Sharon Smith

A 2025 American Family Physician editorial by Dr. Joel Selanikio discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) tools had accelerated an existing trend of “patients bypassing physicians to diagnose and treat themselves,” which began with over-the-counter drugs and online search engines. This direct-to-consumer health care approach received a boost in January with OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT Health , which invites users to upload their medical records and health data from apps for personalized recommendations. AI chatbots can provide helpful responses to health questions in several low-stakes contexts, as outlined in this handout from Dewey Labs : translating medical jargon, brainstorming possible causes of symptoms, summarizing research or test results, and preparing questions for an upcoming doctor’s visit. However, a recent study in Nature Medicine highlighted ChatGPT Health’s significant limitations in triaging patients with acute problems to appropriate levels of care. Dr. Ashwin...

A viral plastic diet trend raises concerns for choking, metabolic disruption, and increased risk for eating disorders among youth. Medscape News Global source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/viral-plastic-diet-linked-eating-disorder-risk-2026a1000b2r?src=rss

Growing antimicrobial resistance is prompting renewed interest in phage therapy, with preliminary data indicating improved outcomes when combined with standard antibiotics. Medscape News Europe source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/phage-therapy-gains-momentum-antibiotic-resistance-2026a1000ay1?src=rss

First-time mothers with high genetic risk for systolic blood pressure have a higher likelihood of postpartum hypertension, but BMI and hypertensive pregnancy disorders are stronger risk factors. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/genetic-risk-tied-postpartum-bp-risk-bmi-matters-more-2026a1000axw?src=rss

A surge in demand since last year for estrogen patches to ease menopause symptoms has strained supplies and led to shortages, sparking a scramble for medicines that industry... Reuters Health Information source https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/patients-scramble-find-estrogen-patches-shortage-worsens-2026a1000av8?src=rss

Avacopan shows a favorable safety profile in ANCA-associated vasculitis in real-world settings, with hepatobiliary events as the leading safety concern and no adverse events of high clinical priority. Medscape Medical News source https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/real-world-data-avacopan-reveal-safety-signals-2026a1000auc?src=rss