Internal Medicine
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Identifying Common Traits Regarding Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing
In a retrospective cohort study of outpatient visits for upper respiratory infections that should not require antibiotics, researchers found several patient, practice, and provider characteristics associated with inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing. Notably, adult patients seen by an advanced practice provider were 15% more likely to receive an antimicrobial than those seen by a physician provider.
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Non-opioid vs. Opioid Medications for Chronic Back, Knee, or Hip Pain
In this small study, non-opioid therapy (primarily acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) was as effective as opioid therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain with fewer medication-related side effects.
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Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver pathology worldwide and is the third leading cause of liver transplantation in the United States.This article reviews the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and natural history of NAFLD as well as known treatments and future therapies.
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Meditation for Reducing CVD Risk
A recent American Heart Association statement found meditation to be an inexpensive intervention that may be adjunctively useful for reducing risk of heart disease.
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Running and Health
In a review and meta-analysis of the effects of running and longevity, researchers concluded that running provides specific and significant health benefits and proposed a threshold above which more running provides diminishing returns.
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Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment for Low Back Pain
Authors of a recent literature review found compelling evidence that osteopathic manipulative treatment is effective for treating low back pain, but not for other conditions.
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Fish Consumption and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis
A cross-sectional analysis using baseline data from participants in the Evaluation of Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease and Predictors of Events in Rheumatoid Arthritis (ESCAPE-RA) cohort study demonstrated biweekly consumption of fish significantly decreased pain and progression of RA sufferers.
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Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
The data from this study do not indicate that new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation should be regarded as having the same risks as primary nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in terms of long-term thromboembolic risk, and that anticoagulation in this group may not be necessary unless the atrial fibrillation is persistent.
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Opioids Not Better for Chronic Back Pain
Chronic use of opioids for management of back pain is controversial and hotly debated. This randomized trial showed no benefit of opioids over multimodality non-opioid treatments, consistent with many other observational studies.
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Rapid Screening for Future Risk of Parkinson’s Disease Dementia
The Montreal Parkinson Risk of Dementia Scale provides a simple eight-item screening tool with high predictive value for developing Parkinson’s disease dementia.