BMJ Open encourages greater involvement of patients in the research process from a study’s conception to the dissemination of its results. In this guest post, Kathy McKay, Veronica Ranieri, and Eilis Kennedy from the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust discuss the valuable role that novel participatory methods can play in qualitative health research. Researchers […]
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Antidepressants linked to heightened pregnancy related diabetes risk
Venlafaxine and amitriptyline and longer course of treatment associated with greatest risks Taking antidepressants while expecting a baby is linked to a heightened risk of developing diabetes that is specifically related to pregnancy, known as gestational diabetes, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open. The risk was greatest among mums to be who were […]
Industry has unduly influenced TV advertising regs on restricting unhealthy kids’ foods
With commercial interests to protect, UK broadcast regulator Ofcom shouldn’t lead on public health issues, argue doctors Industry has unduly influenced the regulations for TV advertising of unhealthy foods to children, likely weakening legislation in this area, argue doctors in an analysis, published in the online journal BMJ Open. The UK broadcast regulator, Ofcom, which has […]
Top ten most read in August: sex discrimination in access to healthcare in India, sponsorship of professional paediatrics associations by companies that make breast-milk substitutes, and the metabolomic profile of children and adults from the Growing Up in Australia study
The list of the top ten most read articles in BMJ Open in August sees many previous entries retaining their positions, including a cross-sectional study done in Japan investigating the effects of short-term smoking in young patients with untreated intermittent adult-onset asthma, and a systematic review addressing the effects of screentime on the health and […]
Top 10 Most Read in July: Antidepressants for adult depression, productivity loss due to menstruation-related symptoms and sex differences in the effect of diabetes on major cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality
July saw three new papers enter BMJ Open’s top 10 most read articles. This includes first position, a study by researchers from the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Denmark that reanalyses data from a systematic review and network meta-analysis on antidepressants for depression. Taking into account several biases, their reanalysis suggests that the evidence does not […]
“Extensive gender discrimination in healthcare access” for women in India, suggests study
Younger and older women and those living furthest away from major hospital most likely to miss out on healthcare Women in India face “extensive gender discrimination” in access to healthcare, suggests a study of outpatient appointments at one major tertiary care hospital in Delhi, and published in the online journal BMJ Open. Younger (30 and below) […]
UK tick-borne Lyme disease cases may be 3 times higher than previous estimates
Based on these figures, new cases might top 8000 in 2019, estimate researchers New cases of tick-borne Lyme disease in the UK may be three times higher than previous estimates suggest, and might top 8000 in 2019, based on these figures, concludes research published in the online journal BMJ Open. Lyme disease is a bacterial (Borrelia) […]
Nations with strong women’s rights likely to have better population health and faster growth
Trend evident even in resource-poor countries, say researchers Nations with strong women’s rights are more likely to have better health and faster growth than those who don’t promote and protect these values, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open. This trend is evident in even in resource-poor countries, say the researchers. While many parts […]
Top 10 Most Read in June: addressing alcohol consumption as a risk factor for breast cancer, short-term smoking effects on asthma patients, and experiences of sex among Swedish MSM
The Top 10 list this month sees the return of many popular papers including those looking at how sex can affect medical specialty training applications; the effect of screentime on children; and HIV risk among bar workers. In the number one spot this month, and a new paper published in the current issue, is a […]
Fall in GP antibiotic prescribing has been slowest for older patients and those with an unclear diagnosis
Fewer broad spectrum beta-lactams are being prescribed suggesting GPs are opting for more targeted drugs GP in England are prescribing fewer antibiotics and when they prescribe them they are increasingly choosing drugs that target a narrow range of organisms rather than broad spectrum antibiotics, suggests new research from King’s College London published online in BMJ Open. However, falls in GPs’ […]