- Email: [email protected]
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Comment
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Yao CH, Hu YS, Zhai FY, et al. Adults prevalence of metabolic syndrome in China in 2002. Chin J Diabetes 2007; 15: 332–35 (in Chinese). Wang LD. Comprehensive report, Chinese Nutrition and Health Survey in 2002. Beijing, China: People’s Medical Publishing House, 2005. Katsuya T, Ishikawa K, Sugimoto K, Rakugi H, Ogihara T. Salt sensitivity of Japanese from the viewpoint of gene polymorphism. Hypertens Res 2003; 26: 521–25. Yang G, Kong L, Zhao W, et al. Emergence of chronic non-communicable diseases in China. Lancet 2008; 372: 1697–705. Chinese Nutrition Society. Chinese dietary guidelines. Lhasa: Tibet People’s Publishing House, 2008. Food standards agency. Strategic plan 2005–2010: putting consumers first. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/stratplan0510.pdf (accessed Nov 20, 2008). Food Standards Agency. Regulatory impact assessment—setting targets for salt content in a range of processed-food categories. March 14, 2006. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/salttargetsria.pdf (accessed Nov 20, 2008).
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Havas S, Dickinson BD, Wilson M. The urgent need to reduce sodium consumption. JAMA 2007; 298: 1439–41. WHO. Cardiovascular death and disability can be reduced more than 50 percent. 2002. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/pr83/ en/index.html (accessed Nov 20, 2008). Roos G. Consumers, nutrition policy and simplified nutritional labelling of foods. Proceedings of Nordic Consumer Policy Research Conference, Helsinki, Finland; Oct 3–5, 2007. http://www.consumer2007.info/wpcontent/uploads/food10-%20Roos.pdf (accessed Nov 20, 2008). Stamler J, Elliott P, Dennis B, et al, for the INTERMAP Research Group. INTERMAP: background, aims, design, methods and descriptive statistics (nondietary). J Hum Hypertens 2003; 17: 591–608. WHO. Reducing salt intake in populations: report of a WHO Forum and Technical Meeting. 2006. http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/Salt_ Report_VC_april07.pdf (accessed Nov 20, 2008).
Advertising on TheLancet.com
For The Lancet’s advertising guidelines see http://download. thelancet.com/flatcontentassets/ about/advertising-guidelines.pdf
At the end of last year, we launched a faster and much improved website. As promised, we are continuing to expand the service offered by TheLancet.com and our users can now set up tailored search alerts. The latter allow a user to be notified of each new instance of Lancet content that matches personally selected keywords. Search alerts provide an opportunity not only for faster and more targeted access to our content but also for more targeted advertising. We were therefore approached by colleagues in our advertising department and asked whether we would allow drug-company advertisements that matched users’ preferred search terms to be displayed alongside the search results. Much debate surrounds the appearance of drug advertisements in medical journals—in print and, increasingly, online. All Lancet editorial decisions are made strictly and entirely independently of advertising. We have agreed that such advertising might appear. However, we have stipulated that advertising sponsors
may select keywords based only on clinical specialties (eg, “oncology”) or disease conditions (eg, “breast AND cancer”)—they cannot select keywords based on a drug name or drug class. We were also concerned that there might be occasions when a user’s search alert contains only one matching article. Were an advertisement for a drug mentioned in the article to appear in the alert, the coincidence might erroneously be perceived to be a link between editorial and advertising decisions. To avoid any such misperceptions, we have also specified that such advertisements may appear only if a search result contains at least three items of content. We welcome readers’ views on this new arrangement and will continue to strive to be transparent on all similar editorial policies. Sarah Ramsay The Lancet, London NW1 7BY, UK
Thank you to all our clinical and statistical peer reviewers! See Online for webappendix
794
Over 3500 advisers from all over the world have again given up time voluntarily and enthusiastically in 2008 to help us here at The Lancet to choose the most important papers. Peer review is still not recognised enough as a valuable academic activity, and yet many clinicians and researchers rightly regard it as an essential part of their contribution to research. In addition to aiding selection, a constructive review becomes part of the intricate
process to achieve the best reporting of a research study or presenting of other material. As a big thank you and to recognise their effort, we publish all names online and indicate those who have done more than five reviews in 2009 with an asterisk. Sabine Kleinert The Lancet, London NW1 7BY, UK
www.thelancet.com Vol 373 March 7, 2009
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Yao CH, Hu YS, Zhai FY, et al. Adults prevalence of metabolic syndrome in China in 2002. Chin J Diabetes 2007; 15: 332–35 (in Chinese). Wang LD. Comprehensive report, Chinese Nutrition and Health Survey in 2002. Beijing, China: People’s Medical Publishing House, 2005. Katsuya T, Ishikawa K, Sugimoto K, Rakugi H, Ogihara T. Salt sensitivity of Japanese from the viewpoint of gene polymorphism. Hypertens Res 2003; 26: 521–25. Yang G, Kong L, Zhao W, et al. Emergence of chronic non-communicable diseases in China. Lancet 2008; 372: 1697–705. Chinese Nutrition Society. Chinese dietary guidelines. Lhasa: Tibet People’s Publishing House, 2008. Food standards agency. Strategic plan 2005–2010: putting consumers first. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/stratplan0510.pdf (accessed Nov 20, 2008). Food Standards Agency. Regulatory impact assessment—setting targets for salt content in a range of processed-food categories. March 14, 2006. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/salttargetsria.pdf (accessed Nov 20, 2008).
