A very dangerous hare was set running last year when it was suggested Alzheimer’s could be “caught” from blood transfusions. It can’t, but the alarm was sounded when researchers at University College London warned that some patients who had contracted CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob … Read More
The benefits of CT scans outweigh the risks as they help doctors diagnose conditions more accurately
For several years doctors have been concerned about the side effects of CT scans which use a much higher dose of radiation than your common or garden X-ray. The pay-off is CT scans give much finer results of what’s going … Read More
Could liquid aspirin fight brain cancers?
Aspirin is a very simple substance. Its chemical structure is so tiny that, compared to molecular monsters like proteins and carbohydrates, it can cross the “blood-brain barrier” – an obstacle that has so far stopped cancer drugs reaching and attacking … Read More
Revealed: Which is really worse for you and your health – fat or sugar
Oh, I know people are sick of doctors and health experts changing their minds: first you should avoid eating foods high in cholesterol and suddenly they’re OK. Then you’re told butter is bad for you in the battle against obesity, then … Read More
Chiropractic – is it all it’s cracked up to be and do the benefits outweigh the risks?
Anything that does you good without doing you harm is good medicine. That’s a saying I’ve always stood by. However, no treatment that’s effective can escape some side effects. Professor Edzard Ernst, emeritus professor of complementary medicine at Exeter University, … Read More
People who are always dieting will put on more weight when they’re pregnant
We never seem to escape the clutches of dieting, especially the yo-yoing kind where the body has a habit of fighting back to regain lost weight. Dieting even affects the weight you gain in oregnancy. Women who have a history … Read More
Why the biggest shake-up of NHS palliative care for two decades is long overdue
Thank heavens the Liverpool Care Pathway has been abandoned. It was designed to transfer the standards of care for the dying from hospices to hospitals but it has failed abysmally. Many relatives discovered that all treatment had been stopped without warning, … Read More
Study reveals one in nine men will die of a heart attack before they reach age 70
The frightening truth is that sudden cardiac death claims thousands of lives each year. Furthermore, it’s most likely to strike people with no symptoms and no history of heart disease. And the scary stats from a US study are that one in … Read More
Childbirth can be terrifying and women need more help in dealing with their fears
A certain amount of fear of childbirth is normal. Even as a doctor I was anxious about the outcome of my labour, especially the well-being of my babies. Plus, until you’ve done it once it’s a journey into the unknown. Even … Read More
Painful skin conditions can ruin your life – but help is at hand
When I was a practising dermatologist, I worked on a research project looking at the common skin condition nettle rash or hives, known in its chronic form as chronic urticaria. Classically nettle rash, the kind you get after being stung … Read More