Inside Health
Episodes
Diabetes Tech, Antidepressants, Stem Cell Therapy and knees
27 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
First urine testing then finger pricking and now high-tech scanning. The monitoring of glucose levels is undergoing a revolution for patients with Typ...
Medical Cannabis; Hidden Blood in the Urine; Ageing and Immunity
20 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There are questions in Parliament following the story of 6 year old Alfie Dingley who was refused medical cannabis to help relieve his epileptic seizu...
Rickets, Drug addiction recovery, Defibrillator support
06 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rickets was eradicated from the UK after World War Two but "The English Disease", as rickets has long been known, is back. Two children have died of t...
Blood Clots, Iron Supplements, Doctor's Bag
30 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Over half of all blood clots are acquired during hospitalisation, particularly for surgery, so prevention is key. Deep vein thromboses - DVTs - typica...
Microprocessor Knees, The 'Glasgow Effect', Mesothelioma
23 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
About six thousand people in the UK lose a leg every year from amputations due to vascular problems, trauma and disease. Others are born without limbs...
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research, HPV Vaccine, BRCA genes
16 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
News that the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has pulled out of research into Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease is casting doubt over the future of long...
The Future Heart
16 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It's fifty years since the first human heart transplant but the number of donor organs - about 200 per year in the UK - remains dwarfed by demand. Abo...
Flu, Cow's milk allergy, Robotic pharmacy
09 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What goes into our flu vaccine always has an element of guesswork. Usually the experts get it right but sometimes nature has other ideas and a new str...
Medical detection dogs
02 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Can dogs smell cancer? Ever since Hippocrates the odour of disease has been used to aid diagnosis but has this simple technique been forgotten? Dr Mar...
Antibiotics, Statins and Pneumonia, Neurosurgery for Epilepsy
24 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Chief Medical Officer has warned of a "post-antibiotic apocalypse" and "the end of modern medicine". As antibiotic resistance increases, the optio...
Dr Google; Sexual orientation and the NHS; Hypermobility; Surgery for COPD
17 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
GPs have been told to ask about their patients' sexual orientation as NHS England plans to record this data for everyone using the service over the a...
Vaginal mesh; alcohol and the heart
10 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Vaginal mesh, used for the treatment of prolapse and incontinence, has hit the news recently as women pursue litigation after suffering serious compl...
Big baby birth trial, Uveitis, Telephone triage, Burns
03 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Mention arthritis and most people think of older people with osteoarthritic hips or knees. But children get arthritis too, although it's an inflammato...
Scoliosis, Depression, Pets in Hospital, Eustachian Tubes
26 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
After Simon Cowell paid for a Britain's Got talent contestant to have surgery in the US for her curved spine we examine the state of therapy for scoli...
Addiction services; Schizophrenia; Hearts and cancer
19 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Inside Health reveals the poor state of addiction services in England with heroin and morphine related deaths the highest on record. Professor Colin D...
Breast density; Health education; Switching outcomes
08 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Breast Density - the major risk factor for breast cancer that you may have never heard of. Health Education - a long term approach to changing attitud...
Antibiotics, Lung Cancer, Dying of a Broken Heart, Gender Bias
01 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Margaret McCartney unpicks recent headlines suggesting its okay not to finish your antibiotics; Lung Cancer screening in the high risk; Can you die a ...
PPIs, Aspirin and cancer, Radiotherapy and smoking
25 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There are growing concerns about the widespread use of PPIs, the acid suppressing family of drugs used to treat indigestion and the most prescribed in...
Hepatitis B vaccine, Sheds, Obesity Paradox, Taking part in clinical trials
18 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Hepatitis B vaccine has been added to the childhood national programme joining the 5 vaccines already given to all young babies at 8, 12 and 16 we...
Robo-docs, using AI to diagnose; Pancreatic cancer; Statins and muscle aches
11 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Are we on the cusp of a new era where computers rather than doctors will be doing the diagnosing. Ali Parsa, founder of Babylon Health, believes we ar...
