“Do not resuscitate” orders raise the issue of whether an attempt to resuscitate is considered “medically futile.” The question about futility, however, is rife with value judgments. The question is, whose values are they? And is success judged by the value placed on life itself, or quality of life by the person who is defining success? A discussion of all the issues is presented in the first issue of a new journal published by the Royal Society of Medicine: Clinical Ethics (www.clinicalethics.co.uk).

Regression analysis reveals three independent risk factors in women under 70 who develop giant cell arteritis: an early menopause, low body mass index, and smoking (Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2006;65: 529-32). These results suggest its pathogenesis probably involves oestrogen deficiency. Commenting on recall bias, the authors say it's unlikely to be high as the events asked about are central to a woman's life.

More tea in the intensive care unit? The high mortality in septic patients is mediated by bacterial endotoxins, which stimulate macrophages, which in turn release proinflammatory cytokines. Since green tea (Camellia sinensis) has been shown—in a dose dependent fashion—to attenuate the endotoxin induced release of one particular late …