Strobe lighting at dance music festivals linked to tripling in epileptic fit risk

Warnings and preventive measures needed for susceptible individuals, argue researchers Strobe lighting at electronic dance music festivals may be linked to a tripling in the risk of epileptic fits in susceptible individuals, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open. Organisers need to issue warnings and advice on preventive measures, particularly for those who have […]

Read More…

Weight gain and loss may worsen dementia risk in older people

Study recommends continuous weight control and monitoring of weight changes to prevent dementia development Older people who experience significant weight gain or weight loss could be raising their risk of developing dementia, suggests a study from Korea published today in the online journal BMJ Open. Dementia is an important health problem especially with increasing life expectancy […]

Read More…

Top 10 Most Read in March: acupuncture for menopause, medical graduate sex and specialty recruitment, and PrEP acceptability in female bar workers

Yet again, March has been a busy month for BMJ Open and many of our previously Most Read articles have maintained their positions in the top ten. Rising up the list to the top spot this month is a randomised controlled trial by Lund et al. investigating the efficacy of a brief acupuncture approach for […]

Read More…

Alcohol marketing awareness linked to ‘higher risk’ drinking among UK teens

While ownership of branded merchandise is linked to future intentions to try alcohol among never drinkers Medium to high awareness of alcohol marketing among UK teens is linked to increased consumption and a greater probability of ‘higher risk’ drinking among current drinkers, finds a large observational study published in the online journal BMJ Open. And ownership […]

Read More…

Top 10 most read in February: ethical standards of organ transplantation in China, doctors dispensing practices and financial conflicts of interest, and google searches and emergency department attendance

Five new entries made it into BMJ Open’s top 10 most read articles in February. Straight in at number 1 is a scoping review by Rogers et al. examining whether papers reporting research on Chinese transplant recipients comply with international professional standards. They found that 92.5% of studies failed to report whether or not organs […]

Read More…

Acupuncture may ease troublesome menopausal symptoms

Linked to reductions in hot flushes, sweating, mood swings, sleep disturbance, skin and hair problems A brief course of acupuncture may help to ease troublesome menopausal symptoms, suggests a small study published in the online journal BMJ Open. Among women dealing with moderate to severe symptoms, acupuncture was associated with reductions in hot flushes, excess sweating, […]

Read More…

Brexit could lead to thousands of extra heart disease and stroke deaths

Fruit and veg prices will rise sharply, prompting substantial drop in intake, warn researchers Fruit and veg intake linked to cardiovascular health UK highly dependent on fruit and veg imports Brexit will push up trade costs, but ‘no deal’ will be costliest Thousands of extra deaths from heart disease and stroke might become a reality […]

Read More…

More than half of UK female surgeons have experience of workplace discrimination, poll suggests

Orthopaedics viewed as most sexist of all surgical specialties, responses show More than half of female surgeons in the UK have faced or witnessed discrimination in the workplace, suggest the results of a confidential online poll, published in the online journal BMJ Open. Orthopaedics was seen as the most sexist of all the surgical specialties, the […]

Read More…