Podcasts by Inside Health

How do cold and flu remedies help when we're ill? from 2023-11-08T11:29

As the nights draw in and the spluttering sounds of coughs and colds seem to be all around us, presenter James Gallagher is getting ahead this year and stocking up his medicine cabinet. He gets ...

What's stopping us from exercising in older age? from 2023-10-24T20:30

Exercise in older age is high on the agenda, but the idea that with age comes bags of time and a desire to ‘get out there’ isn’t true for a lot of us. How do you juggle exercise around caring fo...

Inside a sexual assault referral centre from 2023-10-10T20:30

The issue of sexual assault hasn’t been far from the headlines in recent weeks - but what kind of help is available for people who have been through it?

James visits Saint Mary’s Sexual A...

Migraines and Headaches from 2023-10-03T20:00

1 in 7 people live with migraines around the world, and the condition costs the UK economy billions each year. Attacks can be debilitating and all-consuming, but a new treatment recently approve...

When does sitting become bad for health? from 2023-09-26T20:00

How many hours do you spend sitting down per day? Six? Maybe eight? Or 10? Between commuting, working and relaxing, sitting can soon add up to hours and hours.

In this week’s Inside Health...

Why is syphilis making a comeback? from 2023-09-19T20:28

When the Government released the latest statistics on STIs in the summer, one in particular stood out. Syphilis. A sexually transmitted infection which might make you think more 1823 than 2023. ...

On the trail of a new street drug from 2023-08-15T20:00

What happens when a new drug hits the UK’s streets? And how are illicit drugs here changing – and why?

James follows the trail of the first case of “zombie drug” xylazine in the UK and hea...

What difference could new Alzheimer’s disease drugs make? from 2023-08-08T20:00

Until recently, breakthroughs in treating Alzheimer’s disease were non-existent. But two new drugs have shown promise in moderately slowing memory and thinking problems for people with early-sta...

Could weight-loss drugs treat addiction? from 2023-08-02T15:00

Barely a day goes by without more headlines around new weight-loss drugs, from the issue of global shortages, to investigations into suicide risk, and debate over just how long people will need ...

What happened to mpox? from 2023-07-25T20:30

One year after the peak of UK infections, can we determine what actions brought mpox cases down?

A year ago, mpox – the virus formally known as monkeypox – was spreading in the UK. These ...

How fast should you eat your food? from 2023-07-18T20:30

Our guinea-pig presenter James Gallagher has been eating either extremely fast or excruciatingly slow to figure out what our eating speed does to our health. Dr Sarah Berry from Kings College Lo...

How hot is too hot for human health? from 2023-07-11T20:30

After the hottest June in history and record-breaking temperatures last year, the UK is really feeling the heat. But, we’re not alone. Last week the world experienced the hottest day in history ...

Did Covid turn us into teeth grinders? from 2023-03-21T21:30

James Gallagher finds out if we've turned into a nation of grinders after reports from dentists of increased clenching and cracking of teeth. Margaret McCartney answers your feedback about the...

Parkinson's and Ballet from 2023-03-14T21:30

James meets Ian who has Parkinson's disease and hears how ballet has helped with his symptoms, as a major new review of the evidence shows exercise really does make a difference. And microplasti...

NHS weight-loss drug from 2023-03-07T21:30

James Gallagher asks whether a weight-loss drug on the NHS heralds a new era in tackling obesity? He meets Jan who lost nearly 4 stone after being part of a trial taking a weekly injection of Se...

Back pain from 2023-02-28T21:30

Lower back pain impacts millions of adults every year and, in many cases, diagnosis can be murky. Non-specific pain is personal and complex, driven by factors such as injury, sensitivity and per...

Sperm Counts from 2023-02-21T21:00

James Gallagher investigates whether there is a decline in male sperm including the results of his own sperm count analysis. He meets a couple who conceived after having treatment for a varicoce...

Psychedelics for depression from 2023-02-14T21:30

Can magic mushrooms help your mental health? James Gallagher cuts through the hype and examines the evidence to find out if psychedelics can treat depression. Presenter: James Gallagher Produce...

What soaring food prices are doing to our health from 2023-02-07T21:30

The cost of everything is soaring, but what toll is that taking on our health? We’re at a food pantry scheme in Coventry meeting mums Danielle and Ellie to find out how hard putting food on the ...

Women and heart attacks from 2023-01-31T21:30

Dawn had a heart attack but 'powered through' making the Christmas dinner before seeking help - because she put her symptoms down to anxiety and backache.

Her interventional cardiologist i...

Is a fungal pandemic possible? from 2023-01-24T21:30

James Gallagher asks whether the next pandemic might be an invasive fungi? Most people think of athlete's foot or fungal toe nails but the World Health Organisation recently issued the first eve...

Maggot therapy for difficult wounds from 2023-01-17T22:07

The rise of antibiotic resistance means that we need alternatives to fight infections - and some healthcare professionals are turning to maggot therapy to help clean up wounds. They might be tr...

Why is everyone ill? Can ketamine and therapy treat alcoholism? from 2023-01-10T21:30

Covid and other bugs have ripped through the Inside Health team, so we find out why everyone seems to be getting sick at the moment and if we will be facing a torrent of infections for months or...

Lazy Guide to Exercise from 2023-01-03T21:30

It’s January. Christmas is a distant memory and nobody feels much like getting off the sofa, but luckily this episode can help. James Gallagher is on a mission to find out what is the least amo...

How can a cold home affect your health? from 2022-11-01T21:30

James is in South Wales where he's wired up and locked inside a cryo-lab to discover the impact of cold on the human body. A temperature of 10C seems pretty mild doesn’t it - yet James is shocke...

GP Records, Serotonin&how we get cancer from 2022-10-25T20:30

Do you want to see your GP records at the touch of a button? That’s the plan in England, but doctors warn us freely opening them up to everyone is not safe. And we’ll explore a study that’s tran...

Still Shielding; Childhood Vaccinations; Antibiotic Use from 2022-10-18T20:30

Can you imagine moving out of the family home and watching your daughter grow up from a distance, all to avoid the threat of Covid? That’s the decision Shannon has taken because the drugs she ta...

Have I dodged Covid? And skin colour and health from 2022-10-11T20:30

I think I might’ve dodged Covid. Like many others, I’m fully vaccinated but have never tested positive despite having had plenty of opportunities to catch it. I used public transport to get to w...

Secrets of sewage science from 2022-10-04T20:30

Maybe listen to this one BEFORE you eat… James is off to meet the sewage scientists trying to stop the next pandemic. He meets the teams that were monitoring 80% of people’s faeces during Covid-...

A spoonful of sweetener from 2022-09-27T20:30

What do sweeteners do to our bodies? We force feed James cups of sweetened tea and find out with nutrition scientist Dr Sarah Berry from King’s College London. We then tackle something stronger ...

A good death with friends and family from 2022-08-09T20:30

Should friends and family be trained to give potent medications to those dying at home to relieve their symptoms?

We often say that we’d like to die peacefully at home when the inevitable...

Covid waves, Gene therapy for haemophilia B, New uses for old drugs from 2022-08-02T20:30

Smitha Mundasad asks whether we will see waves of Covid – with infections going up and down and then up and down again - forever more. We speak to Elliot whose life has been transformed after a ...

Are too many babies being diagnosed with cows' milk allergy? from 2022-07-26T20:30

Rashes, a runny nose and weird poos are all common in babies. Parents are sometimes told these symptoms mean their baby is allergic to cows milk and are prescribed low allergy formula or advise...

Monkeypox, mind body connections, are children exercising less since Covid? from 2022-07-19T20:30

What do you think bendy joints has to do with the way the brain works? Well you may be in for surprise. Scientists have found a connection with autism, attention deficit and Tourettes. So what ...

Medical language, chemo brain&heatwaves from 2022-07-12T20:30

Does medicine have a language problem? We speak to Rachel who was made to feel like a 'naughty schoolgirl' by the terminology used around the birth of her child. We’ll find out how deep-seated b...

How's your hay fever? from 2022-07-05T20:30

Aaaaaaaaa-choo! If you have hay fever then you know that it can be a right pain in the… nose. This week Inside Health presents a complete guide to hay fever. Are we enduring the worst hay fever...

