Less red tape and shorter working hours might help stave off retirement of UK doctors

GPs most likely to stop working because of workload pressures, survey shows Less red tape and shorter working hours are the two key factors that might persuade older UK doctors to carry on working rather than hanging up their stethoscopes, suggests an analysis of survey responses, published in the online journal BMJ Open. Family doctors […]

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1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men aged 65+ will be physically disabled in Europe by 2047

Proportions not set to change over next 30 years, but absolute numbers will rise significantly By 2047 one in four women and one in six men aged 65 and above is expected to be living with a physical disability that will severely restrict everyday activities, reveals an analysis published in the online journal BMJ Open. […]

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Evidence for potential harms of light drinking in pregnancy ‘surprisingly’ limited

But review confirms alcohol best avoided ‘just in case’, say researchers The evidence for the potentially harmful effects of light or occasional drinking in pregnancy is ‘surprisingly limited,’ but women are still better off avoiding all alcohol while pregnant, just in case, concludes a pooled analysis of the available data, published in the online journal […]

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People with disabilities face major hurdles accessing healthcare in UK

Disabled women are particularly disadvantaged People with disabilities in the UK face major hurdles accessing healthcare, reveals research published in the online journal BMJ Open. Disabled women are particularly disadvantaged, the findings show around one in five (19%) people in the UK is thought to live with a disability, but little is known about their access […]

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Improvised explosive devices inflict much more serious injuries than land mines

Multiple amputations much more likely The types of close contact injuries inflicted by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are much more serious than those associated with land mines, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open. Landmines came into widespread use in the Second World War, where they were designed to injure/maim rather than to […]

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Drugs to curb excess stomach acid may be linked to heightened risk of death

May be time to restrict use of widely available proton pump inhibitors, say researchers Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)—a widely available class of drug designed to curb excess stomach acid production—may be linked to a heightened risk of death, indicates research published in the online journal BMJ Open. Given how widely available these drugs are, and […]

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Study reveals lack of supporting evidence for claims about fertility treatments

Many claims made by UK fertility clinics about the benefits of treatments beyond standard IVF procedures are not backed up by evidence, finds a study published in the online journal BMJ Open. These can range from £50 for a single screening blood test to as much as £8000 for egg freezing packages. The researchers, led […]

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Pre-teens whose dads embrace parenthood may be less prone to behavioural issues

How new fathers see themselves in child’s early years seems to be most influential Kids whose dads adjust well to parenthood and feel confident about their new role may be less likely to have behavioural problems in the run-up to their teens, indicates research published in the online journal BMJ Open. It’s how fathers see […]

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London 2012 Olympics inspired many local kids to get more involved in sport

But levels of physical fitness significantly worsened The London 2012 Olympic Games inspired many local children to get more involved in sport, reveal the results of a before and after study, published in the online journal BMJ Open. But this inspiration did not translate into improved physical fitness, levels of which declined significantly in the […]

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