Clinical intelligence & editorial.

PLOS

Prevalence, associations and sex-related disparities of hypertension in South Asians: Evidence from a national survey of Sri Lanka

Background: Blood pressure(BP) control remains suboptimal worldwide. Sex-related disparities in hypertension have been reported, but data from South Asia are limited. Understanding the epidemiology and sex-related differences is essential to improve BP control. Objectives: To assess the prevalence, associations and sex-related disparities of hypertension among Sri Lankans. Methods: We analysed secondary data from the Sri Lanka STEPS Survey 2021, a nationally representative, community-based, cros...

Hypertension

Chamila Mettananda, Ravini Premaratna, Randula Mallawa, Upeksha Fernando, Arundika Senaratne, Udara Perera, Champika Wickramasinghe• November 2, 2026

PLOS

Female sexual dysfunction in premenopausal women with diabetes mellitus in northern Nigeria: A cross-sectional study from two tertiary hospitals examining associations with glycaemic control and reproductive hormones

Background: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a recognised complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), but evidence on its clinical and biological correlates in sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. FSD is defined as a disorder characterized by disturbances in sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, and/or pain that causes interpersonal difficulty or distress. This study examined associations between glycaemic control, reproductive hormonal status, and FSD among premenopausal women with diabetes in northern...

Hormone

Fatima M. Damagum, Amina H. Hassan, Andrew E. Uloko, Hauwa A. Habeeb, Hadiza B. Damagum, Zainab A. Umar, Hassan A. Murtala, Zainab Abdulkadir, Ibrahim Y. Ibrahim, Zainab U. Ibrahim, Umar F. Abdullahi, Hamisu M. Salihu, Muktar H. Aliyu, Phylis J. Kanki, Baba M. Musa• November 2, 2026

PLOS

Frequencies of thyroid-related diagnoses and dyslipidemia among Japanese women with menstrual-related disorders aged under 40 years: A nationwide cross-sectional study using health insurance claims data

Women with endometriosis and dysmenorrhea are increasingly recognized as having systemic comorbidities beyond pelvic disease, but large-scale data on endocrine and metabolic comorbidities across a broad menstrual-related disorders population remain limited. Using the Japan Medical Data Center Claims Database, we conducted a nationwide cross-sectional study of women aged under 40 years enrolled in 2023. Women with confirmed diagnoses of endometriosis (ICD-10: N80) and/or dysmenorrhea (N94.4 or N9...

Thyroiditis

Tatsuya Yoshihara, Yosuke Ono, Harumasa Arita, Akiko Nakagomi, Dai Miyashita, Kota Tanaka, Satoko Sasatsu, Osamu Yoshino• October 30, 2026

PLOS

Experiences of Registered Nurses involved in regulatory disciplinary processes: Scoping review protocol

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to explore available literature on the experiences of Registered Nurses (RNs), Nurse Practitioners (NPs), and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs), who have been through the disciplinary process by the regulatory body. Introduction: Nursing is a regulated profession. Professions are regulated when there is significant risk of harm to the public if the practice is performed incorrectly. Empowered by legislation, regulatory bodies have a mandate t...

Registered Nurse

Peggy Rauman, Robin Devey-Burry, Ahmad Deeb, Jordan Pike• October 30, 2026

PLOS

Pregnant women’s health beliefs about pre-eclampsia in a resource-limited setting: A qualitative study

Introduction: Pre-eclampsia, a high-risk pregnancy complication, poses significant threats to maternal and fetal health. Globally, little is known about how women navigate a pre-eclampsia diagnosis or their perceptions of the pathology, unpredictable course, and treatment. Guided by the Health Belief model, this study explores pregnant women’s beliefs about pre-eclampsia in Ghana’s most populous region. Materials and methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at a district hospital i...

Womens Health

Isabella Garti, Awube Menlah, Emuejevoke Fuafugo, Evans Osei Appiah, Nadyen Jordan Shikpup, Ophelia Serwaa Tonto, Betty Osei Ntiamoah• October 30, 2026

PLOS

Changes in postnatal outcomes following implementation of a family-led postnatal care model: A pre-post intervention study in Ada’a District, Ethiopia

Postnatal care is crucial for assessing the health of both mother and newborn, yet its coverage remains low in Ethiopia. Timely, high-quality postnatal care, especially within the first week after birth, is essential to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates. Family-led postnatal care is an innovative model for reaching postnatal mothers and newborns during the first week of life. Leveraging self-care principles, mothers, with the support from family, perform daily postnatal health checks...