The Power of the Dog from 2022-03-22T21:30

This week James Gallagher finds out if the Power of the Dog is true. No not the movie, but the claim that dogs can make us live longer. He’s also doing press ups in the studio to see if small am...

Long Covid revisited from 2022-03-15T21:30

It’s a long Covid reunion on Inside Health. We first met Jo, Neil and John in February 2021 when they were 12 months into the condition.

Another year on, we catch up with them to see if th...

Multiple sclerosis and the Epstein Barr virus from 2022-03-08T21:30

We get to the bottom of a medical mystery – what causes multiple sclerosis? A series of studies have compellingly pointed the finger at the virus behind glandular fever. We see if they stack up ...

Cervical screening, blood donation&measles from 2022-03-01T21:30

How often do we need a smear test? It’s become controversial now as a new test means women and people with a cervix need checking less often. But in the future the answer might be only once a li...

Rapid genome sequencing in the clinic from 2022-02-22T21:00

James meets a record breaking doctor who is analysing DNA so quickly it is transforming treatment in intensive care and from one of his patients, Matthew, who discovered he needed a new heart. T...

Can I take HRT forever&hydration myths from 2022-02-15T21:30

Can you take hormone replacement therapy - HRT - for forever? Three women talk about their different experiences of how they managed the menopause. We balance the risks and the benefits of HRT...

Pig organs for transplant patients from 2022-02-08T21:30

Can “one helluva pig” be the solution to a worldwide shortage of organ donors. People die waiting for replacement hearts, lungs and kidneys. So I meet the teams that have started transplanting p...

Covid boosters, Vaccine hesitancy in pregnancy, Group B strep from 2022-02-01T21:30

Will we need boosters forever? It’s the question you wanted us to tackle so we’re joined by Prof Beate Kampmann, the Director of The Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical M...

New therapies for sickle cell disease from 2022-01-25T21:30

Jimi Olaghere feels like he’s been reborn after a pioneering new treatment for sickle cell disease. Scientists have engineered his blood to overcome the disease that left him in constant pain. I...

Asthma inhalers and Covid antivirals from 2022-01-18T21:30

Are you one of the five million people with asthma in the UK? If so, could you be on a different inhaler - one that could control your asthma better while also being kinder to the planet? “Puff...

Omicron from 2022-01-11T21:30

Is an Omicron infection inevitable? Which drugs still work? Is this the last hurrah of the pandemic? This week we have three of the country’s greatest scientific minds teasing apart what Omicron...

New Year's Resolutions from 2022-01-04T21:30

Happy New Year. I hope you’re sticking to your New Year’s resolutions!

Our resident GP Margaret McCartney has dragged me out for a wintery run to discuss how to stick to a healthier lifes...

Prediabetes, Experiments in zero gravity from 2021-11-02T21:30

Beat pre-diabetes and get your love life back? We hear from two people who are trying to avoid getting type 2 diabetes. But not everyone thinks the term is helpful so our resident GP Margaret Mc...

PPE waste and blood test tube shortage from 2021-10-26T20:30

Flying London to New York and back. 244 times every day. For half a year. That’s the size of the carbon footprint of all the personal protective equipment used in health and social care in Engla...

Gene Silencing Treatments from 2021-10-19T20:30

The future is here. Gene silencing medicines - which can fine tune how our DNA works - have held promise for decades. Now hundreds of thousands of people will get them in the UK. James speaks to...

Covid vaccines: their legacy&vaccinating teens from 2021-10-12T20:30

The pandemic has strapped rocket boosters onto vaccine science. So where is it taking us next? What other diseases are we about to take on? Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert, architect of the Oxford vacci...

The Nobel Prize for Medicine, new plans to add nutrients to foods from 2021-10-05T20:30

Anyone need a hug? I’m taking a look at this year’s Nobel Prize for Medicine. It helps explain how we experience the physical sensations of touch, heat and cold. Yes it’s the hugs, tea and ice c...

Ultra-processed vegetarian&vegan foods from 2021-09-28T20:30

We’re going meat-free for this podcast!

The supermarket shelves are heaving with faux meats and vegan ultra-processed foods. And if you don’t want to put milk in your coffee or on your c...

The vulva&your GP medical records from 2021-08-10T20:30

Do you know your mons pubis from your labia majora? Few of us can identify the parts of the vulva - that’s the external female genitals. So I go exploring with Dr Fiona Reid from St Mary’s Hosp...

Long covid in children&treating normal blood pressure from 2021-08-03T20:30

My blood pressure is perfectly normal, but could I benefit from medication to lower it even further? We discuss with Oxford University’s Prof Kazem Rahimi and our resident GP Margaret McCartney....

Fewer periods, The link between erectile dysfunction and the heart from 2021-07-27T20:30

It’s time to talk about periods and contraception. Different birth control options alter the menstrual cycle. Journalist Nicola Davis tells me about her decade without periods and our resident G...

When to take your child to A&E, ear wax and happiness from 2021-07-20T20:30

Time for a sprinkling of happiness with a new exhibition at the Wellcome Collection.

Last time we heard how children's A&E is under huge pressure as infections, that disappeared during...

Increase in childhood viruses and can you be too fit? from 2021-07-13T20:00

Here at Team Inside Health we’ve noticed our children are constantly ill. So we find out why. Are all those bugs that were dormant for the pandemic suddenly having a resurgence? Or has a year a...

How to defeat needle phobia and football and lateral flow tests. from 2021-07-06T20:30

The Inside Health podcast is back with a bang!

Find out how having a couple of mates round for the football trapped scientist Alex Crozier inside a Covid experiment.

Laura talks us...

Recovery Trial from 2021-03-23T21:30

This is the remarkable story of how the UK’s Recovery Trial saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Covid patients.

It was set up in nine days, after a conversation on the number 18 b...

Covid vaccine side-effects from 2021-03-16T21:30

I was floored for three days with side-effects after having my first Covid jab and many of you have been in touch about your side-effects too. Why do some of us feel awful after the vaccine, wh...

Communication from 2021-03-09T22:30

Covid-19 has changed how doctors and nurses communicate with their patients,
Graham Easton is Professor of Communication Skills at Barts and QMUL , and he tells James about how doctors and nu...

Human challenge trials, Chess&memory, Dementia misdiagnosed from 2021-03-02T21:30

I have become hooked on playing online chess during this lockdown and after watching the Queen’s Gambit. So we’ll find out if it is actually doing my brain any good and whether it and similar ga...

Sexual health, contraception and tackling waiting lists from 2021-02-23T21:30

What has the pandemic done to our sex lives? We’ll hear if there’s been a baby boom with Dr Margaret McCartney and Dr Rebecca Thomson-Glover has the lowdown on sexually transmitted infections. W...

Long Covid, Vaccine queries from 2021-02-16T21:30

Most people recover rapidly after catching coronavirus. But I chat to three people who were infected almost a year ago and are still feeling the impact, both on their bodies and their minds. Listen

Covid Symptoms from 2021-02-09T21:30

A fever, cough or loss of smell and taste are criteria for a Covid-19 test, but what if you have different symptoms? James Gallagher discusses whether more symptoms should be added to the UK gov...

Mouthwash&dentistry during the pandemic from 2021-02-02T21:30

One or our listeners, Katharine, asks whether mouthwash can help stop the spread of coronavirus. We hunt down the answer with the help of biochemist Valerie O’Donnell, from the University of Car...

Exercise in the time of Covid from 2021-01-26T21:30

It’s an exercise special on Inside Health. This week Amanda wants to know how quickly she can get back to exercising after Covid. Dr David Salman has drawn up some advice and Dr Navjoyt Ladher e...

Oximetry at home, Rapid lateral flow tests for Covid from 2021-01-19T21:30

In Covid, oxygen levels in the body can crash without noticeable symptoms - it’s known as “silent hypoxia”. This week we’ll be discussing whether letting people monitor their oxygen levels at ho...

Statins and Nocebo, Vit D&Covid, new therapies for Covid from 2021-01-12T22:38

Should you take vitamin D pills to ward off coronavirus? Our own Dr Margaret McCartney has been sifting through the evidence in search of answers. Also clinical trials expert Dr David Collier of...

Covid in 2021&a blood test that claims to detect cancer early from 2021-01-05T21:30

2020 was awful. So what about 2021?

I chat with Prof Neil Ferguson to see how this year could play out and when life might return to normal. Cardiologist Dr Rohin Francis and cancer nurse ...

How Bangor Hospital's Intensive Care Unit is Preparing for Winter from 2020-10-28T16:04

Saleyha Ahsan reports from Ysbyty Gwynedd, her own hospital in Bangor, North Wales about how the Intensive Care Unit is preparing for winter. Saleyha meets Val and the Critical Care team who ha...

20/10/2020 from 2020-10-20T20:30

Covid-19 damages the lungs, leaving people struggling to get enough oxygen into their body. In the early stages of the pandemic many patients needed a lot of support in intensive care - includi...

Covid-19 Test and Trace; Non-drug trials in a pandemic from 2020-10-13T20:30

Margaret McCartney on National Test and Trace and why households are receiving multiple calls. Beth tells of being contacted many times when her child tested positive and began to think all the ...

Touch in Health Care from 2020-10-06T20:42

The Radio 4 Touch Test included questions about touch in health care. Dr Natalie Bowling who's a psychologist from the University of Greenwich helped to create the test with colleagues at Goldsm...

Antibodies to Covid in Kids, Covid and Colds, PIMS-TS, from 2020-09-29T20:30

The story of one child's recovery from PIMS-TS, the rare new condition that caught doctors by surprise in April. James Gallagher visits specialists at the Evelina London Children's Hospital to h...

Sticky Blood : From Blood Clots to Covid-19 from 2020-09-23T07:14

Thromboses - blood clots that form in the circulation - are easily the biggest single killer of British men and women. They affects people of all ages, races and ethnicities. Most strokes and h...

Flu Vaccine; Dentistry and Covid; Diagnosing Coeliac disease; NHS preparations for winter from 2020-08-11T20:30

How will this year's expanded flu vaccine programme be delivered? In addition to usual groups the flu vaccine will be offered to all eleven year olds, any household contacts of vulnerable people...

Bedside Covid Test; Longterm Covid Recovery from 2020-08-04T20:30

Dr Mark Porter on a new bedside test that differentiates between Covid-19 and other infectious diseases including flu in under an hour. Mark meets Dr Tristan Clark who has already been using the...

Prescribing Cycling; Temperature Checks; False Positives; Choirs and Covid-19 from 2020-07-28T20:30

As the Government announces GPs should start to prescribe cycling Margaret McCartney examines the evidence for exercise referrals with Harry Rutter, Professor of Global Health at the University ...

Public Health in the time of Coronavirus from 2020-07-21T20:30

Public health doctors don't dash around hospitals wearing white coats brandishing stethoscopes. The work of this medical specialty is mainly outside of hospitals and it has a very long history. ...

Covid-19 and ethnicity in medicine; medical devices safety review from 2020-07-14T20:30

One of the most striking features of the coronavirus pandemic is the disproportionate toll it’s taken on some groups in society. Research by the Office for National Statistics shows black people...

Covid-19 and the Impact on UK Cancer Services from 2020-07-07T20:30

Coronavirus has turned the NHS upside down and inside out and by re-organising to treat people with the virus, other potentially fatal diseases like cancer have taken a backseat. At University H...

Shielding; Pandemic Lexicon; Southampton Hospital; Doctor rejects NHS Superhero Tag from 2020-05-26T20:00

Tanya has rheumatoid arthritis, a compromised immune system and heart problems. Getting the virus is a risk she cannot take and this is the tenth week that she's been isolating at home with her ...

Longest Stay Covid-19 Patient; Health Inequalities; Agoraphobia; Covid-19 Testing from 2020-05-19T20:30

Claudia Hammond on the longest known stay for a Briton with COVID-19 in intensive care. A month ago Respiratory Physiotherapist Gemma Bartlett at University Hospital Southampton highlighted the ...

Acute Kidney Injury with Covid-19; Passive Immunisation; Online GPs; face mask interactions from 2020-05-12T20:30

There are a number of complications following infection with Covid-19 that doctors are continuing to find in hospitals. One of the most significant is an acute kidney injury or AKI which can com...

Diabetes&Covid-19; Southampton Critical Care; Antigen Tests; Cytokine Storm from 2020-05-05T20:30

Evidence from China, Italy, the USA and now the UK shows categorically that people with diabetes can get seriously ill if they're infected with the new coronavirus. Researchers are trying to unt...

Smoking vs Covid-19; non-urgent treatments; loneliness surveys; Southampton update, covid and the law. from 2020-04-28T20:00

It's well established that the best thing smokers can do for their health is to quit. Smoking contributes to many of the underlying conditions that undermine recovery from coronavirus and it is ...

Southampton update; health anxiety; death certifications; fast-track drug screening from 2020-04-21T20:30

Every week we’re heading to Southampton General Hospital, where we’ve heard a lot about the doctors and nurses doing amazing work. But this week Erika Wright has been talking to Gemma Blanchett ...

Covid-19 drug trial; Mental health alone; Southampton update; Antarctica's lockdown lessons from 2020-04-14T20:30

A range of potential treatments have been suggested for Covid-19 but nobody knows if any of them will turn out to be more effective in helping people recover than the usual standard hospital car...

Covid-19 and moral injury; Asthma; Southampton update; Mental health services from 2020-04-07T20:30

Claudia Hammond reports on Covid-19 and "moral injury" - when the virus peaks, some healthcare staff will find themselves in a situation never faced before, forced to make decisions they would n...

Dispatches from University Hospital Southampton; Covid-19 and loss of smell; intensive care access; coronavirus home care from 2020-03-31T20:30

When hospitals are full of patients, they're said to be "hot". The coronavirus crisis will push up the temperature of hospitals across the UK and in the first in a special series of weekly dispa...

COVID-19 PPE; Secondary Pneumonia; Viral Load; Trauma Care in Fort William from 2020-03-24T21:30

Margaret McCartney on COVID-19 and how the military has been deployed to get protective equipment supplies to critical care staff. Dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, Dr Alison Pitta...

Covid-19 Intensive Care Beds; Ibuprofen; Laser and Glaucoma; Faecal Incontinence from 2020-03-17T21:30

The UK has one of the lowest numbers of critical care beds in Europe but as the coronavirus threatens to engulf us, drastic measures are being taken to increase capacity. Dean of the Faculty of ...

Coronavirus Special from 2020-03-10T21:30

Inside Health gets exclusive access into Ysbyty Gwynedd, the Bangor emergency department, to see how they are preparing staff to deal with coronavirus patients arriving at the front door. Althou...

Hard Sell for Private Cataract Surgery; Language in Healthcare; Specialist Medical Travel Clinic from 2020-03-03T21:30

Inside Health hears from two patients, Surinder Biant and Sam Begum who went for a free eye check up with Optical Express. Both were surprised by a diagnosis of cataracts when previous eye tests ha...

Cigarette Filters; Sepsis from 2020-02-25T21:30

Chris van Tulleken examines cigarette filters - the tobacco industry's hidden marketing tool. He talks to historian Robert Proctor, author of The Golden Holocaust and May van Schalkwyk explains ...

Air Pollution; Infectious Disease and Healthcare Staff; Hymenoplasty from 2020-02-18T21:30

Evidence is building about the impact of air pollution on health, but the relationship between the cocktail of chemicals, gases and particles in the air we breathe and the direct effect on an in...

Coronavirus Transmission; Breakfast; Women and Heart Attacks; Personal digital assistants from 2020-02-12T10:29

Farrah Jarral on coronavirus transmission and the difference between a cough and a sneeze. Why is health research and media coverage about breakfast often contradictory? Farrah meets senior lect...

Respiratory Syncytial Virus; Coronavirus Vaccine; Unnecessary Vaginal Examinations; Compassion Fatigue from 2020-02-04T21:30

It's not a household name but RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus is responsible for 30,000 children under five ending up in hospital every year in the UK. The virus can cause serious infections ...

