Medicine and Science from The BMJ

Drink, drugs, and comic book villains

In this week’s podcast, Shaun Walker reports on alcohol consumption in Russia. Ewan Hoyle explains why he wants the Lib Dems to discuss drug policy. And we found out how realistic comic book villains’ mental health problems are.

Facing the dragon

This week, chocolate is good for your emotional heart, but what about your physical one? Oscar Franco, clinical lecturer in public health at the University of Cambridge, tells us about the results of his recent meta-analysis.Also, Irfan Dhalla , an internist and lecturer at the University of Toronto, highlights the problem of opioid related death in the USA, and how he thinks we can avoid a crisis.

Unprecedented access

John Young, professor of elderly care medicine at Leeds University, gives Mabel Chew tips on carrying out a cognitive assessment of an older person. Also this week, Harlan Krumholz explains to Deborah Cohen how he got Medtronic to agree to independent scrutiny of their data that is “unprecedented in the medical industry”.

Mental health and mortality

Research has found that the gap in all-cause mortality between psychiatric patients after discharge, and the general population, is growing. Uy Hoang (Oxford University) tells us what his paper reveals about the trend, and we discuss possible ways to tackle the disparity with Fiona Gaughran and Shubulade Smith (Institute of Psychiatry, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust).Also, a UN conference this week aims to tackle non-communicable disease. Rebecca Coombes, BMJ features editor, explains how they’re doing that, and some of the problems with the negotiations.

Caring for the carers

This week, the UK’s General Medical Council is reviewing its standards of good medical practice. Helen Jaques quizzes Niall Dickson, the council’s chief executive, about the possible changes.Also this week, Ian Cameron, head of the rehabilitation studies unit at the University of Sydney, explains how doctors should care for the carers of older patients.

10 Lords revolting

Seth Berkley, CEO of GAVI (formerly the “Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation”), talks to Rebecca Coombes about the future of vaccination funding. Also this week, the Health and Social Care bill, set to change the English NHS, is about to enter the House of Lords before becoming law. We find out which areas will receive most scrutiny from members of the Upper House from liberal democrat peer Baroness Shirley Williams of Crosby, a leading critic of the changes.

Regulating education, and respiratory infections

The Health and Social Care Bill for England has now reached the House of Lords. With the proposed demise of deaneries, questions still remain about how medical training will be carried out in the future. Niall Dickson, chief executive of the General Medical Council, explains how the council hopes to maintain professional standards whatever the outcome, and what changes to postgraduate education are on the horizon. Also this week, James Chalmers takes us through the steps in treating a non-responding presumed lower respiratory tract infection.

Climate, health, and security

Hugh Montgomery, director of the University College London Institute for Human Health & Performance, talks about the space where climate, health, and international security meet. Christabel Owens, head of mental health research at the Devon Partnership NHS Trust, explains why warning signs for suicidal thoughts may not be visible to those best placed to spot them.

Decriminalisation of drugs in Portugal

In 2001 Portugal abolished all criminal penalties for personal possession of drugs – effectively decriminalising their use. Health journalist Nigel Hawkes talks to João Goulão, Portugal’s drug tsar, to find out how effective this policy change has been.Also, the General Medical Council is introducing revalidation for doctors. Part of that revalidation will require input from a doctor’s colleagues and patients. We hear from John Campbell, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, about possible independent factors that could affect the scores.

Watching receptionists, watching weight

One way of tackling obesity is by attending a weight loss club, such as WeightWatchers . There are many such schemes available on the NHS, but which one is the most effective? We find out the results of an RCT that aims to find out. Also this week, ethnographic studies aren’t just limited to lost tribes. We find out what observation of receptionists in general practice surgeries uncovered.