The Vitamin D Dilemma: Navigating the 2024 Guidelines in Primary Care
Posts about Primary Care
Sports Physicals & Sudden Cardiac Death: What Are We Screening For?
We’ve all seen the headline: a student athlete collapses on the field. It’s terrifying every time, and even more unsettling because these are often kids who seemed completely healthy moments before. Stories like these stay with us. They should also remind us why preparticipation screening matters. But on a busy day in clinic when there’s a sports form in front of us, it’s worth the reminder: what are we actually screening for?
Iron Deficiency: The Diagnosis You’re Probably Missing (and Why It Matters)
You know the patient.
The “Test for Everything”? A Real-World Look at Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Tests
Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests are emerging blood-based screenings designed to detect multiple cancers by analyzing cell-free DNA and methylation patterns. While these tests are already available (despite lacking FDA approval), current evidence shows high specificity (~99%) but relatively low sensitivity (~40%), meaning false reassurance from negative results is a real concern. Additional challenges include lengthy diagnostic...
A Practical Approach to Memory Loss: Differentiating Dementia, MCI, and Normal Aging
It happens at the worst possible time. You’re wrapping up a visit, already running behind and just as your hand reaches for the doorknob, your patient says:
Helping Patients Sleep: Practical, Non-Pharmacologic Insomnia Strategies
Insomnia and I are very well acquainted with one another. Like 10% of the population, I experienced chronic insomnia for years. And like nearly one-third of adults, I still experience insomnia from time to time. Through my own history, as well as years of research into the literature and undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), the gold standard for treatment of chronic insomnia, I have developed a helpful, informal...
Are At-Home Blood Pressure Monitors Accurate? A Guide for Clinicians
Historically, hypertension was diagnosed with two or more elevated blood pressure readings on separate occasions. However, as of 2025, The American College of Cardiology now recommendshome blood pressure monitoring for any patient that has suspected hypertension or those currently taking hypertension medications.
Chief Complaint: Differential Diagnosis of Red Eye: When to Refer and When to Manage
The “red eye” is a common presenting symptom in primary care, spanning a spectrum of conditions from benign to sight-threatening emergencies. Knowing how to differentiate these conditions quickly is key to providing safe, effective care.
