https://medicalxpress.com/family-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Family medicine In an era where patients and clinicians increasingly turn to artificial intelligence for medical advice, a critical question emerges: Does AI know when not to test or treat? A new joint study from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and Clalit Health Services reveals that leading large language models (LLMs) successfully identify when medical interventions are redundant in the vast majority of cases, stumbling primarily in gray areas where medical consensus itself is divided. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-reveals-ai-chatbots-unnecessary-medical.html Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:00:08 EDT news711720274 Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) could transform diabetes management for millions of Americans with type 2 diabetes who don't take insulin, according to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-glucose-diabetes-patients-hours-day.html Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:00:01 EDT news711298343 People who eat fresh food are healthier than those who don't. That simple fact is the basis of food prescription programs that make fruits, vegetables and other foods free for people who are food insecure. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-food-prescription-insecure-older-adults.html Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:00:24 EDT news711291398 Within the medical ecosystem, health guidelines aim for timely diagnosis and regular follow-up of chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, to ensure that no patient gets left behind. However, two studies by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst show that a patient's actual care experience can vary, and not just along the typical demographic lines that research usually investigates. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-primary-resources-health-outcomes-diabetes.html Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:20:01 EDT news711200333 Scientists have discovered that the drug losartan, commonly prescribed for high blood pressure, boosts brown adipose tissue activity in mice, enhancing their metabolism. This indicates that repurposing losartan—an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) with a well-known safety profile—may be a clinically viable method of stimulating brown fat, which has been linked to improved cardiovascular health and, reported for the first time in this study, psychiatric health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-commonly-blood-pressure-drug-healthy.html Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:00:08 EDT news711190407 Researchers from the University of Alberta have found that opioids are best used for acute pain relief for four weeks or less and may cause more harm than good when used for chronic pain for more than 12 weeks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-opioids-short-term-pain-relief.html Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:20:01 EDT news711184258 Poorer people, on average, live shorter lives. This pattern can be seen even in wealthy countries with extensive welfare systems. In Norway, for example, 40-year-old men in the richest 1% could expect to live almost 14 years longer than those in the poorest 1%. In the U.S., the equivalent gap is nearly 15 years. A 2025 World Health Organization report warned that international targets for reducing health inequalities by 2040 are likely to be missed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-circumstances-linked.html Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:40:01 EDT news710603436 The aging population, workforce changes and patients' increasingly complex medical needs are all factors straining primary care systems around the world. Artificial intelligence tools have emerged as a potential means of extending the capabilities of health care workers, including in primary care settings. Large language models (LLMs), also known as chatbots, have performed extremely well in simulations. However, little is known about how these systems perform with real patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-real-world-safety-quality-patient.html Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:20:17 EDT news710759399 Older people could be monitored safely in their own homes without the need for intrusive cameras or wearable devices thanks to new research by Nottingham Trent University (NTU). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-elderly-people-independently-longer-home.html Thu, 08 Oct 2026 17:20:13 EDT news710695741 Imagine a child who has been hospitalized numerous times. Perhaps they were also diagnosed with a mental health condition as a teenager. At the same time, they grew up in a family affected by unemployment, poverty or alcohol abuse. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-children-multiple-adversities-die-younger.html Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:20:01 EDT news710430241 Pain may not increase linearly with age, with the sharpest rises occurring before age 55, according to a global analysis of more than 6 million people published in Nature Medicine. The findings could help researchers compare pain across populations and improve global pain monitoring and prevention. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-women-pain-men-global-analysis.html Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:40:04 EDT news710425322 What if checking medication levels were as simple as enjoying a lollipop? A candy-coated device called Lollylab could provide the answer. In ACS Sensors, researchers describe how the lollipop's stem transfers saliva to a sensor that measures acetaminophen levels. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-candy-coated-lollylab-saliva-medication.html Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:20:13 EDT news710410561