Coronavirus; Probiotics and Babies' gut health; Pill Organisers; Haemophilia therapy from 2020-01-28T21:30

James Gallagher, BBC health and science correspondent, and Dr Margaret McCartney talk about the new coronavirus and how GPs have been advised to manage a patient at risk. He meets listeners Rich...

Remote and Rural Healthcare from 2020-01-22T12:50

Nigel Edwards, Chief Executive of the health think tank the Nuffield Trust, joins Dr Margaret McCartney for this special programme about the challenges of remote and rural healthcare. Margaret t...

When to take Blood Pressure Pills; ADHD; Recurrent Fevers; Head lice from 2019-10-29T21:30

When is the best time of day to take blood pressure pills? A new study from Spain has hit the headlines, with dramatic results that could change practice but are the findings too good to be true...

Antidepressant withdrawal; chemotherapy backpacks; dizziness; over the counter gels for pain relief from 2019-10-22T20:30

Antidepressants and revised guidance from NICE reflecting that, for some people, they can be difficult drugs to come off; Margaret McCartney explains why this initiative is long over due. Chemot...

Zantac alert, Newborn brain injury, OTC guide, Surgery for reflux from 2019-10-15T20:30

Zantac alert over concerns that the branded reflux treatment is contaminated with a carcinogenic impurity, so what are the risks? And a new device helping to identify Newborn brain injury earlie...

Statins Over the Counter, Amyloidosis, Gene Silencing from 2019-10-08T20:30

There are plans to make high dose statins available over-the-counter without a prescription to improve uptake. Currently around two thirds of people likely to benefit most don't take them, but w...

Heparin and Pigs; Anticoagulants; Ovarian Freezing and Cancer; Thumb surgery from 2019-10-02T15:06

Mark Porter reports on shortages of Heparin, a drug to treat blood clots, due to swine fever in Chinese pigs! And staying with anticoagulants Margaret McCartney discusses concerns about taking t...

Prescription Charges; Acute Kidney Injury; MMR vaccine; Meningitis in Students from 2019-09-24T20:30

Why aren't prescription charges free across the whole of the UK? Acute Kidney Injury has shot up the NHS agenda in the last decade. Mark Porter visits Derby Royal Hospital to find out why kidney...

Singing for breathlessness, Aneurysms, Sunscreens and Myasthenia gravis from 2019-08-06T20:30

Dr Mark Porter finds out about 'singing for lung health', an evidence based therapy for helping people with breathlessness arising from conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. He ...

Bats and Rabies; Hip Dysplasia in babies; Online health tips; Clinical Law from 2019-07-30T20:30

What is the risk of catching rabies from bats in the UK? We answer this question prompted by a case at Mark Porter's surgery last week when a bat flew straight into a person in broad daylight. ...

Anti-inflammatories and ovulation; Probiotics and Parkinson's; Blood interval and patient forums online from 2019-07-23T20:30

Dr Mark Porter finds out why non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers can affect female fertility by preventing ovulation. Prof Richard Anderson from Edinburgh explains. And the link between ...

Declining male fertility, Diagnosing urinary tract infections in the elderly, Guide to health websites from 2019-07-16T20:30

Decline in Male Fertility and evidence sperm counts have dropped dramatically over the last 40 years but despite this, research into the understanding of male fertility problems have fallen behi...

Obesity and Cancer campaign; Intelligent liver function tests; Getting reliable information from websites from 2019-07-09T20:30

The new Cancer Research UK campaign that compares obesity to smoking as a risk factor for cancer has come under criticism; Margaret McCartney debates the issues with Professor Linda Bauld. And ...

Deprescribing from 2019-07-02T20:30

In a new series of Inside Health Dr Mark Porter explores the growing initiative to 'deprescribe'. The last two decades have seen a dramatic increase in prescriptions and over the counter medicat...

Moving the goalposts in research, Involving parents in the care of premature babies, Feedback from 2019-03-26T21:30

Fiddling figures in research and why it matters that outcomes aren't switched or goal posts moved; involving parents in the care of premature babies to improve recovery; feedback on the current ...

E-cigs, Prehabilitation before surgery, Hospital safety from 2019-03-19T21:30

Why vaping is dividing public health experts causing a polarised split; prehabilitation before cancer surgery and the benefits of preparing for an operation; plus can hospital safety be compared...

CBD oil, Dental phobia, Gout from 2019-03-12T21:30

Cannabidiol or CBD oil has had a recent surge in popularity but is there any evidence for it having any health benefits? Dr Margaret McCartney reviews the research. Mark visits the Dental psycho...

Deprescribing long-term opioids, Diagnosing concussion from 2019-03-05T21:30

Research suggests opioids don't work in long-term chronic pain but dispensing in the UK has risen four-fold since the nineties, and we consume more than any other country in Europe. There is a d...

Home fetal heart monitoring, Deconditioning in hospital, Alcohol harm paradox, Pre-eclampsia feedback from 2019-03-01T10:16

Regulation of Home Fetal Heart Monitors prompted by concerns that the burgeoning use of these devices could be harmful. Deconditioning - there is a popular adage that spending 10 days in hospita...

Online GP consultations, Pre-eclampsia and could aspirin treat cancer? from 2019-02-19T21:30

Dr Mark Porter investigates the digitisation of the NHS: are online, asynchronous GP consultations the future? He visits a GP surgery in Tower Hamlets to find out how patients are getting in tou...

Migraine, Iron overload, Redefining low-risk cancers from 2019-02-12T21:30

A new handheld device for migraine is being pioneered at Guys and St Thomas's Hospital in London. Using single pulses of transcranial magnetic stimulation the device is helping prevent and treat...

Genes and confidentiality; sore throats and cancer; diet for epilepsy; shaving for hospital drips from 2019-02-05T21:30

Genetics and confidentiality; a fascinating legal case where a woman is suing the hospital trust that looked after her father with Huntington's disease for not warning that she too could be aff...

Unproven IVF add-ons; Running injuries; DNA analysis on the NHS from 2019-01-29T21:30

Warnings that expensive, unproven 'add-ons' are being offered by IVF clinics ; Keen jogger Margaret McCartney asks whether rest helps running problems such as stitch, shin splints and plantar fa...

Conflict of interest, Living with a stoma, Diet books from 2019-01-22T21:30

Concerns about conflict of Interest and reputational damage. Should policy making organisations in the public health arena form partnerships with charities funded by industry? And living with a ...

Drug shortages, Eye drops for myopia, Is muscle more dense than fat? Sarcopenia from 2019-01-15T21:30

An unprecedented number of medicines are in short supply, according to NHS England. Doctors, pharmacists and patients all over the UK are finding common drugs like naproxen are more difficult to...

High Blood Pressure from 2019-01-08T21:30

Dr Mark Porter discusses High Blood Pressure , a silent threat that isn’t well managed, with only a third of those affected being diagnosed and treated as advised in the latest guidelines. Dr M...

Blood pressure pills and cancer, Aortic aneurysm repair, Sinks and hospital infection from 2018-10-30T21:30

Clarity behind recent headlines linking cancer to pills for high blood pressure; Margaret McCartney unpicks the numbers. And the aorta is the largest artery in the body so should it burst due to...

Epipens&Autoinjectors; Meningitis B Bedside Test; Age Related Macular Degeneration from 2018-10-23T20:30

Adrenaline auto injectors are used to treat life-threatening allergies, anaphylaxis, but there are severe supply issues with the brand leader, epipen, particularly with junior epipen and many pa...

France Delists Alzheimer's Drugs, Quality of Life After Hip Fracture, Prostate Cancer from 2018-10-16T20:30

France delists Alzheimer's drugs, a move that is a world first, after concluding that the dangers of side effects outweigh any benefits. Mark assesses the evidence and hears the arguments from F...

Placebo on Prescription: Hepatitis C Transplants, Genes and Back Pain from 2018-10-09T20:30

Until recently it was assumed that placebo pills would only produce a therapeutic benefit if patients didn't know that's what they had been given. But there are early suggestions that patients c...

