A few weeks ago I wrote about a kind of cell that’s widespread through the body – fibroblasts, and their connection to erectile dysfunction. And now the fibroblast pops up again, this time in arthritis. A groundbreaking study has, for … Read More
Teenagers still don’t get the sex education they need – and I’m not surprised at all
Why am I not surprised by this research that shows nearly half of teens worry about having children and many have little knowledge of how their reproductive system works? Two excellent studies carried out in England by UCL researchers attempt … Read More
I’m a doctor and I say fasting may help prevent diseases linked to our diet
Fasting is something I advocate – well, widening the time left between meals. So, the last meal of the day would be 7pm and the first meal of the next day would be 1pm. We’re discovering this narrowing of the … Read More
New research finds that single blood test is enough to prevent pregnancy danger
Pre-eclampsia is a very real worry for pregnant women. It can lead to major complications, longer hospital stays, stillbirth and neonatal death. Also known as toxaemia of pregnancy, this condition is classically heralded by high blood pressure, which is why BP is measured at … Read More
It’s right ultra-processed foods get bad publicity – there are 32 ways they harm our bodies
Ultra-processed foods (UPF) are getting a lot of bad publicity and rightly so. Some experts say they’re worse for our health than smoking. So what is it with UPFs? Put simply they are bad for us because they’re directly linked … Read More
Exciting sponge on a string test for cancer will help cut huge NHS wait times
In answer to a reader’s letter about acid regurgitation, I mentioned a new test – the sponge-on-a-string test – and I thought you’d like to hear about the latest research. It comes from Cambridge University and means patients will no … Read More
My organs failed and my ankle turned blue – now global network aiming to combat deadly Strep A
About 15 years ago I had sepsis. It struck out of the blue. In fact, the day beforehand I was pushing a wheelchair-bound friend around a park until, from one minute to the next I couldn’t take another step. We … Read More
Incredible new sleep planner tool could help save lives of babies at risk from SIDS
No parent is free from worry about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) when their baby is young. And while rates declined steeply in the 1990s, families living in the most deprived neighbourhoods continue to be burdened by a disproportionately higher … Read More
We’re starting to understand Covid – it may have lasting effects on your cognition and memory
By and large Long Covid remains a mystery. But piece by piece we’re starting to form a picture. The latest piece of the jigsaw comes from a study by Imperial College London where researchers reveal small deficits in the performance … Read More
Teen victims of bullying are much more likely to experience poor mental health and anger issues
Why has it taken so long to connect poor teen mental health to being bullied? It seems to me that the likely harms such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity and anger would be exacerbated by being bullied. A new study, believed to be … Read More