Internal Medicine Alert – April 15, 2012

April 15, 2012

• Testing for Influenza

  Rapid influenza diagnostic tests have modest sensitivity and high specificity.

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• The Changing Paradigm in Estimating the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

  The lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease is strongly influenced by risk factor burden and may be similar across race and birth cohorts.

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• Advice Ignored on Acute Mountain Sickness

  A retrospective survey of 744 Dutch and Belgian travelers who had ventured to 2500 m (8200 feet) or higher revealed that 25% developed acute mountain sickness. Only half of this group had followed pre-travel advice regarding altitude sickness, and few took preventive acetazolamide.

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• Sitagliptin and Metformin Extended-Release Tablets (Janumet® XR)

  The FDA has approved an extended-release, once-daily, dipeptidyl-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor in combination with metformin for adults with type 2 diabetes. Janumet XR combines sitagliptin and metformin. The new combination is the second such product joining Kombiglyze XR, which combines saxagliptin and metformin. Janumet XR is marketed by Merck & Co., Inc.

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• Clinical Briefs By Louis Kuritzky, MD

  The choice of if and when to employ pharmacotherapy in the management of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not an easy one.

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• Why All the P Waves?

  Scenario: Interpret the lead MCL-1 rhythm strip shown above. Can you explain the irregularity?

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