Medicine and Science from The BMJ

Travelling when pregnant

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. Lucy Chappell, a lecturer at Kings College London School of Medicine and one of the authors of a new clinical review on the subject, joins us in the studio to talk about the evidence and how to assess risk.

Cold homes cost lives

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 select committee inquiry into peer review.

Prophylaxis for endocarditis

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.

Climate change and population, sleep and obesity

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.

Immunisation and ectopic pregnancy

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.

Sharing the pain

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 through this class of drugs, their effectiveness, and their indications.

Beansprouts and blood pressure

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.

A world without smoking

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 came to pass at the BMA Annual Representatives Meeting this week.

Bed blues

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.

Artificial organs and surgical research

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 research.