High costs of cheap medicines, Can a simple blood test help identify cancer, undescended testes, Aspirin
04 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Price rises of everyday medicines due to some manufacturers utilising monopolies; Can a simple routine blood test help identify cancer; A definitive g...
Cholesterol-lowering drug, Defibrillators, Post-traumatic stress disorder and heart disease, Lack of drugs in pregnancy
21 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Statins have dominated the cholesterol-lowering field for some years but last week the results of an international trial of Evolocumab, one a new bree...
Bisphosphonates, IBS and diet, CRP test for infection, Randomisation
14 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Clarification of new evidence that Bisphosphonates for osteoporosis may actually weaken bones if people are left on them for too long ; Dietary change...
Opt-out organ donation; your body after death; what time of day to take blood pressure medication
08 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
More than 6500 people are currently on the national transplant waiting list, hoping for an organ to be donated which might save their lives. Many of t...
Smoking in pregnancy; Lifestyle targets; Thyroid cancer; Flossing
28 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
New moves to test pregnant women for smoking by measuring carbon monoxide on their breath. How helpful are lifestyle targets like 10 portions of fruit...
Vitamin D, Air Ambulance blood trial, Phantom limb pain, Sitting-rising test
21 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Vitamin D , the sunshine vitamin, has been in the news again with claims that supplements could help ward off coughs , colds and flu. Dr Margaret McCa...
NHS Special: What needs to give?
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A special debate on the current state of the NHS. Recorded in front of an audience at the BBC Radio Theatre London.The last few months have seen the s...
Over-the-counter prescriptions, Virtual reality in rehabilitation, Sore throats and antibiotics
07 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Prescriptions for over-the-counter items cost the NHS millions each year; in 2015 paracetamol prescriptions alone cost £87.6 million. Mark talks to P...
Why hernias, hands and varicose veins might not be treated on the NHS
31 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hernias, hands and varicose veins might not be treated on the NHS as such interventions are now on the 'not normally funded' list. This list is where ...
Preventable deaths, Poo bank, Waterbirths
24 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Are preventable deaths in hospitals a good measure of the quality of care being offered to patients? It's estimated that there are 12,000 deaths a yea...
NHS under pressure, Breast cancer prevention, Lactose intolerance
17 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Do funding requests hinder surgery on the NHS? GP referrals to specialists for common complaints are checked by a panel to make sure they're appropria...
Paracetamol, Prostate and HIFU, Uncertainty - Oxygen and Heart Attacks
10 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Evidence suggests Paracetamol is neither as effective or safe as previously thought for chronic pain; Prostate cancer and new targeted treatments with...
Prostate Cancer
03 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
One in 8 men in the UK will develop prostate cancer at some stage, but deciding who needs treatment - and when - is still far from clear. Mark Porter ...
Dying at Home, Familial Hypercholesterolaemia FH, Delirium
18 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us say we'd like to die at home but few of us actually achieve this wish - something the NHS is keen to change. An award-winning GP surgery in...
Meningitis ACWY vaccine, Testosterone for women, Allotments on prescription, Heart failure and iron
11 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Meningitis ACWY Vaccine was introduced last year to protect teenagers from year 9 in school to those starting university or college. But there see...
Ministrokes, Midwife study, Cyclic vomiting syndrome, Noise in intensive care
04 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Several decades ago, if you had a mini stroke or a transient ischaemic attack, it wasn't unusual for your doctor to tell you to rest in bed with the r...
Breast cancer, Alcoholism, CRPS, Generics
27 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Breast Cancer and Bisphosphonates; an old drug for treating weak bones can reduce the risk of breast cancer spreading, but many post menopausal women ...
Welsh patient power, Liquid biopsies, Food allergies, Dosing errors
20 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A new medical movement in Wales is urging patients to take more control of the decisions about the care and treatment they receive. Called Choosing Wi...
Obesity and smoking, Blood pressure, ADHD
13 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Is it useful as a public health message to compare obesity and smoking? Controversy in Rome behind a new trial that suggested Blood Pressure targets s...
Why Becomea doctor? 3. A Matter of Life and Death
02 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Fong explores how doctors cope when things go wrong
Why Become a Doctor? 2. All Work and No Play?
25 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The real lives of junior doctors today.
Why Become a Doctor? 1. The Golden Age
25 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Was there ever a golden age in which to train to be a doctor?
Personalised Medicine: Dose By Design
16 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Vivienne Parry asks if the NHS can deliver the benefits of genomic medicine for all
Zika in UK, Hip arthroscopy, Limits of cancer treatment
09 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
With over 50 confirmed cases of people in the UK with the Zika, Dr Margaret McCartney reviews the latest advice for people worried about the virus. Ke...
Statins in the media, Unusual neurological itch, The hunger hormone, Viagra
02 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Has media coverage of statins caused people to come off the drugs? An unusual neurological itch on the arms or back that is often misdiagnosed. Plus G...
Braintraining and dementia; Cluster headaches; Cancer rehab; #hellomynameis
26 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Every three minutes somebody in the UK develops dementia, so when it's claimed that tailored computer brain training can reduce cases of dementia and ...
Papilloedema; Cardiac death in sport; Diagnosing early miscarriage; Warfarin
19 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What is Papilloedema? The condition has been in the headlines as an optometrist was found guilty of manslaughter after missing abnormalities in the ey...
Care.data, Asthma, Acne rosacea, Pacemakers
12 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Care.data, the scheme to build an enormous database containing the medical records of all English patients has been scrapped. Dr Mark Porter investiga...
Multi-morbidity, one-shot radiotherapy during surgery for early stage breast cancer
05 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
David Haslam, chair of NICE, discusses with Mark Porter how doctors should treat patients with 'multi-morbidity', the millions of people receiving man...
Health checks, Fertility, Adjustment
29 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
NHS health checks or 'mid-life MOTs' have hit the headlines as new research claims they are a success. The aim is prevention - of diabetes, heart atta...
Preventive HIV therapy, Sugar tax, Bowel cancer, Surgery
22 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The average five-year-old consumes their own body weight in sugar every year in this country - a scary illustration of the scale of the sugar problem....
Asthma, Visual snow, Confounding factors
15 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Why asthma is both over diagnosed and undertreated. Professor Mike Thomas and GP Dr Margaret McCartney discuss this apparent contradiction and look be...
Dementia advice, Antidepressants, Transplant organs, Vaginal seeding
08 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of anti-depressants are prescribed every year and more than half of people taking them have been doing so for two years or more. But how do y...
Ovarian cancer, PBC, Treating severe head injury
01 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The use of talc and its potential connection with ovarian cancer has hit the headlines after a court ruling in America. Given that nearly half the UK ...
Charles Bonnet syndrome, Co-proxamol, Meningitis B vaccine, Smart tablets
23 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Up to half a million people in the UK could have it, but it's a condition that hardly anybody has heard about: Charles Bonnet Syndrome. It happens to ...
E-cigarettes, Asherman's syndrome, Rugby
16 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The UK's first licensed e-cig, owned by a tobacco company, is now classed as a medicine paving the way for it to be prescribed on the NHS to help peop...
Chicken pox in pregnancy, Club foot, Test for Conn's syndrome, Teeth brushing
09 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Margaret McCartney reviews advice to pregnant women concerned about the Zika virus while Andrew Shennan, Professor of Obstetrics at King's College ...
Blood pressure, Palm oil
02 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How low should you go when treating blood pressure? Mark Porter talks to the author of landmark study that was stopped early because the benefits of a...
Folic acid in flour, Southampton FC and hip and groin pain, Online private doctors
26 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Scotland is considering whether to add folic acid to staple foods like flour to protect babies against conditions like spina bifida. Frustrated at the...
Hospital admissions and the 'weekend effect', Peyronie's disease
19 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter unpicks the science behind the so called 'weekend effect'. Politicians have quoted research claiming that people are 20% more likely to...
Health and Exercise Inside Health Special
12 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Inside Health listener and keep fit enthusiast, David Heathcote, wanted advice on how far he should safely push himself when he's training in the gym....
