bmj.com:

News

Aid shortfall may leave millions sick and starving in Darfur and Sudan, WHO warns

The World Health Organization has warned that shortfalls in aid will strike a severe blow at efforts to deliver essential healthcare services to millions of people in West Darfur and Southern Sudan. Mohamed Abdur Rab, WHO's country representative in Sudan, said, "We know that at the end of the year funding will dry up." Such a turn of events could have "a significant impact" on the delivery of services to West Darfur's four million people, 2.7 million of whom are displaced, and to eight million in Southern Sudan.

Also published on 10 November:

Government proposes removing caps on trusts' private income

Battle against hospital acquired infections has been too limited, MPs' report says

Research

Continuation of metformin after introduction of insulin in type 2 diabetes

According to this randomised controlled trial, continuing metformin after the introduction of insulin in type 2 diabetes can prevent weight gain in non-obese patients when compared with the insulin secretagogue repaglinide. The linked editorial by Adriaan Kooy says that this is promising as it could potentially have beneficial cardiovascular effects in the longer term for patients.

Research

Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in people with diabetes

A clear benefit of aspirin in the primary prevention of major cardiovascular events in people with diabetes remains unproved, say the authors of this meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. They conclude that sex may be an important effect modifier, and toxicity is to be explored further. The accompanying editorial agrees that the balance of benefits versus risks is currently unclear.

Podcast

Analysing aspirin

BMJ deputy editor Trish Groves interviews Ike Iheanacho, editor of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, about its report on the use of aspirin as a primary preventative. Kirsten Patrick, an associate editor at the BMJ, talks to Charis Eng from the Cleveland Clinic about the growth in commercially available genomic screening tests. And Sabreena Malik, clinical community editor of doc2doc, BMJ Group's clinical community site, takes us through this week's news.

See also:

Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease?

A practical guide to interpretation and clinical application of personal genomic screening

Comment

Heroin assisted treatment

The British Randomised Injectable Opiate Treatment Trial (RIOTT) study provides evidence that heroin assisted treatment should become a routine last resort treatment for patients who do not benefit from maintenance treatment with oral methadone or buprenorphine. However, these oral maintenance treatments must remain the cornerstone of a humane, effective, and cost effective treatment system for heroin dependent patients and should be easily available with sufficient psychosocial support and without unnecessary control measures, says editorialist Wim van den Brink.

Other editorial published on 6 November 2009:

Aspirin for primary prevention of vascular disease in people with diabetes

Student BMJ

How old is too old?

The Student BMJ considers the taboo of older mums. Recent articles also look at religion and drugs: doctors must consider the faith of their patients when prescribing. Plus bullying and sexism in medical school--has anything changed? Let us know what you think by sending a message on student.bmj.com.

Education

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis

Slipped capital (or upper) femoral epiphysis occurs during periods of rapid growth in adolescence, when shear forces, particularly in obese children, increase across the proximal femoral growth plate, leading to displacement of the epiphysis. The latest in our occasional series of articles explains why this diagnosis is easily missed and how the condition is managed.

BMJ Group Awards 2010

Nominations open for next year's BMJ Group awards

The BMJ Group Awards are back - bigger, better, and with a stronger international flavour. Nominations are sought for 11 awards, to be presented at a gala evening in London next spring. Each category in the awards will have an internal champion within the BMJ, and judging will take place early next year. Nominations close on 15 November, and award winners will be announced on 10 March. Visit the awards website to find out more.

doc2doc

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