It’s been nearly two decades since the last Canadian clinical practice guideline on managing obesity in children. In that time, the science has advanced, treatment options have expanded, and the need for updated guidance has grown increasingly urgent. On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, hosts Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham speak with three guests who contributed to or were impacted by the new guideline published in CMAJ. Together, they explore how the recommendations address the compl...

Urinary incontinence affects about a third of adult women in Canada, yet many never receive a diagnosis or treatment. On this episode, Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole discuss the CMAJ review “Diagnosis and management of urinary incontinence in females,” which outlines how physicians can identify common forms of incontinence and begin management in primary care. The episode opens with Sharon Roman, who shares her experience living with bladder dysfunction related to multiple sclerosis. H...

Near-death experiences (NDE) are often described in spiritual, personal or even supernatural terms. But a new CMAJ article offers physicians a clinical entry point into understanding them as a distinct phenomenon that patients may report after cardiac arrest, critical illness or other life-threatening events. Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole speak with Dr. Andrés Delgado-Ron, a senior data analyst at Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and author of “Five things to know ...

Two articles in CMAJ look at endometriosis from sharply different angles. One shows how devastating delayed recognition can be, following a patient whose deep infiltrating endometriosis led to renal atrophy, bowel obstruction, sciatic nerve impingement and a permanent ostomy. The other offers a more reassuring picture, finding only a small increased risk of congenital anomalies among infants born to patients with endometriosis. Together, they show why endometriosis deserves earlier recognitio...

While overall cancer rates in Canada continue to decline, reflecting decades of progress in screening and treatment, younger survivors face troubling gaps in their follow-up care. In the research article “Projected estimates of cancer in Canada in 2026” overall cancer incidence and mortality rates continue to decline when adjusted for population size, reflecting advances in screening, early detection, and treatment. But for adolescents and young adults, surviving cancer may mark the start of ...

Transformative therapies for sickle cell disease are redefining what is possible for patients, offering the potential for cure alongside substantial risks. In CMAJ, the article Transformative therapies for sickle cell disease outlines how stem cell transplant and emerging gene therapies are changing the trajectory of a condition long defined by recurrent crises, shortened life expectancy, and inequities in care. Dr. Kareem Jamani, a haematologist and clinical associate professor at the Univer...

Two research articles in CMAJ examine gaps in how maternal risk is captured and how it varies across populations in Canada. One study shows that extending surveillance beyond delivery reveals a higher burden of severe maternal morbidity, particularly in the postpartum period. A second examines obstetric trauma, identifying differences across racial and immigration groups and pointing to structural and sociocultural factors that shape risk during delivery. Dr. Giulia Muraca, an obstetrician-gy...

New prescriptions for stimulant medications used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the years before it, with the largest increases among adults aged 18 to 34 and among women. Dr. Tara Gomes, a professor at the University of Toronto and principal investigator of the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network, discusses findings from the CMAJ research article Patterns of prescription stimulant initiation before and during the C...

Ontario’s expansion of online gambling and legalization of single-event sports betting were followed by a sharp rise in help-seeking for gambling problems, particularly among young men. A new CMAJ study, Help seeking for gambling problems following expansion of Ontario's online gambling market and legalization of single event sports betting, analyzes calls to Ontario's 24-hour mental health and addiction hotline before and after the 2022 policy changes. The findings suggest that increased acc...

Child physical abuse often presents first with injuries that appear minor, but missing these early warning signs can have devastating consequences. Two recent CMAJ papers examine how sentinel injuries in infants may signal escalating risk and how patterns of severe maltreatment shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, they offer practical guidance on when clinicians should escalate concerns and highlight system factors that shape risk for vulnerable children. Dr. Megan Cooney, a child ...