Primary Care Update

This week primary care physicians Gary, Henry, Kate and Mark discuss the safety of CBD, a new guideline for managing adults with hypertension, whether COVID-19 vaccines are still effective, and a living guideline from the BMJ to help us choose the best diabetes drugs. Links to stuff Essential Evidence Plus Illinois Academy of Family Physicians meeting Dec 6 in Naperville, IL (Kate, Gary and Mark)...

Primary care physicians Gary Ferenchick, Kate Rowland, Henry Barry and Mark Ebell want you to know about 4 new studies: the best choice of pharmacotherapy in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, benefits and harms of intensive BP lowering, elinzanetant for therapy-induced vasomotor symptoms in women with breast cancer, and 23 year follow up of the European Prostate Cancer Screening Trial. Plus a c...

This week, Gary, Kate, Mark and Henry discuss the optimal duration of anticoagulation after a provoked DVT, using low doses of mirtazapine or amitriptyline in adults with insomnia, whether a lower dose of semaglutide is still effective for weight loss, and adding aspirin for patients with coronary heart disease, a stent and who are also on a DOAC for another indication. Links: NICE Barrett Esophag...

This week, primary care physicians Kate Rowland, Mark Ebell, and Henry Barry want to arm our primary care colleagues with the best evidence on whether acetaminophen causes autism, whether MMR causes autism, and whether leucovorin can treat autism. Gary then turns to a study of the value of continuity in primary care, and its association with better health outcomes. Links: Henry's essay on Igna...

Today Kate, Gary, Mark and Henry discuss influenza vaccines and dementia incidence, therapies for endometriosis-related pain, colchicine for secondary prevention of heart disease, and green tea and drug absorption. Links: IgNobel prizes: IgNobel Prizes were recently awarded: https://improbable.com/ig/winners/   www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/40601364   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40373315/ Colchi...

This week Gary, Kate, Henry and Mark discuss 4 important new studies that are potential POEMs: A new(ish) rescue therapy for asthma, IV thrombolytics for adults with acute minor stroke, whether exercise reduces cancer mortality, and digitoxin (with a t!) as add-on therapy for adults with heart failure.

Join Kate, Mark, Gary and Henry as they discuss 4 great new POEMs (studies with the potential to change practice): a digital mental health intervention, the risk of DKA in patients using SGLT2 inhibitors, esketamine’s effects on suicidal ideation and unresponsive depression, and whether “one-size-fits-all” thyroid reference ranges misleading. Links: Essential Evidence Plus: www.essentialevidencepl...

This week, we found 4 great new studies for primary care physicians (and their patients): the health benefits of “incidental” activity, real world data and the amyloid cascade theory for Alzheimer’s disease, a new blood test for colorectal cancer screening, and DORAs for sleep. Check out Essential Evidence Plus: www.essentialevidenceplus.com Incidental activity: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/402...

Kate, Mark, Gary and Henry discuss 4 important new studies relevant to primary care clinicians: negative pressure wound therapy for wounds healing by secondary intention, comparative effectiveness of acute migraine treatments, contrast enhanced mammography, US, or MRI for women with dense breasts, and metformin for knee pain in patients without diabetes. Negative pressure wound therapy: https://pu...

This week our intrepid primary care docs discuss 4 new POEMs: spironolactone vs amiloride for resistant hypertension, mirtazapine for insomnia in older adults, baloxivir for influenza post exposure prophylaxis, and platelet-rich plasma injections for knee osteoarthritis. We've got opinions! Show notes: Spironolactone vs amiloride for resistant hypertension: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40366680/ Mi...

Join Mark, Kate, Henry and Gary as they discuss 4 new POEMs: a new and very hard to pronounce antibiotic for uncomplicated UTI, the best drugs for relieving pain in adults with fibromyalgia, a clinical trial of a multicancer detection test in asymptomatic persons, and bedtime vs morning administration of antihypertensives. Gepotidacin for uncomplicated UTI: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38342126...

This week, join Kate, Mark and Henry as they discuss all in one triple inhalers for COPD, the best medication for pain management in children and suzetrigine, a new medicine for acute pain in adults. Gary is off this week, working on his French lessons. And we add intro music! Yay!

