Internal Medicine Alert – July 30, 2003
July 30, 2003
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Burn, Baby, Burn!
This is the first study to convincingly demonstrate a strong dose-dependent relationship between increasing weight and increasing symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux. -
Is Sliding-Scale Insulin on the Slippery Slope?
Taking into consideration the limitations of this study, it is time to for sliding-scale insulin to join bloodletting and trepanation in the Museum of Medical Anachronisms. -
It’s Time for West Nile Virus Again!
While the numbers of cases of West Nile virus infection in the United States were relatively small from 1999 through 2001, in 2002 an epidemiologic explosion occurred with 4156 cases, including 284 deaths, in 44 states plus the District of Columbia. -
New Hypertension Guidelines: JNC-7
The long-awaited JNC-7 report was recently published in summary form; a more comprehensive manuscript will be forthcoming. JNC-7 takes into account many of the randomized controlled trials dealing with hypertension published over the past few years, and thus, is very much up to date. Some highlights of the report are as follows. -
Pharmacology Update: Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal (FluMist)
The FDA has approved the first nasally administered flu vaccine. This cold-adapted, temperature sensitive, attenuated, trivalent vaccine is manufactured by MedImmune Vaccine, Inc. and marketed by MedImmune and Wyeth under the name FluMist. The nasal flu vaccine should be available this fall. -
Clinical Briefs
Prognostic Value of Ambulatory Blood-Pressure Recordings in Patients with Treated Hypertension; Tazarotene Cream in the Treatment of Psoriasis; Antihyperglycemic Effect of Oolong Tea in Type 2 Diabetes -
Pharmacology Watch - HRT, Estrogen, and Postmenopausal Women: Year-Old WHI Study Continues to Raise Questions
The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) was halted 1 year ago, but fallout from this landmark study continues. The study was designed to identify the risks or benefits of estrogen plus progesterone vs placebo in healthy postmenopausal women.