All animals well up with tears to clean or remove irritants from their eyes, but we are the only species who cry because of emotional upset. Professor William Frey, professor of pharmaceutics at the University of Minnesota and a tear expert, believes that the ultimate aim of crying is to reduce stress. “Stress triggers crying and our chemical […]
One in three people living with HIV in the UK are over the age of 50. Older people are the fastest growing group of people in the UK with HIV. One in three people living with HIV in the UK are over the age of 50. That number is set to double in the next […]
Despite incredible medical advances in our treatment of HIV since the 1980s, we know that myths, fear and stigma continue to perpetuate the epidemic in the UK. People still avoid HIV testing for fear of the result, or simply because they don’t think HIV is an issue anymore. This causes alarming rates of late diagnosis and […]
Studies have shown that dieting does have an effect on psychological wellbeing. Famous early studies in the 20th century on men who were deprived of food for periods of months on low-calorie regimes did find that they became more fixated on food for example. Professor Peter Rogers from the University of Bristol is an expert […]
Assisted fertility technology is evolving rapidly – the world’s first three-parent baby was born this month and doctors gave the go-ahead for a new genetic screening method in May this year. We look at two advances in fertility which are proving to be game changers for people who need a little extra help to start a family. Mitochondrial transfer […]
Yo-yo dieting has one very obvious effect on skin – constantly losing and regaining weight can leave permanent stretch marks and sagging and drooping skin. ‘Of course, this depends on how much weight you gain and lose, how often and also your age and the elasticity of the skin, but it is a common issue,’ […]
Pancreatic cancer has no early warning signs and the majority of people with this disease present with acute symptoms such as jaundice and weight loss. In the vast majority of cases, pancreatic cancer is only diagnosed when it is already at an advanced stage. Resection or removal of the tumour is the only way to […]
I’ve always been a keen sailor and I regret the fact that I’ve never had time to sail around the world. After I qualified as a doctor, I worked in anaesthetics and intensive care, before deciding to become a GP. I volunteered for the RNLI crew at Brixham, a five minute drive away from where […]
A diagnosis of cancer is really scary. It can seem as if there are only two options, neither very appealing. Conventional treatment which promises a lot but is likely to be toxic and gruelling or the complementary route, seen to lack the punch needed to beat cancer. It’s also likely to be dismissed by your […]
Ten years ago, I was based in South Africa and involved in scaling up treatment for people with HIV. That country has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world – of 38 million people infected with HIV worldwide, around seven million of them live in South Africa. While I was there, I […]