The American journal of medicine
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This article provides a checklist designed to aid the busy clinician in organizing and implementing an effective course of atherosclerosis evaluation and treatment, and a compendium highlighting a selection of useful guidelines for the general practitioner.
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The natural course of microalbuminuria among African Americans with type 2 diabetes: a 3-year study.
The natural course of microalbuminuria in African Americans (AA) with type 2 diabetes is not well established. ⋯ This study suggests that African Americans with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria experience irreversible disease that not infrequently progresses to overt proteinuria. The degree of microalbuminuria and blood pressure are key determinants in this process and should be primary targets in treating this population regardless of the antihypertensive class used.
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Creatine kinase is expressed at high levels in muscle, where it plays a central role in energy metabolism. Highly elevated creatine kinase levels in blood may indicate muscle trauma or disease. However, it is known that baseline creatine kinase levels are higher in African Americans than in whites and that they are higher in men than in women. This analysis explores the relationship of ethnic origin, gender, and age to baseline blood creatine kinase levels in a large group of adults with hypercholesterolemia. ⋯ Physicians should use caution when interpreting creatine kinase levels that seem elevated, particularly when treating African American patients and younger men.