A Radical But Flawed Proposal: Comments on Rehm et al. 'Defining Substance Use Disorders: Do We Really Need More than Heavy Use?'

Defining substance use disorders: do we really need more than heavy use?

AIMS The aim of the study was to explore whether the concept of heavy substance use over time can be used as definition of substance use disorder. METHODS Narrative review. RESULTS Heavy use over time clearly underlies the neurobiological changes associated with current thinking of substance use disorders. In addition, there is evidence that heavy use over time can explain the majority of s...

Ramadan fasting: Do we need more evidence?

Over a billion of Muslims fast worldwide during Ramadan each year. Through this religious custom, fasting contributes to their health as well as their spiritual growth. However, available evidence regarding the health-benefits of Ramadan fasting is scarce and highly contentious. Although Islam exempts patients from fasting, many fast conceivably, and their clinical condition is prone to deterio...

Do we really need more biomarkers?

Do we really need more research?

Do we really need more evidence to use hepatitis C positive donor kidney more liberally?

The number of patients listed active for kidney transplantation has continued to rise over the last 10 years, leading to significantly increased wait-list time for patients awaiting kidney transplantation in the USA. This increased demand has led to a supply-demand mismatch and should prompt clinicians to seek timely solutions to improve access to available organs. Hepatitis C virus positive [H...