Internal Medicine Alert
RSSArticles
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Secukinumab Injection (Cosentyx™)
A recombinant, fully humanized monoclonal antibody to interleukin-17 has been approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Secukinumab is marketed by Novartis as Cosentyx.
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B-type Natriuretic Peptides (BNP) Values Improve CVD Risk Prediction
Elevated BNP values in a large cohort of women with numerous CV events modestly improved measures of CVD risk prediction.
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Does a Link Exist Between OSA and CAD?
Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with coronary artery calcification in non-obese individuals, but the effect is largely attenuated by body mass index.
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Statins After an MI: Does it Happen?
Following hospital discharge for a heart attack, the majority of Medicare patients do not get recommended high-intensity statin therapy.
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Clinical Briefs
Ambulatory BP Monitoring, A New Oral Treatment for Hyperkalemia: Patiromer, Obesity Leads to Overdiagnosis of Airflow Obstruction
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Strengthen the Feet to Treat Plantar Fasciitis
SYNOPSIS: A strength training exercise improved self-reported 3-month outcomes in treating plantar fasciitis compared with inserts and stretching.
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Effects of Coenzyme Q10 in Chronic Heart Failure Patients
SYNOPSIS: Treatment with coenzyme Q10 in addition to standard therapy for patients with moderate to severe HF is safe, well tolerated, and associated with a reduction in symptoms and major adverse cardiovascular events.
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Is BMI Good Enough to Measure Visceral Adiposity?
SYNOPSIS: A large international study found frequent discordance between body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), driven by the substantial variability in visceral adiposity. Within each BMI category, patients with the highest WC were more likely to have higher cardiometabolic risk.
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Alternating Morphology Every-other-beat
Interpretation: The underlying rhythm in this simultaneously recorded 3-lead tracing is a narrow-complex tachycardia.
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Internal Medicine [ALERT]
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) gave a level B recommendation in support of annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) to screen for lung cancer in appropriate risk groups. The USPSTF decision was largely based on the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), a mega-trial (n = 53,454) in the United States that randomized subjects to annual LDCT or chest X-ray. The primary endpoint of the study was lung cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality was a secondary endpoint. Inclusion criteria included at least a 30-pack/year history of smoking (if stopped within 15 years), ability and willingness to complete follow-up for abnormal findings, and absence of problematic comorbidities that might otherwise compromise long-term survival.