NEJM 14 May 2015 Vol 372 1887 Something strange seems to be going on in the New England Journal of Medicine. This week it publishes two trials of gene therapy for Leber’s congenital amaurosis, one at the start and the other at the end of its research section. Neither of them achieved more than fleeting […]
Elizabeth Loder examines charges of lax oversight and governance at organizations that assess doctors. The medical specialty boards that test and certify US doctors are facing a tough test of their own, with plenty of reasons to worry about the outcome. 24 specialty boards administer the tests doctors must pass in order to say they […]
Exercise as good as stopping smoking A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has found that thirty minutes of physical activity six days a week in older age is linked to a 40% lower risk of death from any cause, which is as beneficial as giving up smoking. The researchers said that […]
The BMJ‘s readers, even those who have not studied Greek as a language, ancient or modern, will probably be familiar with most, if not all, of the letters in its alphabet, so widespread are they in scientific terminology. Among medical uses, we have α-adrenoceptors; β-interferon; γ globulin; δ opioid receptors; ε-aminocaproic acid; DNA polymerase η; […]
After two and a half years, Mariano Rajoy´s conservative People´s Party (PP) government in Spain has partially amended their irrational decision to exclude undocumented migrants and other groups from public healthcare access in Spain. Imminent regional and local elections and general elections scheduled for later this year might allow migrants to get some access to […]
• TripAdvisor for fertility clinics? Would a user generated website that scores fertility clinics help people seeking treatment? The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) says it’s not a question of whether a review service should exist—but when. But the legal implications for people posting reviews, the HFEA, and clinics themselves are huge. Read who […]
This blog is part of a series of blogs linked with BMJ Clinical Evidence, a database of systematic overviews of the best available evidence on the effectiveness of commonly used interventions. Trigeminal neuralgia is a rare condition that causes excruciating intermittent short-lasting, usually unilateral facial pain especially provoked by light touch. Although the criteria for […]
I write this as someone who just recovered from a battle that lasted 2 years in an attempt to publish the findings of one of my research papers. Four journals and 10 sets of peer reviews later, a paper which was initially deemed unfit to publish has been accepted by a reputed, indexed, high impact journal. […]
• Tobacco industry lobbying undermines public health in Asia Martin McKee, Nichola Hopkinson, and K Srinath Reddy discuss the “fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interests and public health policy interests.” Whilst they acknowledge that “many Asian countries have a history of progressive tobacco control policies” such as the longstanding ban on tobacco […]
Talk of “curing” dementia can seriously distract us from the very difficult—yet humbly rewarding—tasks of pastoral care that are bound to increase. “David Cameron has said he wants dementia cured by 2025.” Of course, politicians must continually and publicly ply not just concern, but visions of positive assertion. A campaign trail intensifies the appetite and supply. […]