https://medicalxpress.com/family-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Family medicine University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University researchers have found that adults with developmental disabilities who have integrated care were less likely to go to the emergency room or be hospitalized than those who did not. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-er-hospital-stays-adults-developmental.html Sat, 06 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news699978147 If you follow wellness channels on social media, you might've come across the claim that your grip strength—or how firmly you can squeeze something with your hands—can predict how long you will live. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-strength-longer.html Sat, 06 Jun 2026 11:00:04 EDT news699700600 "Every time you drink heavily, even if you do so infrequently, it can affect your role as a parent," says doctoral research fellow Barbara Carvalho. She led a comprehensive systematic review conducted by researchers at the University of Agder, in collaboration with Oxford Brookes University. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-rethink-safe-parental-alcohol-experts.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:40:01 EDT news699860185 A new study published in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners calls for a shift in how Valley fever is recognized and treated, warning that delayed diagnosis continues to prolong illness, drive unnecessary treatment and contribute to preventable deaths. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-urges-earlier-valley-fever-cases.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:00:01 EDT news699866367 As obesity rates rise across the U.S., new research from Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health at the University of California, Irvine scientists draws attention to an often-overlooked factor in children's long-term health: fathers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-dad-bods-childhood-obesity.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:00:04 EDT news699851881 Vitamin D levels remain low all year-round in key at-risk groups in England, challenging the belief that summer sunlight is enough to restore them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-summer-sun-vitamin-d-gap.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:00:04 EDT news699807061 Fatherhood in Black men is associated with lower rates of all-cause mortality by middle age compared to nonfathers, according to the U.S.-based longitudinal study that enrolled Black and white individuals aged 18–30 years at baseline (1985–86). This association was not observed in white fathers in the study. The findings are published in the American Journal of Public Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-fatherhood-linked-midlife-mortality-black.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news699785761 Prostate cancer screening is one of the most common decisions men face in primary care, yet many patients make that choice without fully understanding the potential benefits and harms. A new editorial by UNC physician experts argues that shared decision-making should no longer depend on individual clinician effort but instead be built into health care systems. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-physician-experts-based-approach-prostate.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:40:04 EDT news699793561 Guns are the leading cause of death for children in the United States, and a new Northeastern University study published in JAMA Network Open finds at least 6.7 million American kids live in a home with at least one unlocked and loaded firearm. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-million-kids-home-guns.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 23:00:03 EDT news699700853 Within 24 hours of injecting the first dose of a weight loss medication she received following a visit with a telehealth doctor, Karleigh McClain was admitted to the hospital, she said. The 31-year-old compliance consultant from Hendersonville, Tennessee, said she couldn't stop vomiting. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-telehealth-booms-demand-glp-1s.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:40:04 EDT news699687506 Across partisan lines, Americans broadly believe ultraprocessed foods are addictive and harmful—expressing attitudes strikingly like those that spurred regulation of the tobacco industry, new Cornell-led research finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-americans-ultraprocessed-foods-pose-major.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:40:02 EDT news699706862 To address the growing problem of overprescribing for seniors, a new Canadian guideline is calling for routine medication reviews. In Canada, roughly two in three adults age 65 or older take five or more medications. While often necessary, complex drug regimens can increase the risk of side effects and affect quality of life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-curb-overprescribing-seniors-urge-annual.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:20:07 EDT news699704641 A new UC San Francisco study reveals how Philip Morris Companies Inc. used cigarette research, flavor engineering, and behavioral science to turn Lunchables into one of America's most successful ultra-processed foods for children. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-big-tobacco-ultra-foods.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:20:01 EDT news699712650 Fresh concerns have been raised over long-term use of antidepressants, with a new summary of evidence revealing limited benefits and higher health risks, prompting calls for treatment reviews every six months. Researchers from Adelaide University and The University of Queensland were involved in the clinical overview, which has been published in the Australian Journal of General Practice. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-rethink-term-antidepressants-benefit-months.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:00:04 EDT news699700840 Antibiotics for sore throats have hardly any preventive effect against serious streptococcal infections in the population, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg. Instead, health care needs to quickly recognize warning signs of a serious infection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-antibiotics-common-sore-throats-limited.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:20:03 EDT news699700447 Virtual wards, also known as hospital at home, are increasingly being used across the NHS to support people who would otherwise need hospital care to receive treatment and monitoring at home. A new study led by University of Manchester researchers explored how safe care is delivered in virtual wards, highlighting the often unseen work carried out by patients and caregivers as they undertake key elements of risk-work previously held by clinicians. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-safety-nhs-virtual-wards.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:00:06 EDT news699698462 Fewer than 1 in 5 adults older than 65 report discussing their cannabis use with clinicians, according to Rutgers Health researchers. Their study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, explored the prevalence of conversations between patients and clinicians about cannabis use and its potential harms. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-older-adults-rarely-discuss-cannabis.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:20:07 EDT news699696483 A randomized controlled trial conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has found that a five-minute session of proximal intercessory prayer (PIP)—in-person prayer offered by a trained volunteer—significantly reduced pain and anxiety in primary care patients compared to a music control group. The findings, published in the Annals of Family Medicine, suggest that proximal intercessory prayer may offer a practical, non-pharmacologic complement to conventional care, particularly for underserved populations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-minutes-prayer-pain-anxiety-primary.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 22:00:02 EDT news699629342 Millions of Americans are currently taking GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss. But along with the fat, many are quietly losing something else: muscle. Unlike fat, muscle doesn't return quickly, and muscle loss can have deleterious effects on strength, mobility, and overall health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-drug-muscle-glp-weight-loss.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:20:04 EDT news699634921 If you've ever taken your child to a maternal, child and family health nurse for a growth check, you might have felt a mix of curiosity and anxiety. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-stressing-baby-growth.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:40:01 EDT news699616261 At least a dozen U.S. states are rolling out medically tailored meals in pilot projects through Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program serving 71 million Americans who qualify based on income or disability status. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-medically-tailored-meals-health-analysis.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:00:03 EDT news699531301 A father is worried about his toddler, who has been running a fever for two days and pulling at one ear. A 65-year-old woman has been getting winded on her morning walks and feeling more fatigued than usual. Both reach for their phones and type their symptoms into an AI chatbot. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-chatgpt-remarkably-good-health-problems.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:40:03 EDT news699540182 Could the way doctors traditionally measure obesity allow a subset of people with obesity-related health risks to slip through the cracks? Medical experts have typically calculated obesity using body mass index (BMI), a calculation based on a person's height and weight. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-bmi-obesity-millions-americans-health.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:00:02 EDT news699522181 People who undergo bariatric surgery and see substantial weight loss are better able to cope with household tasks such as cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping. The improvements are also sustained over a long time, according to a study at the University of Gothenburg. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-weight-loss-surgery-boosts-household.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:00:05 EDT news699529465 Drugs such as semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are transforming obesity treatment, but without affordable, healthy food and appropriate support, they could widen health inequalities in the UK, according to researchers at UCL and the University of Cambridge. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-weight-loss-drugs-widening-health.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:09:11 EDT news699530802 One way to lower smoking rates among teens may be to address their exposure to violence, as an analysis by public health researchers at Brown University shows that the two are strongly linked. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-violence-decrease-tobacco-teens.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:00:02 EDT news699509101 With obesity now affecting more than 40% of U.S. adults and fueling rising rates of heart disease, a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association calls for a comprehensive treatment approach that puts physical activity front and center. The statement, "Role of Physical Activity in Obesity Treatment and Cardiometabolic Health," was published in Circulation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-health-scale.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 05:00:01 EDT news699263041 Osteoporosis is a silent disease where bone loss develops gradually before fractures occur. Current clinical screening recommendations mainly focus on older women and selected high-risk groups, leaving some men, younger adults, and individuals with normal body weight completely outside routine screening pathways. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-ai-repurposes-routine-chest-rays.html Sat, 30 May 2026 17:00:02 EDT news699274705 Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots respond to everyday health-related questions from general users with nearly 76% accuracy, which raises concerns about their trustworthiness in real-world client-facing applications, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-doctor-gpt-ai-responses-health.html Sat, 30 May 2026 11:00:04 EDT news699191570 Researchers have found that consuming lower amounts of protein-rich foods may negatively affect physical functioning as people grow older, underscoring the vital function protein plays in preserving mobility and muscle strength in adulthood. In a large aging cohort study published in the journal Nutrients, the researchers report that regular dietary habits, particularly the consumption of protein-rich foods, can influence how well individuals move and perform daily activities later in life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-protein-rich-foods-physical-function.html Sat, 30 May 2026 09:30:01 EDT news699200734