Browse Internal Medicine Articles by Topic

Probiotic Use to Reduce Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea

In a systematic review of probiotic use for reducing Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD), probiotics appear to be most beneficial in populations with high baseline risk of CDAD (> 5%).

Caregivers and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Interventions

The authors of a review of randomized, controlled trials found that mindfulness-based stress reduction may reduce short-term anxiety and depressive symptoms in people caring for family members with dementia.

Alcohol Use: No Safe Level

A systematic analysis of data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 on alcohol-linked disorders and patterns of alcohol use over 25 years worldwide found there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.

Effect of Diet on Hippocampal Volume in a Population at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in community-dwelling people (average age of 60 years) found that a long-term, high-quality diet was associated with larger hippocampal volumes after an average interval of 11 years.

Trends in Supplemental Vitamin D Intake

The authors investigated the trends in daily supplemental vitamin D intake of ≥ 1,000 IU and ≥ 4,000 IU and found increasing use of vitamin D supplementation.

Clinical Outcomes After Oral Anticoagulant-Associated Intracerebral Hematoma

In this meta-analysis of multiple observational studies, clinical outcomes after oral anticoagulant-associated intracerebral hematoma were similar for those associated with vitamin K antagonists or the new class of direct oral anticoagulants.

Correlation of Electromyography With Pathology in Myopathy

A detailed analysis of electromyography features showed a high correlation with muscle pathology. However, pathologic changes on muscle biopsy may be present even with a totally normal electromyogram.

Apolipoprotein E and CSF Levels in Men and Women With Alzheimer’s Disease

Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE4) genotype, the stronger genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, negatively affects cerebrospinal levels of tau protein in a sex-dependent manner, whereby the effect of APOE4 is stronger in women than men.

Utility of Ictal Magnetoencephalography for Identifying Seizure Onset Zone

In a review of 377 magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies in epilepsy patients undergoing presurgical workup, 44 patients were found to have one or more seizures during routine recordings, lasting up to a mean of 51.2 minutes. Ictal MEG provided unique localizing data in about one-third of patients. For patients with frequent seizures or reliably induced seizures, MEG may be a useful supplemental tool for medically refractory epilepsy patients undergoing presurgical evaluation.

Effect of Sleep on Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is associated with sleep disorders commonly. Disrupted sleep patterns appear to make dyskinesias worse in patients treated with levodopa therapy.