Medical royal colleges receive millions from drug/medical device companies

But payments are not always made public and critics say voluntary industry transparency initiatives don’t go far enough Royal colleges in the UK have received more than £9 million in marketing payments from drug and medical devices companies since 2015, but do not always disclose the payments publicly, finds an ...

2024-06-04T10:24:32+00:0027 July 2023|Press release, The BMJ|

Consequences of premature parental death seemingly greater for boys than for girls

But strongly linked to worse mental health and lower earnings in adulthood for both sexes The cumulative health and economic consequences of the premature loss of a parent may be greater for boys than for girls, suggest the findings of a large long term study published online in the Journal of ...

Static isometric exercise, such as wall sits, best for lowering blood pressure

But squats, press-ups, high intensity interval training (HIIT), and ‘cardio’ also effective Review of current exercise guidelines for controlling blood pressure may now be warranted Static isometric exercises—the sort that involve engaging muscles without movement, such as wall sits and planks—are best for lowering blood pressure, finds a pooled data ...

Experts call for independent inquiry into Canada’s covid-19 response

New series from The BMJ points to failures in Canada’s pandemic response Experts call for a probing review to learn lessons and ensure accountability At first glance, Canada appears to have responded adequately to the covid-19 emergency, but beneath the surface lie major pandemic failures, warns a series of articles ...

2024-06-04T10:23:33+00:0026 July 2023|Press release, The BMJ|

Experts alarmed as free Barbies given to UK primary schools to teach social skills

Initiative raises questions about whether companies should be able to freely market their products in schools Toy company Mattel has been criticised for “stealth marketing” after giving away free Barbie and Ken dolls to schools as part of a programme to teach empathy to children, finds an investigation published by The ...

2024-06-04T10:25:43+00:0021 July 2023|Press release, The BMJ|

Journal’s refusal to retract paper used to restrict abortion in US sparks independence row

A highly critiqued paper in the British Journal of Psychiatry has been cited in US legal cases to restrict access to abortion. Attempts to retract the paper by insiders at the journal have failed after the author suggested she would take legal action, leading to a row over editorial independence. ...

2024-06-04T10:23:05+00:0020 July 2023|Press release, The BMJ|

Disrupted access to healthcare during pandemic linked to avoidable hospital admissions

Findings highlight need for increasing healthcare investment to tackle short and long term implications of covid-19 pandemic People who experienced disrupted access to healthcare (including appointments and procedures) during the covid-19 pandemic were more likely to have potentially preventable hospital admissions, finds a study published by The BMJ today. This is the ...

2024-06-04T10:23:33+00:0020 July 2023|Press release, The BMJ|

Private equity takeovers of healthcare services linked to patient harm

Review suggests that costs tend to rise and quality falls at acquired healthcare providers Private equity ownership of healthcare services such as nursing homes and hospitals is associated with harmful impacts on costs and quality of care, suggests a review of the latest evidence published by The BMJ today. No consistently beneficial ...

2024-06-04T10:24:32+00:0020 July 2023|Press release, The BMJ|

Explore psilocybin and other psychedelics for women’s cancer distress, urge doctors

Conventional ‘gold standard’ approaches take too long and require too much stamina It’s time to stop prevaricating and explore the use of psilocybin—the active ingredient in ‘magic mushrooms’—and other psychedelics to ease the often overwhelming distress faced by women with late stage gynaecological cancers, urge doctors in a commentary published ...

Tripling in proportion of smokers’ discounted overseas tobacco purchases since 2019 in England

But no reported change in black market purchases, reveals time-trends analysis The proportion of smokers’ discounted overseas tobacco purchases--- from duty free or  from countries with cheaper products, and known as cross-border purchases---has tripled  in England since 2019, rising from just over 5% to just over 16%, but there’s been ...

2024-06-04T10:23:33+00:0019 July 2023|Press release, Tobacco Control|
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