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First reported UK case of sudden permanent hearing loss linked to COVID-19

Condition not common, but awareness is important as prompt treatment can reverse it Although uncommon, sudden permanent hearing loss seems to be linked to COVID-19 infection in some people, warn doctors, reporting the first UK case in the journal BMJ Case Reports. Awareness of this possible side effect is important, because a ...

Retest for covid-19 4+ weeks after symptoms first appear to curb infection risk, say researchers

Takes average of 30 days to clear virus from the body after first positive test Rate of false negative swab test results high in early convalescence Not yet known how infectious recovery phase is People who’ve had COVID-19 should be swab tested again 4 or more weeks after symptoms first ...

2020-09-03T09:19:27+00:003 September 2020|BMJ Open, Press release|

No safe level of caffeine consumption for pregnant women and would-be mothers

Women who are pregnant or trying for a baby should consider avoiding caffeine, researchers say Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive should be advised to avoid caffeine because the evidence suggests that maternal caffeine consumption is associated with negative pregnancy outcomes and that there is no safe level ...

2020-08-25T09:04:16+00:0025 August 2020|BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, Press release|

Doubt cast on wisdom of targeting ‘bad’ cholesterol to curb heart disease risk

Decades of research have failed to show consistent benefit for this approach, say researchers Setting targets for ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol levels to ward off heart disease and death in those at risk might seem intuitive, but decades of research have failed to show any consistent benefit for this approach, reveals ...

2020-08-04T08:24:41+00:004 August 2020|BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, Press release|

Patients overestimate the success of CPR

Doctors should discuss CPR to clarify and inform patients before they consent to it, say researchers Patients and the general public appear to significantly overestimate the success of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and underestimate the negative impact it can have on a person’s health, suggests research published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.  ...

237+ million medication errors made every year in England

Avoidable consequences cost NHS upwards of £98 million and 1700+ lives every year More than 237 million medication errors are made every year in England, the avoidable consequences of which cost the NHS upwards of £98 million and more than 1700 lives every year, indicate national estimates, published online in ...

2020-06-12T08:25:41+00:0012 June 2020|BMJ Quality & Safety, Press release|

Widely available indigestion drug may curb covid-19 symptoms in mild to moderate disease

Effects felt within 1-2 days; clinical trial of those who don’t require hospital admission warranted A widely available and inexpensive drug that is used to ease the symptoms of indigestion may prove a worthy contender for treating COVID-19 infection in those whose disease doesn’t require admission to hospital, suggest the ...

2020-06-05T08:27:24+00:005 June 2020|Gut, Press release|

Adult exposure to chickenpox linked to lower risk of shingles

UK vaccination policy assumes complete immunity and may need revisiting, say researchers Adults who are exposed to a child with chickenpox (varicella) in the home are around 30% less likely to develop shingles (herpes zoster) over 20 years, finds a study in The BMJ today. The results support the theory that re-exposure ...

2020-01-23T09:51:23+00:0023 January 2020|Press release, The BMJ|

Nearly 1 in 2 swingers uses recreational drugs to intensify sex, survey suggests

Women more likely to do so than straight or bisexual men; using increases risk of unprotected sex Nearly one in two swingers uses recreational drugs to intensify the experience, with women more likely to do so than either straight or bisexual men, suggest the results of a Dutch survey, published ...

New evidence links ultra-processed foods with a range of health risks

Policies that limit ultra-processed food intake are urgently needed, say researchers Two large European studies published by The BMJ today find positive associations between consumption of highly processed (“ultra-processed”) foods and risk of cardiovascular disease and death. The researchers say further work is needed to better understand these effects, and a direct (causal) ...

2019-05-30T08:22:05+00:0030 May 2019|Press release, The BMJ|
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