No surprises this month that all four new entries to the top ten most read articles in BMJ Open are COVID-19 related—either directly or indirectly—as are two that have maintained their previous positions. A new entry has taken the top spot, reporting the results of an investigation into reusable face masks worn by frontline medical […]
Latest articles
350,000+ women likely missing out on key postnatal check-ups in the UK every year
Teen mums and those from most deprived areas least likely to get them Every year more than 350,000 women in the UK may be missing out on key formal health and wellbeing check-ups following the birth of a child, reveals the largest study of its kind, published in the online journal BMJ Open. Teen mums and […]
‘Diseases of despair’ have soared over past decade in US
Suicidal thoughts/behaviours among under 18s up by 287%, and by 210% among 18-34 year olds ‘Diseases of despair’, such as substance abuse, alcohol dependency, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours, have soared in the US over the past decade, reveals an analysis of health insurance claims data published in the online journal BMJ Open. And they now […]
Health benefits of multivitamins/mineral supplements may be all in the minds of users
No measurable clinical improvements between them and non-users, research suggests The health benefits of multivitamin/mineral supplements may be all in the minds of those who take them, prompted by positive expectations of effectiveness rather than hard evidence of that, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open. Multivitamin/mineral supplements are widely used, with some estimates […]
Top 10 most read in September: viral clearance in COVID-19 patients, prescribing practices and sex-differences in ECG abnormalities
September was a busy month with six new entries to our top 10, including a new paper at number one. These join four previously published papers that continue to catch readers’ attention. In eighth place, Bolijn et al. investigate sex differences in the prevalence of major and minor electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities in a multi-ethnic population […]
It is time to embrace cannabis for medicinal use, say experts
20 months after cannabis-based products for medicinal use were legalised in the UK, attitudes towards using them are still highly sceptical, say researchers Attitudes towards cannabis products for medicinal use need to change with much greater appropriate use of such products to help alleviate patients’ pain, suggests research published in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers found […]
Late childhood peer group status linked to heightened adult circulatory disease risk
Unpopular pre-teens at significantly higher risk of heart and blood vessel conditions Late childhood peer group status may be linked to a heightened risk of developing circulatory system disease—conditions that affect the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels–in later life, indicates research published in the online journal BMJ Open. 13-year olds who aren’t very […]
Antipsychotic prescriptions haven’t budged in 10+ years despite recommendations to curb use
And antidepressant prescriptions have risen sharply over the same period The number of antipsychotic drugs prescribed to patients with intellectual disabilities has hardly changed in over a decade despite official recommendations for clinicians to stop using them due to side effects, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open. And there’s been a sharp rise […]
Optimal detection and treatment of cardiac risk could save millions of lives and billions of pounds
3.4 million cases of cardiovascular disease likely prevented and £68 bn saved, calculate researchers Nearly 3.5 million cases of heart disease and stroke could be prevented, and £68 billion saved in health and social care costs over a period of 25 years, if every adult in England at high risk of cardiovascular disease were diagnosed […]
Top 10 Most Read in August: The incubation period of COVID-19, gender bias in peer review and new face mask testing.
August saw a number of new papers enter BMJ Open’s top 10 most read articles. First up is a rapid systematic review of estimates of the incubation period of COVID-19. The incubation period is the time in days from the point of COVID-19 exposure to the onset of symptoms. Having reliable estimates of the incubation […]