The BMJ

“It’s a political choice that the systems and the powers that be are deciding that women’s lives are worthless.” Trump’s aid cuts risk killing women and girls around the world www.bmj.com/content/395/...

"The Pitt is interested in the gap between its idealised clinicians and the broken system around them. Many healthcare workers say The Pitt made them see their work more clearly and returned a sense of meaning." Lakshmi Krishnan on why The Pitt has been a hit—even among doctors

A practical guide to extreme weather events for clinicians #BMJClimate https://www.bmj.com/content/395/bmj-2026-100635

Earlier this year, a UK national security assessment detailed the high risk consequences of the collapse of global ecosystems and biodiversity loss. The climate crisis is a pressing security concern, #BMJClimate https://www.bmj.com/content/395/bmj-2026-101167

"As we squabble over power, politics, and pride, the world burns." For the sake of health and security we must phase out fossil fuels, writes @kamranabbasi.bsky.social in this Editor's Choice #BMJClimate www.bmj.com/content/395/...

Professional bodies must punish doctors involved in #DeathPenalty. Med schools should teach this clear ethical line. Doctors must not draft execution protocols. US anaesthetist Joel Zivot @emorydeptofmed.bsky.social writes after Christa Pike scandal bmj.com/content/395/... #MedicalEthics @bmj.com

Conflict and climate are compounding challenges for women’s and children’s health. We need better ways to measure women’s and children’s health together, across time, and across crisis affected settings, writes @tizianaleone.bsky.social #BMJClimate www.bmj.com/content/395/...

Non-surgical cosmetic procedures, particularly botox injections and dermal fillers, are increasingly commonplace in the UK. Concerns about training, consent, and aftercare remain unresolved www.bmj.com/content/395/...

"Malicious use of AI and bioweapons is an existential cocktail that demands an urgent international response." In this Editor's Choice, @kamranabbasi.bsky.social writes on AI powered bioweapons www.bmj.com/content/395/...

On 2 October, an employee of Russia’s Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute died after developing severe pneumonia. The unexplained death exposes how little information is known and shared about high risk pathogen work, writes @ashishkjha.bsky.social www.bmj.com/content/395/...

The rapid expansion of private testosterone prescribing risks extending treatment beyond men with clearly defined need to people with non-specific symptoms and borderline test results, for whom the benefit-risk balance is less certain, warns this Editorial

Biosecurity threats are soaring across the globe, and our ability to spot and tackle them is falling behind, experts say. What threats does the future hold, and how can they be stopped? www.bmj.com/content/395/...

Mike Tyson and Russell Brand were among those who spoke at the MAHA (“Make America Healthy Again”) Summit. Controversial celebrities are the wrong spokespeople for a healthier America www.bmj.com/content/395/...

Is the flu season starting early—and when should I get vaccinated? buff.ly/52KXr4L

At #WHS2026 I’m happy to be speaking on & advancing action on topics of women’s health, gender equity & the geopolitics of global health. Delighted to talk about publishing in @bmj.com too! Be in touch. And please check out our ongoing Series & Call for Papers: www.bmj.com/geopolitics-...

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram negative bacterium that causes upper gastrointestinal disease and symptoms. This clinical update present recent guidelines and evidence on H pylori prevalence, transmission, detection, and management in primary care https://bit.ly/4yDz6Cf

Having received the HPV vaccine before pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of major pregnancy complications, including preterm birth, with the greater reduction in risk seen among women vaccinated at an earlier age, finds study in The BMJ https://bit.ly/4yNoTmA

"In medicine and health we’ve seen miracle cures before, and it’s a matter of time before they’re debunked or shown to do more harm than good." In this Editor's Choice, @kamranabbasi.bsky.social writes on medicine’s latest, and super intelligent, miracle cure www.bmj.com/content/395/...

#BMJInvestigation finds that NHS labs are failing to share data that are vital for the diagnosis and care of rare diseases. Experts and families say this could be prolonging uncertainty and delaying treatment

A laboratory worker at an anti-plague research institute near Irkutsk, in the Siberian region of Russia, has reportedly died after being diagnosed with a pneumonia of “unknown” origin. What do we know so far?

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry published its module 5 report on the emergency procurement and distribution of key healthcare supplies in July. Module 5 of the inquiry does not go far enough on conflicts of interest www.bmj.com/content/395/...

Missed the launch event at #UNGA81 of the BMJ Collection on protecting global sexual and reproductive rights? Catch the recording here https://bit.ly/4AL8YXA With thanks to our partner, the SRJ hub at CUNY School of Public Health, and all the authors. Read the Collection: https://bit.ly/4hoBt5L

"Social care has had its NHS moment." In this Editor's Choice, @kamranabbasi.bsky.social writes about new deals on social care and physician assistants www.bmj.com/content/395/...

