Internal Medicine Alert – August 30, 2025

The Proton Pump Inhibitor Use and Hypertension Link in Menopausal Women

In a large study, long-term use of proton pump inhibitors in menopausal women was associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension.

ApoB vs. Lp(a): Which Is More Important for CAD Risk?

In U.K. Biobank participants without known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or diabetes or taking lipid-lowering therapy, the risk of developing coronary artery disease is best determined by apolipoprotein B particle number, but elevated lipoprotein(a) adds significant risk, so both should be considered.

SGLT2 Inhibitor Plus Aldosterone Antagonist for HFpEF: Safe? Efficacious?

A prospective, open-label, blinded outcome crossover trial of dapagliflozin plus spironolactone vs. dapagliflozin alone in patients with heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction resulted in a greater reduction in natriuretic peptides, which was accompanied by a greater decline in kidney function and a rise in serum potassium.

Fidaxomicin Is More Clinically Effective than Vancomycin for C. difficile Infection

There is a lack of real-world data on using fidaxomicin for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). A retrospective, single-center study found that treatment of CDI with fidaxomicin leads to reduced clinical failure compared to oral vancomycin.

Contemporary Cardiovascular Disease Deaths in Asian Americans

An analysis of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database has shown the cardiovascular disease mortality rate is higher in Asian Americans than in non-Asian Americans and that this excess mortality is particularly prevalent in Filipino Americans.

Sebetralstat Tablets (Ekterly)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved sebetralstat, the first oral, on-demand treatment for acute attacks of hereditary angioedema. Sebetralstat is a selective competitive, reversible plasma kallikrein inhibitor. It is distributed by KalVista Pharmaceuticals Inc as Ekterly.