Internal Medicine Alert – March 15, 2025

RSV Vaccination in Severely Immunocompromised Individuals

The antibody response to respiratory syncytial virus vaccination is significantly impaired in many severely immunocompromised individuals.

Magnetic Stimulation and Tai Chi for Older Adults with Sleep Disorders and MCI

This study showed improvement in sleep and cognitive endpoints in patients with sleep disorders and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) treated with a combination of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and tai chi chuan.

Cardiac and Paracardiac Structure in the SUMMIT Trial

A cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study in a subgroup of the patients in the SUMMIT trial of tirzepatide in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction has demonstrated that patients treated with tirzepatide had reduced left ventricular mass and paracardiac adipose tissue compared to placebo-treated patients, which may partially explain the reduction in heart failure events observed in the main SUMMIT trial.

Treating Hereditary TTR Amyloid Polyneuropathy with Patisiran

A five-year study on patisiran for hereditary transthyretin (TTR) amyloid polyneuropathy found that 65% of patients had stable or improved neuropathy, with better outcomes linked to early treatment. Despite efficacy, 19.4% of patients died. The study underscores the importance of early diagnosis and intervention in managing this progressive disease.

Suzetrigine Tablets (Journavx)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved suzetrigine, a first-in-class, non-opioid analgesic, to treat moderate to severe pain.

Subtle but Real?

The electrocardiogram (ECG) in the figure was obtained from an older man with intermittent chest pain that has awakened him from sleep. How would you interpret this ECG? Should you activate the cath lab?