Primary Care Update

Latest Episodes:

Episode 218: multicancer early detection RCT, vit D for cancer, placebo for migraine, and anticoag for low risk AF, Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

This week, primary care docs Gary Ferenchick, Kate Rowland, Mark Ebell and Henry Barry discuss 4 important new studies: Vitamin D for metastatic colon cancer, placebo effectiveness in adults with acute migraine, a huge RCT evaluation of Galleri multicancer early detection test, and a simpler approach to selecting which adults with AF to anticoagulate.

Episode 217: AI therapists, theta-bursts for depression, finerenone for CKD, and GLP-1s causing vision loss. Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

This week, Henry, Kate, Gary and Mark talk about 4 great new studies: is using an AI chat therapist really that bad for youth, theta-burst stimulation for adults with major depressive disorder, finerenone in adults with CKD but not DM, and GLP-1 agonists and vision loss risk.

Episode 216: low back pain, nasal saline for URI, non-gated CTs for CAC, and statins after 70, Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Join our intrepid primary care experts Kate Rowland, Mark Ebell, Henry Barry and Gary Ferenchick as they tell you about 4 new primary care relevant studies: self-management and manipulation for low back pain, nasal saline for treating adults with URIs, non-gated CT scans and coronary calcium measurement, and statins after age seventy.

Links:

Low back pain: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42223934/

Nasal saline spray for URI: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41136239/

Recipe for spray: https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/allergies/saline-sinus-rinse-recipe

Gated vs non-gated CT: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42507772/

Statins after 70: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42670961/

Permanent link to the John Hickner Scholarship Fund: https://give.msu.edu/?sid=17374

Episode 215: self collected HPV, AI skin cancer app, electroacupuncture for neuralgia, and asymptomatic cardiac plaque Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

This week, primary care experts Drs. Kate Rowland, Gary Ferenchick, Mark Ebell and Henry Barry discuss 4 new studies: The post-Papanicolau era of HPV self collection, electroacupuncture for post-herpetic neuralgia, AI-based app for melanoma detection, and the onset age of silent atherosclerosis.

Links:

Self-collected HPV: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42509175/

Electroacupuncture: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42189557/

AI skin cancer app: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41701029/

Silent plaques:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42670946/

Episode 214: hyperemesis treatment, Ca++ and Vit D, oral PCSK-9, and semaglutide for dementia (?) Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

Primary care physicians Kate, Mark, Henry and Gary discuss 4 new studies that could change your practice: treatments for hyperemesis gravidarum, calcium and vitamin D to prevent falls and fractures in older adults, the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, and oral semaglutide to treat dementia .

The John Hickner Memorial fund at MSU: https://give.msu.edu/?sid=17374

Hyperemesis gravidarum treatments: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41478546/

Supplementing with calcium or vitamin D: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42161415/

Oral PCSK-9 enlicitide: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41879224/

Cochrane review of PCSK-9s: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011748.pub3/full

Semaglutide for dementia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41865758/

Episode 213: dementia risk factors, COVID-19 vaccines, and shoulder MRIs Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

This week, Kate, Gary and Mark discuss 3 new studies: whether we can do anything about modifiable risk factors for dementia, whether COVID-19 vaccines are still useful, and how to interpret abnormal shoulder MRIs.

Episode 212: preventing multimorbidity, high dose vit D, skin cancer screening, and withdrawing a GLP-1 Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

Primary care docs Kate Rowland, Mark Ebell, Henry Barry and Gary Ferenchick talk about 4 new studies: prevention of multimorbidity in people at high risk of diabetes, high-dose vitamin D in healthy older adults, whether screening for skin cancer reduces melanoma mortality, and tirzepatide withdrawal and weight maintenance .

Episode 211: semaglutide for AUD, preventing post-vax syncope, PCR panel for RTI, fluvoxamine for long-COVID Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

Join primary care professors Mark Ebell, Kate Rowland, Gary Ferenchick and Henry Barry as they discuss 4 new studies: semaglutide for alcohol use disorder, a vibrating cool pack to prevent post vaccination syncope, PCR for 23 respiratory pathogens in primary care to reduce antibiotic use, and fluvoxamine for Long-COVID Fatigue.

Links

Semaglutide for AUD: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42070571/

Vibrating cool pack for vaccine syncope: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41692229/

Point of care PCR for acute RTI: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42149561/

Likelihood that pathogen is commensal vs pathogenic: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39864052/

Fluvoxamine and long COVID: Ann Intern Med. 2026;179(5):621-628 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41911553/

Episode 210: screen time, stopping levothyroxine, new mRNA flu vaccine, and NAS supplements. Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

This week primary care physicians Kate Rowland, Mark Ebell, Gary Ferenchick and Henry Barry discuss four new studies: screentime for children, discontinuing levothyroxine, a new mRNA flu vaccine from Moderna, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) Supplementation for healthy aging.

Links to articles:

AAP screen time policy

Discontinuing levothyroxine study

mRNA flu vaccine from Moderna

NAD supplements

Quiz: Bixomania study

Episode 209: cocoa, best UTI antibiotic, LAA closure for AF, and evolocumab for primary (sort of) prevention Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

Primary care docs Mark Ebell, Kate Rowland, Henry Barry and Gary Ferenchick tackle 4 new studies: health benefits of cocoa supplements, the best antibiotic for managing uncomplicated UTIs in women, left atrial appendage closure for AF with high bleeding or stroke risk, and evolocumab for primary (sort-of) prevention of MACE in patients with diabetes.

Essential Evidence Plus: www.essentialevidenceplus.com

https://www.iafp.org/2026ac

Cocoa and health: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35294962/

Antibiotics for UTI: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42026010/

Left atrial appendage closure and AF: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41849741/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41903215/