Ultrasound during surgery to unblock arteries is a safe and effective way to lower stroke risk

Technique has the potential to improve care for patients with carotid disease, say researchers Using ultrasound during surgery to unblock carotid arteries is a safe and effective way to significantly reduce the risk of stroke and death, finds a trial published by The BMJ today. The technique, called sonolysis, uses continuous ultrasound ...

2025-03-20T10:16:48+00:0020 March 2025|Press release, The BMJ|

Only around 1 in 10 common non-surgical and non-invasive treatments for back pain effective

And pain relief only marginally better than placebo, pooled data analysis shows Only around 1 in 10 common non-surgical and non-invasive treatments for lower back pain is effective, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available research, published online in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. And the pain relief they offer is ...

2025-03-19T17:12:59+00:0019 March 2025|BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, Press release|

GLP-1 diabetes drugs not linked to heightened suicidality risk

Despite previous concerns, findings provide reassurance about the psychiatric safety of these drugs, say researchers Use of GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat type 2 diabetes is not associated with an increased risk of suicidality compared with two other groups of diabetes drugs known as DPP-4 inhibitors and SGLT-2 inhibitors, finds ...

2025-02-27T17:47:25+00:0027 February 2025|Press release, The BMJ|

Use of strong synthetic opioids during surgery linked to poor composite experience of pain

Findings highlight need to reassess intraoperative pain relief strategies, say researchers The use of powerful synthetic opioids, such as sufentanil and remifentanil, during surgery is linked to a subsequent poor ‘pain experience’---a composite of emotional, cognitive, and physical aspects of pain— suggests research published in the open access journal Regional Anesthesia ...

Melatonin supplementation may help offset DNA damage linked to night shift work

Larger studies of varying doses and longer term effects now warranted, say researchers Melatonin supplementation may help offset the DNA damage associated with night shift work by boosting the body’s ability to repair it, suggest the findings of a small clinical trial published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine. ...

Experts strongly recommend against spine injections for chronic back pain

Commonly used injections offer little or no pain relief, says expert panel Findings question whether it’s reasonable to continue to offer these procedures outside of clinical trials Spine injections should not be given to adults with chronic back pain because they provide little or no pain relief compared with ...

2025-02-20T15:19:18+00:0020 February 2025|Press release, The BMJ|

Cancer drugs linked to severe chronic peripheral nerve pain for 4 in every 10 patients

Platinum based drugs, taxanes, and lung cancer associated with highest pain prevalence Worldwide, cancer chemotherapy is linked to persistent severe peripheral nerve pain (neuropathy) for around 4 in every 10 patients treated with these drugs, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published in the open access journal Regional ...

Exercise and improved diet before surgery linked to fewer complications and enhanced recovery

Results show potentially meaningful effects, but are generally of low certainty Actively preparing for major surgery by exercising and improving diet (known as “prehabilitation”) is associated with fewer complications, less time in hospital, and improved recovery and quality of life in adults, finds an analysis of clinical trials published by The ...

2025-01-23T10:58:59+00:0023 January 2025|Press release, The BMJ|

SGLT-2 drug plus moderate calorie restriction achieves higher diabetes remission

Study provides a practical strategy to achieve remission for adults with type 2 diabetes Adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes who are given the sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor drug dapagliflozin alongside moderate calorie restriction achieve much higher rates of remission compared with calorie restriction alone, ...

2025-01-23T10:56:30+00:0023 January 2025|Press release, The BMJ|

Vascular ‘fingerprint’ at the back of the eye can accurately predict stroke risk

Combined with age and sex, predictive power as good as that of traditional risk factors alone Practical, easily implementable approach for primary healthcare and low-resource settings A vascular ‘fingerprint’ on the light sensitive tissue layer at the back of the eye—the retina—can predict a person’s risk of stroke as accurately ...

2025-01-14T14:42:57+00:0014 January 2025|Heart, Press release|
Go to Top