Internal Medicine Alert – October 15, 2008
October 15, 2008
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Scoping for Knee OA Revisited: It's Still Not OK
In knee OA, arthroscopic surgery confers no benefit. -
Do Your Looks Matter? The Effect of Race, Culture, and Values on the Patient- Physician Relationship
Whereas racial concordance is the primary predictor of perceived ethnic similarity, patients do value higher communication skills, which may actually result in better outcomes. -
Estrogen Therapy and Gastroesophageal Reflux
Estrogen treatment (but not estrogen given along with progestin) seems associated with gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) in postmenopausal women. Weight gain increases risk. -
Tetrabenazine Tablets (Xenazine®)
The FDA has approved the first drug for the treatment of Huntington's disease. -
Clinical Briefs By Louis Kuritzky, MD
Clinical trials of pharmacotherapy to prevent progression of cognitive decline in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have been disappointing; neither cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine), vitamin E, nor COX-2 inhibitors has demonstrated any clinically meaningful benefit in placebo-controlled MCI trials. -
ECG Review: A Patient with Chest Pain
The ECG shown above was obtained from a patient who was seen in the office with atypical chest pain. Is there cause for concern? -
Pharmacology Watch
Some women with DVT may stop warfarin after six months; Vytorin and cancer; preventing recurrent stroke; and FDA news.