Browse Internal Medicine Articles by Topic

Exercise and the Aging Immune System

The authors of this literature review detailed changes in immune system function that occur with age, as well as the immunological effects of acute and chronic exercise.

The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Fractures, Falls, and Bone Mineral Density

The authors of this systemic review, random-effect meta-analysis, and trial sequence analysis suggested that vitamin D supplementation does not have clinically significant effects on bone mineral density or the prevention of fractures or falls.

Weight Loss Maintenance — Is Low-Carb the Key? An Investigation Into the Metabolic Effect of Diet

Researchers found that among adults seeking to maintain weight loss, consumption of a low-carbohydrate diet led to the highest total energy expenditure.

Lettuce for Sleep? Maybe, but Not in Salad Form

The authors of this single-blind randomized study found that 1,000 mg of culinary lettuce seed nightly for two weeks can improve sleep in pregnant women with insomnia.

Thinking Outside of the ‘Alpha-Synuclein Box’: A Critical Role of Tau in Lewy Body Disorders

Neocortical tau pathology was associated with worse antemortem cognition in this large study of Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. Regional brain variations correlated with specific cognitive domains.

Predicting the Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment Using Imaging Biomarkers

In this population-based study, researchers used imaging biomarkers of amyloid and neuronal injury to estimate an absolute risk of mild cognitive impairment in the elderly.

Amyloid-ß Pathology Induced by Contaminated Cadaver-Derived Growth Hormone

Cadaveric pituitary-derived growth hormone that previously was known to transmit Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) also contains ß-amyloid. Growth hormone vials from cases associated with amyloid plaques in CJD patients cause amyloid plaque formation and cerebral amyloid angiopathy when injected intracranially into mice.

Rituximab for CIDP Associated With Systemic Immune Disorders

Rituximab has been used “off label” for the treatment of primary chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) with variable reports of success. These authors reported a high rate of response in patients who developed CIDP in the setting of other systemic immune-mediated disorders.

Continuous EEG Monitoring in Critically Ill Patients Is Associated With Reduced Hospital Mortality

In this retrospective cross-sectional study involving more than 7 million critically ill adult patients from the National Inpatient Sample database, researchers showed that the use of continuous electroencephalography is associated with lower in-hospital mortality.

Influenza Cases Rising: What Clinicians Need to Know

The burden of influenza is significant. So far in the current 2018-2019 season, about 7 million Americans have been affected, with half of those people seeing a physician. Between 69,000 and 84,000 people have been hospitalized for flu-related illness.