Aed

Gadise Bekele Regassa, Della Berhanu, Konjit Wolde, Dedefo Teshite, Lello Amdissa, Walelegn Worku Yallew, Solomon Getachew Alem, Pooja Sripad, Anne Hyre, Lisa Noguchi, Alemayehu Worku• October 30, 2026

PLOS

Correction: Broader factors associated with current adolescent overweight/obesity status in YRBSS 2023: Survey-aware analysis and calibrated AI-assisted classification

There are errors in the author affiliations. The publisher apologizes for the errors.The correct affiliations are as follows: Thu Hoang Thanh 1 , Nhan Nguyen Thi 2 , Toan Nguyen Khac 3 1 University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City–UEH, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2 Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Technology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 3 Institute of Intelligent and Interactive Technologies, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vie...

Obesity

The PLOS One Staff• October 30, 2026

PLOS

High-intensity interval versus moderate-intensity continuous freestyle swimming in obese college students: A randomized controlled study protocol examining glycolipid and vascular endothelial responses

Background: Obesity among college students may be accompanied by early metabolic and endothelial abnormalities before overt cardiometabolic disease develops. Freestyle swimming combines whole-body energy expenditure with low weight-bearing load. This randomized controlled trial will compare high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) freestyle swimming and examine the relationships between changes in glycolipid markers and vascular endothelial marker...

Obesity

Mei Yang, Jingjing Wang, Xiaoyun Su, Huan Xiang, Yuting Hou• October 30, 2026

PLOS

Correction: Stigmatizing attitudes and misconceptions about obesity among Spanish healthcare professionals

Table 3 was uploaded incorrectly. Please see the correct Table 3 here. The publisher apologizes for the error. 10.1371/journal.pone.0361915.t003 Table 3 Beliefs about causes and treatments of obesity and ANOVAs of their association with Dislike and F-Scale. Dislike F-Scale N (%) M (SD) F p d Cohen/ η² * M (SD) F p Cohen’s d/ η² * Q1. Obesity is best defined as… 2.06 .084 .009 1.27 .282 .006 1. A lifestyle choice 7 (0.8) 3.00 (1.98) 3.17 (...

Obesity

The PLOS One Staff• October 30, 2026

PLOS

Reporting of research priorities in migraine clinical practice guidelines still need improvement—A methodological analysis

Objectives: To systematically analyze the content and format of research priorities in clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for migraine, providing a methodological guidance for future guideline developers and researchers. Methods: This methodological systematic analysis involved searching six databases (Embase, PubMed CNKI, VIP, CBM and Wanfang) and the official websites of 39 authoritative organizations, including headache societies, neurology associations, and guideline development bodies. Ext...

Aed

Xuejian Yin, Yingdi Liao, Zhuo Ye, Yiyun Zhao, Shiyu An, Riai Tang, Qinyan Li, Shuting Yang, Yuze Sun, Yicheng Gao, Kai Yuan• October 30, 2026

PLOS

Nurse-Led treatment strategy based on asthma score and oxygen requirement in children with acute reversible bronchoconstriction: A randomised controlled non-inferiority trial

Objective: The Childhood Asthma Score (CAS) does not fully account for oxygen therapy in children with acute reversible bronchoconstriction (ARB), thus the CAS O2 was developed. Our aim was to assess effectiveness and safety of the CAS O2 treatment protocol compared to the CAS protocol. Design: Multicentre, open-label, randomised, non-inferiority trial. Setting: Two Dutch teaching hospitals with general paediatric wards. Patients: Children 2–18 years admitted with ARB, requiring supplemental oxy...

Asthma

Sam Louman, Britt Foreman, Lidy van Lente, Richard Kop, Laura Postma, Mark Jan Ploegstra, Annemie L. M. Boehmer, Arvid W. A. Kamps• October 30, 2026

PLOS

Low-level proteinuria at the initial diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus significantly increases the risk of developing proteinuria-predominant lupus nephritis

Purpose: A proportion of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) present with subclinical low-level proteinuria at initial diagnosis that does not meet the formal classification criteria for lupus nephritis (LN). This study aimed to investigate the association between low-level proteinuria at SLE onset and the risk of developing proteinuria-predominant LN. Patients and methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using medical records of patients newly diagnosed with SLE from Fujian M...

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Minghui Song, Guolong Xu, Fengxian Xu, Shengkai Zhang, Qinqin Wang, Wenjing Xue, Ruiying Chen, Lixin Wei, He-Jun Li• October 29, 2026