Public education campaigns on potential dangers urgently needed, say researchers Children are very vulnerable to severe injury from the use of quad bikes, also known as ATVs, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Open. Public education campaigns on the potential dangers associated with their use are urgently needed, say the researchers. First developed […]
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Scant evidence to support roll out of social prescribing policy internationally
Inconsistent evidence for improvements in social support, physical function, or primary health services use Limited evidence for improvements in self-rated health and quality of care There’s scant evidence to support the roll out of social prescribing policy internationally, concludes a review of the available evidence, published in the open access journal BMJ Open. The review found […]
Top 10 most read in August: glucocorticoid use and brain structure, identifying COVID-19 with wearable sensors, and alcohol consumption after minimum unit pricing
Earlier in the year COVID-19 papers were still dominating our top ten chart, but in August the list included a range of topics. Three new additions to the list have been highlighted below. Association between glucocorticoid use and brain structure At number three in the chart we have Van der Meulen et al. with a prospective […]
World Heart Day 2022
By Nicole Martin World Heart Day takes place annually on 29 September, providing a platform to raise global awareness of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). It was created by the World Heart Federation to educate people about the actions they can take to prevent and control CVDs and to drive international action to encourage heart-healthy living across […]
Exposure to air pollution may worsen autism-related hospital admissions in children
Boys more at risk than girls; cutting air pollutant levels could lower risks, say researchers Autistic children seem to be at heightened risk of being admitted to hospital if they are exposed to air pollution for relatively brief periods, with boys more at risk than girls, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open. […]
Steroid meds linked to structural and volume changes in brain white and grey matter
Associations may help explain neuropsychiatric side effects after long term use, say researchers The use of prescribed steroids, including in inhalers, is linked to changes in the structure and volume of white and grey matter in the brain, suggests the findings of the largest study of its kind, published in the open access journal BMJ Open. […]
Editor’s picks: BMJ Open’s top mental health papers in 2022, ranked by Altmetric score
Mental health is an extremely important topic and plays a big part in all of our lives. While progress has been made to break down the stigma surrounding mental health, there is still a long way to go. Research into mental health policy, epidemiology, advocacy and treatment is imperative and is worth celebrating. In our […]
Men have high probability of outliving women, especially the married and degree educated
Between 25% and 50% of men have done so in all continents over past 200 years Sometimes large differences in life expectancy mask substantial overlap in lifespan Men have a high probability of outliving women—especially those who are married and have a degree—reveals a statistical analysis spanning 200 years across all continents of the globe […]
Editor’s Picks 2022: Patient and Public Involvement Research
In June’s blog post we highlighted some of BMJ Open’s most impactful papers of 2022 so far based on Altmetric score, which collates mentions of research articles across various sources including news reports, blogs and social media platforms. But Altmetric scores only pick up one facet of research impact. Another important way of making clinical […]
Minimum unit alcohol pricing may not be curbing drinking in those most at risk
Levels fell more in women who don’t drink as heavily as men after introduction of policy Policy not linked to reduced consumption in younger, deprived, or heaviest drinking men Associated with an increase in consumption among 5% of heaviest drinkers The introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol may not be curbing drinking in […]