Inside Health

Latest Episodes:

Flibanserin; Strokes in young people; Outdoor swimming; Research terminology - Causation v Association Jun 10, 2015

Show notes

Treating low sex drive in women. Expert panels in the USA have voted in favour of a drug that has been dubbed 'Pink Viagra', but there are serious reservations. Outdoor swimming is the new trend for 2015, but should you take the plunge or go in slowly? Strokes in the under 55's have recently been reported to be on the increase: Dr Margaret McCartney takes a closer look at the evidence. And unpicking tricky terms to understand your health - causation versus association.

Presented by Dr Mark Porter.

Feedback on Teenage Pregnancy, Smoothies, AMD, Hospital Beds, Frailty, Feedback on Gallstones, Moles Mar 24, 2015

Show notes

In the last of the current series Mark Porter answers your feedback on sex education, off licence use of drugs and drinking smoothies instead of eating fruit.

Plus hospital bed numbers have been halved over 25 years, while admissions have rocketed - up by 3 million in the last decade alone; Inside Health discusses how hospitals have been coping.

Plus calls for frailty to be an official diagnosis rather than simply a general description - Mark Porter examines the implications.

Avastin, Peanut Allergy, Bowel Bacteria and Faecal Transplants Mar 17, 2015

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Mark Porter visits a very smelly laboratory to find out how your gut bacteria could be influencing your weight - and more besides.

Doctors have written to the authorities asking for permission to use the drug Avastin instead of the more expensive alternative, Lucentis, to treat patients with age related macular degeneration (AMD) - the commonest cause of blindness in older people. Inside Health investigates.

And new research into peanut allergy, turning conventional wisdom on its head, that every parent should know.

Cigarette Packets, Sex Education, Gallstones, Cosmetic Surgery Mar 10, 2015

Show notes

The big news in public health this week with the parliamentary vote on the introduction of standardised cigarette packets. A move the tobacco industry has resisted fiercely. Inside Health discusses the evidence for the sort of impact the policy might have on the nation's smoking habits?

The difficult issue of when and how to tell children about sex. Schools throughout England are to be offered new guidance to help them with sex education in PHSE classes for KS3 and KS4 pupils. But, the classes are still not going to be made a statutory part of the curriculum. Inside Health's Margaret McCartney examines the evidence.

And a listener has asked about gallstones after a recent scan had shown debris or sludge in the gallbladder.

Plus news from Las Vegas, New York and the UK on trends in plastic surgery.

Saturated Fats, Moles, Egg Freezing Mar 03, 2015

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Recent research was widely reported as concluding that 30 year old guidance to limit saturated fats had been overturned and should never have been introduced - and that we can now eat as much butter, cheese, sausages and pies as we like.

But, as ever, the real story is a bit different. Inside Health debates the real evidence and hears from Sweden that rumours of change in its guidance have also been misreported.

As big companies try to attract female employees by offering 'egg freezing' as a corporate carrot, Dr Mark Porter examines the success rates and implications for women wanting to start a family.

And checking your moles - how to tell the difference between the sinister and the innocent.

Drug Driving; End of Life Care; Smart Drugs Feb 24, 2015

Show notes

New drug-driving legislation which comes into force next week applies to some medicines too. Particularly morphine based painkillers taken by hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, many of whom could inadvertently find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

And planning for a good death - an Inside Health listener says he believes it's better to die earlier from heart disease than go on to develop cancer later in life. Is he right?

Plus as many as 1 in 10 university students in the UK are now thought to be dabbling with smart drugs to help them revise and boost exam performance. Inside Health talks to leading experts about cognitive enhancers.

Heart and Exercise, Smoking and Alcohol, Weight Management, Hepatitis C Feb 17, 2015

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After recent headlines that running too much can be bad for your heart, Mark Porter talks to the Medical Director for the London Marathon to get an insider's perspective. A novel psychological approach to weight loss that asks why people are eating too much rather than just giving dietary advice. Plus new treatments for Hepatitis C and statistics showing a reduction in binge drinking in young adults.

Low NHS morale; Flying when pregnant; Sugary drinks & menarche; FGM Feb 10, 2015

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With the NHS facing significant and enduring financial pressures, as people's need for services continues to grow faster than funding, what impact is all this having on NHS staff? New advice about flying if pregnant and new research that links drinking one can a day of a sugary drink to an earlier onset of puberty. Plus the sensitive issue of FGM.

NHS Satisfaction Survey; NHS & cancer; Headphones volume; P4 Medicine Feb 03, 2015

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Diagnosing Cancer - why does the UK still lag behind much of Europe and what is being done about it? The American dream - personalised medicine based on your genes. Plus do headphones damage hearing?

Drugs link to dementia, Gluten-free, Heart disease in women, Social jetlag, Boilers on prescription Jan 27, 2015

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With widespread reports of a link between dementia and commonly used medicines, Inside Health assesses the risks.

Why women are more likely to die from heart disease than men with cardiologist, Dr Laura Corr.

With more and more people choosing to adopt a gluten free diet, Mark explores the possible health benefits for people who don't have coeliac disease. Is the real problem wheat intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, or too much hype?

Boilers on prescription: a new idea being investigated by one Clinical Commissioning Group.

And new research that links having a weekend lie-in with an increased risk of obesity-related diseases, like diabetes.