Top studies of 2021 relevant to primary care: From the PEER team.

Objective: To summarize 10 high-quality studies or guidelines from 2021 that have strong relevance to physicians in comprehensive family practice.

Selecting The Evidence: Routine literature surveillance of abstracts in high-impact journals and EvidenceAlerts was completed by the PEER (Patients, Experience, Evidence, Research) team, a group of health care professionals with a research interest in evidence-based medicine and primary care. Abstracts were screened, selected, and ranked by the PEER team.

Main Message: The articles from 2021 that are most likely to impact primary care practice discuss the following topics: empagliflozin for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; semaglutide for weight loss; stopping antidepressants in primary care; inhaled budesonide for COVID-19; acetylsalicylic acid for preeclampsia prevention; quarter-dose blood pressure medications for hypertension; aggressive blood pressure control for elderly patients; kangaroo care for low-birth-weight infants; footwear for knee osteoarthritis; and delayed antibiotics for pediatric respiratory infections. Two "honourable mention" studies are also briefly reviewed.

Conclusion: Research from 2021 produced several high-quality studies in cardiovascular care but also addressed a variety of conditions relevant to primary care including weight loss, depression, and COVID-19.