Umbilical cord clamping, Natural cycles, Pedometers from 2018-10-02T20:30

When is the best time to clamp a baby's umbilical cord? It is a controversial question that has perplexed maternity units for years but new evidence from Nottingham has changed practice at the ...

Stroke man recovers speech, Apple watch and ECGs, Newborn heel prick test from 2018-09-25T20:30

Four years ago, Peter, a retired engineer from Gloucestershire, suffered a small stroke and lost the ability to speak. He communicated by hand signals and writing notes to his wife, Carol. But t...

Social prescribing, Topical steroid withdrawal, Pulmonary arterial hypertension from 2018-08-07T20:30

Every GP surgery should provide access to a dedicated social prescriber, according to the Royal College of GPs. Supporting peoples' non-medical needs - including housing, finance and social care...

Aspirin, Stroke, Best Interests, Lasting Power of Attorney, Bawa Garba from 2018-07-31T20:30

If you are taking low dose aspirin - typically 75 mg day - to protect against heart attack or stroke and you haven't been weighed then there is a good chance you are on the wrong dose. And from ...

Running, cycling and knee health, Adrenaline and cardiac arrest, Artificial eyes from 2018-07-24T20:30

Does running damage your knees? And is cycling any better? Runner, cyclist, GP and Inside Health regular, Dr Margaret McCartney goes to the new Motion Analysis Lab at Glasgow's Jubilee Hospital ...

Weaning Babies, Seeing the Same Doctor Saves Lives, NHS Research, Mental Capacity from 2018-07-17T20:30

The relationship between when babies are weaned and the amount of time they sleep has hit the headlines after a new study has been published. Now UNICEF has got involved. Margaret McCartney revi...

Biosimilars, Insomnia, Abortion at home from 2018-07-10T20:30

Copycat biologic drugs, to treat conditions from arthritis and psoriasis to breast cancer and lymphoma, could save hundreds of millions of pounds off the NHS drugs bill. Called biosimilars, thes...

Tamoxifen and Breast Cancer Prevention from 2018-07-03T20:30

Tamoxifen, the so called "statin of breast cancer prevention" is recommended for healthy women with a family history of the disease. So why are only 1 in 7 of those eligible taking it? And Mark ...

Acid Attacks and Corneal Grafts, Bowel Cancer Screening, Sports Prosthesis for Children from 2018-03-27T20:30

The UK has one of the highest recorded rates of acid attacks in the world, nearly 500 cases in 2016. Most of the victims are men and most have corrosive liquid, typically acid or bleach, squirte...

Ageing brain, Fish Oils, Adaptive Trials, Yoga from 2018-03-20T21:30

Deciding between healthy ageing and early dementia; how useful are modern imaging techniques in deciphering this difficult question that many families are grappling with. Margaret McCartney trie...

Cardiac Rehab, Withdrawing from Antidepressants, Middle Ear Implant from 2018-03-13T21:30

There are many myths about recovery from a heart attack. The most dangerous is that exercise is too risky. The truth is that for most people, they should be doing much more exercise, not less. P...

Diabetes Tech, Antidepressants, Stem Cell Therapy and knees from 2018-02-27T21:30

First urine testing then finger pricking and now high-tech scanning. The monitoring of glucose levels is undergoing a revolution for patients with Type 1 Diabetes. Dr Margaret McCartney reports fro...

Medical Cannabis; Hidden Blood in the Urine; Ageing and Immunity from 2018-02-20T21:30

There are questions in Parliament following the story of 6 year old Alfie Dingley who was refused medical cannabis to help relieve his epileptic seizures. But what is the body of evidence for medic...

Rickets, Drug addiction recovery, Defibrillator support from 2018-02-06T21:30

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 this completely preventable disease in the past ...

Blood Clots, Iron Supplements, Doctor's Bag from 2018-01-30T21:30

Over half of all blood clots are acquired during hospitalisation, particularly for surgery, so prevention is key. Deep vein thromboses - DVTs - typically occur in the veins of the leg and central t...

Microprocessor Knees, The 'Glasgow Effect', Mesothelioma from 2018-01-23T21:30

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. Standard prosthetic knees often meant frequen...

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research, HPV Vaccine, BRCA genes from 2018-01-16T21:30

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 promised breakthroughs in this area. Mark Port...

The Future Heart from 2018-01-16T13:00

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. About 2,000 people under the age of 65 a year will...

Flu, Cow's milk allergy, Robotic pharmacy from 2018-01-09T21:30

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 strain emerges. Dr John McCauley, Director of the ...

Medical detection dogs from 2018-01-02T21:30

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 Mark Porter investigates the evidence for whether ...

Antibiotics, Statins and Pneumonia, Neurosurgery for Epilepsy from 2017-10-24T20:30

The Chief Medical Officer has warned of a "post-antibiotic apocalypse" and "the end of modern medicine". As antibiotic resistance increases, the options to treat potentially deadly infections reduc...

Dr Google; Sexual orientation and the NHS; Hypermobility; Surgery for COPD from 2017-10-17T20:30

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 age of 16. Dr Google - are doctors' noses really...

Vaginal mesh; alcohol and the heart from 2017-10-10T20:30

Vaginal mesh, used for the treatment of prolapse and incontinence, has hit the news recently as women pursue litigation after suffering serious complications. But there have been concerns ever sin...

Big baby birth trial, Uveitis, Telephone triage, Burns from 2017-10-03T20:30

Mention arthritis and most people think of older people with osteoarthritic hips or knees. But children get arthritis too, although it's an inflammatory condition where the child's immune system a...

Scoliosis, Depression, Pets in Hospital, Eustachian Tubes from 2017-09-26T20:30

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 scoliosis here in the UK. Recent headlines claimed t...

Addiction services; Schizophrenia; Hearts and cancer from 2017-09-19T20:30

Inside Health reveals the poor state of addiction services in England with heroin and morphine related deaths the highest on record. Professor Colin Drummond raises concerns about a split in care b...

Breast density; Health education; Switching outcomes from 2017-08-08T20:30

Breast Density - the major risk factor for breast cancer that you may have never heard of. Health Education - a long term approach to changing attitudes to illness by encouraging children to be les...

Antibiotics, Lung Cancer, Dying of a Broken Heart, Gender Bias from 2017-08-01T20:30

Margaret McCartney unpicks recent headlines suggesting its okay not to finish your antibiotics; Lung Cancer screening in the high risk; Can you die a broken heart? Evidence suggests this is a real ...

PPIs, Aspirin and cancer, Radiotherapy and smoking from 2017-07-25T20:30

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 the world. They are recommended to be used for...

Hepatitis B vaccine, Sheds, Obesity Paradox, Taking part in clinical trials from 2017-07-18T20:30

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 weeks. Andrew Pollard, Professor of Paediatric In...

Robo-docs, using AI to diagnose; Pancreatic cancer; Statins and muscle aches from 2017-07-11T20:30

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 are and is developing an online tool using artifi...

High costs of cheap medicines, Can a simple blood test help identify cancer, undescended testes, Aspirin from 2017-07-04T20:30

Price rises of everyday medicines due to some manufacturers utilising monopolies; Can a simple routine blood test help identify cancer; A definitive guide on undescended testes with evidence for th...

Cholesterol-lowering drug, Defibrillators, Post-traumatic stress disorder and heart disease, Lack of drugs in pregnancy from 2017-03-21T21:30

Statins have dominated the cholesterol-lowering field for some years but last week the results of an international trial of Evolocumab, one a new breed of medicines for reducing cholesterol, was ha...

Bisphosphonates, IBS and diet, CRP test for infection, Randomisation from 2017-03-14T21:30

Clarification of new evidence that Bisphosphonates for osteoporosis may actually weaken bones if people are left on them for too long ; Dietary change using FODMAPS to treat Irritable bowel syndrom...

Opt-out organ donation; your body after death; what time of day to take blood pressure medication from 2017-03-08T15:30

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 them will wait for years and, sadly, hundreds wi...

Smoking in pregnancy; Lifestyle targets; Thyroid cancer; Flossing from 2017-02-28T21:30

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 and veg or 10, 000 steps a day? The incidence ...

