Rasha Al-Lamee and Shayna Chotai join Chloe Wilson of The Lancet to discuss ESC Congress 2024 highlights.The papers featured on this podcast are:1) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01733-1/fulltext2) https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJMoa24091343) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01454-5/abstract4) https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJMoa23143285) https://www.escardio.org/Guidelines/Clinical-Practice-Guidelines/Elevated-Blood-Pressure-and-Hypertension6) https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2024.08.027Continue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://twitter.com/thelancethttps://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

On August 14th, the World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency of international concern in relation to mpox. This was motivated, in part, by the emergence of a concerning new strain of mpox, clade 1b, which has spread rapidly across Central Africa. Joining me this week to discuss important clinical aspects of the current mpox outbreak are Dr Oriol Mitja, Associate Professor at the Germans Trias Research Institute in Barcelona, and Dr Hypolite Muhindo Mavoko from the Department of Tropical Medicine at the University of Kinshasa.Continue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://twitter.com/thelancethttps://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Natasha Pocovi joins Chloe Wilson of The Lancet to discuss a trial investigating a walking and education intervention for the prevention of low back pain recurrence in Australia (WalkBack).Read the full article:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00755-4?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://twitter.com/thelancethttps://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Prasad Kulkarni joins Callam Davidson of The Lancet to discuss the safety and immunogenicity of a bivalent conjugate vaccine against typhoid and paratyphoid, following the publication of a phase 1 trial.Read the full article:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00249-6/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://twitter.com/thelancethttps://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Patricia Campbell and Frans Rutten join Chloe Wilson for an educationally-focused podcast, discussing the key messages for clinical practice on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.Read the full Seminar:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02756-3/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://twitter.com/thelancethttps://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Lene Seidler joins Callam Davidson of The Lancet to discuss umbilical cord clamping strategies at preterm birth following the publication of two systemic review and meta-analyses with individual participant data.Read the full articles:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02468-6/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lancethttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02469-8/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://twitter.com/thelancethttps://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Emily Chew joins Chloe Wilson of The Lancet to discuss the future of treatments for geographic atrophy following the publication of two randomised controlled trials of new drug treatments.Read the full article here:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01583-0/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://twitter.com/thelancethttps://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

Simon Kyle joins Gavin Cleaver of The Lancet to discuss his paper on sleep restriction therapy as a new effective treatment for insomnia.Read the full article:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00683-9/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lancetContinue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://twitter.com/thelancethttps://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv

On this International Women's Day,  Lancet editors and the co-chairs of the Women and Cancer Commission discuss the burden of women’s cancer on society and reflect on the questions the Commission is trying to answer. 

Nick James discusses the key messages of the recent report from the STAMPEDE trial platform and the success of this platform in advancing the treatment of prostate cancer 

Helena Wang discusses The Lancet Commission on women's reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) in China with author Professor Jie Qiao.

《柳叶刀》亚洲执行主编王辉对话《柳叶刀中国女性生殖、孕产妇、新生儿、儿童和青少年健康重大报告》共同主席乔杰院士。

Siobhan Quenby & Arri Coomarasamy discuss the key findings from The Lancet's new Series on miscarriage.

On the 50th anniversary of the Inverse Care Law, Professor Sir Muir Gray joins Gavin Cleaver to discuss the continuing importance of the ICL, and notions of value and quality in health care.

The Lancet's new Commission, Public Policy and Health in the Trump Era, looks back at the effects of the last four years on the health of the USA. One of the authors of the Commission, Mary Bassett (Harvard University) joins us to talk about the Commission findings and wider issues facing the USA.

Editor-in-chief of The Lancet, Richard Horton, discusses the results of the Oxford vaccine's phase 3 trial.

Renee Salas, leader of the Lancet Countdown policy brief in the US, discusses the climate problems facing the US, the issues of the last four years, and the reasons to be optimistic about the future.

Universal health coverage (UHC) is a vital facet of healthcare across the world, and a new Global Burden of Disease paper seeks to measure its spread. The Lancet spoke with  author Rafael Lozano and linked Comment author Margaret Kruk about efforts to analyse and measure UHC.

The Lancet Editor-in-Chief Richard Horton explains the current status of the Oxford and China COVID-19 vaccines, including an overview of current progress and the next steps for both.

The new Global Burden of Disease paper forecasts major alterations in worldwide population over the next few decades. We ask Kathleen O’Reilly, of LSHTM, how models are made and how you account for a changing world, and we speak with paper author Stein Emil Vollset of IHME about the implications of his predictions.

Professor Rosanna Peeling discusses the implications of seroprevalence results from recent COVID-19 antibody studies.

柳叶刀亚洲执行主编王辉跟曹彬教授关于2019冠状病毒感染住院患者临床发病过程和死亡危险因素的讨论

The Asia Executive Editor of The Lancet, Helena Hui Wang, chats with Bin Cao about clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China.

Richard Horton, Sarah Dalglish, and Grace Gatera talk about the future for children alive today, alongside findings from the new Commission.

Preethi Ramchand reads her Wakley Prize-winning essay, The Gift.

Camila Corvalan and Sandro Demaio talk about malnutrition around the world, and discuss how obesity and undernutrition are part of the same problem.

The Lancet’s Tamara Lucas talks to Professor Hugh Montgomery and Professor Hilary Graham about this year’s annual Lancet Countdown, and past twelve months of activity in climate change.

Louisa Degenhardt analyses recent changes in opioid usage and talks about clinical and policy solutions, in a podcast to accompany The Lancet's Drug Use Series.

Sir Richard Feacham discusses the prospects and benefits of eradicating malaria.

Michael Marmot, author of the 2010 Marmot Review, and Elias Nosrati discuss the effects of punitive social policy and austerity on health equity in the USA and Europe.

To mark World Population Day, UNFPA executive director Dr. Natalia Kanem discusses progress made since the landmark 1994 Cairo conference on population and development, and her hopes for the future.

The Lancet's Senior Editor Jonathan Pimm talks with author Natasha van Zyl about the pioneering surgical procedure of transplanting nerves to restore function in the upper limbs.

Helena Wang from The Lancet talks with Xiaofeng Liang from China CDC about China’s major burden of diseases. This podcast is in Chinese.

Fiona Charlson and Mark van Ommeren talk about the hidden epidemic of severe mental health disorders in conflict zones.

Gary Darmstadt (Stanford University, USA) in discussion with Lancet Executive Editor Jocalyn Clark on the priority to transform gender norms and inequalities. The need for more action and accountability on gender equality is clear: introduction of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Universal Health Coverage goals demand greater attention to the social determinants of health, including gender, for the purpose of enabling all people to reach their full human potential.

A decade after H1N1 influenza threatened the 2009 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, Ziad Memish (Alfaisal University, and Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) discusses the future priorities for research and global collaboration in the emerging specialty of mass gatherings medicine.

Marian Knight (University of Oxford, UK) discusses the ANODE trial, which highlights how prophylactic antibiotics given at 3 hours after birth can substantially reduce infection after operative vaginal delivery. The results should result in an updating of current clinical guidelines.

Lawrence Gostin (O’Neill Institute, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA), and Luisa Cabal (UNAIDS, Geneva) discuss a new Lancet Commission which highlights how greater collaboration between the spheres of law and health could potentially lead to improvements in sustainable development and global health.

Philipp Schuetz (University of Basel, Switzerland) discusses a pragmatic randomised trial that highlights the benefit of guided nutritional support for medical inpatients.  

Inappropriate use of opioids after surgery has contributed substantially to the global opioid epidemic. Lead author Paul Myles (Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia) discusses a new Lancet Series that proposes alternative approaches for pain management after surgery.

TH Lam (University of Hong Kong) discusses a proposal for an international framework convention for alcohol control, given the totality of recent evidence that there is no safe limit for alcohol consumption.

Shakila Thangaratinam (Queen Mary University of London, UK) discusses a systematic review and meta-analysis which highlights the increased risk of perinatal trauma and mortality associated with C-section use in low income and middle income countries.

A new Lancet Commission maps out priorities in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and advocacy efforts to end tuberculosis by 2030. Detailed discussion with two of the commissioners: UN Tuberculosis Special Envoy Eric Goosby, and Paula Fujiwara from the International Union against tuberculosis and lung disease. The podcast is introduced by Liz Zuccala from The Lancet.

Alan Stein, Brenda Kelly (University of Oxford, UK), and Ruth Bland (Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, UK) discuss a two-part Series that is helping to develop guidelines for health-care professionals and families concerning life-threatening conditions in children or their parents.

Patrick Rossignol (University of Lorraine, Nancy University Hospital/INSERM, France) discusses recent progress and future challenges concerning heart failure, notably a widespread lack of implementation of established clinical guidelines.

Annette Regan (A&M University, Houston, USA) discusses an observational study which assesses an appropriate time interval for conception after stillbirth. 

Mark Greenwald discusses buprenorphine extended release—a once-monthly injected formulation for the treatment of opioid use disorder recently approved by the US FDA.

Discussion of a special themed issue introduced by Lancet Editors Jocalyn Clark and Liz Zuccala, with contributions from #LancetWomen advisory group members Ravi Verma (International Center for Research on Women, New Delhi, India), and Imogen Coe (Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada).

