Author: Dr Briffa

Patients less likely to trust and listen to overweight doctors

I was having a conversation with someone this week which centred around this photo which has done the rounds in the blogosphere. Essentially, this has been used by proponent of low-carb/primal/paleo eating and lifestyle who, as a rule, reject the notion that a healthy diet is one that is largely or completely devoid of animal […]

Questions asked about the value and effectiveness of modern medicine

I was talking with a colleague last night whose wife is a doctor. He bemoaned the fact that there is a trend in the UK for closure of hospitals. The automatic reaction many of us have to the cutting of health services is that it’s a bad thing, and that people will lose out as […]

Vitamin D improves energy production in muscles of vitamin D-deficient people

Vitamin D is perhaps best known for its role in bone formation, and vitamin D deficiency is an established cause of rickets (soft, deformed bones in children), as well as a potential underlying factor in osteoporosis. In recent years, the role of vitamin D in muscle function has come to the fore. Two potential features […]

Why I’m not worried about the odd bit of bacon and occasional sausage in my diet

Last week saw the emergence of some news reports (example here) regarding research which linked the eating of processed meat. The study looked at the relationship between dietary habits and risk of death from a variety of causes in a group of people pooled from 10 European countries [1]. Analysis occurred over an average of […]

Could dairy products be the cause of some children’s constipation?

Last week I report on a study which finds that, in some people, there’s a very real possibility that plenty of fibre in their diet can cause, rather than cure, constipation and sluggish bowel movements. This week, I came across a recent study which suggests another perhaps surprising cause of constipation in the form of […]

Cholesterol-modifying drug that does more harm than good is withdrawn from sale

Niacin is a form of vitamin B3 that has been long-known to reduce levels of ‘unhealthy’ LDL-cholesterol, while raising levels of ‘healthy’ HDL-cholesterol. It’s generally believed that these effects would translate into better outcomes in terms of cardiovascular issues such as heart attacks and strokes. As a result, niacin has a history of use for […]

Some reasons why the side effects of statins are likely to be much more common than official statistics suggest

I saw a patient recently who suffered from mental symptoms (poor memory and inability to find his words) quite soon after commencing statins, and his symptoms resolved quite soon after discontinuing the drugs. He might be imagining his issues or suffering from a ‘nocebo’ response (the opposite of a placebo response), but he and I […]

Walking found to provide significant relief from back pain

Many years ago I had a friend who, like quite a lot of people, suffered from chronic (long-term) low back pain. Sometimes, his back would ‘flare up’ and incapacitate him for several days at a time. He tried a load of treatments for his back including manipulations and acupuncture. In the end, it was his […]

Study finds dietary fibre is more likely to be cause of, rather than a cure for, constipation and other bowel symptoms

I get a sense that almost all individuals feel better for having regular, easy, complete bowel motions. Should someone be having problems in this area, the usual first-line approach is to up the intake of fibre. This can come in the form of fruits and vegetables, but many will see ‘healthy wholegrains’ such as wholemeal […]

Podcast 1 March 2013