NICE guidance should consider lifestyle only if it influences effectiveness

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7530.1423-a

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Susan Mayor

London

Age and lifestyle factors that may have caused disease should not influence guidance on the use of healthcare interventions unless they are likely to affect the effectiveness of the intervention. This is a conclusion of a report published last week by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which advises on the use of treatments in the NHS in England and Wales.

Sitting pretty: patients with self inflicted conditions caused by habits such as smoking must not be denied treatment unless the continuation of their habit will affect the outcome, NICE …