Internal Medicine Alert – April 15, 2004
April 15, 2004
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Diets’ Clout with Gout
Diets low in red meat and fish and high in vegetables and low-fat dairy products are associated with a decrease in the incidence of gout. -
When Should I Order a BNP?
B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a biomarker released by cardiac ventricular myocytes. Its usefulness is mainly in the emergency room for the evaluation of acute dyspnea, to evaluate for cardiac failure. BNP may have usefulness as a screening test for preclinical heart disease, for risk stratification and for guidance with therapy. -
This Rule Doesn’t Rule
A clinical prediction rule helps identify patients with knee pain who might benefit from orthopedic surgery. -
A Prospective Study of Aspirin Use and the Risk for Colorectal Adenoma
Although regular aspirin use reduces the risk for colorectal adenoma formation as shown in previous randomized-controlled trials, the protective effect now seems to be greatest at substantially higher doses (> 14 standard tablets/week) than currently recommended for cardiovascular prophylaxis. -
Pharmacology Update: Amlodipine/Atorvastatin Tablets
The FDA has approved a combination product of amlodipine and atrovastatin for the treatment of patients with comorbid hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. -
Clinical Briefs
Exemestane after Tamoxifen Therapy in Breast Cancer; An Analysis of How Long Patients Remain on Various BP Therapies; Endothelial Dysfunction with Insulin Resistance and CWT in Hypertension -
ECG Review: Right Answer/Wrong Reason
The ECG shown in the Figure was obtained in the emergency department (ED) from a 61-year-old woman with a history of significant hypertension. She was alert, oriented, and not in acute distress at the time this tracing was recorded, although she was markedly hypertensive and experiencing some chest pain. No prior ECG was available. The patient was treated in the ED with several doses of Adenosine and eventually converted to sinus rhythm. Your thoughts on the rhythm and the management? -
Pharmacology Watch: Estrogen Found to Not Affect Heart Disease, Breast Cancer
The NIH has halted the estrogen-alone wing of the Womens Health Initiative a year before its scheduled end.