Discussion with Obesity commission co-authors Bill Dietz (George Washington University, USA) and Boyd Swinburn (University of Auckland, New Zealand), plus three personal testimonies about the impact of obesity relating to stigma, indigenous culture, and health.

Tamara Lucas is joined by Commissioners Tim Lang and Jessica Fanzo to discuss one of the most pressing issues of our time: the need for a transformation in the way we eat, for the future of our health and our planet.

Lawrence Gostin (Georgetown University, USA) joins The Lancet to reflect on 70 years of human rights in global health, and discusses the challenges ahead for governance on the path to universal health coverage.

James Lewsey (University of Glasgow, UK) discusses the impact of a legal change in Scotland in 2014, concerning the lowering of the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration of car drivers and its relation to the frequency of road-traffic accidents.     

Investigators from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, discuss the first known uterus transplantation from a deceased donor, 3 years after the first successful transplantation from a live donor.

Tamara Lucas and guests Hilary Graham and Hugh Montgomery discuss new developments in the 2018 Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change.

Professor Roger Williams (Kings College London, UK) and Jennifer Sargent discuss new developments detailed in the fifth update of The Lancet Commission on liver disease in the UK.

Jessamy Bagenal and Kimberly Smith discuss implications arising from the Gemini study, which shows how a two-drug combination is not inferior to a conventional three-drug regimen in the treatment of HIV.

Sion Glyn-Jones discusses current practice and outstanding challenges for total hip replacement surgery, linked to a two-part Series about hip and knee replacement. 

The Astana Declaration: a look back at primary care services 40 years after the Alma-Ata Declaration, and future priorities for strengthening primary care worldwide within the context of sustainable development.

Marianne Guenot talks to  Benedict Moran, author of the World Report “Fighting Ebola in conflict in the DR Congo”, about the effect of conflict on responding to a public health emergency.

Jocalyn Clark and guests Marleen Temmerman and Ana-Pilar Betran discuss the challenge of overuse and underuse of caesarean section procedures worldwide.

With a high-level ministerial summit taking place on Oct 9-10 in London, Vikram Patel and Shekhar Saxena outline the priorities ahead for improving mental health worldwide.

Ann Starrs and Susheela Singh, of the Guttmacher Institute, join The Lancet to talk about the need for a comprehensive package of sexual and reproductive rights.

Helen Frankish and Craig Anderson discuss a new three-part stroke Series, covering ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, and implications for global stroke prevention and management.

Lucy Smith discusses the underestimation  of stillbirth in Europe, and the global priorities for recognising stillbirth within the sustainable development agenda.

Ahead of the third UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs on Sept 27, Jennifer Sargent and guests discuss The Lancet’s first NCD Countdown 2030 paper and implications for country-level health policies and progress towards the achievement of SDG target 3.4: a third reduction in premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by 2030.

With 2018 being declared a year for action against TB, Pam Das and Dick Menzies discuss a study that informs the recent change in WHO treatment guidelines for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis worldwide.

Margaret Kruk talks about her latest work on health system quality and related mortality, appearing in The Lancet and in a Commission in The Lancet Global Health.

Naomi Lee talks to Matthew Wilson about current options for pain relief in labour, and what the future of research holds.

Do more expensive securement dressings for peripheral intravenous cannulae improve failure rates and outcomes for patients? Lancet editor Jessamy Bagenal talks with paper author Claire Rickard.

On the day the WHO announced the end of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, Lancet editor Pam Das speaks with Mike Ryan, Assistant DG for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the WHO, and David Heymann, head of Chatham House Global Health, about how the outbreak was contained and what lessons were learned.

This podcast hosted by Rebecca Cooney features editors Catarina Sacristan and Helen Brooks discussing their experiences in the editorial secondment program, a special collaboration between Cell Press and The Lancet.

Stephanie Snow joins The Lancet to discuss her project, NHS at 70: The Story Of Our Lives, as well as the importance of the NHS to the fabric of the UK.

Lancet editors Jocalyn Clark and Liz Zuccala discuss what spurred the Lancet Women initiative, what the response has been like, and what the future holds.

Police killings of unarmed black Americans have adverse effects on the mental health of black American adults in the general population. A new study highlights the population mental health impact of events widely perceived to be a symptom of structural racism, and supports recent calls to treat police killings as a public health issue. The Lancet’s Rebecca Cooney speaks to Jacob Bor and Rhea Boyd.

Can patients with rectal cancer safely avoid surgery? Jessamy Bagenal of The Lancet interviews Geerard Beets about findings from the International Watch & Wait Database.

Angel Li joins The Lancet's Marianne Guenot to discuss abortion law changes in Ireland and their potential effect on Northern Ireland.

Rebecca Cooney discusses right-to-try legislation with Dr. Vinay Prasad. Who actually benefits from the new law?

Janna Juvonen and Jen Silvers speak with Lancet Executive Editor Rebecca Cooney about the Trump administration’s migrant child separation policy.  Does it amount to torture?

Ed Gregg from the CDC joins The Lancet to discuss new research into changing trends of diabetes-related mortality in the United States.

Helena Wang talks to Peng Gong about The Lancet-Tsinghua Healthy Cities Commission, what needs to be done to evaluate the progress and promote healthy cities in China. This podcast is in Chinese.

Natacha Protopopoff joins The Lancet to talk about her new study on bed nets, malaria, and insecticide resistance.

Why are poverty and NCDs linked so closely? And what can be done to fix both? Authors and editors from The Lancet's Taskforce on NCDs and economics discuss taxation, healthcare, and more.

Three series authors join The Lancet to talk about trends in diagnosis and treatment of low back pain around the world.

Kenneth Fleming and John Nkengasong discuss the importance of pathology services, as part of The Lancet’s Series on pathology and laboratory medicine in low-income and middle-income countries.

Marianne Guenot, editor of The Lancet's World Report section, joins us to talk about the current crisis in global health journalism.

Jocalyn Clark and Danielle Martin discuss Canada's healthcare system as part of The Lancet's Canada Series.

Virtual reality and simulation are fast becoming important surgical training tools. The Lancet looks into the benefits, and what the future might hold.

What do we want from global health in 2018? The Lancet's editor-in-chief Richard Horton discusses his hopes for world health, as well as looking back at 2017.

Adam Bemma discusses his world report on the Rohingya refugees' attempts to settle in Malaysia.

Rebecca Cooney discusses the newly FDA-approved gene therapy for treating loss of vision as a result of retinal dystrophy.

The author of the Wakley Prize-winning essay, Kate Rowland, talks about the ethics of care and the philosophy underlying the clinician-patient relationship, themes raised in her essay.

Joan Marsh and Paul Glasziou discuss what steps can be taken to reduce research waste with the public availability of trial protocols.

Roy Taylor talks about weight management techniques and remission in type 2 diabetes.

Martin McKee discusses the final report of the Lancet's Commission on liver disease, highlighting the health costs of excess alcohol consumption, obesity, and viral hepatitis.

Kazem Rahimi discusses the temporal trends and patterns in heart failure incidence in the UK between 2002 and 2014. 

Nick Watts and Elizabeth Robinson discuss their findings from the 2017 report of The Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change

Joe Parkin Daniels, author of a new World Report on a military hospital in Bogota, joins us to discuss the nuances of peace and conflict in Colombia since the FARC peace deal, and the challenges still facing healthcare in the country.

Gina McCarthy, former EPA Administrator, and Commission leads Philip Landrigan and Richard Fuller join Gavin Cleaver for a discussion of the problems of pollution and the solutions available.

Felicia Knaul and Julio Frenk discuss the Commission on the global access to palliative care and pain relief, highlighting the new metric used to measure the burden, an essential package to these treatments, and integration of palliative care and pain relief into health systems.

Michel Kazatchkine joins us to talk about Russia's health system and struggles with HIV/AIDS in the context of its unique history.

Emanuele Di Angelantonio talks about his study on increasing the frequency of blood donation.

Rebecca Cooney and Hanni Stoklosa discuss the distinction between human trafficking and smuggling.

In this special podcast we talk to GBD guru Chris Murray, representatives from exemplar countries Ethiopia, Nepal, and Peru, and The Lancet's editor Richard Horton.

Discussion with two authors of a new Lancet Commission about the need for a new approach to prevent, manage, and cure asthma.

Paul Tam discusses the two-part Series about Paediatric Surgery, focusing on developments in paediatric urology and gastroenterology.

Rebecca Cooney is joined by Mary Bassett, Tené T Lewis, Nwando Olayiwola, Esther Choo, Jennifer Okwerekwu, and Barron Lerner.

Victoria Miller and Mahshid Dehghan discuss their two PURE studies, assessing the intake of fruit, vegetables, and legumes, and also carbohydrates and fat on cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Discussion of how coal workers pneumoconiosis (so-called black lung disease) may be re-emerging among coal miners in Queensland, Australia.

Rebecca Cooney talks with Representative Barbara Lee and others about the Trump Administration's decision to cancel teen pregnancy prevention research grants midway, without warning

Manuel Rueda discusses the humanitarian work of medical students and doctors in Venezuela’s violent street protests.

Peter Green from Columbia University, New York City, discusses a Seminar which gives an up-to-date analysis of an increasingly prevalent disease that affects around 1% of the global population.

Rebecca Cooney discusses the new National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on opioids with members of the committee.

From the launch of The Lancet's Commission Dementia prevention, intervention, and care, listen to Alistair Burns, Charles Alessi, and Helen Kales provide their views on the importance and future use of the Commission.

Lead author Gill Livingston discusses the new Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care.

Helen Petousis-Harris discusses a proof of principle study which suggests that a type of meningococcal B vaccine could protect against gonorrhoea.

Author and leading health policy expert Reinhard Busse discusses the success and current challenges of Germany’s health system.

Adam Gaffney discusses what is in the US Senate's Affordable Care Act-repeal bill with Rebecca Cooney ahead of this week’s expected Senate vote.

Nadine Rouphael and Mark Prausnitz discuss the findings from their phase 1 trial that uses a dissolvable microneedle patch to deliver an influenza vaccine to patients.

A special podcast from the European League Against Rheumatology meeting in Madrid, highlighting a two-part Series on rheumatoid arthritis.

Julie Cantor discusses the freedom to access abortion in the USA.

Elizabeth Pisani discusses how global health can be represented through music, in an upcoming production in London called Song of Contagion.

Rebecca Cooney and Aaron van Dorn speak with Adam Gaffney about the state of the American Health Care Act and what it means for the politics of health care in the USA.

Danilo Fliser discusses a clinical Series that examines acute kidney injury, and priorities for graft preservation after renal transplantation.

Sharmila Devi reports after a recent visit to South Sudan, where a combination of drought and civil conflict is perpetuating an appalling health and humanitarian catastrophe.

Professor Mark Clarfield from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, with an overview of a new Lancet country Series about health in Israel.

Aaron van Dorn speaks with series author Jacob Bor about the interaction of rising inequality and health outcomes.

Amy Ahern discusses the results from the UK trial assessing the effects of patient access to an extended vs standard weight-loss programme.

Aaron van Dorn discusses mass incarceration and its effect on public health in the USA with Series author Christopher Wildeman.

Haleema Shakur-Still and Ian Roberts discuss the results from the WOMAN trial on early use of tranexamic acid to reduce deaths due to post-partum haemorrhage.

Rebecca Cooney speaks with Mary Bassett and Zinzi Bailey about health outcomes and structural racism in the USA.

Rebecca Cooney discusses the Affordable Care Act with US Series author Adam Gaffney.

Rebecca Cooney discusses inequality and healthcare outcomes in the USA with Series author Sam Dickman.

Series leaders David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler discuss the Series, and how it could help shape the future direction of US health policy.

Emmanuela Gakidou discusses the Article on daily smoking prevalence and attributable global disease burden.

Carolyn Paul discusses new insights into a sea voyage to Calcutta undertaken by Lancet founder Thomas Wakley when he was just 11 years old.

Nick Watts and guests discuss progress on The Lancet Countdown to Climate Change project at an interim meeting held in London on March 13–14, 2017.

Rebecca Cooney and Aaron van Dorn with insight and analysis about the new US Administration’s proposal for health care reform: the American Health Care Act.

Ruth Webster from the George Institute in Sydney, Australia, discusses the potential of polypills to prevent atherosclerosis as part of a wider plan to meet non-communicable disease targets by 2025.

Emily Mendenhall discusses a new Lancet Series, explaining the new health concept of syndemics and how it can be used to tackle health inequities.

Subra Kugathasan discusses his Article which creates a risk-stratification model to predict the risk of developing complications in paediatric patients with newly diagnosed Crohn’s disease.

Majid Ezzati discusses Projections for increases in life expectancy in most of the world’s developed nations by 2030, and the implications for social policy.

Jennifer Downs discusses her Article on the influence of religious leaders in promoting male circumcision as a strategy to decrease HIV transmission in Tanzania.

Melanie Davies and Sudesna Chatterjee discuss a Seminar on type 2 diabetes, and outline plans for a Lancet Diabetes Commission.

Silvia Stringhini discusses a research article which highlights how low socioeconomic status should be considered alongside other established risk factors for non-communicable diseases.

Dr. Meredith Shiels discusses trends in premature mortality in the US since 1999.

John Neoptolomos discusses the ESPAC-4 trial, investigating a chemotherapy drug combination for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Hashim Ahmed discusses his study about the diagnostic accuracy of multi-parametric MRI in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer in men.

Ilze Bot discusses the link between stress, shown by amygdalar activity, and cardiovascular events.

Vikas Saini discusses a new Lancet Series, which aims to improve global health care through an emphasis on reducing overuse and underuse of medical treatment.

Marie-Paule Kieny outlines encouraging final results of the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine trial from Guinea.

Naaheed Mukadam reads her winning Wakley Prize essay, entitled "Stay with me"; an account about the diagnosis and care of a patient with dementia and his spouse.

Sibylle Loibl discusses recent advances in the treatment of oestrogen receptor positive, HER2-positive, and triple-negative breast cancers.

Max Ortiz-Catalan discusses his trial of using augmented reality, motor execution technology to help treat patients with phantom limb pain.

Jeff Cohen from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner School of Medicine discusses the Series—recent therapeutic progress, and remaining challenges.

A joint podcast from Kaiser Health News and The Lancet – discussion of where US health policy might be heading when Donald Trump takes office early next year.

Nick Watts discusses the Lancet Countdown paper about importance of climate change to health, and tracking alterations to create positive changes for human health.

David Himmelstein looks ahead to US health policy challenges in light of the shock US election result.

Discussion of the US election, and of the importance of underlying social determinants of health for the US health policy environment.

Ophira Ginsburg discusses her Series about women's cancers, summarising what the needs are, disparities between regions, and this topic as an unmet global health issue.

Topher Spiro, Vice President for Health Policy from the Center for American Progress, discusses how they believe the US election will affect future health care policy.

Paul Aveyard discusses a new trial regarding a primary care intervention to help obese patients lose weight.

Oyinlola Oyebode discusses the health problems of people living in slums, possible interventions, and the value in additional research needed for this neglected field.

Lord Nigel Crisp discusses a new vision for improving health in the UK.

Linda Richter from the University of the Witwatersrand discusses the importance of investing in early childhood development.

Matthias Eikermann discusses a trial to improve mobility for patients within the surgical ICU environment

Stephen Lim from the University of Washington discusses analysis of the Sustainable Development Goals, using data from the Global Burden of Diseases Programme.

Series co-leader Oona Campbell discusses progress and ongoing priorities for maternal health with Richard Lane

Rory Collins discusses his Review of the evidence from randomised studies concerning the efficacy and safety of statins.

Rebecca Cooney discusses a platform for improving health in the US

Tim Lobstein from the World Obesity Forum discusses the recently published UK childhood obesity strategy.

Ben Freedman from the University of Sydney discusses atrial fibrillation and stroke risk with Richard Lane

Anat Mirelman from the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel, discusses how combining virtual reality and treadmill training helps to prevent falls in older adults better than treadmill training alone.

Susan Jaffe with a health policy update from the recent US Democratic Party platform in Philadelphia.

Melody Ding discusses a new Lancet Series about physical activity and health, describing a global pandemic of inactivity that needs urgent attention.

Martin O’Donnell and Naomi Lee discuss the latest findings from INTERSTROKE, a worldwide study which identifies key population risk factors for ischaemic and intracellular stroke.

Frederick Altice discusses what needs to happen to reduce the HIV epidemic in the prison environment

Sherif Zaki from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discusses the finding of Zika virus in brain and placenta tissues in five cases in Brazil.

Kara Hanson and Richard Lane discuss a new Lancet Series about the role of the private sector in health systems within the context of universal health coverage.

Prof Martin McKee on why the UK's continued membership of the EU is good for health.

Susan Jaffe with an update on how health can become an election issue after next month's party conventions.

Andrea Cipriani from the University of Oxford, UK, discusses the efficacy of antidepressants for children and adolescents.

Kaye Wellings from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine discusses a halving of teenage pregnancy in England since the introduction of a government-led intervention in 1999.

Women Deliver Chief Executive Katja Iversen previews Women Deliver 2016 taking place in Copenhagen from May 16-19.

Susan Jaffe discusses with Dr Anthony Fauci and Debbie Wasserman Schultz about the US response to Zika and the question of funding.

Junior doctors are on strike in England. Why? Niall Boyce reports from the picket line at University College London Hospital, interviewing junior doctors Danny Bhagawati and Sophie Candfield, and BMA representative Yannis Gourtsoyannis.

Sir Richard Feachem discusses a review of the progress made globally in the eradication and elimination of malaria.

Ian Anderson and Romlie Mokak discuss a new analysis of health indicators across 28 indigenous populations, with implications for future health services planning worldwide.

Tim Evans from the World Bank discusses the need for a transformation in global health financing if universal health coverage in low-income and middle-income countries is to be achieved by 2030.

Majid Ezzati discusses a new analysis of global changes in bodyweight over four decades, from 1975-2014.

Susan Jaffe with a round-up of what the Republican and democrat presidential hopefuls are saying about US health care.

Eric Topol discusses the use of hand-held ultrasound devices – could they one day usurp the stethoscope?

Sven Trelle discusses a meta-analysis which aims to shed light on the best non-steroidal anti-inflammatory treatments for common knee and hip pain.

Bindu Kalesan discusses research which highlights how widespread adoption of the most effective gun and ammunition laws could substantially reduce US firearms mortality. 

Michael Hallsworth discusses the value of an information-led intervention to reduce antibiotic prescribing among primary care physicians in England

Susan Jaffe interviews NIH Director Francis Collins with welcome news of a $2 billion boost to NIH funding.

Etienne Langlois discusses the importance of access to appropriate health-care services for refugees worldwide.

Abigail Murdy reads this year's winner, entitled 'Lifelines' by Claude Matuchansky; a piece about the lesson of medical humanism. 

Andy Haines reflects on the historic Paris climate change treaty, and outlines ideas for carbon taxation to reduce emissions.

Peter Piot discusses new recommendations for health agencies and public health systems in response to the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak.

Helen Gelband discusses plans for an essential package of cancer prevention and treatment strategies for low-income and middle-income settings.

Martin Yaffe discusses a Japanese randomized trial which investigates the potential role of ultrasound in breast cancer screening.

Salmaan Keshavjee outlines how a new Lancet series can assist in global efforts to eliminate tuberculosis.

Rebecca Cooney and Susan Jaffe with an update on US health policies and the progress of the Affordable Care Act.

Helena Wang with an overview of a china themed issue on the country’s progress towards universal health coverage.

Editor Richard Horton reflects on The Lancet’s history, and looks ahead as the journal publishes its 10 000th issue.

Wayne Hall discusses how doctors could do more to better diagnose and treat patients who have poor health relating to high alcohol use.

Paul Glasziou discusses a systematic review from UK authors which suggests that music could reduce anxiety and pain for patients undergoing surgery.

Susan Jaffe discusses the introduction of Medicare 50 years ago with two US physicians who were in practice at the time.

Andreas Luch discusses a Review about the medical and toxicological concerns of tattooing.

Andy Haines and Richard Lane discuss the background and main action points from the Commission.

Firdausi Qadri discusses results of a cholera vaccine study, done in a real-life setting in Bangladesh.

Andrew Tomkins and Richard Lane discuss controversies in faith-based health care.

Peter Piot outlines key themes and priorities emerging from The Lancet/UNAIDS Commission launched on June 25

Cynthia Harper discusses the effects of a clinic-based intervention to increase patients’ access to long-acting reversible contraceptives.

Ana Langer discusses a new Lancet Commission on Women and Health with Richard Lane.

Josiah ‘Jody’ Rich discusses a research article about methadone treatment for US prisoners.

Diane Wherrett discusses the challenges of diabetes treatment and prevention in childhood and adolescence.

Daniel Poulter talks to Richard Lane about the Conservative Party’s commitments to the NHS and international development.

John Meara discusses the background and key actions from The Lancet Global Surgery commission.

Susan Jaffe from Washington DC with news on a US climate change campaign which is receiving full support from President Obama.

Norman Lamb discusses Liberal Democrat health and care priorities with Richard Lane.

Dr Philippa Whitford discusses SNP health policies with Richard Lane

Shadow Secretary of State Andy Burnham discusses The Labour Party’s future health priorities with Richard Lane.

Richard Lane talks health politics with Jillian Creasy of the Green Party.

In the first in a series of UK election podcasts, listen to the health priorities of the National Health Action Party.

Susan Jaffe with news on changes at the US FDA including an interview with new FDA Deputy Commissioner Robert Califf

Obesity Series – discussion with Christina Roberto and Richard Lane

Ebola in west Africa: getting to zero. Udani Samarasekera discusses a Lancet Editorial and World Report

Care after hip fracture: discussion of a randommised trial to assess the value of specialist geriatric care

NIH budget shrinks despite Ebola emergency funds: Susan Jaffe talks to NIH Director Francis Collins 

Beyond political rhetoric: Bill Summerskill and Richard Lane discuss ideas for a sustainable NHS.

Rebecca Cooney and Richard Lane discuss 2015 expectations for further implementation of the US Affordable Care Act.

Wakley Essay winner Johanna Riesel reads ‘On Seeing roses’.

Universal Health Coverage Day – discussion of UHC with Selina Lo and Richard Lane. 

Discussion of a new Lancet Commission on improving prevention and treatment of liver disease in the UK.

Discussion of a new five-part Series about violence against women and girls.

Susan Jaffe with the latest developments on ACA implementation in the US.

Alan Stein discusses a three-part Series on perinatal mental health.

Edgar Jones discusses the legacy of World War 1 on psychiatry.

Following The Lancet's Ebola discussion on Twitter, David Heymann outlines ebola response and management priorities for the next two months.

Seena Fazel discusses a two-part Series on homelessness with Richard Lane.

Susan Jaffe discusses the US response to the Ebola crisis.

Robert Lanza discusses two-year follow-up findings of human embryonic stem-cell transplantation in the potential treatment of Stargardt's Macular dystrophy and age-related macular degeneration.

Discussion of a Series on fertility preservation, and an interview with Glenda Gray, new President of South Africa's Medical Research Council.

Susan Jaffe with discussion about the US President's Scientific panel report on antibiotic resistance.

Rebecca Cooney discusses organ donation and distribution in the US with David Mulligan, chair of the Liver and Transplant Committee for United Network for Organ Sharing.

Naomi Lee discusses new research about depression and cancer with Michael Sharpe and Jane Walker.

Discussion of the global response to the ebola epidemic, and of a bioethical approach to the use of experimental drugs.

Professor Fritz Schröder discusses the latest research on prostate cancer screening.

Richard Tedder discusses the prevalence and transmission of hepatitis E in blood donors and recipients in south-east England.

Christopher Williams explains new research on the efficacy of paracetamol for treatment of low-back pain.

Steffanie Strathdee discusses the HIV and sex workers Series.

The second podcast for the US Health of Americans Series - discussion of accident and injury prevention, and of CDC's role in global health.

Ursula Bauer, Richard Horton, and Rebecca Cooney discuss priorities for the prevention of chronic diseases in the US in the 21st century.

Rachel Jewkes discusses priorities for the prevention of sexual violence.

Joy Lawn and Erika Niesner discuss the every Newborn Series and its action plan, after discussion at the 2014 World Health Assembly.

Discussion of blood pressure, age, and lifetime risk of 12 cardiovascular diseases in 1.25 million people.

Bec Cooney discusses a new report and Lancet editorial, giving a US perspective on climate change and health.

Seena Fazel discusses a population study to assess the effects of antipsychotics on violent behavior and crime.

Susan Jaffe discusses early implementation and future challenges of the US Affordable Care Act.

Marcia Brose discusses results of a phase III trial of the kinase inhibitor sorafenib for treating radioactive iodine-refractory thyroid cancer.

Steven Laureys discusses the potential of neuroimaging for diagnoses in minimally conscious patients.

John Strang discusses the potential of cash payments to improve Hepatitis B vaccination uptake among injecting drug users.

Zoe Michaleff joins Nicolai Humphreys to discuss a simple self-directed exercise program for reducing pain from chronic whiplash.

Nicolai Humphreys and Jasper Been discuss new research that show public smoking bans are linked with a rapid fall in preterm births and child hospital visits for asthma.

Nilesh Samani discusses an Article that highlights the discovery of an epigenetic mechanism that could affect risk of obesity-related disease.

Linda Aiken discusses the results of a European study that links nurses' workload and education to patients' survival after surgery.

Nicolai Humphreys is joined by Abdisalan Noor to discusses the changing risk of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in Africa.

Naeemah Abrahams talks to Nicolai Humphreys about the prevalence of non-partner sexual violence.

Nicolai Humphreys is joined by Anthony Morrison to discuss how cognitive therapy might be beneficial for people with schizophrenia not taking antipsychotic drugs.

Andrew Clark discusses how children and adolescents with peanut allergies could benefit from treatment with oral immunotherapy.

Rita Giacaman talks to Nicolai Humphreys about The Lancet's Health in the Arab world Series.

Robert MacLaren discusses how gene therapy improves eyesight in people born with choroideremia.

Paul Glasziou discusses a new Lancet Series 'Research: increasing value, reducing waste'.

This year's Wakley Prize essay, 'The Measuring Cup'.

Peter Flemming discusses the findings of the Confidential Inquiry into premature deaths of people with intellectual disabilities in the UK.

Richard Horton discusses why it is time to revisit the case for investment in health in the latest Lancet Commission.

Kaye Wellings discusses the history and future of the NATSAL research programme.

Mushtaque Chowdhury discusses a new Series about health in Bangladesh.

Jayant Vaidya and Umberto Veronesi discuss the TARGIT and ELIOT trials of intraoperative radiotherapy for early breast cancer.

Barbara Tomczyk discusses a Viewpoint about the importance of access to womens health services in Syria.

Clive Ballard discusses the efficacy of pimavanserin for treatment of Parkinson's disease psychosis.

Myles Connor discusses the global and regional burden of stroke during 1990-2010.

Peter Tyrer discusses the potential of CBT for treating medical anxiety.

Neil Scolding discusses the future role of stem-cell therapies for multiple sclerosis.

Ashley Blom discusses the recent reduction in mortality after hip replacement surgery in the United Kingdom.

Jennifer Bryce discusses 'the unfinished agenda in child survival'.

Good news concerning meningitis vaccination in chad, and other print and online highlights this week.

Michael Lynskey discusses two new papers from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 programme, assessing mental health and substance misuse.

John Field discusses the potential of population screening for lung cancer.

Gerd Heusch discusses the potential of remote ischaemic preconditioning for people undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery.

Amy Jordan discusses a seminar about sleep apnoea.

Seena Fazel discusses new research about epilepsy and psychiatric comorbidity.

Richard Gelber discusses results of the HERA trial comparing 2 years vs 1 year trastuzumab for HER2 positive breast cancer.

Kaare Christensen discusses an Article that compares physical and mental functioning in people born in 1905 and 1915.

Aimee Kreimer discusses one of the first natural history studies of oral human papillomavirus infection.

Heidi Stockl discusses new data which highlights how intimate partners are responsible for between a third and a half of all female homicides worldwide.

Rafick-Pierre Sekaly discusses a Review about barriers to a cure for HIV.

Robert Black from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with an overview of a new Lancet Series on maternal and child nutrition.

Theo Vos discusses the global burden of disease 2010 data for China.

Colin Baigent discusses the vascular and gastric effects of long-term use of high-dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Tim Goodnough discusses a new three-part clinical Series about transfusion medicine.

Zulfiqar Bhuta with an overview of the health in Pakistan Series.

Niall Boyce and Nick Craddock with their thoughts on The Lancet's bipolar disorder Series.

John Britton discusses progress and future priorities for tobacco control in Europe.

Discussion of H7N9 influenza virus transmission from poultry to humans in China.

Ryan McCormack discusses a Viewpoint about better treatment in hospital emergency departments for people with severe alcohol problems.

Zulfiqar Bhutta with an overview of a new Series on childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia.

Martin McKee and Richard Lane discuss key points from a new Lancet Series about health in Europe.

Debbie Lawlor discusses the implications of research about vitamin D status in pregnancy and bone mineral content of children.

Discussion of an Iraq themed issue, with Gilbert Burnham from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

David Heyman discusses the 10th anniversary of SARS, and the implications for managing the latest coronavirus outbreak.

Steve Humphries discusses a LDL cholesterol gene score to identify monogenic or polygenic familial hypercholesterolaemia.

NCD champions Robert Beaglehole and Ruth Bonita discuss the emerging NCD movement and the key features of the new Lancet Series.

Andrew Clegg discusses a Seminar about frailty in the elderly.

Helen McShane from the University of Oxford discusses results from a phase IIb tuberculosis trial.

Richard Peto discusses a meta-analysis about folate supplementation and cancer risk.

Vicente Corrales-Medina discusses a review about the association between pneumonia and cardiovascular disease.

Francois Raffi and Nicolai Humphreys discuss dolutegravir versus raltegravir as treatment for HIV.

Gerd Burmester and Richard Lane discuss a potential new treatment for refractory rheumatoid arthritis.

Richard Horton and an expert panel discuss what happens next in the light of the launch of GBD.

Chris Murray highlights key findings from the seven research articles in the GBD 2010 Study.

Richard Horton with a background and overview of GBD 2010.

A reading of this year's Wakley prize essay, 'Thank you for seeing my beautiful daughter, Kate'.

Andy Dobson with an overview of a three-part zoonoses Series.

David Cunningham from the Royal Marsden Hospital in London assesses the potential of regorafenib in the treatment of colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

A Finnish randomized trial assessing the efficacy of a 10-serotype pneumococcal vaccine.

A US Election special from New York City.

Authors explain the findings of a new Review about breast cancer screening in the UK.

Andrew Grace with an overview of a new clinical Series about cardiac arrhythmias.

Discussion with Jimmy Volmink, Head of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University, South Africa

What can the UK and US health-care systems learn from each other?

Ted Alcorn discusses the future of the US Global Health Initiative, ahead of next month's election.

Obama vs Romney health policies, and an epilepsy focus.

Sharmila Devi discusses racial inequities in health in the United States, and details of a surgery themed issue.

Mika Kivimaki discusses the relationship between stress at work and coronary heart disease.

Jeff Sachs from the Earth Institute at Columbia university discusses progress towards universal health coverage.

Surinder Birring discusses the potential of gabapentin for treating chronic cough.

A preview of upcoming Lancet papers to be presented at ESC, and views on global health from Jeanette Vega at the Rockefeller Foundation.

Jenny Cresswell discusses research about increasing bodyweight in sub-saharan Africa and effect on neonatal health. .

The Lancet Commission on Global Health Technologies.

Chris Beyrer with an overview of a new Lancet HIV Series about men who have sex with men (MSM).

Highlights from the launch of The Lancet Series on Family Planning.

Dr Nick Webborn discusses paralaympic medicine in relation to the complex mix of medical issues that challenge health-care providers and medical staff.

Interview with Bill Foege, 'gentle giant of global health'.

Niall Boyce discusses a three-part Series on the complex topic of suicide.

Seema Kang with highlights from a diabetes themed issue.

Explanation of new data concerning childhood CT scans and increased risk of leukaemia and brain cancer.

Highlights from the launch of the Healthy Cities Lancet/UCL commission.

Results of a randomized trial offer hope for the treatment of tinnitus.

Seamus Harrison discusses new research which suggests no causal link between raised HDL cholesterol and reduced risk of coronary heart disease.

Discussion of the pioneering renal transplantation work of Dr Elmi Muller in South Africa.

Ian Morgan discusses myopia, part of a three-part ophthalmology Series.

Sabine Kleinert and Susan M Sawyer launch the latest Series on adolescent health.

Musical excerpts from the World Doctors Orchestra, and highlights of the Physics and Medicine Series.

Highlights from the April 14 issue, and introducing The Lancet News podcast.

Anthony J Avery discusses a pharmacist-led, information technology intervention for medication errors.

Discussion with Donna McKay, Physicians for Human Rights' new Executive Director.

Andrew Chan assesses new research about aspirin and cancer prevention.

Andrew Alexander discusses how deaf people are often alienated from accessing the UK health-care system.

Paolo Macchiarini discusses stem cells and regenerative medicine, linked to a Stem Cells Series.

An overview of the China themed issue with Helena Wang, The Lancet's Asia Editor.

Azad Khan discusses health services in Bangladesh.

Nick Black on the myth of decreasing NHS productivity in the previous decade.

Malignancies in pregnancy.

Chris Murray discusses his paper which estimates that global malaria mortality could be twice as high as previously thought.

Discussion of a molecular assay that could identify patients at risk of disease recurrence after resection of stage I lung cancer.

Presentation of new data highlighting an increase in the proportion of unsafe abortions in developing countries.

Debbie Lawlor discusses embryo transfer and maternal age in assisted conception therapy.

Wayne Hall discusses a new three-part Series on addiction.

Reflections of a medical student from Newcastle University, UK, this year's Wakley Prize Essay winner.

Pam Das discusses the 10th anniversary of WHO's Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, ahead of a key global health meeting in London.

How effective is the self-monitoring of anticoagulation therapy.

Discussion of the long-term effectiveness and safety of statins in the prevention of heart disease.

New data and discussion about adolescents and self-harm.

Discussion of the global burden of influenza on children under 5 years of age and its impact on pneumonia incidence.

Padraig Warde discusses the value of radiotherapy in addition to hormone therapy in the treatment of locally advanced prostate cancer.

Discussion of the CAPP2 study, a randomised trial investigating whether aspirin can reduce the risk of familial colorectal cancer.

Discussion of a new Series on Global Mental Health.

Bill Summerskill with an overview of journal content in the surgery themed issue.

Sharmila Devi discusses the situation in Bahrain, where health professionals have been arrested for aiding protesters earlier this year.

Discussion of a potential new approach for more effective management of lower back pain in primary care.

Patrice Engle discusses a new series on Child Development.

Sabine Kleinert reviews a new three-part clinical Series on COPD.

The 9/11 themed issue, and an interview with the Chief Medical Officer of the New York City Fire Department about a research article assessing cancer risk among 9/11 firefighters.

Bill Summerskill with an overview of the Japan Series.

Highlights from the media launch of the obesity Series, including international priorities to reverse the obesity epidemic.

John Cleland discusses early trial findings about a myocin activator in the treatment of heart failure.

Could women smokers be at increased risk of heart disease than male smokers?

Discussion of the ASSIST trial concerning the potential of stem-cell transplantation for treating systemic sclerosis.

Is the use of antidepressants for dementia patients justified?

Cathryn Glazener discusses a study about the use of pelvic-floor exercises after prostate surgery.

Pam Das reviews the HIV/AIDS themed issue and looks ahead to the IAS Rome meeting.

Jane Godsland with an overview of the diabetes themed issue.

How mobile phone text-messaging can aid smoking cessation.

Discussion of the Pain Series with Dennis Turk from the University of Washington.

Johannes Bijlsma discusses osteoarthritis, part of a three-part series on arthritis published in The Lancet.

Pam Das discusses the Lancet Series on the new decade of vaccines.

Iodine deficiency in the UK, and the relaunch of The Lancet Student.

Prabhat Jha discusses how the selective abortion of female fetuses has increased in India over the past few decades if a first-born child is female.

Reggie Edgerton discusses the neurophysiological concepts behind the regeneration of motor activity in a paraplegic man.

Discussion of the launch of The Lancet UK Policy Matters, and of a new Series on stroke care.

Gone to Earth - a tale of grave-robbing, libel, and the early years of The Lancet.

Discussion of the DISPACT study, a surgical trial about distal pancreatectomy.

Thomas Kerr discusses the effect of a supervised drug injecting facility on overdose reduction in Vancouver, Canada.

Highlights from the launch of The Lancet's Stillbirth Series, with an introduction and overview from Dr Joy Lawn.

Martin McKee discusses the priorities and key interventions for The Lancet Non-communicable Diseases Action group ahead of a UN meeting in September 2011.

Sharmila Devi discusses the ethical implications that social media is having in the medical community.

The health-care situation in Japan, and discussion of the CRASH-2 trial follow-up.

Discussion of an article about future cholera cases and deaths based on mathematical modeling.

The potential of insulin degludec for the future treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Martin McKee discusses a Viewpoint proposing an alternative way of structuring public health as part of the planned UK NHS reforms.

Tim Nawrot discusses the public health implications of triggers for non-fatal myocardial infarction.

Authors discuss the results of the PACE trial concerning treatment strategies for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Dr Abraham discusses The Champion study concerning wireless monitoring in chronic heart failure.

Professor Buitelaar discusses a study concerning attention hyperactivity disorder and diet.

Do baseline CRP concentrations influence the effect of statins in reducing cardiovascular risk?

Discussion of the TEAM trial; tamoxifen and exemestane for early breast cancer.

Pam Das introduces the Series about universal health coverage in India.

Highlights from the Jan 8 issue, including cancer survival data from Europe, Canada, and Australia.

Richard Lane with an overview of the Jan 1 issue.

Discussion of cancer survival from the International Cancer Benchmarking Programme paper published on Dec 22.

An update on health and climate change, and the winning Wakley essay 2010.

Jeff Davies discusses the haematology research in the Dec 11 issue.

Discussion of The Lancet Commission on medical education.

How SMS messaging could improve HIV antiretroviral therapy adherence in less-developed settings.

Discussing health and climate change with Robin Stott, co-chair Climate and Health Council.

Robert Beaglehole discusses the Chronic Diseases Series.

Discussion of the best approach for bystander CPR, and media reaction to the drugs classification paper published on Nov 1.

Pam Das discusses The Lancet Series on malaria elimination with Richard Feachem.

Kelly Morris discusses genomic research in Africa with Charles Rotimi.

Jean-Louis Vincent discusses the critical care series.

The effect of mass media campaigns on health behaviour.

Discussion and highlights from a cancer themed issue.

Discussion of the Sept 25 surgery themed issue.

Jeff Waage discusses The Lancet/LIDC MDG Commission.

The frequency of intimate-partner violence towards pregnant women, and its effect on post-natal depression.

Features asthma content from the Sept 4-10 issue.

Donald Barr discusses his essay on the art of medicine.

Zulfi Bhutta on the public-health crisis from the recent Pakistan floods, and Tony Nelson discussing rotavirus vaccination in Africa and Asia.

Erick Topol discusses the CRESCENDO trial, investigating rimonabant and cardiovascular outcomes among obese people.

Dave Holmes discusses the £50m UK emergency cancer fund.

Discussion of HDL cholesterol as an indicator of cardiovascular risk after lipid-lowering therapy to reduce LDL cholesterol.

Issue highlights, and Pam Das summarises the HIV series.

Discussion of the trial concerning home-based telemonitoring and self-management of hypertension.

July 10 issue highlights, and news about infectious diseases research.

Richard Horton discusses a special online update of The Lancet Series on health in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Professor Cliff Bailey discusses the potential role of dapagliflozin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

How the gout drug allopurinol could be a new anti-anginal therapy.

Erika Niesner interviews Filip Cools about HFOV for preterm infants.

Listen to Richard Horton discuss the women deliver themed issue in The Lancet Podcast.

Richard Lane discusses the treatment of heroin addiction with John Strang.

Audio from the launch of The Lancet Series on Tuberculosis.

Research into the mental health of UK servicemen deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sigmoidoscopy screening for colorectal cancer.

Clinical assessment from whole genomic sequencing.

A malaria discussion pegged to World Malaria Day 2010.

Chris Murray and colleagues discuss an article about health financing in developing countries

Discussion of the Renal Medicine Series.

Professor Linda Luxon discusses sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Lincoln Chen discusses the China themed issue.

Comparison of EU and non-EU cystic fibrosis registries.

Peter Rothwell discusses a new approach for assessing hypertension and cardiovascular.

Prevention of venous thrombosis after knee-replacement surgery (ADVANCE-2 study).

Ischaemic preconditioning for patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Discussion of childhood obesity, the topic of this week's main Editorial.

An expert view on TB/HIV co-infection from Linda-Gail Bekker.

Discussion of glucose control in type 2 diabetes.

Discussion of herceptin and chemotherapy for early advanced HER2+ breast cancer.

Discussion of the violent conflict and health themed issue.

Discussion of antimicrobial dosing according to bodyweight.

The role of C-reactive protein in vascular and non-vascular diseases.

David Molyneux introduces the Neglected Tropical Diseases Series.

Professor Kathy Albain discusses chemotherapy and tamoxifen use for postmenopausal women with node-positive breast cancer.

An interview with Dr Stephen Luby from the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Research in Bangladesh.

Discussion of laser therapy for neck pain.

Nora Groce, Rhona MacDonald, Renata Sousa, and Richard Lane discuss highlights from the disability issue.

Professor Andy Haines summarises the key findings from the Health and Climate Change Report launched on Nov 25, 2009.

Discussion of the potential of stem cells to produce skin epidermis.

Jean Wallace discusses the importance of physician wellness.

Jean Bennett discusses the phase I study of gene therapy for Leber's congenital amaurosis.

Rhona MacDonald discusses the world food crisis and its impact on global health.

Discussion of liraglutide for treating obesity.

Discussion of the ovarian cancer seminar.

Giancarlo Comi discusses the pre-cise trial concerning early treatment for MS.

Highlights from the press conference about drug treatment programmes.

Discussion of the surgery themed issue.

Discussion of sexual and reproductive health, and an interview with NIH Director Francis Collins.

Focus on child and adolescent health, featuring an author interview on safer bone marrow transplants for children.

Discussion of the South Africa series, including an interview with the new South African Minister of Health.

Discussion of COPD in non-smoking populations.

Discussion of the mental health themed issue.

Paolo Verdecchia discusses the CARDIO-SIS study concerning lowering of systolic blood pressure for people with hypertension.

Andrew Taylor discusses research suggesting that use of high-grade MRI could reduce the need for invasive fetal autopsy.

Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub discusses research detailing the heterotropic cardiac transplantation procedure.

Discussion of the malaria Special Report, and news from the International AIDS Society meeting in South Africa.

July 24: experts review the International AIDS Society meeting.

Pam Das and Stefan Baral discuss the Review about HIV and men who have sex with men in sub-Saharan Africa.

Discussion of the Ugandan research article concerning circumcision for HIV-positive men.

Marko Kerac, lead author of the PRONUT study, discusses pro and prebiotics for children with malnutrition in Malawi.

Michael Gracie and Malcolm King discuss review papers on indigenous health.

Kelly Morris interviews Sally Casswell about the alcohol Series.

Discussion of the WHO Maximising Positive Synergies report concerning global health initiatives and health systems.

Michael Phillips discusses new research highlighting the high prevalence of mental-health disorders in China.

Nubia Muñoz discusses the HPV vaccination trial for women aged 24-45 years.

Colin Baigent discusses the use of aspirin for primary prevention of vascular disease.

Tony Keech discusses findings from the FIELD study, and a round-up of the Diabetes Special Issue.

Richard Horton and Anthony Costello discuss the background behind The Lancet/UCL Commission on climate change and health launched this week.

Richard Horton discusses the gates Foundation and its funding of global-health programmes.

In a special podcast, John McConnell discusses various issues surrounding H1N1 influenza.

Robert Pirker discusses the research article about the human monoclonal antibody cetuximab in the treatment of lung cancer.

World Malaria Day: discussion with Pam Das, and an interview with Sir Richard Feachem.

Kelly Morris talks to Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, Chairman of the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Mark Ferguson discusses the potential of transforming growth factor β3 for reducing the impact of skin scarring.

Mark Hlatky discusses the research article comparing bypass surgery with PCI for coronary artery disease.

Tom Lietman discusses antibiotic targeting of children in northern Ethiopia to improve trachoma control.

Rhona MacDonald discusses issue highlights including balloon kyphoplasty for vertebral compression fracture of the spine.

David Wood discusses the EUROASPIRE III study, highlighting the need for greater prevention efforts for cardiovascular disease.

Richard Horton discusses the background to the Palestine Series launched on March 4.

Emelia Benjamin discusses a risk score to aid the primary prevention of atrial fibrilation.

Special Report author Paul Webster discusses the health situation in Iraq as reconstruction continues in that country.

Sallie Lamb discusses the randomised trial comparing three mechanical supports for severe ankle sprain.

World Report author Claire Kapp discusses the deteriorating health crisis in Zimbabwe.

Todd Zwillich discusses the choice of Tom Daschle as US Secretary of Health and Human Services in the new Obama government.

Highlights from the media launch of the Trade and Health Series launched this week.

News on the health and humanitarian situation in Gaza, and a discussion of research on schizophrenia and bipolar disease.

John Kaldor discusses the relevance of AIDS case reporting, the subject of a Viewpoint in this week's issue.

John Davis from the University of Illinois discusses the research article about antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia.

Richard Horton and Rhona MacDonald review the past year's highlights, and Jane Godsland profiles the Charles Darwin special issue.

Rhona MacDonald discusses highlights from the Right to Health themed issue.

A summary of the Dec 6-12 issue and highlights from the launch of the Child Maltreatment Series.

Rhona MacDonald discusses the outcome of the Research for Health summit in Bamako, Mali, and other issue highlights.

Emily Chew discusses a seminar and research article about age-related macular degeneration.

Bradley Mathers discusses injecting drug use and HIV prevalence worldwide.

Professor Michael Marmot outlines the key recommendations from the WHO Commission for the Social Determinants of Health

Pam Das discusses health systems and policy research ahead of the Global Ministerial Forum being held in Bamako, Mali.

Ludwig Kappos discusses a phase II study which suggests that oral fumarate may have a future role in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

China Series podcast: Listen to Bill Summerskill from The Lancet, and China's Minister of Health, Chen Zhu.

Stephen Silberstein discusses recent developments in migraine research, including associations with cardiovascular disease, genetic associations, and future research priorities.

Listen to Vikram Patel in this week's podcast and visit the website of the Movement for Global Mental Health for further information.

The Roll Back Malaria partnership is 10-years old this month. An Editorial discusses the history and future of the partnership in light of their recently announced Global Malaria Business Plan to fund US $3 billion to tackle the disease; a podcast explores the implications.

An Editorial assesses the health-care policies of the two US presidential candidates, discussed by Faith McLellan in this week's podcast.

Professor Richard Beasley discusses in a podcast results of the ISAAC-3 study, suggesting a strong association between paracetamol use in infancy and increased risk of asthma by age 6-7 years.

Joy Lawn from Save the Children explains the origins and current progress in international health since the signing of the Alma-Ata Declaration 30 years ago.

Bill Summerskill reports from the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Munich, Germany, where a number of research articles were recently presented.

A study assesses whether introduction of The Quality and Outcomes Framework has reduced health-care inequality between affluent and poorer areas in England. Author Tim Doran discusses more in this week's podcast.

Laurent Lantieri discusses successful facial transplantation of a man with severe neurofibroma.

Interview with Dr van't Hof on tirofiban administered in the ambulance setting after myocardial infarction.

Chants from HIV activists, the launch of The Lancet HIV prevention series, and the voice of a former US President: a round-up of audio highlights from the XVII World AIDS meeting in Mexico City.

Emily Chan discusses her personal experiences as a medical doctor assisting in the relief effort after the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan, China.

Pam Das and Sally Hargreaves discuss highlights from the July 26 issue of The Lancet and the August issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases ahead of the World AIDS meeting in Mexico next month.

Risk markers of coronary heart disease: apolipoproteins and cholesterol as indices of risk for myocardial infarction are assessed in a large case-control study, and discussed in a podcast.

Malaria prevention: children in a high transmission area, western Kenya, were given intermittent preventative treatment and assessed for anaemia and school-related outcomes. Author Sian Clarke (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK) discusses the research findings in a podcast.

A new care package — 'Depression Care for People with Cancer' (DCPC) — can reduce depression in cancer patients and is cost-effective in improving quality of life compared with current cancer treatments. Michael Sharpe, University of Edinburgh, UK, discusses the new research findings in a podcast.

Improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene is discussed in this week's lead Editorial and podcast. A new WHO report highlights how 10% of the global disease burden could be reduced by improved access to water and sanitation and by a staggering 15% in the 32 worst affected countries.

Drug-eluting stents revolutionised interventional cardiology owing to their pronounced ability to reduce restenosis compared with bare-metal stents. Attention has now shifted to safety of these devices because of evidence suggesting an association with late stent thrombosis. In a review, Anthony Bavry and Deepak Bhatt assess current evidence from randomised trials, and propose guidelines for the appropriate use of drug-eluting stents in clinical practice. Deepak Bhatt discusses the history of stents and assesses our current knowledge and considers treatment options for cardiologists and patients in this week's podcast.

In this week's podcast, David Shlim from Jackson Hole Travel Centre, Wyoming, USA, assesses the phase II study of Frech and colleagues suggesting that a skin patch could have therapeutic value in protecting against the most common cause of travellers' diarrhoea, that caused by the pathogen enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

A review highlights how moderate hypothermia - reducing core body temperature to around 35C - is underused in clinical practice after traumatic events such as heart attack, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. Author Kees Polderman discusses the potential of moderate hypothermia in this week's podcast.

In this week's podcast, editor Sally Hargreaves talks to the author of a Research Article published early online on sudden unexplained death in infants (SUDI). Although sudden infant death remains one of the most common presentations of post-neonatal infant death in the UK, there still remain numerous theories about its cause. Dr Neil Sebire from the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK, discusses with Sally key findings and implications of the study. Researchers found high levels of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria in post-mortem samples from unexplained cases of SUDI, suggesting that these bacteria could be associated with the condition.

A staggering quarter of a billion people worldwide have diabetes, with this figure set to rise to 380 million by 2025. In this week's podcast, Jane Godsland discusses many of the topics in the May 24-30 diabetes issue of The Lancet: research showing that intensive insulin therapy given early after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can reverse disease progression; public-health interventions in a Chinese population study highlighting how appropriate diet and exercise can delay the onset of diabetes; and discussion of other research, reviews, and diabetes content in this week's Perspectives section of the journal.

John McCain entered typical Democratic turf last month by announcing plans to reform health care in the USA if he is elected as the country's next president. His blueprint is one that may prove popular with employers, but will it impress voters? The thrust of McCain's plan is to replace employment-based health insurance schemes with tax credits—so individuals will have to 'shop around' for health cover. Todd Zwillich reports from Washington DC, and discusses McCain's proposals in this week's podcast.

Teenage smoking is a global public-health problem. In this week's podcast Professor Rhona Campbell outlines the results of the ASSIST (A Stop Smoking In Schools Trial) training programme. Smoking rates reduced by nearly a quarter in schools using peer-group leadership to encourage teenagers to quit compared with a conventional teacher-led educational approach.

Authors of a research Article discuss in this week's podcast how two genetic variants of key biological proteins increase both the risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic bone fractures. As these variants are present in more than one in five people, the investigators conclude that there is a potential role for screening. An accompanying Comment describes the report as an important step towards understanding the genetic basis of osteoporosis.

'The pieces are increasingly in place to achieve the Secretary General's vision for universal coverage and make rapid gains toward ending malaria deaths in Africa. With one child dying every 30 seconds from malaria in Africa, we have not a moment to lose'. In a joint podcast between The Lancet and The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Sally Hargreaves assesses renewed efforts to scale up prevention and treatment of malaria, coinciding with World Malaria Day on April 25.

A randomised trial highlights how multislice computed tamography (MSCT) without ultrasonography of the leg is a reliable technique for detecting pulmonary embolism. Lead author Marc Righini (Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland) discusses the study in this week's podcast.

Key findings from the Countdown special issue were presented at a press conference held at the Science Media Centre, London, UK, on Thursday April 10. Listen to highlights in this week's podcast.

Doubts over the long-term safety of the HIV nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor abacavir and the less commonly used antiretroviral drug didanosine are raised in a research Article. Both drugs were found to be associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction. Jens Lundgren (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) discusses the study in this week's podcast.

Seminar author Murray Stein from the University of California San Diego, USA, discusses social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, in this week's podcast. While causes remain uncertain, diagnosis and treatment are relatively straightforward, although the disorder needs greater awareness among the estimated 5% of the population who experience social anxiety, and among physicians who can help treat the condition.

Josef Smolen from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, discusses in this week's podcast how the monoclonal antibody tocilizumab could be effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis. Tocilizumab blocks interleukin 6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in the biological process behind rheumatoid arthritis

Many patients diagnosed with acute rhinosinusitis are prescribed antibiotics, even though there is no proven efficacy for this treatment strategy. In this week's podcast, two authors of an Article conclude that, in most cases, antibiotics are over-prescribed and their use is not justified, even among patients who have rhinosinusitis symptoms for more than 7-10 days.

In this week's podcast, Martin Bachmann discusses results of a phase II study showing how a vaccine to inhibit angiotensin II is safe and well tolerated; the vaccine also shows promising results in reducing blood pressure for people with hypertension. Authors of a Comment state: "Vaccination for hypertension may turn out to be very useful in many patients."

