Brain and Behaviour
There have been reports in the UK press this week of a report that informs us that we are sleeping quite a lot less than we did a few decades ago, and the problems that may befall us as a result. Here’s a typical story which appeared in the UK broadsheet The Daily Telegraph. Short […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Last December I wrote a blog post that referred to an episode of the Australian documentary series Catalyst, which airs on the ABC network (similar to the BBC in the UK). The programme, entitled ‘Heart of the Matter’ essentially challenged the widespread use of statins. My personal opinion (and I admit I am quite ‘statin-sceptic’) […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Britain’s biggest diabetes charity, Diabetes UK, this week accused the NHS (the state run and funded medical care system in the UK) of “failing to learn from clear evidence that interventions to improve diabetes care can save the NHS money as well as give people with diabetes longer and healthier lives…” In its statement, Diabetes […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Just 2 weeks ago, one of my blog posts was dedicated to assessing the call from certain ‘experts’ that more younger women should be medicated with statins. What a shame these experts simply don’t have the data to support their position. This week, I came across an interesting piece in the New York Times. The […]
Cholesterol and Statins
This week, I noticed a tweet from the editor of the medical journal The Lancet, Richard Horton (screenshot below). The attached image seems to be a photograph of a slide from a presentation. The data comes from a review of the evidence regarding the impact of statins on health outcomes from 2010 [1]. This study […]
Brain and Behaviour
I am a big believer in walking as a form of activity and exercise. The evidence suggests that it’s a legitimate exercise for improved physical and mental wellbeing, but I also like the fact that it’s relatively kind on the body, and can often be sustained well into later life. Another thing I like about […]
Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
I read an interesting study this week that examined the relationship between changes in coffee and tea consumption and risk of developing type 2 diabetes over a 4-year period [1]. The authors found no association between tea consumption and diabetes risk, but it was a different story for coffee: increasing coffee consumption was associated with […]
Cholesterol and Statins
Back in February, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published draft proposals concerning the use of statins for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Previously, NICE has advised doctors to recommend treatment in those with a calculated 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease of 20 per cent or more. Now, NICE is proposing that […]
Cholesterol and Statins
While we are frequently warned about the perils of cholesterol, there exists quite a bit of evidence which links higher cholesterol levels with improved health outcomes and/or longevity in the elderly. These studies do not prove that cholesterol is conferringbenefit here (only that higher cholesterol is associated with improved outcomes). Nevertheless, it’s perhaps worth at […]
Brain and Behaviour
Back in 2011 I wrote a blog post that focused on a case of alleged domestic violence. In short, a judge had come home after work, but his wife was busy giving support to a visitor. The judge took himself off upstairs as dinner was clearly going to be delayed. Later that evening, it was […]