Letter to the Editor: Long Term Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and Risk of Stomach Cancer: Population Based Case-Control Study...
A recent BMJ case‑control study across five Nordic countries reported no link between long‑term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and gastric non‑cardia adenocarcinoma. In a Letter to the Editor, Dr. Liping Kang challenges this conclusion, arguing that the study’s exposure definition, lack of dose‑response analysis, and limited cohort characteristics dilute any true risk. The critique highlights that continuous, high‑dose PPI therapy and patients with premalignant gastric conditions were not separately examined. Kang calls for more granular research to clarify safety for high‑risk users.
Re: Matt Morgan: The Sticky Floor Test—Why I’m Returning to Face-to-Face Communication and M,ore on the Medium of Communication
In a letter to the BMJ, retired geriatrician Oscar Jolobe stresses that medical practice hinges on the messenger and the medium—particularly the hands‑on clinical exam. He decries headlines about medical students lacking stethoscope skills and warns that NHS hospitals are...
Letter to the Editor: Standard Chemoradiotherapy with Concurrent and Adjuvant Camrelizumab in Patients with High Risk Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Multicentre, Randomised,...
A phase‑3 BMJ trial showed that adding the PD‑1 inhibitor camrelizumab to concurrent chemoradiotherapy and 17 cycles of adjuvant maintenance extended progression‑free survival in high‑risk nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but overall survival did not improve significantly (HR 0.59, P = 0.19) after a median 39.9‑month...
Re: England Athletics Promotion of Medical Knee Procedure to Runners on Eve of London Marathon Is Condemned by Experts
England Athletics recently promoted Arthrosamid, a Class IIb implantable knee device, to runners ahead of the London Marathon. The product, marketed as a "drug," bypasses many safety tests because it carries a CE mark that allows manufacturer self‑certification. A UK...
Re: Sexual Misconduct: “Deeply Alarming” Rise in Cases Against Doctors
The Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery responded to a BMJ report on a rise in doctor‑related sexual misconduct cases, arguing that the increase in reported incidents reflects greater awareness and psychological safety rather than a worsening problem. The...
Re: Donald Trump’s Mental Health: Are Health Professionals’ Media Speculations Ethical or Dangerous?
Consultant neuropsychologist Narinder Kapur wrote to the BMJ urging annual neuropsychological assessments for elderly heads of state, citing a forthcoming article in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. He referenced Congressman James Raskin’s request for a cognitive evaluation...
Re: Health Research in England Is Grinding to a Halt: How Systems Absorb Innovation
A recent BMJ letter argues that health research in England is stagnating because the system absorbs, rather than nurtures, innovation. While the COVID‑19 pandemic demonstrated that rapid ethical approvals, platform trials, and data sharing are feasible, post‑pandemic practices reverted to...
Re: Protecting Health Data at UK Biobank
A recent scandal revealed that health data from the UK Biobank was listed for sale on a Chinese website, prompting public outcry. The UK government responded by emphasizing the Biobank’s status as an independent, non‑profit charity that relies on volunteer...
Re: Palantir: NHS Pilot’s “Success” Is Questioned as Second Figure at Major Trust Is Linked to the Tech Giant
Palantir Technologies' NHS pilot has come under fire after a Westminster Hall debate where health minister Dr Zubir Ahmed reiterated the company's claim that more than 100,000 additional patients were helped to undergo procedures. A retired GP, Nick Mann, wrote...
Ocrelizumab in PPMS. Complementing Regulatory History with a Decade of Clinical Evidence
Roche’s ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) is the only FDA‑approved disease‑modifying therapy for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). Since its 2017 approval based on the ORATORIO trial, a decade of data—including the 2025 O’HAND study and ten‑year extension analyses—has confirmed robust efficacy across...
Re: Measles: 38 Children Dead in Bangladesh Outbreak
A measles outbreak in Bangladesh has claimed 38 children’s lives, underscoring severe gaps in routine immunisation. Coverage for the first measles‑containing vaccine (MR1) slipped to 86.1% and the second dose (MR2) to 80.7%, well below the 95% target. UNICEF, WHO...
Breastfeeding: Effective, Multifaceted Support Needed.
The World Health Organization and UNICEF identify exclusive breastfeeding as the single most effective preventive intervention for child mortality, also delivering long‑term health, environmental and economic benefits. A recent UK randomised controlled trial (ABA‑feed) found that peer‑support counselling did not...
Re: Intermittent Fasting Strategies and Their Effects on Body Weight and Other Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis...
A recent systematic review and network meta‑analysis suggested alternate‑day fasting could outperform continuous energy restriction (CER) for weight loss and some cardiometabolic markers. In a rapid response, Dr. Moeez Ahmad cautions that the CER arms in the analysis were highly...
Re: Accuracy of Glomerular Filtration Rate Estimation Based on Creatinine and Cystatin C for Monitoring Moderate Chronic Kidney Disease in...
A prospective longitudinal cohort study by Scandrett et al. evaluated creatinine‑only, cystatin C‑only, and combined creatinine‑cystatin C equations for estimating glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in adults with moderate chronic kidney disease. The dual‑marker equations showed superior performance in tracking GFR decline compared with...
Re: How Does Covid-19 Affect the Skin and Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura?
A recent BMJ rapid response highlights COVID‑19 as a trigger for immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The author cites a 65‑year‑old patient whose platelet count fell from 183,000 µL to 8,000 µL within four days, leading to subarachnoid hemorrhage. Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin...