Category Archive

They can be uncomfortable ­to talk about – and to treat. And ­almost all cervical cancers and most cancers of the ­vagina, vulva, penis and anus, are caused by HPV, human papilloma virus. Currently, most of these cancers or pre-cancers … Read More

Back in my medical student days, when we could not figure out the cause of a disease, we’d more often than not blame a virus. Well, now the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has come up with evidence showing how the Epstein-Barr virus can trigger … Read More

Here’s some good news for men, less so for women. Men lose weight more easily than women, something I’ve always put down to their greater muscle mass and therefore burning more calories. The University of Edinburgh-led research team says dieting affects … Read More

We know that women with sickle cell disease suffer milder symptoms than men, so could this difference hold the key to developing more effective treatments? Researchers at King’s College London think so. Working in tandem with Muhimbili University in Tanzania, … Read More

When I was still practising, autoimmune diseases were rare and exotic. There has been a remarkable change. Now they affect one in 10 people. Why should this be? Well, for starters, the findings of a study highlight seasonal, regional and … Read More

We all understand what ­physical frailty is – a set of vulnerabilities including physical weakness, weight loss, exhaustion, slowness and low physical activity. Physical frailty increases the risk of falls, disability, hospitalisation, poor surgical outcomes, admission to a nursing home … Read More

The seat of anxiety in the brain is a small area called the ­amygdala. Once it gets anxious it’s difficult to calm it down – and this led Ruby Wax, in her book Sane New World, to coin the phrase, “naughty … Read More

Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive skin cancer with poor survival rates for half of patients within five years of diagnosis. Despite substantial progress in developing immunotherapies (drugs which stimulate the body’s own natural defence system to attack cancer), many … Read More

Here is something to smile about – laughter really is the best ­medicine. Some time ago, I read a book by a man whose ­rheumatoid arthritis was so severe he was admitted to hospital for the pain. A friend brought him in … Read More

Genes are at the root of everything and I believe we’ll eventually find that most diseases are traced back to our genetic blueprint. And not just single genes but groups of genes – families of them that work in unison. This is good news … Read More