Internal Medicine Alert
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Biomarker Profiles of Those Living to Age 100 Years
Among 1,224 participants who lived to their 100th birthday, there were higher levels of total cholesterol and iron, and lower levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid, liver enzymes, and alkaline phosphatase compared with non-centenarians. These differences were seen as early as age 65 years.
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Canakinumab Injection (Ilaris)
Canakinumab can be prescribed to adults with gout in whom nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and colchicine are contraindicated, are not tolerated, or do not provide an adequate response, and in whom repeated courses of corticosteroids are not appropriate.
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An RNA Shot for Hypertension?
One dose of a new RNA-based drug administered by subcutaneous injection, which blocks hepatic angiotensinogen production, resulted in sustained reductions in blood pressure in patients with hypertension for up to 24 weeks without any serious adverse effects.
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Is the Combination of a GLP-1 Agonist and a SGLT2 Inhibitor Safe?
An analysis of the Harmony Outcomes study and a meta-analysis combining it with the AMPLITUDE-O study of the addition of a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) in a subgroup of type 2 diabetes patients on baseline sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor therapy has shown that major adverse cardiovascular events are reduced by GLP-1 RA, regardless of baseline SGLT2 use, and there was no difference in serious adverse events.
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Treating Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease
After studying an anti-amyloid antibody, solanezumab, researchers reported there was no benefit in reducing the likelihood of progression of cognitive impairment in patients with positive amyloid PET scans who started the trial cognitively unimpaired, compared to placebo.
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Turmeric (Curcumin) Helps Patients with Dyspepsia and Acid Reflux
In a randomized, controlled trial, curcumin demonstrated comparable efficacy to omeprazole in treating dyspepsia and acid reflux.
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Is the Irregularity a Problem?
Interpreting ECGs without the benefit of any history always is challenging. Such is the case with the figure in this article, which manifests significant irregularity.
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COVID-19 Vaccine, 2023-2024 Formula (Comirnaty, Spikevax)
The newest vaccines target XBB.1.5, which is no longer the dominant circulating variant, but they offer protection against XBB.1.16 and more distant variants (e.g., EG.5.1, FL.1.1.1, and BA.2.86).
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Using Doxycycline as Postexposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections
In an open-label, randomized study involving men who have sex with men and transgender women, using doxycycline within 72 hours of condomless sex was associated with a two-thirds reduction in the incidence of bacterial sexually transmitted infections vs. those who received standard care.
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Steroids and Pneumonia — So Meta?
In a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, hydrocortisone lowered mortality rates among patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia.