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 […]
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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 […]
Water births provide “clear benefits” for healthy mums and their newborns
Less need for intervention during/after the birth plus greater satisfaction for mums Water births provide “clear benefits” for healthy mums and their newborns, with fewer interventions and complications during and after the birth than standard care, as well as higher levels of satisfaction for the mum, finds a synthesis of the available evidence, published in […]
Wearable activity trackers + AI might be used to pick up presymptomatic COVID-19
Fertility tracker identified indicative physiological changes up to 2 days ahead of symptoms Wearable activity trackers that monitor changes in skin temperature and heart and breathing rates, combined with artificial intelligence (AI), might be used to pick up COVID-19 infection days before symptoms start, suggests preliminary research published in the open access journal BMJ Open. The […]