Blowing you own trumpet is briefly satisfying, like another solitary activity, but not very cool. However I’ve decided to succumb to the urge as its now six months since “10 Secrets of Health Ageing” was published and in a couple of weeks (Sunday 16th of November I’m going to be talking about it at the […]
Antibiotics make you fat
August 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The eye-catching title of my article for the Daily Mail today on why frequent courses of antibiotics may not be such a good idea, highlights a new and emerging set of problem with these drugs. It’s not just weight gain that becomes more likely. There’s an increase in the risk of auto-immune disorders as well […]
Acid suppressing PPI drugs: not so safe (updated)
July 25, 2012 by 7 Comments
If you take these drugs which cut your stomach acid by around 90%, you might want to look at the piece wrote earlier in the week for the Daily Mail about the serious side effects they can cause. In the short-term they do of course bring almost instant and blessed relief from the really nasty pain of […]
You can’t even trust Lucozade and that matters
July 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Did you register the huge 3 billion dollar fine recently slapped on GlaxoSmithKline, Britain’s biggest drug company and manufacturer of Lucozade ? And if so, did you briefly wonder whether it was enough? After all, hiding data that your product can kill people and making unsupported claims about safety would normally be enough to put […]
If this helps Alzheimer’s it will be ignored
June 28, 2012 by 1 Comment
What’s the best way to cut your risk of developing Alzheimer’s? One bit of advice you see regularly is to keep your mind active – do things like crosswords and so on. But here’s a new way that raises a lot of interesting questions about the current narrow focus of Alzheimer’s research. A new study has […]
Can diabetes societies prevent diabetes?
June 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
As you enter the vast conference centre – half a mile or more end to end – hosting the 79th Scientific Session of the American Diabetes Association in Philadelphia, your first sight on the left is a Dunkin’ Donuts store. Up the escalator brings you to the ADA’s mission statement which reads in part: “to […]
Five reasons not to take statins
May 23, 2012 by 4 Comments
If you are over fifty-something you will soon have to make a decision about whether or not to take a statin to bring down your cholesterol and cut your chance of having a heart attack. You will certainly be offered them. Now according to the latest “evidence” the decision is a no-brainer. These drugs have […]
Do anecdotes of side-effects count as evidence?
May 14, 2012 by 1 Comment
I can sympathise with the frustration felt by Professor Edzard Ernst, dedicated promoter of the principles of evidence based medicine, when faced with under-reporting of side-effects. But I’m surprised at his readiness to abandon them when going into print. His latest attack on Chiropractic just doesn’t follow the rules of evidence based medicine, at least […]
Doctors need not fear credibility gap
May 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Clinical trials paid for by drug companies are widely seen as being untrustworthy because of the hiding of data, spinning of results and all the other dark arts described in books such as Pharmageddon. So much so, that there is now something of a PR offensive underway to reassure everyone that all is well. But […]
Serious doubts on value of clinical trials
May 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
It’s a no brainer that evidence based medicine is a good idea. Who doesn’t want to know that there is is some form of testing going on to find out if your treatment is likely to work? The medical profession, or most of it, confidently asserts that this is the way medicine is done these […]
Body of Evidence 
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