Cranberries not only make a delicious sauce to go with your turkey at Christmas, they’ve been on the healthy food list for some time. A few years ago they were touted as a cure for cystitis until research proved they … Read More
Exciting new treatment for Crohn’s patients who haven’t responded to previous therapy
Crohn’s is a lifelong, progressive and unpredictable disease of the gut that seriously affects day-to-day life. The exact cause isn’t known but the main symptoms are pain, cramps, diarrhoea, loss of weight and blood in your poo. It can affect people … Read More
We need a big push for health MOTs to save vulnerable adults from sedentary lifestyles
We don’t look after people with learning difficulties well enough, particularly as they experience more health conditions such as epilepsy and dental problems. They’re also at a higher risk of leading sedentary lives and becoming overweight, putting them more at … Read More
High BMIs in patients can be a clue for increased risk of breast cancer
Here’s a conundrum. Even though fat is an important component of the healthy human breast, having a high body mass index (BMI) is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Overweight patients also have worse survival rates than those with … Read More
A giant shift in attitudes to get drivers off their backsides and in better health
Sitting down for too long is bad for your health, so I worry about bus and taxi drivers. Years ago, tests done on bus drivers and bus conductors concluded the conductors were far healthier due to being on their feet … Read More
Gamers and coffee lovers are quicker off the mark and better at multi-tasking
Almost every day we’re called upon to multi-task but who do you think comes top of the table? Well, women do but, apparently, gamers and coffee drinkers are hot at it too, and psychologists at Brunel University know why that … Read More
Protein drink before meals can help control rising cases of type 2 diabetes, study finds
The number of people who develop type 2 diabetes with raised blood sugar is rising with no signs of slowing down. But what if taking a food supplement could help to control blood sugar? Newcastle University researchers think they’ve found … Read More
Giving antibiotics through an inhaler can help fight bacterial resistance
One of the principles of medical practice is that a drug is given in the lowest effective dose possible for the shortest possible time. A huge step forward in the treatment of lung infections applies this principle and prevents bacterial … Read More
Frozen shoulder pain can be disabling and take years to melt away
A frozen shoulder can be a real pain and disabling too – as I know only too well. Mine was brought on by a spell of athletic pruning in the garden. So when a friend developed one after a nasty … Read More
Lonely children more likely to be depressed adults – it’s about time they got help
I’ve said before that friendships and social connections are like an essential vitamin to a teenager. Isolation makes them “vitamin deficient” and more likely to suffer mental ill health in the form of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Now new … Read More