September 2022
27 ArticlesNo Section
Validation of anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies associated vasculitides diagnosis codes from the electronic health records of two French university hospitals
ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV) are necrotizing vasculitis, with few or no immune deposit, predominantly affecting small vessels. Among AAV, granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is characterized... more
Commentary
Not all the eggs and the chickens are the same: The case of uric acid and metabolic syndrome
Uric acid represents the end-product of purine metabolism in humans and the great apes where it has played some evolutive roles over the time [1]. The production of uric acid is largely regulated by... more
The case of diabetes mellitus and atrial fibrillation: Underlining the importance of non-cardiovascular comorbidities
In the currently changing scenario, in which our patients are progressively older and more likely burdened by concomitant chronic long-term conditions [1], diabetes mellitus (DM) play a prominent... more
Ideas and Opinions
Participants’ informed consent in adaptive, platform drug trials in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: Not all approaches are ethically acceptable
One of the most exciting bits of news that the COVID-19 pandemic has provided in the clinical research arena is demonstrating that adaptive, platform randomized controlled trials (ad-RCTs) provided... more
Internal Medicine Flashcard
The hardest pill to swallow: A freak of nature
Not required
A diabetic patient with finger gangrene
A 72-year-old male with type 2 diabetes and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving hemodialysis (HD) for 10 months presented to hospital with one week of worsening pain, swelling, and bluish-black... more
Necrotic ulcers in an immunocompromised patient
A 68-year-old man presented to dermatology clinic with extensive ulcers for one-week duration. Patient had underlying uncontrolled Type II Diabetes Mellitus and pemphigus foliaceous. His medications... more
Letter to the Editor
Serum cystatin C, cystatin C level change and risk of atrial fibrillation
Dear Editor,
Janus kinase inhibitors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: Great news, but some concerns on cardiovascular disease risk still exist. Author's reply
We appreciate the opportunity to reply to the Letter to the Editor by Dimosiari and colleagues [1], commenting on our work [2]. We concur with them that the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk of Janus... more
Association of tenofovir and entecavir use with prognosis after surgical resection for hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma
Potent antiviral therapy (AVT) against hepatitis B virus (HBV) can induce regression of liver fibrosis, thereby reducing the development of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [1]. A... more
Ultrasound assessment of splanchnic circulation in Systemic Sclerosis: a non-invasive approach for the study of bowel vasculopathy?
Dear editor,
Trends of thrombo-inflammation biomarkers after Tocilizumab predict treatment failure better than scores in patients with severe SARS-CoV2 related respiratory failure
Cytokine antagonists are now concrete therapeutic options in patients with severe SARS-CoV2 respiratory failure. The Interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor tocilizumab (TCZ) has shown to significantly reduce... more
Janus kinase inhibitors in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: Great news, but some concerns on cardiovascular disease risk still exist
We have read with great interest the results of the meta-analysis conducted by Li and colleagues [1], demonstrating that Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are a safe treatment option for patients with... more
Ten year anniversary of choosing wisely campaigns
We read with interest the perspective letter “Ten Years of Choosing Wisely to Reduce Low-Value Care” by Elizabeth J. Rourke [1]. As campaign leaders and members of the Choosing Wisely (CW) working... more
Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis as a maladaptive stress response shared by coronavirus disease 2019 and other cytokine storm disorders
Dear Editor,
Original Article
Autoantibody positivity predicts severity of rheumatic immune-related adverse events to immune-checkpoint inhibitors
In the last decade, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become a therapeutic tool of paramount importance when managing malignancies. ICIs currently represent the standard of care for several... more
Epidemiology of subclinical atrial fibrillation in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices: A systematic review and meta-regression
In 1958 Senning and Elmqvist implanted the first permanent cardiac pacemaker (PM) to Arne Larsson, who survived for more than 40 years and ultimately died from different causes [1]. Since then, the... more
Nebivolol protects erectile functions compared to Metoprolol in hypertensive men with atherogenic, venogenic, psychogenic erectile dysfunction: A prospective, randomized, cross-over, clinical trial
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the inability to achieve or maintain a sufficient erection to engage in sexual intercourse [1]. Erectile functions are related to the quality of life of... more
Durable functional limitation in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 admitted to intensive care and the effect of intermediate-dose vs standard-dose anticoagulation on functional outcomes
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has post-acute manifestations that may impact the everyday life functional and the mental health status of the affected patients [1]. In a cross-sectional global... more
Do we need blood culture stewardship programs? A quality control study and survey to assess the appropriateness of blood culture collection and the knowledge and attitudes among physicians in Swiss hospitals
As bloodstream infections (BSI) are associated with a mortality of 14% and up to 35% in critically ill patients, physicians often have a low threshold to collect blood cultures (BC) [1–3]. But... more
Physician care access plays a significant role in extending global and regional life expectancy
Life expectancy is a statistical measure for the average number of years a person in a population could expect to live based on current age and sex-specific death rates [1]. It has been the most... more
Clinical characteristics of BRASH syndrome: Systematic scoping review
Bradycardia, renal failure, atrioventricular (AV) nodal blockade, shock, and hyperkalemia (BRASH) syndrome is a recently-established entity precipitated by medication-induced AV nodal blockade.... more
Impact of diabetes on the management and outcomes in atrial fibrillation: an analysis from the ESC-EHRA EORP-AF Long-Term General Registry
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, frequently associated with other conditions such as diabetes mellitus [1,2], and confers major healthcare costs [3]. Given... more
Review Article
COVID-19, vaccines and deficiency of ACE2 and other angiotensinases. Closing the loop on the "Spike effect"
The role of a dysregulated renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 is well recognized. The imbalance between angiotensin II (Ang II) and Angiotensin1-7 (Ang1,7) caused by the... more
From mid-range to mildly reduced ejection fraction heart failure: A call to treat
The historical classification of heart failure (HF) has considered two distinct subgroups, HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), generally classified as EF below 40%, and HF with preserved... more
Perspectives on the pharmacological management of alcohol use disorder: Are the approved medications effective?
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by a large consumption of alcoholic beverages, which can determine the onset of alcohol-related diseases and an overall increase of morbidity and mortality... more
Uric acid in metabolic syndrome: Does uric acid have a definitive role?
The final product of purine metabolism is uric acid (UA) which is produced by xanthine oxidase (XO). Although most mammalian species can also oxidize UA to allantoin via uricase, humans are thought... more