More articles from Current Drug Therapy
- Diabetes management: Beyond hemoglobin A1c
Other factors include cardiovascular benefit, weight control, hypoglycemia risk, and cost.
- ACE inhibitors and ARBs: Managing potassium and renal function
Concern about hyperkalemia and a decline in renal function has led to underuse of these drugs.
- Hydroxychloroquine: An old drug with new relevance
This antimalarial drug is now approved to treat discoid lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Pharmacotherapy for obesity: What you need to know
Weight-loss drugs are not magic pills, but they can help when used along with diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes.
Hepatitis C virus: Here comes all-oral treatmentDirect-acting antiviral drugs open the door for an all-oral regimen, potentially eliminating the need for interferon and thus avoiding its harsh side effects.
- Acetaminophen: Old drug, new warnings
Often, patients overdose because they take more than one acetaminophen product and are unaware that both products contain the drug.
- The controversy over long-acting beta agonists: Examining the evidence
Asthma drugs that contain salmeterol (Serevent, Advair) or formoterol (Foradil) now carry a warning about an increased risk of asthma-related death. This paper critically examines the evidence.
- Using the new HPV vaccines in clinical practice
The new vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) could prevent up to 70% of cases of cervical cancer. But Pap testing will still be necessary.
- Newer antibiotics for serious gram-positive infections
We use two case scenarios to discuss when and how to use these agents and how to monitor and respond to their adverse effects.
Is digoxin a drug of the past?This old drug is still useful, with some caveats. It is no longer the cornerstone of heart-failure treatment, but it can be beneficial as an adjunct. Serum levels should probably be kept lower than in the past.