Internal Medicine Alert – July 30, 2011
July 30, 2011
View Archives Issues
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Does Being Obese Matter If You Have Medicare?
In the Medicare population, obesity was not associated with mortality, except for those with a BMI of at least 35. However, both overweight and obesity were associated with new or worsening disability within 2 years. -
Impact of Drug Class on Long-Term Adherence to Antihypertensives
Important differences in adherence to antihypertensive drug therapy occurred depending on the drug class prescribed with the lowest adherence noted to occur with diuretics and beta-blocker therapy and the highest adherence was observed with ARB or ACI therapy. -
Sleep Apnea and Perioperative Complications After Noncardiac Surgery
In a population-based study using hospital discharge diagnosis codes, patients with sleep apnea who underwent knee arthroplasty or open abdominal procedures were more likely to require invasive mechanical ventilation and to be diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia or ARDS than were matched patients without sleep apnea. Knee-replacement patients, but not those undergoing laparotomy, also were more likely to be diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. -
Linagliptin Tablets (Tradjenta™)
A third dipetdyl peptidase-4 (dpp-4) inhibitor has been approved by the FDA. Linagliptin follows sitagliptin and saxagliptin to the market. It is marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim as Tradjenta. -
Clinical Briefs By Louis Kuritzky, MD
In most communities in the United States, hepatitis C (HEPc) treatment is provided by gastroenterologists. Because HEPc is now the most common cause of end-stage liver disease, and unless trends reverse will continue to be so for the foreseeable future, it is important that identification of HEPc infection be continued vigorously in the primary care community, since most at-risk persons see primary care clinicians as their point of initial contact with the health care system.