Vitamin D, Air Ambulance blood trial, Phantom limb pain, Sitting-rising test from 2017-02-21T21:02

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 McCartney takes a look at the study that generated ...

NHS Special: What needs to give? from 2017-02-14T21:30

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 service creaking under unprecedented demand, a...

Over-the-counter prescriptions, Virtual reality in rehabilitation, Sore throats and antibiotics from 2017-02-07T21:30

Prescriptions for over-the-counter items cost the NHS millions each year; in 2015 paracetamol prescriptions alone cost £87.6 million. Mark talks to Paula Cowen, medical director at Wirral CCG, one ...

Why hernias, hands and varicose veins might not be treated on the NHS from 2017-01-31T21:30

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 local commissioners show what they are not prep...

Preventable deaths, Poo bank, Waterbirths from 2017-01-24T21:30

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 year in hospitals which could have been avoided, b...

NHS under pressure, Breast cancer prevention, Lactose intolerance from 2017-01-17T21:30

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 appropriate, but can the admin for funding requests be m...

Paracetamol, Prostate and HIFU, Uncertainty - Oxygen and Heart Attacks from 2017-01-10T21:30

Evidence suggests Paracetamol is neither as effective or safe as previously thought for chronic pain; Prostate cancer and new targeted treatments with fewer side effects plus feedback following las...

Prostate Cancer from 2017-01-03T21:30

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 reports on two landmark trials that could provi...

Dying at Home, Familial Hypercholesterolaemia FH, Delirium from 2016-10-18T20:30

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 Lancaster, The King Street and University Medi...

Meningitis ACWY vaccine, Testosterone for women, Allotments on prescription, Heart failure and iron from 2016-10-11T20:30

The Meningitis ACWY Vaccine was introduced last year to protect teenagers from year 9 in school to those starting university or college. But there seems to be confusion about how to get the jab and...

Ministrokes, Midwife study, Cyclic vomiting syndrome, Noise in intensive care from 2016-10-04T20:30

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 reassuring words that you'd been lucky. Follow u...

Breast cancer, Alcoholism, CRPS, Generics from 2016-09-27T20:30

Breast Cancer and Bisphosphonates; an old drug for treating weak bones can reduce the risk of breast cancer spreading, but many post menopausal women are missing out. Why? Alcoholism and Baclofen; ...

Welsh patient power, Liquid biopsies, Food allergies, Dosing errors from 2016-09-20T20:30

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 Wisely, it calls for a more equal doctor-patient ...

Obesity and smoking, Blood pressure, ADHD from 2016-09-13T20:30

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 should get lower. And after a rise of medicating...

Why Becomea doctor? 3. A Matter of Life and Death from 2016-09-02T16:00

Kevin Fong explores how doctors cope when things go wrong

Why Become a Doctor? 2. All Work and No Play? from 2016-08-25T14:34

The real lives of junior doctors today.

Why Become a Doctor? 1. The Golden Age from 2016-08-25T14:29

Was there ever a golden age in which to train to be a doctor?

Personalised Medicine: Dose By Design from 2016-08-16T19:02

Vivienne Parry asks if the NHS can deliver the benefits of genomic medicine for all

Zika in UK, Hip arthroscopy, Limits of cancer treatment from 2016-08-09T20:30

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. Keyhole surgery for the hip. Dr Mark Porter fin...

Statins in the media, Unusual neurological itch, The hunger hormone, Viagra from 2016-08-02T20:30

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 Ghrelin, the hormone that makes your tummy rumbl...

Braintraining and dementia; Cluster headaches; Cancer rehab; #hellomynameis from 2016-07-26T20:30

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 cognitive decline by a third over a decade, peo...

Papilloedema; Cardiac death in sport; Diagnosing early miscarriage; Warfarin from 2016-07-19T20:30

What is Papilloedema? The condition has been in the headlines as an optometrist was found guilty of manslaughter after missing abnormalities in the eyes of an eight year old child. Plus, Margaret M...

Care.data, Asthma, Acne rosacea, Pacemakers from 2016-07-12T20:30

Care.data, the scheme to build an enormous database containing the medical records of all English patients has been scrapped. Dr Mark Porter investigates the fall-out following the cancellation of ...

Multi-morbidity, one-shot radiotherapy during surgery for early stage breast cancer from 2016-07-05T20:30

David Haslam, chair of NICE, discusses with Mark Porter how doctors should treat patients with 'multi-morbidity', the millions of people receiving many different drugs for many different conditions...

Health checks, Fertility, Adjustment from 2016-03-29T20:30

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 attacks and strokes - but their introduction has be...

Preventive HIV therapy, Sugar tax, Bowel cancer, Surgery from 2016-03-22T21:30

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. The new sugar tax is supposed to tackle this, ...

Asthma, Visual snow, Confounding factors from 2016-03-15T21:30

Why asthma is both over diagnosed and undertreated. Professor Mike Thomas and GP Dr Margaret McCartney discuss this apparent contradiction and look behind recent headlines that half a million child...

Dementia advice, Antidepressants, Transplant organs, Vaginal seeding from 2016-03-08T21:30

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 you know when you're better and how can you tell...

Ovarian cancer, PBC, Treating severe head injury from 2016-03-01T21:30

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 population uses talc to some degree GP Dr Marga...

Charles Bonnet syndrome, Co-proxamol, Meningitis B vaccine, Smart tablets from 2016-02-23T21:30

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 people who are losing their sight through age-r...

E-cigarettes, Asherman's syndrome, Rugby from 2016-02-16T21:30

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 people quit. Robert West, Professor of Psychology a...

Chicken pox in pregnancy, Club foot, Test for Conn's syndrome, Teeth brushing from 2016-02-09T21:30

Dr Margaret McCartney reviews advice to pregnant women concerned about the Zika virus while Andrew Shennan, Professor of Obstetrics at King's College and St Thomas' Hospital in London tells Dr Mark...

Blood pressure, Palm oil from 2016-02-02T21:30

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 aggressive treatment were so convincing. This lo...

Folic acid in flour, Southampton FC and hip and groin pain, Online private doctors from 2016-01-26T21:30

Scotland is considering whether to add folic acid to staple foods like flour to protect babies against conditions like spina bifida. Frustrated at the lack of action by the UK government on the iss...

Hospital admissions and the 'weekend effect', Peyronie's disease from 2016-01-19T21:30

Dr Mark Porter unpicks the science behind the so called 'weekend effect'. Politicians have quoted research claiming that people are 20% more likely to die of a stroke at the weekend, while another ...

Health and Exercise Inside Health Special from 2016-01-12T21:30

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. In this special programme about the health be...

Pregabalin and gabapentin misuse, Natural birth after caesarean, Adrenaline auto-injectors from 2015-10-06T20:30

Prescriptions for nerve drugs pregabalin and gabapentin have risen dramatically in recent years and at the same time, concerns about abuse. Former prisoner and addict "Patrick" tells Dr Mark Porter...

Pollution, Falls in the elderly, False positives and negatives, Meningitis B and teenagers from 2015-09-29T20:30

As cars were banned from central Paris this weekend and the health risks of pollution hit the headlines, Mark Porter examines the statistic that pollution kills 29,000 people a year in the UK. And...

Cancer drugs fund, Winter flu vaccine, Bandy legs and knock knees, Peer review from 2015-09-22T20:30

For five years the Cancer Drugs Fund has supplied seventy five thousand patients in England with cancer drugs, but its days are numbered. Spiralling costs have led to a reduction in the number of d...

League tables, Nits, Feeling the cold, Language - Surrogate marker from 2015-09-15T20:30

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 their figures? New data published this week li...

Aspirin and heart attacks, BPPV vertigo, Patronising language, Carpal tunnel sydrome, Osteoporosis treatment from 2015-09-08T20:30

Dr Mark Porter presents a programme devoted to questions from the listeners. Dr Mike Knapton from the British Heart Foundation answers a question about whether aspirin can protect against a second...

Meningitis B, Hormones and depression, Statins, Unexpected heart attacks from 2015-09-01T20:30

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 the decision to include Men B in the national i...

Emergency abdominal surgery, Thermometers, Vitamins and dementia, Risk from 2015-08-13T08:56

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 they should not. Vitamins and dementia - a con...

