Medicine and Science from The BMJ

This month marks the 30th anniversary of the first diagnosed case of AIDS. Bertrand Audoin, from the International AIDS Society, brings us up to date with the latest developments in the fight against the disease. Also this week, Francesco Capuccio from Warwick University explains the importance of sleep as a “health commodity” and the problems with its sacrifice, in our increasingly busy lives.

This week the British government has tabled an amendment to remove maximum pricing from the Health and Social Care Bill. We convened a round table discussion to find out what other elements of the bill need re-examining. Joining us in the studio at BMA house were: John Black - president of the Royal College of Surgeons. Clare Gerada - chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners Michelle Dr...

As the world’s attention turns to Fukushima, we hear from Ryuki Kassai, Director of Community and Family Medicine at Fukushima Medical University, about the situation on the ground there. He tells us about the difficulties they currently face, and the uncertainty of the next few days and weeks. Also this week, Paul Mackin of Newcastle University discusses the use and efficacy of atypical antipsych...

Jamie Love, Knowledge Ecology International, and Hans Hogerzeil, director of essential medicines and pharmaceutical policies at the World Health Organization (WHO), discuss the ongoing EU trade negotiations with India. They set out their concerns that it may lead to an interruption in the supply of new generic drugs to the developing world.

At BMA house, we convened a group of world experts in shared decision making. Inspired by the Salzburg Global Summit meeting we discussed the background, practical challenges, and how to engage patients with their health The participants were: Fiona Godlee , editor in chief, BMJ Angela Coulter , director of global initiatives, Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making Albert Mulley , co-foun...

At BMA house, we convened a group of world experts in shared decision making. Inspired by the Salzburg Global Summit meeting we discussed the background, practical challenges, and how to engage patients with their health The participants were: Fiona Godlee , editor in chief, BMJ Angela Coulter , director of global initiatives, Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making Albert Mulley , co-foun...

At BMA house, we convened a group of world experts in shared decision making. Inspired by the Salzburg Global Summit meeting we discussed the background, practical challenges, and how to engage patients with their health The participants were: Fiona Godlee , editor in chief, BMJ Angela Coulter , director of global initiatives, Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making Albert Mulley , co-foun...

This week’s podcast is a summary of the shared decision making round table - looking at it’s history, practicalities of implementation and how to get patients involved. The full round table can be found on bmj.com/podcasts.

Should we screen for prostate cancer? A study published on bmj.com suggests that it doesn’t improve survival rates, and could lead to over treatment. Gabriel Sandblom, of the Karolinska Institute, tells us about his research. Also, James Ritter, emeritus professor of pharmacology at King’s College London, explains the As in the ABCD of hypertension treatment.

Information abounds in our burgeoning knowledge economy, but how much is useful - let alone essential? Martin Dawes from the University of British Colombia tells us about the hierachy of evidence. Also this week, data journalist and author of Information is Beautiful, David McCandless, talks to us about the power and the pitfalls of graphically representing data.

Regulation of genetic testing kits is difficult, so how do we start to control this growing market? Christine Hauskeller, from the ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society at the University of Exeter, discusses her idea for an international standard which will help consumers make the right choices. Also this week, management of type 2 diabetes could be improved using an “artificial pancreas”. Roman Hov...

The problems associated with arsenic in drinking water have been known for some time, but new research published in the BMJ helps quantify that risk with respect to cardiovascular disease. Yu Chen, New York University School of Medicine, joins us to discuss her research. Also this week, requests for travel information for pregnant women are on the increase, but the available information is patchy....

What are the health impacts of cold homes and fuel poverty? Michael Marmot, professor of epidemiology and public health at University College London, talks about findings of the report he co- authored for environmental charity Friends of the Earth. BMJ editor in chief Fiona Godlee and deputy editor Trish Groves talk about the BMJ Group’s evidence to the UK parliamentary science and technology sele...

Richard Peto, renowned epidemiologist at Oxford University, won the BMJ Group lifetime achievement award this week. We hear from him about his work, and some of impact it has had. Also this week, Martin Thornhill, from the University of Sheffield, talks about his research, which shows the effect of a change to NICE guidance on antibiotic prophylaxis for endocarditis.

In this week’s podcast Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the UN population fund, joins us in the studio to talk about climate change and reproductive rights. Also, Barry Taylor from the University of Otago in New Zealand, describes his research into the link between sleep, BMI, and body fat in children.

In this week’s podcast Trish Groves talks to Marzio Babille, UNICEF representative in Chad, about the country with the lowest immunisation rates in the world. Sophie Cook finds out from Davor Jurkovic, from University College Hospital London, about clinical signs of ectopic pregnancy that may be easy to miss.

How can doctors and police sharing information help stop violent crime? Jonathan Shepherd, from Cardiff University, explains the Cardiff Violence Prevention Programme - and his research into its effectiveness. Also this week, as a new antiplatelet agent is being considered by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Albert Ferro, from King’s College London, takes us throug...

In this week’s podcast, we look at the ups and downs of postural hypotension. Also, beansprouts have been fingered as the cause of the recent E coli outbreak in Germany, David Payne investigates this microbiological detective story.

If everyone were to stop smoking, what would be the major public health hazards, and what would happen to health inequalities? Laurence Gruer, director of public health science at NHS Health Scotland, tells podcast producer Duncan Jarvies what his cohort study, examining Scottish women who have never smoked, reveals. And BMJ web editor David Payne talks to editor-in-chief Fiona Godlee about what c...

In this week’s podcast, Margaret McCartney examines Hydration for Health, Quentin Anstee explains how big a problem non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is, and Patrick Keown explains the association between provision of mental health beds and the involuntary admission of mental health patients.

In this week’s podcast, Duncan Jarvies speaks to Alexander Seifalian, professor of nanotechnology and regenerative medicine, about a groundbreaking procedure that enabled a multinational surgical team to implant an entirely synthetic organ—a trachea—into a patient. And Norman Williams, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, talks about the college’s plans for improving the quality of surgical...

In this week’s podcast Jeremy Myerson, from the Royal College of Art, tells us how good design techniques can make cities more friendly places to grow old gracefully. Clive Ballard, from Kings College London, explains how important pain relief is for dementia patients. Elizabeth Draper, from the University of Leicester, talks us through her investigation into how socioeconomic class affects how wo...

In this week’s podcast we discuss publishing medical details with former health editor of The Sun, Jacqui Thornton. Rogaia Abuelgasim Abdelrahim, the UN Population Fund’s deputy representative in Somalia, explains how the drought and subsequent crop failure there has been exacerbated by existing political problems and led to widespread famine. And Natalie Grazin, Assistant Director of the Health F...

In this week’s podcast, Sue Rabbit Roff describes how she thinks a system of paid for kidney donations could work in practice. Al Story, clinical lead of the Find and Treat programme – a travelling team who scour the streets of London for tuberculosis – explains the programme’s mission.

A recent study compared cost efficiency of different healthcare systems around the world. We hear from Colin Pritchard, from Bournemouth University, about how the NHS came out near the top. Also this week, the International Committee of the Red Cross has a mandate under the Geneva convention to protect the victims of both international and internal armed conflict. Head of mission Geoff Loane expla...