Annals of internal medicine
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Hemochromatosis is an inheritable condition that mainly affects White populations of European descent. Most patients remain asymptomatic, but others develop advanced organ damage that reduces quality of life and long-term survival. ⋯ Primary care and hospital medicine physicians play an essential role in early identification of this disease, which can be accomplished via standard hematologic testing. Early diagnosis and therapeutic phlebotomy improve clinical outcomes.
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia. Risk factors for AF include obstructive sleep apnea, physical inactivity, obesity, cigarette use, and alcohol misuse. Atrial fibrillation substantially increases the risk for stroke and is associated with higher rates of mortality than for individuals without AF. ⋯ Early use of catheter ablation of AF in selected patients improves symptoms and reduces the potential for progression from intermittent to persistent AF. A 2023 collaborative guideline from the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, American College of Chest Physicians, and the Heart Rhythm Society addressed multiple aspects of care of patients with AF. Here, a general cardiologist and a cardiac electrophysiologist discuss recommendations derived from this guideline and how to apply them to the care of a particular patient.
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In several settings, therapeutic-dose non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are superior to aspirin for the prevention of arterial and venous thromboembolism. ⋯ None. (PROSPERO: CRD42024553683).
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Future U.S. congressional funding for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program is uncertain. ⋯ National Institutes of Health.