Top studies relevant to primary care from 2018: From PEER.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To summarize high-quality studies for 10 topics from 2018 that have strong relevance to primary care practice. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE Study selection involved routine literature surveillance by a group of primary care health professionals. This included screening abstracts of important journals and Evidence Alerts, as well as searching ACP Journal Club. MAIN MESSAGE Topics of the 2018 articles include whether low-dose acetylsalicylic acid improves health outcomes like cardiovascular disease (CVD); whether a low-carbohydrate diet is better than a low-fat diet for weight loss (and whether genetics matter); whether vaginal estradiol is superior to placebo for vulvovaginal symptoms of menopause; whether opioid management is better than nonopioid management for chronic back or osteoarthritis pain; whether additional water intake will decrease recurrent urinary tract infections; whether omega-3 fatty acids prevent CVD or reduce dry eyes; whether the new drug icosapent improves CVD; whether bath additives help eczema; whether acetaminophen can prevent recurrent febrile seizures; and recommendations for glycemic targets in diabetes based on reviews of evidence and other guidelines. Five "runner-up" studies are also briefly reviewed. CONCLUSION: Research from 2018 produced several high-quality studies in CVD but also spanned the breadth of primary care including pediatrics, women's health, and pain management, among other areas.