Internal Medicine Alert – October 15, 2012
October 15, 2012
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What HbA1c for the Very Elderly?
In a nursing home-eligible population with a mean age of 80, those with a HbA1c between 8% and 8.9% had less functional decline than those with a HbA1c of 7% to 7.9%. -
New Light Shed on the Hormone of Darkness
Nightly melatonin improved objective and subjective sleep quality in a small number of patients who were taking beta-blockers for hypertension. -
Spiritual Assessment in Primary Care
Evidence-based spiritual assessment tools are presented in this manuscript, which open a dialogue between patients and physicians. These adjunctive therapeutic interventions have been found to improve outcomes for patients with depression, cardiovascular disease, pain, anxiety, and adolescent risk behaviors. -
Pharmacology Update: Icosapent Ethyl Capsules (Vascepa)
The FDA has approved an ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to treat hypertriglyceridemia. It is the second drug in this class after Lovaza, which contains esters of both EPA and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Icosapent ethyl is marketed by Amarin Pharmaceuticals, a Dublin, Ireland-based company, as Vascepa. -
Clinical Briefs By Louis Kuritzky, MD
Quality-of-life Effects of PSA Screening; Secondary Prevention of Lacunar Stroke; PSA Elevations After Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy -
ECG Review: Flutter or the Patient?
Scenario: The lead II rhythm strip shown above was observed on telemetry. Is the patient in atrial flutter? -
Pharmacology Watch: Statins and Cognition — More to the Story?
Side effects of statins; effects of cannabis use; antihypertensives and lip cancer; and FDA actions.