Implications of Placebo and Nocebo Effects

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Placebo and nocebo effects are the effects of patients’ positive and negative expectations, respectively, concerning their state of health. These effects occur in many clinical contexts, including treatment with an active agent or a placebo in clinical practice or in a clinical trial, the informed consent process, the provision of information about medical treatments, and public health campaigns. Placebo effects cause beneficial outcomes, and nocebo effects cause harmful and dangerous outcomes.
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New Diagnostic and Treatment Criteria for Hypertension in Adults

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The definition of hypertension was recently changed by the American College of Cardiology – American Heart Association to a systolic arterial pressure of more than
130 mm Hg, a diastolic pressure of more than 80 mm Hg, or both. Continue reading →

Risk Factors for Suicide

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Risk factors for suicide have been investigated at the population and individual levels; in addition, predisposing factors and precipitating events have been examined, mainly at the individual level. Each of these factors can be mediated through genetic, psychological, and personality characteristics, making most explanatory models complex and difficult to interpret. One approach to understanding suicide has been life-course analysis, which is based on the premise that risk factors come into play at different stages of life and that suicide is the cumulative result of risk factors over a lifetime. Continue reading →

Surveillance Case Definitions for Human Infection with Novel Coronavirus (nCoV)

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Reported symptoms have included fever in 90% of cases, fatigue and a dry cough in 80%, and shortness of breath in 20%, with respiratory distress in 15%. Chest x-rays have revealed signs in both lungs. Vital signs were generally stable at the time of admission of those hospitalised. Blood tests have commonly shown low white blood cell counts (leucopenia and lymphopenia). Continue reading →

Diagnostic Criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

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Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disease characterized by chronic, profound, disabling, and unexplained fatigue. Continue reading →

STOPP/START Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing in Older People

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Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in older people currently represent a serious and growing public health problem. Polypharmacy and inappropriate prescribing (IP) are wellknown risk factors for ADRs, which commonly cause adverse clinical outcomes in older people IP encompasses potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs). STOPP/START criteria for potential IP in older people recognise the dual nature of IP by including a list of PIMs (STOPP criteria) and PPOs (START criteria). Continue reading →