Off-patent Drugs Bill, Pre-diabetes, Sepsis, All-cause mortality from 2015-07-28T20:30

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 we need a new law? Pre-diabetes - a new label t...

Asthma inhalers, Knee arthroscopy, Pelvic girdle pain, Medically unexplained symptoms from 2015-07-21T20:30

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 symptoms or does an inhaler give a performance...

Tax on sugary drinks, Low libido in women, Europe's largest robotic pharmacy from 2015-07-14T20:30

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 did the diagnosis originally come from? Is it a...

Gestational diabetes, Low-carb diets, Needle pain from 2015-07-07T20:30

Diabetes in pregnancy, gestational diabetes, is on the increase, and the risks to mother and baby if this condition is untreated, are very serious. Around one in fourteen pregnant women will develo...

Future of 7-day GP Access Pilots, Mers, Laughing Gas Health Risks from 2015-06-23T20:30

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 Sundays, that pilots have been abandoned. Dr Mar...

Cervical Screening in Older Women; Hepatitis E in Nepal; Enlarged Prostate; Significance from 2015-06-16T20:30

Cervical screening in older women has hit the headlines, but reports have not explained whether these women being diagnosed after 65 have attended screening. Concerns about an outbreak of Hepatitis...

Flibanserin; Strokes in young people; Outdoor swimming; Research terminology - Causation v Association from 2015-06-10T12:14

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 reservations. Outdoor swimming is the new trend fo...

Feedback on Teenage Pregnancy, Smoothies, AMD, Hospital Beds, Frailty, Feedback on Gallstones, Moles from 2015-03-24T21:30

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 eating fruit. Plus hospital bed numbers have been h...

Avastin, Peanut Allergy, Bowel Bacteria and Faecal Transplants from 2015-03-17T21:30

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 to the authorities asking for permission to ...

Cigarette Packets, Sex Education, Gallstones, Cosmetic Surgery from 2015-03-10T21:30

The big news in public health this week with the parliamentary vote on the introduction of standardised cigarette packets. A move the tobacco industry has resisted fiercely. Inside Health discusses...

Saturated Fats, Moles, Egg Freezing from 2015-03-03T21:30

Recent research was widely reported as concluding that 30 year old guidance to limit saturated fats had been overturned and should never have been introduced - and that we can now eat as much butte...

Drug Driving; End of Life Care; Smart Drugs from 2015-02-24T21:30

New drug-driving legislation which comes into force next week applies to some medicines too. Particularly morphine based painkillers taken by hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, many of whom...

Heart and Exercise, Smoking and Alcohol, Weight Management, Hepatitis C from 2015-02-17T21:30

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 insider's perspective. A novel psychological appr...

Low NHS morale; Flying when pregnant; Sugary drinks&menarche; FGM from 2015-02-10T21:30

With the NHS facing significant and enduring financial pressures, as people's need for services continues to grow faster than funding, what impact is all this having on NHS staff? New advice about ...

NHS Satisfaction Survey; NHS&cancer; Headphones volume; P4 Medicine from 2015-02-03T21:30

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 on your genes. Plus do headphones damage hearing?

Drugs link to dementia, Gluten-free, Heart disease in women, Social jetlag, Boilers on prescription from 2015-01-27T21:30

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 heart disease than men with cardiologist, Dr...

Mutant Flu, Weight-Loss Surgery, Young Men and Body Image, CVID, Dental Check-ups, Doctors' Example, Dry January Findings from 2015-01-20T21:30

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, there are proposals to slash the amount hospitals...

Dry January and Nalmefene, PLAC Blood Test for Inflammation, Dental Check-ups from 2015-01-13T21:30

Dr Mark Porter talks to leading experts about treating alcohol dependence with a pill and whether the required counselling services are available to make it work. And Mark finds out the state of h...

A&E in winter, Fruit juice, Opioid drugs and chronic pain, No evidence, Obesity from 2015-01-06T21:30

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 breaking point over the festive period? Dr Mark P...

GP incentives; Walk-in CT scans; Hot Flushes feedback; New anti-coagulants from 2014-10-28T21:30

Financial incentives for GPs - do they work? Mark Porter learns there are parallels between the latest £55 to diagnose dementia and an incentive to diagnose depression which didn't work and was dro...

Private hospitals, Hyperbaric medicine, Sick day rules to reduce kidney damage, Warfarin from 2014-10-21T20:30

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 have been recommended by NICE, so why is the upta...

Sickness Absence, Ankle Arthritis, Hot Flushes, Guillain-Barre Syndrome from 2014-10-14T20:30

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 a useful guide? Hip replacements and knee rep...

Ebola, Painkillers, Immunity (CVID), Integrated Health, Thyroid and Pregnancy from 2014-10-07T20:30

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 morphine type painkillers, costing over 300 m...

Antibiotics, Winter Flu, NHS Continuing Healthcare, Snoring from 2014-09-30T20:30

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 for simple infections. Margaret McCartney reviews...

Conflict resolution in Ashya King case; GPs near work; Lipoedema from 2014-09-23T20:30

Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.

Conflicted Medicine: Public Health Campaigns from 2014-08-26T20:30

Dr Mark Porter examines how powerful lobbying groups like the food and alcohol industries steer public health policy in the direction that suits them most.

Conflicted Medicine: Specialists and GPs from 2014-08-19T20:30

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 groups give you is also not immune to the influen...

Conflicted Medicine: Pharmaceuticals from 2014-08-12T20:30

Are conflicts of interest in medicine out of control and undermining public trust, or an over-hyped concern? Dr Mark Porter investigates the hidden influences affecting your health.

HIV and MS; Black skin and cancer; Iron overload; Losing your sense of smell from 2014-08-05T20:30

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 cause of MS and possible future treatments? Also i...

Back pain and paracetamol, blood thinning drugs, drug driving, kidney stones from 2014-07-29T20:30

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 NHS hospitals? New laws on limits for driving o...

Statins, Cholesterol-lowering spreads, Olive oil, Diet and inflammatory bowel disease, Singers' nodules from 2014-07-22T20:30

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 which involve inflammation of the digestive sy...

Screening for Breast Cancer from 2014-07-15T20:30

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 opposite conclusion. Dr Mark Porter asks how two gr...

Ebola, Bike saddles, Recording consultations, Insect bites from 2014-07-08T20:30

Public Health authorities have written to doctors in the UK to ask them to look out for cases of Ebola following the recent outbreak in West Africa which has killed nearly 500 people. Dr Mark Porte...

Statins; improving cancer survival rates; reflux and heartburn; recycling medicines. from 2014-07-01T20:30

Dr Mark Porter returns with a new series to address confusion about statins for healthy people rather than patients. Statins have hit the headlines as doctors debate the draft recommendation from N...

Hospital patients dying of thirst; Paracetamol; Saturated fats; Baclofen and alcoholism from 2014-04-22T20:30

Headlines this week claim that 'thousands of patients die in hospital of thirst' but did the authors of the study actually analyse hydration? Mark Porter investigates the evidence for using Baclof...

Video consultations, Low-fibre diets, Testosterone from 2014-04-15T20:30

Dr Mark Porter investigates the dramatic increase in testosterone prescribing; low fibre diets - why the traditional advice to eat high fibre is not always recommended. And having a consultation wi...

Anti-virals for flu, Bod Pod test for body fat, Patients' weight, X-rays and cancer from 2014-04-08T20:30

Tamiflu - the controversial drug - has been stockpiled by the government for use in a flu pandemic and endorsed by regulatory bodies including the WHO. With a new review of the evidence due this we...

Care of the dying, Birdsong in GP surgeries, Sex development from 2014-04-01T20:30

With a replacement of the controversial Liverpool Care Pathway expected over the next few months Professor Keri Thomas, National Clinical Lead at the GSF Centre for End of Life Care, debates the ne...

Stress and pregnancy, CBT for insomnia, Cluster headache, Smoking and mental health from 2014-03-25T21:30

Dr Mark Porter finds out why insomnia can often go untreated by the NHS despite there being a treatment that not only works but also doesn't involve drugs. There are nearly 11 million prescriptions...