Pregabalin and gabapentin misuse, Natural birth after caesarean, Adrenaline auto-injectors
06 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Prescriptions for nerve drugs pregabalin and gabapentin have risen dramatically in recent years and at the same time, concerns about abuse. Former pri...
Pollution, Falls in the elderly, False positives and negatives, Meningitis B and teenagers
29 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
As cars were banned from central Paris this weekend and the health risks of pollution hit the headlines, Mark Porter examines the statistic that pollu...
Cancer drugs fund, Winter flu vaccine, Bandy legs and knock knees, Peer review
22 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
For five years the Cancer Drugs Fund has supplied seventy five thousand patients in England with cancer drugs, but its days are numbered. Spiralling c...
League tables, Nits, Feeling the cold, Language - Surrogate marker
15 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Are league tables listing surgical outcomes the best way to assess your surgeon or are high risk patients being turned away as surgeons keep an eye on...
Aspirin and heart attacks, BPPV vertigo, Patronising language, Carpal tunnel sydrome, Osteoporosis treatment
08 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter presents a programme devoted to questions from the listeners.Dr Mike Knapton from the British Heart Foundation answers a question about...
Meningitis B, Hormones and depression, Statins, Unexpected heart attacks
01 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
From this week all UK babies will be vaccinated against that most feared disease, meningitis B, the first country in the world to take this step. But ...
Emergency abdominal surgery, Thermometers, Vitamins and dementia, Risk
13 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Why more than 1 in 10 people having emergency abdominal surgery die within 30 days of their operation. Which thermometers parents should use and which...
Off-patent Drugs Bill, Pre-diabetes, Sepsis, All-cause mortality
28 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The Off-Patent Drugs Bill aims to prevent people missing out on life-saving treatments, but doctors can already prescribe drugs off-licence so why do ...
Asthma inhalers, Knee arthroscopy, Pelvic girdle pain, Medically unexplained symptoms
21 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Elite athletes are far more likely to use asthma inhalers than the general population. Do the stresses and strains of competition bring on asthma-type...
Tax on sugary drinks, Low libido in women, Europe's largest robotic pharmacy
14 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What is the evidence that taxing sugary drinks will help to tackle obesity? Low libido in women - what is Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder and where ...
Gestational diabetes, Low-carb diets, Needle pain
07 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Diabetes in pregnancy, gestational diabetes, is on the increase, and the risks to mother and baby if this condition is untreated, are very serious. Ar...
Future of 7-day GP Access Pilots, Mers, Laughing Gas Health Risks
23 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Across England, selected GP surgeries are trialling 7-day working, but there are reports that take-up has been so low in some areas, particularly on S...
Cervical Screening in Older Women; Hepatitis E in Nepal; Enlarged Prostate; Significance
16 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Cervical screening in older women has hit the headlines, but reports have not explained whether these women being diagnosed after 65 have attended scr...
Flibanserin; Strokes in young people; Outdoor swimming; Research terminology - Causation v Association
10 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Treating low sex drive in women. Expert panels in the USA have voted in favour of a drug that has been dubbed 'Pink Viagra', but there are serious res...
Feedback on Teenage Pregnancy, Smoothies, AMD, Hospital Beds, Frailty, Feedback on Gallstones, Moles
24 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In the last of the current series Mark Porter answers your feedback on sex education, off licence use of drugs and drinking smoothies instead of eatin...
Avastin, Peanut Allergy, Bowel Bacteria and Faecal Transplants
17 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Porter visits a very smelly laboratory to find out how your gut bacteria could be influencing your weight - and more besides.Doctors have written...
Cigarette Packets, Sex Education, Gallstones, Cosmetic Surgery
10 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The big news in public health this week with the parliamentary vote on the introduction of standardised cigarette packets. A move the tobacco industry...
Saturated Fats, Moles, Egg Freezing
03 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Recent research was widely reported as concluding that 30 year old guidance to limit saturated fats had been overturned and should never have been int...
Drug Driving; End of Life Care; Smart Drugs
24 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
New drug-driving legislation which comes into force next week applies to some medicines too. Particularly morphine based painkillers taken by hundreds...
Heart and Exercise, Smoking and Alcohol, Weight Management, Hepatitis C
17 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
After recent headlines that running too much can be bad for your heart, Mark Porter talks to the Medical Director for the London Marathon to get an in...
Low NHS morale; Flying when pregnant; Sugary drinks & menarche; FGM
10 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
With the NHS facing significant and enduring financial pressures, as people's need for services continues to grow faster than funding, what impact is ...
NHS Satisfaction Survey; NHS & cancer; Headphones volume; P4 Medicine
03 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Diagnosing Cancer - why does the UK still lag behind much of Europe and what is being done about it? The American dream - personalised medicine based ...
Drugs link to dementia, Gluten-free, Heart disease in women, Social jetlag, Boilers on prescription
27 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
With widespread reports of a link between dementia and commonly used medicines, Inside Health assesses the risks.Why women are more likely to die from...
Mutant Flu, Weight-Loss Surgery, Young Men and Body Image, CVID, Dental Check-ups, Doctors' Example, Dry January Findings
20 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Mark investigates reports that the UK faces an epidemic of "mutant flu".Just a month after NICE calls for more weight loss operations to be done, ther...
Dry January and Nalmefene, PLAC Blood Test for Inflammation, Dental Check-ups
13 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter talks to leading experts about treating alcohol dependence with a pill and whether the required counselling services are available to m...
A&E in winter, Fruit juice, Opioid drugs and chronic pain, No evidence, Obesity
06 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Should fruit juice be dropped from the 5 a day fruit and vegetable recommendations?A&E in a mild winter - why has the NHS been stretched to near b...
GP incentives; Walk-in CT scans; Hot Flushes feedback; New anti-coagulants
28 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Financial incentives for GPs - do they work? Mark Porter learns there are parallels between the latest £55 to diagnose dementia and an incentive to d...
Private hospitals, Hyperbaric medicine, Sick day rules to reduce kidney damage, Warfarin
21 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
As more NHS operations are done in the private sector, how much do we know about patient safety in private hospitals? Kits to self-monitor warfarin ha...
Sickness Absence, Ankle Arthritis, Hot Flushes, Guillain-Barre Syndrome
14 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Inside Health examines advice for when parents should and shouldn't send their sick children to school. Is this another example of the nanny state, or...
Ebola, Painkillers, Immunity (CVID), Integrated Health, Thyroid and Pregnancy
07 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Ebola - how do they predict how it's going to spread, and why estimates have risen so rapidly.In the UK there are 22 million prescriptions a year for ...
Antibiotics, Winter Flu, NHS Continuing Healthcare, Snoring
30 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter reports on sleep apps, can they help with common sleep problems such as sleep apnoea? A new study reveals the failure of antibiotics fo...
Conflict resolution in Ashya King case; GPs near work; Lipoedema
23 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.
Conflicted Medicine: Public Health Campaigns
26 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter examines how powerful lobbying groups like the food and alcohol industries steer public health policy in the direction that suits them ...
Conflicted Medicine: Specialists and GPs
19 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter examines the hidden conflicts of interest that may affect how your GP or specialist treats you. He discovers that the advice patient gr...
Conflicted Medicine: Pharmaceuticals
12 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Are conflicts of interest in medicine out of control and undermining public trust, or an over-hyped concern? Dr Mark Porter investigates the hidden in...
HIV and MS; Black skin and cancer; Iron overload; Losing your sense of smell
05 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Porter finds out about the latest research investigating why people with HIV very rarely get multiple sclerosis. What does it mean for the cau...
Back pain and paracetamol, blood thinning drugs, drug driving, kidney stones
29 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Porter investigates a new research trial which shows that paracetamol doesn't help back pain. And why are blood thinning drugs being overused in ...
Statins, Cholesterol-lowering spreads, Olive oil, Diet and inflammatory bowel disease, Singers' nodules
22 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Some media coverage has suggested that there is a link between eating junk food and the rise of conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis...
Screening for Breast Cancer
15 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Switzerland looks set to be the first country in Europe to halt routine breast screening; yet in the UK a review of the same evidence came to the oppo...