The American journal of medicine
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Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Noninvasive imaging tests play a significant role in diagnosing coronary artery disease, as well as risk stratification and guidance for revascularization. ⋯ In this review, we will review test accuracy and clinical significance of these methods for diagnosing and managing coronary artery disease. We will further discuss the comparative usefulness of other noninvasive tests-stress echocardiography, coronary computed tomography angiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging-in the evaluation of ischemia and myocardial viability.
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As dementia becomes more prevalent in the aging population, clinicians increasingly face the challenge of caring for patients who had told family members that they preferred death to life with advanced dementia. Advance directives can guide management, but usually are inadequate in caring for patients with advanced dementia. ⋯ Withholding life-sustaining oral feeding or fluids is ethically problematic. Controversies remain over precedent autonomy as the justification for advance dementia directives, and the consequent legal, ethical, and practical issues clinicians face, particularly involving feeding.
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The transgender population is rapidly growing in the United States and abroad. Transgender men and women are marginalized as a result of their transgender status, with resultant health repercussions. This and other factors such as increased substance use, mental health disorders, violence, and chronic stress may place transgender individuals at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Additionally, many transgender patients pursue gender-affirming hormone therapy, which has been linked to increased rates of some cardiovascular events such as metabolic syndrome, venous thromboembolism, and stroke. Despite the likelihood of elevated cardiovascular risk in this population, there is a paucity of published data about the cardiovascular risk of this population. ⋯ Transgender individuals are at high baseline cardiovascular risk. These data help fill some important knowledge gaps in this patient subgroup, and provide us with much-needed data to help guide our management and counseling of individuals seeking this type of care.