Internal Medicine Alert – September 30, 2024

Out of Africa Again? A New Version of Mpox

A novel mpox clade has emerged in Africa and has the potential for a global epidemic.

Are Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists Safe in Heart Failure Patients with Renal Dysfunction?

A post hoc analysis of the RALES and EMPHASIS HF trials has shown that, although treatment of heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists can cause a significant deterioration in renal function, the benefits outweigh the adverse effects and should not lead to automatic therapy discontinuation.

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies to Decrease HPV Infection

Data from a large-scale national health and nutrition survey from 2003-2016 were used to examine the risk of genital human papillomavirus infection in 10,543 women ages 18-59 years.

Risk of Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease in Autoimmune Disorders

A large Danish registry study of patients with autoimmune disease referred for coronary computed tomography angiography compared to those without autoimmune disease has shown that autoimmune disease increases the incidence of atherosclerotic events and that the event rate is influenced by traditional atherosclerotic disease risk factors. These results support aggressive risk factor management in patients with autoimmune disease.

What Is the Best First-Line Treatment for Young Women with Generalized Epilepsy?

Valproate is a highly efficacious drug for treating idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) but is not an option for many young women because of known teratogenic risks. This retrospective, multicenter study examined women with IGE who were treated initially with either levetiracetam or lamotrigine monotherapy, demonstrated superior efficacy of levetiracetam, although exclusively in women with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

COVID-19 Vaccine mRNA Suspension for Injection (Comirnaty, Spikevax)

The Food and Drug Administration has approved and granted emergency use authorization for updated messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines.