PJ, 19 September 2015, Vol 295, No 7880

Antidepressant use during breastfeeding

Recognising the symptoms of postnatal depression, which occurs in 10–15% women following childbirth, and selecting the most appropriate antidepressant.…

Did Public Health England get it right over e-cigarettes?

Public Health England’s endorsement of e-cigarettes might be premature.…

Melatonin levels may explain seasonal variation in MS relapses

Researchers looked at how seasonal factors affect patients with relapsing-remitting mutliple sclerosis and found a correlation between higher melatonin levels and fewer relapses…

PCSK9 inhibitors herald new era of cholesterol lowering

The launch of the first cholesterol-lowering drug since statins could herald a whole new approach to preventing heart disease.…

Placebos: more than meets the eye

Often dismissed as fakes, placebos seem to work on the same brain pathways targeted by ‘real’ treatments and involve a complex network of genes.…

The genius is out of the bottle: smart drugs are here to stay

More research is needed into the long-term effects of modafinil and, if proven safe, it deserves the same level of acceptance as caffeine.…

Small molecule halts preterm birth in mice

Inflammation is associated with preterm birth, so researchers developed a small molecule that inhibits the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 which is effective in a mouse model.…

New edition of BNF brings ‘fundamental change’

Major changes have been made to the structure and appearance of the British National Formulary, the medicines and prescribing reference book used by NHS healthcare professionals.…

Q&A: Why we redesigned the BNF

British National Formulary director Karen Baxter tells Stephen Robinson what users can expect from the publication’s new look and why the changes were needed.…

Genetics accounts for 50% of the risk of a common testicular cancer

Environmental factors are strongly implicated in the development of testicular cancer, but up to 50% of the risk is attributable to genetics, suggests a new analysis of Swedish population data.…