I never thought I’d return to the scandal of Mr Andrew Wakefield who was struck off the Medical Register for falsifying results claiming the MMR vaccine causes autism. His results were proved false, and his paper in The Lancet was … Read More
Post-natal depression afflicts new fathers as well as mothers
One of my sons is an expectant father and he is in the throes of the nesting syndrome. It’s as though he is the first man to be having a baby, so new-fangled is he with his new role. So … Read More
Scientists have discovered that an obsession with toys could be key to autism treatment
One of my friends has an autistic grandson, and she asked me what was going on in his head when he refused to make eye contact or was so obsessed with a particular toy he couldn’t be distracted from it. … Read More
There’s no need for the elderly to suffer so much pain
Research has shown that older people are less likely to complain about pain than younger patients. Many opt to suffer in silence even though the pain can ruin their quality of life. It’s true that we tend to cope better … Read More
Fear of pregnancy and birth on the rise as more expectant mums experience ‘Tocophobia’
For most women having a baby is an exciting prospect, full of joy and happiness. But for some mothers-to-be it’s the opposite. They’re filled with mortal dread of pregnancy and birth. They’re suffering from a true phobia called tocophobia. Such … Read More
A five-day fast could help the body overcome diabetes
What’s common to type 1 and type 2 diabetes is a shortage of insulin, the hormone which directs the body to use sugar efficiently. Without insulin, sugar derails the metabolism and causes many life-threatening conditions such as heart and liver … Read More
Work hard? Then make sure that you rest hard too
When I was a teenager living at home, my mum used to say I worked hard and played hard. I wasn’t sure what she meant. All I knew was I was so keen to join my mates that I’d put … Read More
Why being overweight is a recipe for disaster – and can be a killer
There are at least three serious conditions associated with obesity – diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure – a combination that doubles the risk of heart attacks and strokes. If you have these conditions then you have something called … Read More
‘Game changing’ breakthrough in the battle against deadly nut allergies
I’ve never thought it was rational or good medicine to spare babies and children from eating foods with the potential to cause allergies until they are two or three years old. It’s intuitive, but illogical. By the age of two … Read More
A British city is cutting down on sugar – the rest of the UK should take note
Years ago I made a TV documentary about a town in California that was trying to lower heart attack rates by adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle. The Stanford professor in charge of this initiative insisted his programme couldn’t work unless the … Read More