Mon, August 14 – 10 Stories of The Day!

1 – Use of Alternative Medicine for Cancer and Its Impact on Survival – Journal of the National Cancer Institute (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentary: Use of alternative medicine hastens death of cancer patients – Edzard Ernst (free) AND Cancer Survival Takes a Hit with Alternative Medicine – MedPage Today (free) AND Using Alternative Medicine Only for Cancer Linked to Lower Survival Rate – Yale Cancer Center, via NewsWise (free) AND ‘Alternative Medicine’ for Cancer Ups Death Risk – Medscape (free registration required)

2 – Free Online Courses Starting Today

– Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera

– Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics – University of Cape Town and Coursera

– Public Health in Humanitarian Crises – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera

– Health Across the Gender Spectrum – Stanford University and Coursera

– Major Depression in the Population: A Public Health Approach – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera

– An Introduction to Global Health – University of Conpenhagen and Coursera

– Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities – Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Coursera

– Leading Healthcare Quality and Safety – The George Washington University and Coursera

– Easing the burden of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease – The University of Sydney and Coursera

– The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health – Johns Hopkins University and Coursera

3 – Prevention of suicide with regulations aimed at restricting access to highly hazardous pesticides: a systematic review of the international evidence (free)

Commentaries: Regulatory control of highly hazardous pesticides to prevent self-poisoning – The Lancet Global Health (free) AND Highly hazardous pesticides: policies should focus on bans, rather than secure storage, Lancet studies suggest – Bristol Health Partners (free)

Related: Effectiveness of household lockable pesticide storage to reduce pesticide self-poisoning in rural Asia: a community-based, cluster-randomised controlled trial – The Lancet (free) AND Learning from a negative trial of lockable pesticide storage – The Lancet (free)

“A worldwide ban on the use of highly hazardous agricultural pesticides is likely to prevent tens of thousands of deaths every year”.

4 – Magnitude, temporal trends, and projections of the global prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis – The Lancet Global Health (free)

Invited commentary: Universal eye health: are we getting closer? (free)

Commentary: Global blindness set to ‘triple by 2050’ – BBC (free) (via Global Health NOW Newslellter)

“Blindness is set to rise at an alarming rate reaching 115 million by 2050” (RT @UniMelbMDHS see Tweet)

5 – Guideline: Counseling Adolescents About Contraception – American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (free)

Commentary: Contraception and adolescents: ACOG releases counseling recommendations for clinicians – Clinical Advisor (free)

6 – Severe infections and subsequent delayed cardiovascular disease – European Journal of Preventive Cardiology (free)

Commentary: Pneumonia Or Sepsis in Adults Associated With Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease – European Society of Cardiology Press Releases (free) AND Elevated Cardiovascular Risk May Linger for Several Years After a Severe Infection – TCTMD (free) AND CVD risk may rise sixfold in the year after pneumonia, sepsis – Medical News Today (free)

7 – Thromboembolic Risk, Bleeding Outcomes and Effect of Different Antithrombotic Strategies in Very Elderly Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Sub‐Analysis From the PREFER in AF (PREvention oF Thromboembolic Events–European Registry in Atrial Fibrillation) – Journal of The American Heart Association (free)

Observational study suggests anticoagulation for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation is beneficial even for very elderly subjects.

8 – Sildenafil for pulmonary hypertension in neonates – Cochrane Library (link to summary – $ for full-text)

“Sildenafil may help reduce mortality and improve oxygenation in neonates with pulmonary hypertension” (RT @CochraneUK see Tweet)

9 – Preventing Severe Asthma Exacerbations in Children. A Randomized Trial of Mite-Impermeable Bedcovers – American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)

Commentary: Mite-proof covers may reduce severity of asthma exacerbations in allergic children – News Medical (free)

Source: EvidenceAlerts

10 – Treatments for reducing menopausal hot flushes are ranked for effectiveness – NIHR Signal (free)

Original article: Vasomotor symptoms resulting from natural menopause: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of treatment effects from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on menopause – British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (free)