Primary Care News and Research

Latest Primary Care News and Research

In rural Massachusetts, patients and physicians weigh trade-offs of concierge medicine

Michele Andrews had been seeing her internist in Northampton, Massachusetts, a small city two hours west of Boston, for about 10 years. She was happy with the care, though she started to notice it was becoming harder to get an appointment.

16 Apr 2025

Understanding the natural history of SCN8A-related epilepsy disorders

Researchers from the Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative (ENGIN) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have completed a comprehensive natural history study of SCN8A-related disorders, which represent a spectrum of neurological symptoms.

15 Apr 2025

Lithium shifts circadian rhythms early in bipolar disorder and may offer clues to treatment response

A randomized controlled trial shows that lithium treatment in bipolar disorder patients reduces daytime activity, advances its onset time, and increases volatility in circadian rest-activity patterns. These changes appear early and independently of mood, offering promise as early biomarkers of treatment response.

14 Apr 2025

Abortion rates remain stable in Ontario despite global spike

A new study finds that, unlike countries across the UK and Europe, abortion rates did not spike in Ontario, Canada from 2020-2022.

11 Apr 2025

Six early life factors found to influence obesity risk in South Asian children

Researchers at McMaster University have identified six key factors in the first three years of life that influence the trajectory of obesity in South Asian children.

10 Apr 2025

Oklahoma Children's Hospital improves care for babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome

In years past, health care providers took a punitive stance toward women giving birth to babies exposed to substances like opioids in the womb.

9 Apr 2025

Rural hospitals and patients are disconnected from modern care

Leroy Walker arrived at the county hospital short of breath. Walker, 65 and with chronic high blood pressure, was brought in by one of rural Greene County’s two working ambulances.

9 Apr 2025

New data highlights urgent need for better asthma care – How FeNO testing can help reduce hospitalizations

Bedfont® calls for wider FeNO testing adoption to improve asthma care, reduce emergency visits, and ensure timely treatment for better respiratory health.

From NObreath 9 Apr 2025

Older adults embrace digital health portals despite billing concerns

When today's older adults were growing up, the only way to get information to your doctor or their clinic was a phone call. And getting more than a simple answer probably meant going in for an appointment.

4 Apr 2025

Cedars-Sinai study reveals distinct roles for AI and physicians in virtual care

Do physicians or artificial intelligence (AI) offer better treatment recommendations for patients examined through a virtual urgent care setting? A new Cedars-Sinai study shows physicians and AI models have distinct strengths.

4 Apr 2025

Study exposes huge levels untargeted antibiotic prescribing

Doctors are prescribing antibiotics for tens of thousands of patients with infections, with little or no consideration of prognosis and the risk of the infection worsening, according to a new study led by University of Manchester epidemiologists.

3 Apr 2025

New cystic fibrosis newborn screening guidelines aim for equitable detection

The United States Cystic Fibrosis Foundation released the first guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF), in order to improve timely detection of CF in infants from all racial and ethnic backgrounds.

3 Apr 2025

Study finds clues to hypertension hidden in electronic health records

A new study from investigators at Mass General Brigham shows that clues about hypertension may be buried in electronic health records (EHR).

1 Apr 2025

Study finds high rates of undiagnosed and untreated peripheral artery disease

A new Intermountain Health study finds that peripheral artery disease, a condition that affects more than 10 million Americans over the age of 40, is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, with fewer women getting guideline-directed medical therapy than men.

31 Mar 2025

Atrial fibrillation elevates early-onset dementia risk in younger adults

New research presented at the EHRA 2025, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology, shows that the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of future dementia by 21% in patients diagnosed with AF under 70 and the risk of early-onset dementia (diagnosed before age 65 years) by 36%.

31 Mar 2025

WARRIOR trial finds no impact of intensive therapy on heart events in women

An intensive three-drug regimen of heart medications did not significantly impact the rate of serious cardiovascular events at five years in women who experienced signs and symptoms of ischemia, or insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle, but had no blockages in their heart's arteries, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session.

29 Mar 2025

Gender affirming hormone therapy reduces HIV risk for transgender people

Transgender people receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy have a 37% lower chance of acquiring HIV, and for people living with HIV, hormone therapy appears to offer a 44% lower chance of the virus remaining detectable in blood, according to a University of Michigan study.

27 Mar 2025

Addressing cardiovascular risk factors in emerging adulthood

Many teenagers enter adulthood with significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and the transition from adolescence to adulthood is a key time to address these risk factors and reduce the risk of developing future cardiovascular disease, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

26 Mar 2025

Oklahoma researcher uses technology to combat alcohol use disorder in primary care

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 7 adults in the United States will experience a substance use disorder during their lifetime. University of Oklahoma College of Medicine faculty member Brandi Fink, Ph.D., is working with primary care clinics and health care systems to identify people with an alcohol use disorder and intervene early before the problem worsens.

25 Mar 2025