Top 10 internal medicine stories of 2017

FDA news, updates in care guidelines and new research on the impact of nutrition on overall health were just some of the most-read stories on Healio Internal Medicine in the past year. To mark the end of 2017, Healio Internal Medicine presents its most popular stories of the year.

FDA orders dietary supplement distributor to stop selling products

United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton for the Central District of California issued a consent decree of permanent injunction with Regeneca Worldwide, a division of VivaCeuticals Inc., for unlawfully distributing unapproved new drugs and adulterated and misbranded dietary supplements, according to a press release issued by the FDA. Read more.

Beta-blockers safe for pregnant women

Beta-blocker exposure in pregnancy does not increase risk for fetal cardiac anomalies after adjusting for maternal comorbidities, according to a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Read more.

Heated cigarettes release same cancer-causing chemicals as traditional cigarettes

Smoke released from heat-not-burn tobacco cigarettes contains the same harmful components as conventional tobacco cigarette smoke, according to data published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Read more.

Primary care physicians can help prevent, reverse cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease has become the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 31% of all deaths, or 17.5 million fatalities, globally in 2012, according to WHO. Read more.

Drinking coffee reduces risk for death

Among people of various ethnicities and cultures, higher coffee consumption — whether caffeinated or decaffeinated — was associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality benefits, according to two new studies published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more.

FDA approves Liletta to prevent pregnancy for up to 4 years

The FDA recently approved Liletta 52 mg for the extended use of up to 4 years for the prevention of pregnancy, according to a recent press release issued by Allergan and Medicines360. Read more.

Trump’s changes to sexual, reproductive health care policies threaten women’s health

President Donald J. Trump’s policy initiatives focusing on women’s sexual and reproductive health matters, such as abortion, contraception and maternity care, are a concern for medical and public health, according to a commentary published in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care. Read more.

Fewer adults with obesity report trying to lose weight

Adults in the United States continue to gain weight, yet fewer overweight or obese adults report attempting to lose weight, prompting a need for more rigorous discussions of weight issues between primary care providers and patients, according to research published in JAMA. Read more.

ACP recommends drug-free treatment for low back pain

The ACP recently released an updated clinical practice guideline and two evidence reviews recommending that physicians avoid prescribing drugs, especially narcotics, for patients with acute or subacute nonradicular low back pain; instead, patients should be treated first with nonpharmaceutical therapies, such as superficial heat, massage, acupuncture, spinal manipulation or yoga. Read more.

ACP, AAFP recommend ‘less aggressive’ systolic BP target for older patients with hypertension

The ACP and American Academy of Family Physicians jointly released an evidence-based clinical guideline on the appropriate systolic BP target for adults aged 60 years and older for the treatment of hypertension, recommending that a less aggressive treatment target may be optimal for otherwise healthy patients. Read more.