Stay ConnectedDr Ayan Panja puts health into context. A lifestyle medicine expert, author and family physician with over 25 years of experience, his unique blend of candour, perspective and knowledge make for a mind-expanding essential weekly bite-sized listen.
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Copyright: © Dr Ayan Panja
Chronic inflammation is a key process which is linked to almost all non-communicable disease. In this episode I look at how it arises and why it is so harmful.
Links:
Age-related end glycation products: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/advanced-glycation-end-products#what-they-are
'Leaky gut’ syndrome: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8305009/
Depression as an inflammatory condition: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661824002676
Probitoics after antibiotics?: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190124-is-it-worth-taking-probiotics-after-antibiotics
Diabetes and inflammation: https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/inflammation-and-diabetes
Inflammation from toxins (metals and brain inflammation): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468202021000127
Anti-inflammatory diet: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/anti-inflammatory-diet
Fibre: https://dremilyleeming.substack.com/p/is-fibre-the-missing-link-to-true
Omega-3 and inflammation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37606147/
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What do surgery and psychiatry have in common? They are both demanding specialties, occasionally of last resort, that save lives acutely and help people back to better health.
Links
Antipsychotic drug discovery: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.903156/full
Pyrrole Disorder: https://www.healthline.com/health/pyrrole-disorder#diagnosis
Rationing in the NHS: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/blogs/nhs-rationing-under-the-radar
An example of risks vs benefit in surgery: https://www.neurosurgeonsofnewjersey.com/blog/spinal-fusion-surgery-risks/
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There are so many posts, papers and publications about the vagus nerve.
In this episode I look at why it’s so popular and whether it really can be a key to future treatments with advances vagus nerve stimulation.
Links:
Quick overview: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/vagus-nerve-stimulation/about/pac-20384565
Polyvagal Theory: https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/whatispolyvagaltheory
The Great Nerve: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Nerve-Science-Harness-Reflexes/dp/059371699X
Research on the vagus and rheumatoid arthritis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27382171/
Ear stimulation: https://medicine.ouhsc.edu/news/article/ear-clip-stimulation-of-vagus-nerve-shows-promise-as-pots-treatment-according-to-ou-college-of-medicine-study
Vasovagal attacks: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23325-vasovagal-syncope
Crohn’s Disease and vagus nerve stimulation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32515156/
Vagus nerver and inflammation: https://bioelecmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42234-022-00100-3
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Medicine is an inexact science. My patients who are engineers find it frustrating that there is so much conjecture and educated guess work in medicine. But this episode highlights why diagnoses can take time. It’s a mix of detective work, bias and listening to the patient story.
Links:
Chilblains: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chilblains/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351103
STI and painful knee: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/gonococcal-arthritis
Carpal tunnel syndrome: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/carpal-tunnel-syndrome/
Psychodermatology (the mind-skin link): https://www.psychodermatology.co.uk/
Liver inflammation and glandular fever: https://www.healthline.com/health/mono-hepatitis
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Not a week goes by in practice where I don’t see a patient who hasn’t collapsed or had a dizzy spell.
There are so many reasons for this, some preventable, some not. I look at some of the syndromes that lead to these issues.
Links:
Fainting: https://www.healthline.com/health/fainting#causes
Pseudoseizures (non-eplieptic seizures): https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24517-psychogenic-nonepileptic-seizure-pnes
Absence seizures: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/petit-mal-seizure/symptoms-causes/syc-20359683
Epilepsy and driving: https://www.gov.uk/epilepsy-and-driving
BPPV (a type of vertigo): https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11858-benign-paroxysmal-positional-vertigo-bppv
Patient perspective of Mal de Debarquement syndrome: https://www.rarediseaseday.org/heroes/a-uk-patient-perspective-on-mal-de-debarquement-syndrome/
Heartblock: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heart-block/
Gluten ataxia: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320730
Proprioception: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/proprioception
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5-15% of GP consultations are linked to tiredness. And the number is growing. In this episode I look at common and rarer reasons for tiredness.
Hydration - if you’re feeling thirsty you’re partly dehydrated:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/nutritional/dehydration/
Sleep apnoea: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631
Breathing to help some root causes of fatigue: https://buteykoclinic.com/blogs/buteyko-breathing-technique/buteyko-breathing-technique
Mycotoxin illness: https://www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/mold-toxicity-symptoms/
Co-enzyme Q10: https://bjcardio.co.uk/2015/10/coenzyme-q10-and-cardiovascular-disease-an-overview/
Antibiotic tiredness: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/do-antibiotics-make-you-tired
Burnout: https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/
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Teenage and adolescent health offers us a glimpse into the future health of the world. The Lancet Commission wrote a report in 2016 and have recently written a follow up which paints a slightly concerning picture.
In this episode I look at health in this group of people, the challenges they face and what, if anything, can be done about it.
Links:
The Lancet Commission report summary: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00863-3/fulltext
Barriers to healthcare for adolescents: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8070789/
Global numbers: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescents-health-risks-and-solutions
Omega-3 and brain health: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35960396/
Climate Stress: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10154789/
Free tips from Annette Du Bois (teenage coach): https://www.champs-academy.co.uk/free-help-and-support/
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In this episode I look at our health compared to 100 years ago. I was pleasantly surprised at some similarities having stumbled across something online but then also appreciate that we live in a different world now.
Links:
Donald Moore’s health habits in 1925: https://archive.org/details/health.habits.moore.1925/page/n1/mode/2up
Adventist health: https://www.bluezones.com/explorations/loma-linda-california/
Health in the 1920s: https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/culture-magazines/1920s-medicine-and-health-overview
Tech neck: https://sharpphysiotherapy.co.uk/the-hidden-dangers-of-tech-neck/
Pesticides and human health: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11426366/
Mycotoxin illness: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8619365/
Toxic productivity: https://hbr.org/2024/11/lets-end-toxic-productivity
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In the UK, there is much discussion around assisted dying with a bill that is being voted on in government at the moment.
In this episode I look at the ethics around it and what it might mean on an individual and societal level.
Palliative Care: https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/end-of-life-care/what-it-involves-and-when-it-starts/
Dr Florian Willett’s death: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/suicide-pod-activist-euthanasia-sarco-b2762514.html
Locked-in syndrome: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22462-locked-in-syndrome-lis
How assisted dying works in The Netherlands: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/sep/11/assisted-dying-dutch-end-of-life-netherlands-unbearable-suffering
Talking about death and dying: https://www.hospiceuk.org/information-and-support/death-and-dying-what-expect/about-death-and-dying
The Humanists view: https://humanists.uk/2023/10/03/six-reasons-we-need-an-assisted-dying-law/
The current state of affairs in the UK regarding the assisted dying bill: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y5d2g3wgxo
My new website: https://drayan.co.uk/
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Fasting is a hot but contentious topic.
It has been practised for thousands of years and is now
purported to be a way of tackling or preventing certain metabolic diseases.
In this episode I look at the pros, cons and mechanisms of fasting.
Links:
Historical perspectives of fasting: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8838777/
Time restricted feeding in mice (Sachin Panda): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3491655/
Further study (see first image for feeding habits): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413114004987
5:2 diet summary: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/the-5-2-diet-guide
Prolonged fasting: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37377031/
Fasting and autophagy: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24058-autophagy
The flip side - analysis of a study that found a increased link to heart disease from fasting: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/behind-the-headlines/intermittent-fasting#
Save your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me.
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