December 2023

With early sports specialization, overuse injuries are becoming more common. Proper technique, resistance training, protective equipment, and avoiding early sports specialization are necessary for injury prevention in adolescents.

Chronic kidney disease affects approximately 15% of the U.S. population; however, 9 out of 10 people do not know they have impaired renal function. The most common causes of chronic kidney disease are diabetes mellitus (38%) and hypertension (26%). More advanced disease is…

Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin and systemic disorder that affects 3.2% of the U.S. population, including 1% of children. It presents in various forms; treatment strategies are similar for most forms of psoriasis and based on body surface area involved. Special consideration…

Adnexal masses, found in fallopian tubes, ovaries, and surrounding areas, are mostly benign. Evaluation includes assessment for symptoms that may suggest malignancy, such as abdominal pain, bloating, and early satiety; ectopic pregnancies must be considered in women of…

Physicians recognize traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors but may be uncertain about how to account for the unique stages across a woman’s lifespan that can increase CVD risk.

Primary care for women and other patients with similar reproductive potential can include a discussion about the desire for pregnancy, and preconception care can improve pregnancy-related maternal and fetal outcomes.

Body mass index is an inadequate predictor of health outcomes and does not integrate ethnic or sociocultural context for obesity. The term adiposity-based chronic disease, or ABCD, was recommended to replace the term obesity and address weight stigma and bias in the diagnosis…

Key clinical questions and their evidence-based answers directly from the journal’s content, written by and for family physicians.

Research in family medicine produces clinical information and improves care delivery, but it has yet to receive equitable federal invest¬ment. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary funder of medical research in the United States.

Despite several limitations, the 2023 meta-analysis found that using adjunctive corticosteroids in adults with severe CAP reduced 30-day, all-cause mortality; need for mechanical ventilation; length of ICU stay; and length of hospital stay with no increase in adverse events.

When studied for up to six months, spinal cord stimulation likely does not improve pain, func¬tion, or health-related quality of life vs. placebo. When studied for up to 12 months, spinal cord stimulation and optimal medical management may slightly improve back function and…

ICS monotherapy decreases the likelihood of exacerbations in patients with stable COPD compared with placebo. (Strength of Recommendation: A, based on consistent, good-quality patient-oriented evidence.)

A collaboration between AFP and the Lown Institute promotes a vision of delivering heath care that is based on the evidence, balanced in its approach, and focused on the patient.

The USPSTF recommends that clinicians prescribe preexposure prophylaxis using effective antiretroviral therapy to persons who are at increased risk of HIV acquisition to decrease the risk of acquiring HIV.

This PPIP quiz is based on the recommendations of the USPSTF.

Magnesium supplementation should not be used for short courses (less than 60 days) to treat idiopathic or pregnancy-related nocturnal leg cramps. There is limited evidence that magnesium oxide may improve nocturnal leg cramps after 60 days of treatment.

A 32-year-old woman presented after two days of worsening facial swelling and associated pruritus.

A 71-year-old man presented with a persistent dry cough that had been gradually worsening over the past 30 years.

First-person accounts from the front lines of family medicine.

In the primary care setting, what is the best approach for the initial evaluation of patients with suspected dementia?

POEM

POEM

POEM

POEM

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) conducted systematic reviews to publish guidelines for care of transgender and gender-diverse people.

Letter

Reply: Kira Harris

Psoriasis is a disease that affects the skin. It causes red, scaly patches of dry skin. They can be anywhere on the body. They can also be on your nails. Some people get joint pain.