In this week's podcast, Andy Beswick from the University of Bristol, UK, discusses the systematic review and meta-analysis highlighting how complex interventions (such as preventive home visits and community-based care after hospital discharge) can help improve physical function and maintain independent living among elderly people.

This week's podcast focuses on human resources for health, the theme of this week's Lancet. Rhona MacDonald interviews several authors from the issue, including Francis Omaswa, Executive Director of the Global Health Workforce Alliance, whose organisation is hosting an international conference about huamn resources for health early next month in Kampala, Uganda.

Previous studies have suggested an association between increased body mass and risk of some common cancers. In this week's podcast, Andrew Renehan discusses a meta-analysis in this week's issue, and highlights new findings relating to gender and ethnic variations concerning body weight and risk of cancer.

Rhona MacDonald interviews Manjinder Sandhu about a genome-wide association study which looks at LDL-cholesterol concentrations and a novel locus on chromosome 1p13.3. Dr Sandhu also explains more about the principles of genome-wide studies and also discusses their potential to influence clinical practice.

More than half of hospital patients are likely to be at risk of venous thromboembolism, and measures should be taken to ensure appropriate preventative treatments (prophylaxis) are given, concludes Alexander Cohen, Kings College London, UK, lead author of the ENDORSE study, in this week's podcast.

In this week's podcast Pam Das discusses the Editorial calling for oral contraceptives to be made more widely available to women 'over the counter'. This is in response to a study showing how long-term use of oral contraceptives is protective against ovarian cancer, discussed by Professor Valerie Beral (University of Oxford, UK).

Includes highlights from the London launch of The Lancet maternal and child undernutrition series, with new figures showing how a third of child deaths and 11% of the global disease burden arises from por nutrition in childhood.

At least 170 million people worldwide are estimated to have diabetes mellitus, and this number is predicted to more than double by 2030. In this week's podcast Professor Colin Baigent from the Cholesterol Treatment Triallists Collaboration at the University of Oxford, UK, discusses a large meta-analysis which shows how people with diabetes can reduce their risk of cardiovascular events from statin therapy in the same way as people without diabetes, regardless of existing cardiovascular disease. He comments that in light of these results, all people with diabetes should be considered for statin treatment.

In this week's podcast, The Lancet's North American Senior Editor Faith McLellan discusses a recent ruling by the state of New Jersey, USA, and the work of the US Supreme Court in 2007-08 that could have a profound effect on state execution, a major health and human rights issue still confronting many countries worldwide.

Richard Horton, Rhona MacDonald, and Richard Lane review The Lancet's key milestones of 2007, and look ahead to priorities for the coming year. Included in the discussion are highlights from the launches of the Women Deliver Series, Who Counts?, and the Chronic Diseases series which concludes in this week's issue.

Andrew Davenport from University College London's Centre for Nephrology discusses encouraging early results from a study showing how portable haemodialysis machines could have future potential for people with kidney failure.

36 million deaths could be averted by 2015 if the WHO Global Goal for chronic diseases is achieved, states Professor Robert Beaglehole in this week's podcast. Chronic diseases, principally cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are all leading causes of global mortality and disability.

Professor Antonio Cassone from Italia University in Rome discusses an unusual outbreak of chikungunya viral disease in Ravenna, northern Italy, in the summer of 2007. The virus was carried in a man visiting from India, and spread through the community by mosquitoes commonly found in southern Europe during summer months.

Statins are safe, well tolerated, and have a proven impact on cardiovascular disease, concludes a Review, discussed in this week's podcast by author Jane Armitage, from the University of Oxford, UK . Given at standard daily doses, statins typically reduce blood concentrations of LDL cholesterol by around 30-45%

Arne Astrup from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, discusses a meta-analysis highlighting how the anti-obesity drug rimonabant is associated with an increased risk of depressive disorders. The meta-analysis pooled data from four randomised trials from the RIO (rimonabant in obesity) programme.

Previous research has shown how women using oral contraceptives are at a small increased risk of cervical cancer. In this week's podcast Jane Green from the University of Oxford, UK, discusses how this risk returns to that of never-users of hormonal contraceptives ten years after cessation of use.

Featuring the launch of the Who Counts? Series in Beijing, China. Also featured is an interview with the co-author of a seminar about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), discussing the possible underlying mechanisms behind SIDS.

Editor Rhona MacDonald discusses The Lancet's contribution to the Council of Science Editor's global poverty theme issue and interviews Daniel Altman, the lead author of a paper which shows that hysterectomy increases the risk of stress-urinary-incontenence surgery.

Dr Nathan Levin from the Renal Research Institute, New York City, USA, discusses a research article suggesting an easier way for controlling anaemia for people with chronic kidney disease. Also discussed are an online study concerning the safety and efficacy of a malaria vaccine.

20 years ago, the Safe Motherhood Initiative was launched by WHO and others to help reduce the severe global burden of pregnancy-related illness and death. Pam Das looks ahead to the international 'Women Deliver' conference which aims to reignite the importance of maternal health worldwide.

Human papillomavirus DNA testing detects lesions which lead to cervical cancer earlier than conventional cytological techniques, and this early detection could lead to the extension of the current screening interval of five years by at least another year, comments Chris Meijer from VU Medical Centre, Amsterdam in this week's podcast. This extension would be advantageous to women because of a reduction in the lifetime number of screening tests and referrals. An accompanying Comment says that as well as being safe, such extended screening intervals will not only reduce the cost of screening and the burden for women, but will also improve screening participation.

Professor Jiang Gu discusses the H5N1 research article in this week's issue. The virus was found in human tissue other than the lungs after autopsy of two avian influenza cases in China. Also discussed is the lead editorial concerning the overuse of surrogate markers in clinical trials

Greg Fegan gives an in-depth interview highlighting how a substantial increase in the use of insecticide treated bednets in Kenya over the past few years is contributing to a reduction in child mortality.

Currently 2 billion people do not have access to clean energy and live in energy poverty. Energy policies worldwide fail to take account of the effect of climate change, our use or misuse of energy sources, and the impact on human health.

Richard Lane and Tony Kirby round up a busy week for The Lancet in this week's podcast, including high-profile publication of the Lancet Mental Health series, the ADVANCE study highlighting the benefit of blood pressure reduction for people with type 2 diabetes, and online publication of new research linking food additives with hyperactivity in children.

An extended podcast for the Sept 1-7 issue focusing on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Discussed in detail is an international study assessing the global prevalence of COPD, the effect of passive smoking and COPD-related mortality in China, and the need for prenatal and infant lung impairment to be studied more closely as a possible precursor of COPD in adulthood.

Whether calcium and vitamin D supplements help prevent bone fractures in older people remains a controversial issue. Benjamin Tang from the University of Western Sydney, Australia, discusses a comprehensive meta-analysis which suggests that such supplements do have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk of osteoporotic fractures among people over 50 years.

Professor Derek Yellon discusses a proof of concept study in this week's issue. This highlights the potential of remote ischaemic preconditioning in the upper arm to reduce myocardial injury among patients about to have coronary artery bypass surgery.

A study highlights how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is better at detecting ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) than conventional screening mammography. This week's podcast features an extended interview with the lead author of the study.

This week's podcast features an interview with series co-ordinator, Edward Mills, outlining the principles of health as a human right, regardless of the geographical setting.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal substance in most countries with up to 20% of young people reporting that they use it at least once a week. This week's podcast features an interview with Stanley Zammit, one of the authors of a meta-analysis on cannabis use and the risk of psychosis.

Infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia have worse outcomes than older children with the disease. In this week's podcast, Rob Pieters, the lead author in the Interfant-99 study, a collaborative project between 22 countries, discusses a new treatment protocol that has helped to improve survival in infants with ALL.

Appropriate prescribing to elderly people: the topic of a mini-series and a podcast feature. Anne Spinewine explains the issues facing older people and physicians to ensure that drug prescribing is appropriate, and discusses common drug-drug interactions that often contribute to inappropriate prescribing in the geriatric setting.

Pam Das presents highlights from this week's themed HIV issue, ahead of an international HIV meeting taking palce in Sydney later this month. Also featured is an interview with Andrew Grulich about a meta-analysis suggesting that HIV and immunosuppression is more closely linked to a range of cancers than previously thought.

Alan Culver from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, discusses a research article concerning quality of life (QoL) among children with cerebral palsy. This international study highlights the characteristics of cerebral palsy that reduce QoL, and also show how, overall, children with cerebral palsy have a similar QoL compared with children in the general population.

Matthew During, author of a phase I study of gene therapy in the treatment of Parkinson's disease dicusses the study, designed to assess safety and tolerability, shows encouraging early results for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

An extended feature in this week's podcast: David Leon from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine discusses the research article suggesting that half of deaths among working-age men in a typical Russian city could be accounted for by dangerous drinking.

Transplantation of umbilical cord blood could widen the treatment options for children with acute leukaemia, according to a study in this week's issue. In the Lancet podcast, Professor John Wagner discusses the findings and implications of the research.

Xiaobin Wang and Richard Lane discuss the research article showing how folic acid supplementation can reduce the risk of stroke by around 18%, with larger decreases in risk for people with no history of stroke and in locations where there is no fortification of cereal crops.