Some people are prepared to do things to their bodies that are unproven, verging on crazy, and even downright dangerous. Vaginal steaming, touted by Gwyneth Paltrow, springs to mind. But here’s yet another idiotic fashion – again aimed at the vagina … Read More
Statins don’t just keep cholesterol steady, they make your heart healthier too – and new study proves it
I write a lot about statins, the drugs that keep the cholesterol in your blood at healthy levels. I believe they’re a key preventive medicine of our time, keeping millions of people disease free. Just recently a report showed that the side-effects … Read More
When should you tell children they’re at risk of faulty breast cancer gene?
Here’s a 21st century conundrum that probably hasn’t happened many times in the past – if you’re carrying the breast cancer-causing BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, when and how do you tell your daughter she may have inherited it from you? And … Read More
Hi-tech sensors that can use smells to detect when you’re unwell
The latest medical tools to diagnose your illness rely on your smell. If that sounds odd just think for moment. Can you recognise your partner, your mum or dad from their smell? Their smell depends on their body chemistry and … Read More
Web helps runners keep up with the pack
There’s some intriguing new research that could help all would-be keep fitters. Share your lifestyle with a friend who is into the things you are and they’ll influence your life for the better. Can our workouts be shaped by what … Read More
Can electric shocks really help with erectile problems?
Not sure this will catch on – electric shocks to the penis to overcome erectile dysfunction (ED). But you never know, especially as two-thirds of doctors have given it the thumbs-up. There isn’t even clear evidence it works. Seems doctors and patients … Read More
Stages of grief and how to help distraught family adjust to the loss of a loved one
A friend of mine lost her husband to cancer 18 months ago and understandably she was devastated. Her family and girlfriends drew around her with sympathy and support. After six months or so we began suggesting outings, lunches, meetings for tea and … Read More
The heartbreaking postcode lottery of IVF where some women are offered one cycle and others none at all
I sympathise with any woman who’s driven to desperation in her desire to have a baby. In my own puny way I went through the pangs of not being able to conceive. It was between my first and second son. … Read More
New approach to treating prostate cancer is a game-changer that could prolong patients’ lives by a third
Something’s always happening in prostate cancer research – and the news is invariably good. The most recent shows that combining two existing treatments can prolong patients’ lives by a whopping third. The findings of this latest study are so powerful … Read More
People consumed by worry must be kinder to themselves
Even the calmest person can be prey to anxiety from time to time, and there are many ways to cope with it. I say cope, but often attempts to regain your composure are futile. New figures released recently show more … Read More