Join Mark, Henry, and Gary (we are Kate-less unfortunately this week) for discussion of epidural steroid injections for adults with radicular back pain, post a fib ablation management, and oral semaglutide for high-risk patients with Type 2 DM

This week, Kate, Mark, Gary and Henry discuss 4 great new POEMs: foot care wipes for patients at risk of diabetic foot infection, resuming DOACS following intracerebral hemorrhage in adults with a fib, treating prediabetes with tirzepatide, and more on intermittent fasting. Show links BMJ Magic Evidence interactive review of diabetes medications. A great practice and teaching tool: https://matchit...

This week, Kate, Gary, Mark and Henry chat about the health effects of dance for older adults, POCUS for diagnosing clavicular fractures, treating male partners of women with BV, and prehabilitation  before elective surgery . Links: Dance for older adults: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39480190/ POCUS for clavicle fractures: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39626455/ Oral + topical treatment of m...

This week join our intrepid primary care physicians Kate, Gary, Henry and Mark as they discuss 4 new studies: an experimental treatment for chronic migraines, safety of albuterol in wheezy kids under 2, oral gepotidacin for uncomplicated UTI, and vitamin K2 and Leg Cramps. Here are the links: Lukas' Fund supporting the Piedmont Athens and Grady Atlanta NICUs: https://www.lukasfund.org Essentia...

This week Kate, Gary, Mark and Henry discuss discontinuation of benzodiazepines and treatment of insomnia, the value of baseline cognitive testing of college athletes, vonoprazan vs PPI for preventing and treating ulcers, and whether herpes zoster vaccine reduces dementia risk. Show links: Essential Evidence Plus: www.essentialevidenceplus.com Tapering benzos: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39374...

This week Gary, Mark, Kate and Henry discuss: adverse effects from inhaled steroids in asthma, Italian dementia guideline, fezolinetant for treatment of vasomotor symptoms, and updated USPSTF recommendations for osteoporosis screening. Show notes and links: Asthma and risk of CV events: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39088770/ GINA 2024 guidelines: https://ginasthma.org/2024-report/ Italian demen...

Join Kate, Gary, Mark and Henry as they discuss 4 new POEMs relevant to primary care: bright light therapy for non-seasonal depression, fever control in children, abelacimab for atrial fibrillation, antibiotics vs surgery in children with nonperforated appendicitis. Get all of the POEMs (a new one every day) by going to Essential Evidence Plus and subscribing. Links from today's podcast: Brigh...

This week, Gary, Kate, Henry and Mark discuss 4 new studies relevant to primary care practice: the effectiveness of RSV monoclonals in infants, acupuncture for sciatica associated with disk herniation, zoledronate every 5 years for low risk women, and the effect of arm position on blood pressure readings. Plus a quiz! Please see below for show notes and links: Learn more about Essential Evidence P...

Join Kate, Mark, Gary and Henry as they discuss 4 new POEMs on treatment of sexual dysfunction, the benefits and harms of GLP-1 agonists, active surveillance vs usual care for ductal carcinoma in situ, and medications to prevent episodic migraine headache. Henry mentioned AAFP's uncensored resources: www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/clinical-recommendations.html   www.aafp.org/family...

This week, join Kate, Mark, Gary and Henry as they discuss 4 new studies: prenatal cannabis exposure, fluid resuscitation during acute sickle crises, edoxaban or edoxaban + ASA for afib with CAD, and the impact of aerobic exercise on weight loss in adults

Join Henry, Kate, Mark and Gary as they discuss 4 new POEMs: an RCT of mindfulness for chronic pain, use of methotrexate (huh?) for pain relief in adults with knee DJD, a new way to eradicate H., and oral resveratrol for adults with painful DJD of the knee  (you know, the stuff from red wine). And a quiz: what actually are the benefits of lower BP targets? Links Mindfulness for chronic pain:   htt...

This week join our intrepid team of skeptical primary care doctors as Kate, Mark, Henry and Gary discuss a web- and text-based intervention to prevent obesity in babies, the best timing of DOAC initiation after ischemic stroke in adults with atrial fibrillation, using semaglutide for knee osteoarthritis, and the differential diagnosis of thunderclap headaches. Plus the BEST quiz ever. Links: Preve...

This month Kate, Mark, Gary and Henry discuss yoga for treating urinary incontinence in older women, benefits and harms of muscle relaxants for adults with chronic pain, maternal prenatal cannabis use and developmental delays, and bariatric surgery vs. glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists in obese adults with T2DM. Links: Yoga for incontinence: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39186785/ Muscle...