This Year in Primary Care: 10 Critical Updates in 2025

Given the amount of critical news from 2025, the editorial team at Patient Care Online has collected 10 of the most impactful headlines from the last 12 months, including FDA announcements, critical trial results, and key clinician insights. Catch up on anything you may have missed below.

1. American College of Gastroenterology Releases Updated Guidelines for Eosinophilic Esophagitis

The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) has issued updated guidelines for diagnosing, treating, and monitoring eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), reflecting significant advancements over the past decade.

“This ACG clinical guideline is an update of the 2013 version,” Evan S. Dellon, MD, MPH, director, Center for Esophageal Diseases and Swallowing, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. “Since that time, there have been paradigm-shifting changes in disease diagnosis and management, increases in knowledge about EoE risk factors, natural history and pathogenesis, development of validated outcome metrics, a disease severity classification system and updated nomenclature.”

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2. The 5 Essential Adult Vaccines: What Your Patients Need to Know

A brief slideshow that focuses specifically on the 5 essential immunizations that all adults in your practice should be aware of and be current with, unless they have contraindications to the shot. A health care professional’s recommendation and counsel remain the most trusted vehicles for vaccine advocacy and primary care the most viable clinical setting.

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3. The 10 States with the Highest Risk for Cancer

A diagnosis of cancer rarely reflects a single underlying cause, with the much more likely etiology the result of a complex interplay and overlapping of diverse factors including genetics, environmental exposures, geographic location, lifestyle choices, and sociocultural influences.

Based on a composite score reflecting rates and concentrations of 9 such variables across US states, a recent study found South Dakota had the population at the greatest risk for developing cancer, with extremely high radon levels and excessive alcohol consumption the top contributing factors to the composite score of 99.9. At second highest risk was West Virginia (composite score 98.4), likely based on its claim to the highest rates of smoking and obesity among all states.

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4. Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause: Facts At-a-Glance for Primary Care

Hot flashes and night sweats are just 2 of the myriad symptoms associated with menopause. Click through a quick refresher on the transition and effective treatments.

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5. What Are the 9 Influenza Vaccines Available for the 2025–2026 Respiratory Virus Season?

The CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) continue to recommend annual influenza vaccination for all individuals aged 6 months and older, except in rare cases of contraindication. This includes all children, adults, and pregnant women.

For the 2025–2026 season, all US influenza vaccines are trivalent, covering 2 type A strains and 1 type B strain, according to the CDC. Based on recommendations made during the June meeting of the ACIP, the CDC advises use of single-dose, thimerosal-free formulations this season for all populations. Multidose vials containing the mercury-based preservative are no longer recommended and availability is expected to vary by manufacturer.

Notable 2025-2026 updates

6. 7 Common Causes of Dementia: A Topline Review

The brain changes that lead to cognitive and behavioral changes referred to as dementia have multiple potential etiologies; not all dementia is Alzheimer disease.

Topline review, here

7. Study: 72% of Asymptomatic UTI Patients Receive Unnecessary Antibiotics

A new study suggests that inappropriate antibiotic use for urinary tract infections (UTIs) may be more common than previously recognized, with many patients receiving treatment despite showing no symptoms.

Researchers from the University of Washington Center for Stewardship in Medicine found that nearly three-quarters of asymptomatic patients who underwent urine testing at participating hospitals were prescribed antibiotics, highlighting a significant opportunity for antimicrobial stewardship.

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8. When We Say "OX40 Inhibition," What Do We Mean? Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, Explains

"What does it mean to target OX40 and the OX40 ligand pathway?" Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, phrased the question like the veteran dermatology professor and researcher that she is, during a recent interview with Patient Care.^©

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9. Adult Vaccines in the US: More Shots, New Dynamics on the Horizon

The adult vaccine market is poised for explosive growth, with more than 100 product launches expected over the next 10 years. Are US clinicians ready?

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10. LEO Pharma Announces Positive Preliminary Phase 2b Findings for Temtokibart in Atopic Dermatitis

Temtokibart (LEO 138559), an investigational monoclonal antibody targeting the IL-22RA1 receptor subunit, achieved statistically significant improvements in eczema severity at the 3 highest tested doses in a phase 2b clinical trial of adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), according to topline results announced by LEO Pharma.

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