Clinical guidance NICE advises inducing pregnant women a week earlier Pregnant women should be offered induction one week earlier than the current recommendations to help improve outcomes during birth, said draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), issued after a review of the evidence.2 Women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies should be offered induction at 41 weeks, to take place then or as soon as possible afterwards, the guidance said. (Full story doi:10.1136/bmj.n1358) Transvaginal laser therapy “needs more research” NICE called for more evidence to be gathered on the safety and efficacy of transvaginal laser therapy for stress urinary incontinence, as well as transvaginal laser therapy for urogenital atrophy, noting that the current evidence on their long term impact was inadequate.3 Kevin Harris, programme director and clinical adviser of NICE’s interventional procedures programme, said, “Carefully conducted research is required to properly understand the risks so that women are not harmed by these procedures and to ensure their long term safety and efficacy can be established.” (Full story doi:10.1136/bmj.n1371) Type 2 diabetes Remission diet “lowers blood pressure” A weight management programme developed by researchers at the universities of Glasgow and Newcastle for the Diabetes UK funded Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (Direct) is effective at lowering blood pressure and reducing the need for anti-hypertensive medicines, as well as bringing remission of type 2 diabetes, a study published in the journal Diabetologia found.
Seven days in medicine: 26 May to 2 June 2021