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Havas S, Dickinson BD, Wilson M. The urgent need to reduce sodium consumption. JAMA 2007; 298: 1439–41. WHO. Cardiovascular death and disability can be reduced more than 50 percent. 2002. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/pr83/ en/index.html (accessed Nov 20, 2008). Roos G. Consumers, nutrition policy and simplified nutritional labelling of foods. Proceedings of Nordic Consumer Policy Research Conference, Helsinki, Finland; Oct 3–5, 2007. http://www.consumer2007.info/wpcontent/uploads/food10-%20Roos.pdf (accessed Nov 20, 2008). Stamler J, Elliott P, Dennis B, et al, for the INTERMAP Research Group. INTERMAP: background, aims, design, methods and descriptive statistics (nondietary). J Hum Hypertens 2003; 17: 591–608. WHO. Reducing salt intake in populations: report of a WHO Forum and Technical Meeting. 2006. http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/Salt_ Report_VC_april07.pdf (accessed Nov 20, 2008).
Advertising on TheLancet.com
For The Lancet’s advertising guidelines see http://download. thelancet.com/flatcontentassets/ about/advertising-guidelines.pdf
At the end of last year, we launched a faster and much improved website. As promised, we are continuing to expand the service offered by TheLancet.com and our users can now set up tailored search alerts. The latter allow a user to be notified of each new instance of Lancet content that matches personally selected keywords. Search alerts provide an opportunity not only for faster and more targeted access to our content but also for more targeted advertising. We were therefore approached by colleagues in our advertising department and asked whether we would allow drug-company advertisements that matched users’ preferred search terms to be displayed alongside the search results. Much debate surrounds the appearance of drug advertisements in medical journals—in print and, increasingly, online. All Lancet editorial decisions are made strictly and entirely independently of advertising. We have agreed that such advertising might appear. However, we have stipulated that advertising sponsors
may select keywords based only on clinical specialties (eg, “oncology”) or disease conditions (eg, “breast AND cancer”)—they cannot select keywords based on a drug name or drug class. We were also concerned that there might be occasions when a user’s search alert contains only one matching article. Were an advertisement for a drug mentioned in the article to appear in the alert, the coincidence might erroneously be perceived to be a link between editorial and advertising decisions. To avoid any such misperceptions, we have also specified that such advertisements may appear only if a search result contains at least three items of content. We welcome readers’ views on this new arrangement and will continue to strive to be transparent on all similar editorial policies. Sarah Ramsay The Lancet, London NW1 7BY, UK
Thank you to all our clinical and statistical peer reviewers! See Online for webappendix
794
Over 3500 advisers from all over the world have again given up time voluntarily and enthusiastically in 2008 to help us here at The Lancet to choose the most important papers. Peer review is still not recognised enough as a valuable academic activity, and yet many clinicians and researchers rightly regard it as an essential part of their contribution to research. In addition to aiding selection, a constructive review becomes part of the intricate
process to achieve the best reporting of a research study or presenting of other material. As a big thank you and to recognise their effort, we publish all names online and indicate those who have done more than five reviews in 2009 with an asterisk. Sabine Kleinert The Lancet, London NW1 7BY, UK
www.thelancet.com Vol 373 March 7, 2009