Two new BMJ studies suggest that robotic assisted hip and knee replacements offer no clear benefit over conventional surgery for implant survival, revision risk, or surgical complications https://bit.ly/4hHx2C5 https://bit.ly/3TY0uf7

Digital menstrual tracking risks creating more harm than benefit and these apps requires greater scrutiny, warn experts. Katharine Lee and colleagues argue that neither menstrual tracking nor "cycle syncing" have been convincingly shown to improve health or other performance measures

The use of a surrogate endpoint in a clinical trial may allow faster approval of a novel treatment, but at the cost of increased uncertainty about treatment benefit. This paper presents a framework for surrogate endpoint evaluation https://bit.ly/4daxpUf

"To fast track their AI ambitions, tech companies are pressuring leaders to accept severe and largely avoidable harms." Coordinated international action from governments is needed to mitigate the health and environmental harms of data centres, @ucs.org www.bmj.com/content/394/...

Implementing equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in healthcare research is critical to increasing the generalisability of findings. This new tool can be used to assess and monitor the quality of EDI implementation

"The national drive to get everyone off the streets by Christmas must be viewed as a short term fix only." Plans to end rough sleeping must focus on health exclusion and specialist services, @homelesslink.bsky.social www.bmj.com/content/394/...

How do I gain leadership experience early in my career? www.bmj.com/content/394/...

Chris Whitty: Doctors must be trained in managing risk in patient care, CMO says. The BMJ and @acmedsci.bsky.social inaugural joint annual lecture given by Prof. Whitty covered risk, uncertainty, and medical decision-making. Watch the full lecture now: https://bit.ly/4AxqLBq

"If holding too much risk is dangerous, holding too little means that doctors aren’t working to the level of their professional ability." In this Editor's Choice, @kamranabbasi.bsky.social asks: can the profession fix risk holding? www.bmj.com/content/394/...

Compared with no use of hormone therapy, oral menopausal hormone therapy was associated with increased venous thromboembolic risk regardless of dosage & treatment duration, finds study. No increased thrombotic risks were observed with transdermal therapy https://bit.ly/4cZ0BgN

Girls denied education today become women with poorer health. Nadia Akseer and colleagues look at why Afghanistan's bans on girls and women’s education and engagement in public life also represents a profound public health threat

In a new BMJ Collection, Chelsea Clinton calls on leaders “to seize the opportunity to build lasting systems for governance, financing, and delivery of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice.” Read & share all the articles in the Collection: https://bit.ly/3VwdBo0

GLP-1 and SGLT-2 diabetes drugs may also help to slow decline in kidney function in people with type 2 diabetes and albuminuria, but little evidence of benefit was seen among people without albuminuria, concludes new BMJ Research https://bit.ly/4isAJ0k

How do people pursuing assisted suicide in Switzerland report the motivations underpinning their decision? New BMJ Research finds people describe the decision not only as a response to suffering, but also as a deliberate way of shaping the end of life https://bit.ly/4rhIxoa

As the #UNGA81 debates UN reform, experts in a NEW BMJ Collection warn that the proposed merger of UN Women and UNFPA—two vital institutions for protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights—will weaken global commitments to #GenderEquality. Read & share the articles: https://bit.ly/4hccNvZ

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. How is lower limb cellulitis diagnosed, what important differential diagnoses should you consider, and how is it treated? #MedEd https://bit.ly/4h9norm

"It doesn’t make sense that specialties as different as psychiatry and anaesthetics use the same exam for recruitment despite requiring completely different skill sets." Specialty recruitment relies too heavily on the MSRA, says Azreen Afzal

Sexual & reproductive health & rights are fundamental for health, gender equality, and wider development. But they are under threat. Explore the new BMJ Collection on protecting global #SRHR: https://bit.ly/4xQSY4h #UNGA81

Skin and soft tissues infections are common conditions, affecting millions worldwide. What's an evidence-based approach to diagnosis and management? #MedEd https://bit.ly/4iXjWTc

This week a study suggesting that very hot drinks can triple the risk of oesophageal cancer gained much attention in the media. But how strong is the link, and should doctors be advising patients to avoid piping hot tea and coffee?

Nearly half of health boards in England are deliberately delaying care for patients by imposing minimum waiting times, The BMJ can reveal. Find out if your ICB has imposed minimum waiting times at the link below https://bit.ly/4cDyx2t

Nearly a third of the government’s nutrition advisors still have “significant” ties to the food industry including Coca Cola, Sainsbury’s, and Danone, reveals our new investigation. Despite a new code of conduct banning links to the food industry, members with ties are allowed to remain in post

How can you follow a structured approach for evaluating and managing hypomagnesaemia in community settings? This Practice Pointer offers guidance #MedEd https://bit.ly/4qXAtsm

"People with relevant competing interests, particularly financial ones, should not be members of clinical or public policy guideline committees." @kamranabbasi.bsky.social on why the notion that transparency alone is enough hasn’t stood the test of time

Altitude illness is potentially life threatening; however, it is preventable and manageable with adequate pre-travel planning and preparation. How should doctors advise patients?

Cases of giardiasis have reached a 10 year high in England. Why has this happened, and what do doctors and patients need to know? https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100716?utm_campaign=Usage&utm_content=1788369304&utm_id=BMJ208&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

Building a stronger NHS: an open letter from past and present presidents and chairs of the Royal College of General Practitioners www.bmj.com/content/394/...