Highlights of this issue

Sex, age and critical care delivery

In this retrospective cohort study involving 466 792 patients admitted to 13 hospitals in Ontario during 2001 and 2002, Fowler and colleagues found age-and sex-based disparities in the delivery and outcomes of critical care. Among patients 50 years and older, women were less likely than men to be admitted to an intensive care unit and to receive life-supporting interventions and more likely to die after critical illness. In related commentaries, Bierman advocates increased attention to sex and gender disparities in research, and Baxter argues that such disparities are an expected consequence of underlying social inequities.

See pages 1513, 1520 and 1522

Food for all

In a guest editorial, Kennedy portrays hunger as a health issue as well as a societal issue and encourages politicians and physicians to take specific actions to address hunger definitively.

See page 1473

Measuring obesity in Aboriginal people

Current thresholds for anthropomorphic measures (body mass index and waist circumference) for defining obesity were derived from white populations of European descent. In this Canadian cross-sectional study, Lear and colleagues found minor and clinically insignificant differences in the relation between anthropometric measures and adiposity and cardiovascular disease risk factors among Aboriginal and European participants. They conclude that current obesity thresholds are appropriate for use in Aboriginal populations.

See page 1499

Parental intention to have daughters receive the human papillomavirus vaccine

In this survey of 2083 parents across Canada, Ogilvie and colleagues found that most of the 1350 parents with female children intended to have their daughters vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV). Although attitudes toward vaccines and favourable opinions of others were strong predictors of parental intention to vaccinate, religious and cultural factors were not.

See page 1506

Holiday humour

In keeping with our annual tradition, CMAJ presents an eclectic exultation of evidence-free exaggeration and premeditated preposterousness. In this year's Holiday Review, you will learn what cellular telephones reveal about the cognitive neurology of physicians at conferences, marvel at the compelling cost-utility analysis of repealing the law of gravity, realize why there are few randomized trials involving chocolate, revel in how an Internet sports database flouts pesky privacy laws, discover how snot and urine can aid in medical career guidance, explore cutting-edge therapies for the musically impaired and usher in a new dimension of aural analysis with your very own stereophonic stethoscope. From everyone at CMAJ, happy holidays.

See page 1533

Practice

In this Teaching Case Report, Dawrant and Pacaud present 3 cases of children with hypocalcemia and describe a diagnostic approach to determining its cause (page 1494).

In Clinical Vistas, Körber and Dissemond discuss the need for evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, as well as the need for further studies to pinpoint the cause of the condition (page 1498).