Indigestion is thought to affect about a third of the UK population. Acid-suppressing medications, of both the over-the-counter and prescription variety, are some of the most commonly used drugs of all. However, experience shows that indigestion can often be effectively combated without drugs. Just this month, the medical journal Gut published a study which suggests [...]

It is a commonly held belief that women reach their sexual peak later in life than men. This may indeed be true, but a recent study published in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility has found that women generally experience a reduction in their sexual responsiveness as they age. While some of this gradually declining [...]

Most of us put our trust and faith in fluoride to help prevent tooth decay. It is a common ingredient in toothpaste and mouthwashes, and several countries, including parts of the UK, even add fluoride to the water supply. Even last month, a study was published which reported that adding fluoride to table salt had [...]

Last month saw the German pharmaceutical giant Bayer withdraw its cholesterol-lowering drug Lipobay (cerivastatin) from the World market. The drug has been linked with a number of deaths caused by a condition characterised by muscle break-down known as ‘rhabdomyolysis’. In addition, there have been more than a thousand reports of muscle weakness associated with the [...]

It is well known that women living in the East are less likely to suffer from menopausal symptoms than those in the West. For instance, while hot flushes affect about 20 p.c. of Chinese and Japanese menopausal women, 70 – 80 p.c. of European women experience significant problems with this symptom. Some scientists believe that [...]

Hyperactivity is a common childhood disorder which can cause significant problems both at school and in the home. Conventional medical treatment for this condition is centred around the drugs Ritalin and Dexedrine. While these medications are being prescribed with increasing frequency, last month saw the publication of a report questioning the appropriateness and safety of [...]

Diabetes is thought to affect 2½ million people in the UK and is the third leading cause of death behind cardiovascular disease and cancer. The condition is becoming more common, with the number of diabetics in the UK expected to double in the next 10 years. Never has there been a more important time to [...]

Last week, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article warning of the dangers of using herbal remedies around the time of surgery. The study draws attention to the fact that herbs do have real biochemical and physiological effects in the body, and there is a need for individuals taking them to [...]

Cystitis, also known as urinary tract infection (UTI), is thought to affect up to 60 p.c. of women at some point in their lives. Infections can tend to recur, and at least a third of women with an infection experience another one within a year. The mainstay of conventional treatment for UTIs is antibiotics. While [...]

Asthma is one of the most common health complaints in children. One in five children now suffer from the complaint, roughly twice the number affected just 10 years ago. Research published in The Lancet this month suggests that not only asthma, but wheezing in general, is becoming increasingly common. The authors of the study seem [...]

Statistics show that more and more men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer over the last twenty years, and the disease is now the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. Yet, despite these gloomy statistics, there is hope on the horizon. Mounting evidence suggests that the risk of prostate cancer is [...]

The skin condition acne is often unsightly and may cause considerable distress sufferers. While acne is most common around the time of puberty, it is not uncommon for it to affect individuals, women in particular, well into their twenties and thirties. One of the mainstay medical treatments for acne is antibiotics. However, Swedish research presented [...]

With cancer rates set to double by the year 2020, it makes sense to do anything we can to reduce our risk. The World Health Organisation has declared that perhaps 70 p.c. of cancers are diet-related. Over the last decade there has been growing interest in the cancer-protective properties of certain foods and drinks. One [...]

Many of us will be aware that eating carrots can help us see in the dark. The beta-carotene contained in carrots can convert into vitamin A which has a critical role to play in night vision. Yet, while this nutritional nugget may well be entrenched in our consciousness, what is less well known is that [...]

Pretty much all of us will have got the message by now that too much sunlight can cause skin cancer. However, a recent study conducted by leading cancer charity the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) suggests that not all of us are taking heed of the advice to be wary of the sun. According to [...]