BMJ Group has published a new collection of impact stories showing how research published across its journals is helping to shape clinical practice, health policy and patient care around the world.
The latest stories trace the influence of research beyond publication, from stroke studies in China that have informed clinical guidance and policy across 62 countries, to an internationally agreed definition of lupus remission now used in research and clinical practice.
Other examples show how research has contributed to national dietary guidance in Japan, changed conversations about type 2 diabetes remission in UK primary care, and helped clinicians manage serious complications associated with cancer immunotherapy.
Together, the case studies demonstrate how evidence published by BMJ Group journals moves into guidelines, policy and practice, and the difference it can make for patients and health systems.
Research from East Africa helps shape the future of global HIV care
Published in BMJ Global Health, the paper, Integration of non-communicable disease and HIV/AIDS management: a review of healthcare policies and plans in East Africa, looked at policies and plans across six East African countries, finding that HIV and non-communicable disease services were still not well integrated. The authors called for more joined-up care, with better monitoring and evaluation of how integration is working.
The paper was cited by UNAIDS as it reshapes the global HIV response, contributing to the evidence on how HIV services can be integrated sustainably with wider health systems.
The diet that rewrote the rules on type 2 diabetes remission
An eight-year evaluation of a low-carbohydrate approach in UK primary care showed that some people with type 2 diabetes could achieve drug-free remission. Published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health, the findings have helped challenge assumptions about diabetes management.
Setting the international standard for lupus remission
Research published in Lupus Science & Medicine helped establish the first internationally agreed definition of remission in systemic lupus erythematosus. The DORIS definition has given clinicians and researchers a consistent way to measure remission and compare outcomes across studies.
Shaping national dietary guidance to prevent hypertension in Japan
Long-term research published in BMJ Open provided evidence on the relationship between diet and hypertension in Japan.
Findings from the NIPPON DATA80 cohort have contributed to national dietary guidance aimed at reducing blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. Nearly a decade after its publication, the research remains highly relevant, having recently helped to reframe national guidance on hypertension prevention in Japan.
As a result of the BMJ Open paper, instead of focusing only on salt reduction, Japanese guidance now emphasises reducing the sodium-to-potassium ratio and using urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio assessment to support hypertension risk management.
Helping clinicians manage one of immunotherapy’s most serious risks
Research published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer helped improve understanding and management of cytokine release syndrome, a potentially serious complication of cancer immunotherapy. The work has informed clinical guidance used to support safer treatment and patient care.
Stroke studies from China shape global guidance
A landmark programme of stroke research published in The BMJ, Stroke and Vascular Neurology, and The New England Journal of Medicine helped establish new approaches to preventing recurrent stroke after minor stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA).
Analysis from BMJ Impact Analytics demonstrated the extent to which the wider Clopidogrel in high-risk patients with acute non-disabling cerebrovascular events (CHANCE) research programme had informed clinical guidance and health policy worldwide.
“The CHANCE programme has made an important contribution to our understanding of how best to prevent recurrent stroke after minor stroke or TIA. Its influence on clinical guidance internationally demonstrates the value of rigorous clinical research, especially large randomised controlled trials, in informing and improving patient care around the world.”
Philip Bath
Professor of stroke medicine and CHANCE-2 investigator, University of Nottingham, UK
BMJ Impact Analytics reveals the programme’s global influence:
- 57 citations in clinical guidelines and health policy documents from CHANCE-related papers collectively
- 14 years of CHANCE research (2009–2023)
- 5,000+ patients enrolled at 114 centres in China in the original CHANCE trial
- 62 countries citing Chinese stroke research in policy and guidance documents
- Research was cited by NICE, the WHO, the American Academy of Neurology, and the European Stroke Organisation
Together, the case studies demonstrate how evidence published by BMJ Group journals moves into guidelines, policy and practice, and the difference it can make for patients and health systems.
Explore our latest impact stories and discover how research is contributing to better health outcomes worldwide.
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