Acupuncture may curb heightened risk of stroke associated with rheumatoid arthritis

Effects independent of sex, age, medication use, and co-existing conditions Needling may reduce pro-inflammatory proteins in the body, suggest researchers A course of acupuncture may curb the heightened risk of stroke associated with rheumatoid arthritis, finds a comparative study published in the open access journal BMJ Open. The effects seem to be independent of sex, age, […]

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Online patient access to medical records will boost workload and litigation, GPs fear

Most family doctors surveyed fear that giving patients online access to their medical records will increase their workload and the risks of litigation, suggest the results of the largest study of its kind, published in the open access journal BMJ Open. A significant proportion did agree that there would be benefits for patients. Among the […]

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Energy drinks linked to poor sleep quality and insomnia among college students

The higher the consumption frequency, the fewer hours of nightly shut eye they clock up But even just the occasional can is linked to heightened risk of disturbed sleep Knocking back energy drinks is linked to poor quality sleep and insomnia among college students, finds a large Norwegian study published in the open access journal BMJ […]

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Enlarged breast tissue in men (gynaecomastia) linked to heightened risk of death

Those with a pre-existing risk factor most vulnerable, research suggests Men with enlarged breast tissue, not caused by excess weight—a condition formally known as gynaecomastia—may be at heightened risk of an early death before the age of 75, suggests the first study of its kind, published online in the open access journal BMJ Open. Those with […]

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Size of attainment gap between UK White and minority ethnic medical students varies by ethnicity and medical school

Minorities significantly disadvantaged by UK medical education system, say researchers Remedial action urgently needed to close gap The size of the gap in academic achievement between White and minority ethnic medical students in the UK varies considerably, depending on their individual ethnicity and which medical school they attended, finds the largest study of its kind, […]

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6+ hours/day of sedentary leisure time linked to doubling in fibroids risk

Risk seems to be linear in women who’ve not yet gone through the menopause  Clocking up 6 or more hours of sedentary leisure time every day may double a woman’s risk of uterine fibroids before she’s gone through the menopause, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open. The risk of these benign, but […]

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Work stress, workload, understaffing driving out health professionals from NHS

Pay increases alone may not be sufficient to fix NHS staff retention, researchers suggest Work stress, high workload, and understaffing are the primary factors driving health professionals out of the NHS, suggest the results of a survey published in the open access journal BMJ Open. The findings prompt the researchers to suggest that pay increases alone […]

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Around 1 in 3 UK medical students plans to leave NHS within 2 years of graduation

Pay, work-life balance, and working conditions key drivers for decision, finds survey Around 1 in 3 UK medical students plans to leave the NHS within 2 years of graduating—either to practise abroad or to abandon medicine altogether—suggest the results of the largest survey of its kind, published in the open access journal BMJ Open. Pay, work-life […]

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Childhood trauma may heighten subsequent risk of pregnancy complications

Pregnancy-related diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, low birthweight/premature babies more likely Childhood trauma, such as abuse, emotional neglect, and exposure to domestic violence, may heighten a woman’s subsequent risk of pregnancy complications, and of giving birth to a low birthweight or premature baby, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published in the […]

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