The Journal of family practice
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Can family physicians accurately screen for AAA with point-of-care ultrasound?
Likely yes. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) by nonradiologist physicians is 98% sensitive and 99% specific, compared with imaging performed by radiologists (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy studies mostly involving emergency medicine physicians). European family physicians demonstrated 100% concordance with radiologist readings (SOR: C, very small subsequent diagnostic accuracy studies).
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Low-dose aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid [ASA]; 75 to 100 mg/d) is widely used in the prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events based on the results of large-scale studies supporting a benefit. However, questions remain regarding the benefit-risk relationship in certain settings since long-term use of ASA is not devoid of risk. Incontrovertible evidence supports the benefits of ASA treatment, which exceed the risks, in patients who have had a previous CV event (myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina, or transient ischemic attack). ⋯ Recent evidence from large-scale clinical trials shows that administration of low-dose ASA is associated with a reduced risk of CV events with a corresponding small absolute increase in the risk of major bleeding (eg, gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke). Although the benefit and the risk of low-dose ASA in primary prevention are numerically similar, the clinical consequences of an increased risk of bleeding and a decreased risk of a CV event may not be equivalent. If these data are applied to patients with higher levels of CV outcome risk, more patients may potentially benefit from aspirin use in primary prevention.
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• Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common, occurring in 1 of 7 adults in the United States. • 9 out of 10 adults with CKD are unaware of it. • People with CKD have the same risk for cardiovascular (CV) death as people with known atherosclerotic heart disease. • The risk for CV events and death increases with worsening albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). • Patients with risk factors for CKD (hypertension, diabetes, family history of CKD, or advancing age) should be screened by measuring both eGFR and urinary albuminto-creatinine ratio. • Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors are first-line agents for treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and CKD or a history of atherosclerotic CV disease. • Dapagliflozin has demonstrated equivalent efficacy for reducing kidney events in patients with CKD irrespective of diabetes status, and a similar, ongoing trial with empagliflozin may provide potential confirmation.
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At the end of the activity, participant will be able to: • Identify patients who could benefit from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) vs fingerstick blood glucose monitoring. • List the types of information provided by CGM systems. • Interpret CGM data using the ambulatory glucose profile (AGP) to assess if the patient is achieving targets established by the International Consensus on Time in Range. • Modify the treatment plan based on CGM data to improve patient outcomes.
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Case Reports Randomized Controlled Trial
Prescribe an SGLT2 inhibitor for heart failure in the absence of diabetes?
An RCT demonstrates that dapagliflozin produces better cardiovascular outcomes than placebo for heart failure patients with and without diabetes.