Browse Internal Medicine Alert Articles by Topic

Outcome of PCSK9 Inhibitor-treated Patients

In a meta-analysis of 17 studies, proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 serine protease inhibitors markedly reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and all-cause mortality, but was associated with a significant increase in neurocognitive adverse events.

Menopausal Hormone Therapy: Useful and Indicated for Vasomotor Symptoms

Menopausal hormone therapy is the most effective treatment for symptoms of the menopause, and benefits may exceed risks for most women within 10 years of menopause.

Drug-resistant Hypertension? Consider Adding a Nonpharmacologic Prescription

In patients with obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension, continuous positive airway pressure use was associated with clinically and statistically significant reductions in blood pressure for both resistant and non-resistant hypertension.

Chest Pain and Giant T Wave Inversion

Chest pain (rather than shortness of breath) and ST elevation (rather than T wave inversion) in leads V1 and V2 make massive pulmonary embolism unlikely.

Clinical Briefs

In this section: the insulin misadministration problem; comparing smoking cessation pharmacotherapies; more support for ambulatory BP monitoring.

Tenofovir Alafenamide vs Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate

Tenofovir alafenamide has replaced the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate component of two commonly used drug combinations for HIV-1 infection.

ICH May Clinically Mimic TIA

In a large retrospective review of 2137 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, 34 presented with transient symptoms that could have been misclassified as “transient ischemic attack” if brain imaging had not been performed.

Selecting Patients for Statin Primary Prevention

The new vascular disease risk calculator discriminates who will experience a vascular event in the near future better than using a trial entry criteria approach or a hybrid approach.

Is Anticoagulant Bridging Needed in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Going to Surgery?

In patients with atrial fibrillation who had warfarin treatment interrupted for an elective operation or other elective invasive procedure, forgoing bridging anticoagulation was not inferior to perioperative bridging with low molecular weight heparin for the prevention of arterial thromboembolism and decreased the risk of major bleeding.

Clinical Briefs

In this section: a better way to measure blood pressure; the magical powers of grapefruit juice; and yet another reason to stop smoking.