Category Archive

Energy drinks have always been a con. Years ago they were ­reliably shown to be no more beneficial than sugar and water. But sugar and water isn’t harmless, at least sugar isn’t, especially for children as it contributes to obesity. … Read More

I have to nail my colours to the mast and say I’m not a fan of homeopathic medicine. It’s too unscientific for my taste, so I wholeheartedly support the NHS in discouraging doctors from prescribing it. There were 2,700 prescriptions … Read More

If you knew it was written in your genes that you were a candidate for a heart attack, would you change your lifestyle to foil your genetic destiny? Well, the Finns would. A study by Finnish researchers has found that … Read More

Youths can be antisocial, rude and thoughtless. But they’re thinkers, and given some adult realism and ­support, they act responsibly. The ­latest stats back this up. Fewer US teens are smoking, having sex and doing drugs these days, according to a … Read More

As we live longer we’re looking more closely at what’s going on in middle age so we can try to determine how healthy we are going to be in old age. A new study has examined blood pressure and discovered … Read More

The wonders of vitamin D keep being revealed, and here’s a new one – Higher levels of it cut colorectal cancer risk by a third, particularly in women. The research this conclusion is based on is pretty robust, a large … Read More

There’s a revolution going on in the treatment of breast cancer and it’s an example of how research creeps ­forward while reversing hallowed medical practices. New medical research has shown that only a third of patients with early breast cancer need chemotherapy, … Read More

Did you ever think a simple pill taken before each meal would be as good as gastric band or bypass surgery for losing weight while helping to tackle the ­ Type 2 diabetes and obesity epidemic? Harvard Medical School researchers have developed … Read More

News recently hit the headlines, both in the British Medical Journal and the media, that eczema has joined the list of conditions which are linked to heart disease and stroke. How could that be? How is the skin so closely … Read More

It’s hard to ignore the fact that ­antidepressant use and obesity in the UK are rising alongside each other. Weight gain is an effect many patients are unhappy about. Sadly, we don’t know much about a link between antidepressants and putting on … Read More