clinical research training during residency. J Gen Intern Med 2006;21:506-9.
	Bent S, Kane C, Shinohara K, Neuhaus J, Hudes ES, Goldberg H, Avins AL. Saw palmetto for benign prostatic hyperplasia. N Engl J Med 2006;354:557-66.
	Avins AL, Goldberg H. Creating a culture of research. Contemp Clin Trials 2007;28:557-62
	Avins AL, Manos MM, Ackerson L, Zhao W, Murphy R, Levin TR, Watson DJ, Hwang PMT, Replogle A, Levine JG. Hepatic effects of lovastatin exposure in patients with liver disease: a retrospective analysis. Drug Saf 2008;31:325-34.
	Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Hogeboom CJ, Erro JH, Barlow WE, Deyo RA, Avins AL. Efficacy of acupuncture for chronic low back pain:  protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2008;9:10.
	Avins AL, Bent S, Padula A, Staccone S, Badua E, Goldberg H. Initial experience with a group presentation of study results to research participants. Trials 2008;9:16.