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Depression and pregnancy, new vaccine recommendations from the CDC, cortico-steroids and/or antivirals for Bell's palsy, rasagiline and Parkinson's disease, and FDA Actions.
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Many clinical trials have confirmed the benefit of early invasive therapy for high-risk patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). However, the optimal timing of cardiac catheterization in this group remains unknown.
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The effects of coffee on the heart remain incompletely described. There are conflicting reports of coffee's effects on the incidence of coronary artery disease, heart failure (HF), atrial fibrillation, and glucose homeostasis.
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Oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) is an FDA-approved drug for the treatment and prevention of influenza. With the anticipated emergence of seasonal influenza virus cases in October, and the recent discoveries of novel H5N1 (avian) and 2009 H1N1 (swine) influenza viruses, it is imperative to understand how to appropriately dose oseltamivir.
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This randomized, single-center study demonstrated that light-sedation strategies in a mixed surgical and medical ICU population are associated with decreased ICU length-of-stay and duration of mechanical ventilation without adverse effects on patient safety or mental well-being.
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Current recommendations for stroke prophylaxis with warfarin for patients with atrial fibrillation do not take into account the risks of hemorrhage. Thus, Singer et al from Kaiser Permanente studied more than 13,000 patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation to estimate the net clinical benefit of warfarin therapy for atrial fibrillation (reduction in thromboembolism minus the increase in intracranial hemorrhage).
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Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel has become the standard of care for patients suffering an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, there remains a significant incidence of recurrent ACS and mortality even in patients treated with dual antiplatelet therapy. Furthermore, clopidogrel is an irreversible platelet inhibitor, and patients requiring urgent surgery are at higher risk of bleeding if operated on within 5-7 days of clopidogrel use.
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A subgroup analysis on elderly Chinese patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) revealed beneficial effects of Xuezhikang, a red yeast rice extract. Risk of coronary and all-cause deaths were significantly lowered, total cholesterol and LDL- cholesterol levels were reduced, and HDL-cholesterol levels were increased significantly compared to placebo.
