Richard Lane and Tony Kirby round up a busy week for The Lancet in this week's podcast, including high-profile publication of the Lancet Mental Health series, the ADVANCE study highlighting the benefit of blood pressure reduction for people with type 2 diabetes, and online publication of new research linking food additives with hyperactivity in children.

An extended podcast for the Sept 1-7 issue focusing on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Discussed in detail is an international study assessing the global prevalence of COPD, the effect of passive smoking and COPD-related mortality in China, and the need for prenatal and infant lung impairment to be studied more closely as a possible precursor of COPD in adulthood.

Whether calcium and vitamin D supplements help prevent bone fractures in older people remains a controversial issue. Benjamin Tang from the University of Western Sydney, Australia, discusses a comprehensive meta-analysis which suggests that such supplements do have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk of osteoporotic fractures among people over 50 years.

Professor Derek Yellon discusses a proof of concept study in this week's issue. This highlights the potential of remote ischaemic preconditioning in the upper arm to reduce myocardial injury among patients about to have coronary artery bypass surgery.

A study highlights how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is better at detecting ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) than conventional screening mammography. This week's podcast features an extended interview with the lead author of the study.

This week's podcast features an interview with series co-ordinator, Edward Mills, outlining the principles of health as a human right, regardless of the geographical setting.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal substance in most countries with up to 20% of young people reporting that they use it at least once a week. This week's podcast features an interview with Stanley Zammit, one of the authors of a meta-analysis on cannabis use and the risk of psychosis.

Infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia have worse outcomes than older children with the disease. In this week's podcast, Rob Pieters, the lead author in the Interfant-99 study, a collaborative project between 22 countries, discusses a new treatment protocol that has helped to improve survival in infants with ALL.

Appropriate prescribing to elderly people: the topic of a mini-series and a podcast feature. Anne Spinewine explains the issues facing older people and physicians to ensure that drug prescribing is appropriate, and discusses common drug-drug interactions that often contribute to inappropriate prescribing in the geriatric setting.

Pam Das presents highlights from this week's themed HIV issue, ahead of an international HIV meeting taking palce in Sydney later this month. Also featured is an interview with Andrew Grulich about a meta-analysis suggesting that HIV and immunosuppression is more closely linked to a range of cancers than previously thought.