Internal Medicine Alert – December 30, 2003

December 30, 2003

• Have a Cow! And an Egg, Too!

  A high saturated-fat and no-starch diet resulted in modest weight loss without negative effects on serum lipid levels; weight loss can be continued for up to a year with such a diet.

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• Immunologic Therapies for Psoriasis

  Two injectable biologic therapies, etanercept and efalizumab, have been shown to be highly effective in treating psoriasis. Etanercept has been used in rheumatoid arthritis since 1998, and efalizumab is a new agent in phase III trials. Psoriasis is a debilitating autoimmune illness, and these new therapies, while expensive, will be a welcome addition for patients suffering from a severe form of this disease.

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• Advances in Neuropathic Pain: Diagnosis, Mechanisms, and Treatment Recommendations

  A consensus panel updates recent understanding about the causes and treatment in common neuropathic pain problems.

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• A Prospective Study of Anticoagulation Intensities in Patients With APA Syndrome

  The study found that high-intensity warfarin therapy was not necessary for the prevention of recurrent thrombosis in the APA syndrome.

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• Gastric Fundic Gland Polyps

  A majority of gastric fundic polyps are benign. Their presence in unscreened individuals older than 50 might warrant colonoscopy.

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• Pharmacology Update: Tadalafil Tablets (Cialis)

  The FDA has approved tadalafil, the third phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5) for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

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• Clinical Briefs

  Sulfonamide Antibiotics and Sulfonamide Nonantibiotics; Autoantibodies Before Onset of SLE; Prevention of VTE with Ximelagatran

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