International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world on the 20 May to commemorate the day in 1747 when James Lind started one of the very first trials in history. It provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of clinical research in healthcare and to encourage involvement in clinical trials. It is… Read more »
This month, we will see the release of DSM-5, the fifth edition of the American Psychiatry Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and perhaps one of the most anticipated events this year for those in the mental health field. Ahead of the release of DSM-5, Molecular Autism has published commentaries from the labs… Read more »
Fibromyalgia is a chronic widespread pain disorder, estimated to affect one in 20 people worldwide. It causes pain throughout the body, and often patients experience simultaneous conditions including fatigue and sleep problems, headaches and irritable bowel and bladder problems. After osteoarthritis, it is the second most common disorder observed by rheumatologists, yet there is no… Read more »
Two months into a research expedition to Mount Everest, Extreme Physiology & Medicine Editor-in-Chief Mike Grocott, reports from the trip. Researchers on the Xtreme Everest 2 expedition are comparing Sherpa and “lowlander” physiology. The Sherpas are a group known to perform extraordinarily well at altitude. The team record the physiological responses of healthy individuals in… Read more »
This year BioMed Central is pleased to be sponsoring MSF Scientific Day. Streamed live online from the Royal Society of Medicine, London, MSF Scientific Day is a unique opportunity to showcase medical and scientific research carried out in MSF programmes around the world. Presenting and debating the findings from our research is vital to improve… Read more »
World Asthma Day is organized annually by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), in support of the estimated 300 million people with asthma across the globe. The ongoing theme for events taking place is “You can control your asthma”. This year, GINA has introduced a sub-theme, “It’s time to control asthma”. In recognition of this,… Read more »
Avian influenza A (H7N9) is a tricky version of bird flu which seems to be sweeping across China. At the end of April the WHO registered 126 cases and 24 deaths but as of the beginning of May according to the Chinese CDC, there have been 127 confirmed cases of H7N9 in mainland China with… Read more »
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as “lupus”, is an autoimmune disease that can affect any of the body’s organs or tissues. The symptoms of SLE are very diverse, ranging from skin rashes to kidney failure, and patients experience flares followed by periods of remission. Steroids are commonly used to treat SLE flares, but as… Read more »
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the United Kingdom and constitutes the leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. One in eight women can expect to develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. Progress has been made in early detection and treatment of breast cancer but little is understood about… Read more »