All posts by : Felistas

The only natural host of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is humans. Model organisms for laboratory studies, especially mice, cannot be infected, which makes the search for a vaccine against HCV extremely difficult because the protective effect cannot be tested directly.

A resistance-based exercise program that Jennifer Aniston calls “a game changer” has been shown to improve a range of physical issues that arise during and after the menopause transition.

In the early days of the second Trump administration, a directive to pause all public communication from the Department of Health and Human Services created uncertainty and anxiety among biomedical researchers in the U.S. This directive halted key operations of numerous federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health, including those critical to advancing science and medicine.

For a child battling cancer, an unexpectedly high temperature can initiate a race against time to reach providers who can treat and monitor symptoms. And for families in low- and middle-income communities in Mexico, pediatric cancer care is even more of a challenge. Fragmented health care systems, the absence of trackable health data, and a lack of access to health care facilities with readily available resources are fueling a race not easily won.

Despite the removal of the X-waiver requirement, which once restricted clinicians from prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD), only a small percentage of primary care clinicians currently prescribe medication for OUD (MOUD). A study published in The Annals of Family Medicine evaluated a structured support program to help small, rural primary care clinics improve their capacity to provide this treatment.

As a new presidential administration takes office, political momentum to end seasonal time changes is building. President Donald Trump stated his support for ending daylight saving time, drawing media and policymakers’ attention to reconsider the benefits of ending the biannual clock adjustment. The Coalition for Permanent Standard Time, whose organizational members include the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, calls on policymakers to abolish seasonal time changes and adopt permanent standard time, which follows science and prioritizes public health, safety, and efficiency.

Research in family medicine is vital for improving patient care, health care systems, and population health. However, family medicine faces barriers to producing scholarly work, including high patient care demands and limited funding.

Depression impacts an estimated 18 million Americans each year, yet depression screening rarely occurs in the outpatient setting. A study appearing in The Annals of Family Medicine evaluated an AI-based machine learning biomarker tool that uses speech patterns to detect moderate to severe depression, aiming to improve access to screening in primary care settings.

Integrated behavioral health (IBH), which combines behavioral health and primary care, improves patient outcomes and experience. A study published in The Annals of Family Medicine evaluated whether a tailored, toolkit-based intervention could improve IBH and patient outcomes in primary care practices serving patients with multiple chronic medical and behavioral health conditions.

Transgender and gender-diverse individuals often experience additional difficulties navigating health care. A study appearing in The Annals of Family Medicine examined the effectiveness of a peer health navigator pilot program in Saskatchewan, Canada that aimed to improve access to affirming health care for transgender and gender-diverse individuals.