December 22, 2025

Elevate Your Practice: Curated Insights for Your Medical Office

Navigating the ever-expanding volume of information in the medical field can be a daunting task. How do you efficiently discern critical insights that truly make a difference in your daily practice? At MLMIC, we recognize this challenge. That’s why we’ve meticulously compiled a selection of vital articles, providing you with clear, concise summaries and direct access to the most impactful industry news and analysis. Think of this as your essential guide to staying sharp and comprehensively informed.

Join us as we explore our curations for the month of December.

Drinking Coffee May Lengthen Telomeres in People with Major Psychiatric Disorders

A cross-sectional study published in BMJ Mental Health suggests that drinking three to five cups of coffee daily may slow the premature biological aging typically observed in individuals with major psychiatric disorders, such as those on the schizophrenic spectrum, or with affective, bipolar, or major depressive disorder with psychosis. The research found that participants with these conditions who consumed a moderate amount of coffee had telomere length (cellular markers of aging) equivalent to those five years younger in biological age compared to non-coffee drinkers in the same group. Researchers propose this anti-aging effect may be due to coffee’s antioxidant properties, specifically compounds like chlorogenic acids and trigonelline, which may inhibit telomere shortening by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. However, the study notes that excessive coffee consumption may negate these benefits and that more research is needed to establish a definitive, causal link.

Learn more about the study.

The Stillbirth rate in the United States Dropped 2% Last Year

A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a 2% decline in the national stillbirth rate last year, bringing the rate to approximately 5.4 fetal deaths per 1,000 live births and pregnancies of 20 or more weeks’ gestation, the lowest rate in decades. While the improvement is encouraging after years of stagnation, experts emphasize the rate remains too high, with nearly 20,000 stillbirths recorded. This national decrease was largely driven by significant drops in just three states, Colorado, Utah, and Mississippi, and the report highlights persistent racial inequities, with rates for Black and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander mothers remaining twice as high as those for other groups. Health organizations stress that much more work is needed to address risk factors and implement prevention programs, as research suggests a significant number of these tragic fetal losses are preventable.

Delve deeper here.

Family Physicians are Leaving Rural Areas and Especially in the Northeast

A study published in the Annals of Family Medicine revealed a significant and alarming trend: the share of family physicians working in rural areas dropped by 11% between 2017 and 2023, representing a net loss of over 1,300 doctors nationwide. This exodus is raising deep concerns about a nationwide physician shortage, as the loss of even a few doctors in a rural area can immediately jeopardize primary care access for thousands of residents. Experts attribute this rapid attrition, which was steepest in the Northeast, primarily to high rates of physician burnout and heavy patient panels. Compounding the issue are factors like a low number of U.S. medical students choosing family medicine, increasing reliance on international medical graduates and new visa uncertainties that could further exacerbate the critical healthcare access challenges facing rural communities.

See the full article.

Call for Universal Lung Cancer Screening After Study Finds Current Guidelines Miss Two-Thirds of Cases

A new study published in JAMA Network Open is fueling calls from cancer experts to drastically change current lung cancer screening guidelines, which rely heavily on a history of heavy smoking for eligibility (age 50-80, heavy smoking history within the past 15 years). The study, which reviewed roughly 1,000 lung cancer patients at Northwestern Medicine, found that only one-third met the current criteria for screening, suggesting that the guidelines exclude a majority of U.S. lung cancer patients, especially women, minorities, and never-smokers. Researchers estimate that if screening were expanded to an age-based model for anyone 40 to 85 years old, nearly 94 percent of cases could be detected, potentially preventing at least 26,000 deaths annually if just 30 percent of the eligible population got screened. Experts emphasize that the cancer is no longer solely a smoker’s disease and that expanding low-dose CT screening, which has shown cure rates above 90 percent for early-stage cancers could also save nearly $25 billion annually in advanced treatment costs.

Loneliness is on the Rise in American Over 45 Years of Age

A national study on healthy aging reveals that approximately one-third of older U.S. adults continue to experience feelings of loneliness and social isolation, maintaining a high baseline rate that was only temporarily exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The data shows this issue is particularly acute among vulnerable groups, including those with poor physical or mental health and individuals who are not working or have low incomes.