Annals of internal medicine
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Alcohol is used by more people in the United States than tobacco, electronic nicotine delivery systems, or illicit drugs. Several health conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver disease, are associated with excessive alcohol use and alcohol use disorder. Nearly 30 million people aged 12 years or older in the United States reported past-year alcohol use disorder in 2022, but-despite its prevalence-alcohol use disorder is undertreated. In this policy brief, the American College of Physicians outlines the health effects of excessive alcohol use and alcohol use disorder, calls for policy changes to increase the availability of treatment of alcohol use disorder and excessive alcohol use, and recommends alcohol-related public health interventions.
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In 2023, published research on COVID-19 remains prominent. The aim of this article is to highlight important developments in infectious disease evidence unrelated to COVID-19 that were published in 2023. The literature was screened for sound new evidence relevant to internal medicine specialists and subspecialists whose focus of practice is not infectious diseases. ⋯ Several articles address the management of sepsis and bacteremia: comparison of cefepime versus piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftobiprole for the treatment of complicated Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, and early switch from intravenous to oral antibiotics in patients with gram-negative bacteremia. Another article examines differences in all-cause mortality in patients with Clostridioides difficile infection who receive different treatments. Additional articles provide evidence about the treatment of patients with HIV infection: the utility of preexposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection, the efficacy of pitavastatin in reducing cardiovascular disease, and the efficacy of dexamethasone for the treatment of tuberculous meningitis in persons with HIV.
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Many patients with rheumatologic conditions receive care from physicians other than rheumatologists. Here we note key findings from 6 studies in rheumatology published in 2023 that offer valuable insights for internal medicine specialists and subspecialists outside of rheumatology. The first study investigated the effect of low-dose glucocorticoids on patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over 2 years and challenged existing perceptions about the risks of glucocorticoids in this setting. ⋯ The fifth study evaluated sublingual cyclobenzaprine for fibromyalgia treatment, noting both potential benefits and risks. Finally, the sixth article is a systematic review and meta-analysis that assessed the therapeutic equivalence of biosimilars and reference biologics in the treatment of patients with RA. Knowledge of this recent literature will be useful to clinicians regardless of specialty who care for patients with these commonly encountered conditions.
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Gao Y, Chen W, Pan Y, et al; INSPIRES Investigators. Dual antiplatelet treatment up to 72 hours after ischemic stroke. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:2413-2424. 38157499.