Cancer of the cervix&HPV; Oral cancer&HPV; Eating late; Feedback on Sugar, Thrush, Cataracts; Scarfree operations from 2014-03-18T21:30

A committee advising the Food and Drug Administration in the US has voted to change the way it tests women for cervical cancer by solely using a test that detects Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) rather...

Sugar, Prescription charges, Thrush, Iron and strokes from 2014-03-11T21:30

Is sugar really addictive? As the Chief Medical Officer for England suggests that it is and a 'sugar tax' may have to be introduced, leading experts debate whether the white stuff on our table is r...

Scarlet Fever; Overtreating the over-80s; ICU and trauma; Feedback on constipation; Cataracts from 2014-03-04T21:30

Dr Mark Porter investigates a pioneering research project designed to reduce the psychological trauma experienced by more than half of critically ill patients after a stay in intensive care. Why do...

Selenium&Vitamin E supplements in men, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Childhood Constipation from 2014-02-25T21:30

Selenium supplements have hit the headlines with reports that men taking them can increase their risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer. Dr Mark Porter talks to leading expert on selenium, M...

Loneliness, Statins, Feedback on glucosamine and gut instinct, Cycle lanes and air pollution, Coughs and antibiotics from 2014-02-18T21:30

Dr Mark Porter investigates the health effects of loneliness and why some researchers believe being lonely is worse for your health than obesity. Also in the programme, as proposed new UK guideline...

Glucosamine for osteoarthritis; Alcohol addiction; Gut instinct from 2014-02-11T21:30

As NICE issues its latest guidelines for treating osteoarthritis, Inside Health looks at the use of paracetamol to relieve pain and is glucosamine a recommended supplement? Also in the programme, D...

Testosterone; Antidepressants in Pregnancy; Laptop Use at Night and Sleep; Shifting School Times from 2014-02-04T22:00

Why testosterone prescriptions are on the increase in the UK and growing concern amongst some doctors that these supplements may be linked to heart attack. Do the hours spent on laptops or tablets...

E-cigs; PPI feedback; Be assertive with your doctor; Prostate cancer diagnosis from 2014-01-28T21:30

As the government calls for a ban on the sale of e cigarettes to under 18s, Dr Mark Porter is joined by Martin McKee, Gerard Hastings and Robert West to discuss who is using them and how they are b...

Care data, New gastric balloon, Vocal dysphonia, Antacids from 2014-01-21T21:30

Recent reports say that as many as 2 million people in England could be eligible for bariatric surgery. Dr Mark Porter investigates if a new gastric balloon swallowed in a capsule could be a valuab...

Gender X; Diabetes diagnosis; Trigeminal Neuralgia; Oesophageal cancer from 2013-11-05T21:30

As Germany becomes the first country in Europe to pass a law allowing newborn babies to be registered as being of indeterminate sex - neither male nor female - should the UK follow suit?The incapac...

Free Vit D for kids, Exercise&depression, Asthma inhalers feedback, Fungal nails, GP pilots from 2013-10-29T21:30

Current recommendations advise that parents should give children under five Vitamin D supplements, but most parents do not follow this, and Vitamin D deficiency is now widespread, leading to a resu...

Diabetes Type II; Obesity; Feedback on Anorexia and Shingles; Lyme Disease from 2013-10-22T20:30

With news that actor Tom Hanks has been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, how far in advance can doctors predict the onset of the condition and what can be done to delay it. And is obesity a disease...

Vaccinations, One-to-one midwives, Leg ulcers, Asthma inhalers from 2013-10-15T20:30

How would you feel if your child's immunisations were linked to benefits or child care? In Australia, a full set of vaccinations is now a requirement for accessing most types of child care and clai...

Shingles vaccine; Energy drinks; Liver function tests; Anorexia from 2013-10-08T20:30

Margaret McCartney reports on confusion around the new Shingles Vaccine - including how old you have to be to qualify and why there's a lack of supply in some GP surgeries.Why readymade drinks comb...

Flu vaccine and narcolepsy, Stoptober, Herbal medicines, Calcium supplements from 2013-10-01T20:30

New research has found an association between Pandemrix, a swine flu vaccine, and a rare sleep disorder in children. Fears about a pandemic of H1N1 flu, so called "swine flu", over the winter of 20...

Parkinson's Disease, Breast cancer screening, Slimming pills, Sunscreens, Teeth from 2013-09-24T20:30

Following Billy Connolly's announcement that he has signs of Parkinson's Disease, Inside Health reports from the World Congress of Neurology in Vienna where early diagnosis is top of the agenda. S...

Whooping cough; fish oils and prostate cancer; aortic aneurysm screening in men from 2013-07-30T20:30

As last year's increase in Whooping Cough looks likely to continue judging from data coming out of America and Europe, Mark Porter finds out why it's on the rise and who should be concerned. Fish o...

NHS Health Checks, Blood Service, Crohn's Disease, Gestational diabetes from 2013-07-23T20:30

Dr Mark Porter reports on NHS Health Checks which are available to everyone between 40 and 74. Public Health England's Professor Kevin Fenton says this could save at least 650 lives, prevent 1600 h...

Appendicitis, Artificial hips, Temporal Arteritis, Urinary stones from 2013-07-16T20:30

Tailor made artificial hips - why we should learn more from failed joint replacements. The headache that really can be blinding and can cost you your vision unless treated promptly. Plus - why Elto...

Measles, Prostate, Juvenile arthritis, Scruffy docs, Xenon lung scanner from 2013-07-09T20:30

Prostate cancer and Sir Michael Parkinson's comments this week that the test 'is if you can pee against the wall from 2 foot' - Inside Health brings you the verdict. And stiff painful joints are us...

Hayfever management; Generic drugs; Diclofenac; Breastfeeding and cheese molars; Pacemakers; Antibiotics and MS from 2013-07-02T20:30

Should private clinics be offering out dated injections for hay fever? Cheese Molars - why do up to 1 in 7 British children have soft yellow teeth? And generics versus branded medicines - why pay m...

Preventing breast cancer, Iodine deficiency, Antibiotics for back pain from 2013-06-25T20:30

Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.

Breast cancer and Tamoxifen; Drug holidays; Medicines for children; Cardiac training range from 2013-04-23T20:30

Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.

High-intensity exercise, Measles, Teeth whitening, Voice-lift from 2013-04-16T20:30

As High Intensity Exercise regimes hit the news headlines, Inside Health sceptic Dr Margaret McCartney reviews the evidence for short sharp workouts. With new legislation restricting the use of te...

Red Meat&Heart Disease, Measles, Hypopituitarism from 2013-04-09T20:30

What's the story behind the headlines about the links between red meat and heart disease? Researchers have reported that the way meat eaters' gut bacteria process a substance in red meat, carnitine...

Obesity and Cancer, Fasting Diets and NHS 111 from 2013-04-02T20:30

Dr Mark Porter reports on NHS 111 - the new 24 hour urgent care number designed for the public to access urgent medical care. It was meant to go live across the whole of England this week but has b...

NHS Reforms from 2013-03-26T21:30

As part of NHS reforms doctors will be holding the purse strings from April 1st. In a special edition of the programme Dr Mark Porter finds out what the changes actually mean in practice. He meets ...

Alcohol pricing, Phages, Cervical smears, Swaddling and hips, Smart beds from 2013-03-19T21:30

The evidence behind minimum pricing of alcoholic drinks in England and Wales - putting the political debate aside, does it actually work? Could harnessing the power of phages - naturally occurring...

Antibiotics, cervical smears, premature labour, hip replacements from 2013-03-12T21:30

Following the chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies apocalyptic report comparing the threat of antibiotic resistance to terrorism, Dr Mark Porter looks at the overuse of antibiotics. H...

NHS reforms, epilepsy and pregnancy, thermometers from 2013-03-05T21:30

Dr Mark Porter questions Lord Howe, Minister for Health, as the government announces a U-turn to the NHS reforms following widespread concern that they would lead to privatisation by the back door,...

Clinical trials, Yellow cards, Chemo brain, Conduct Disorder from 2013-02-26T21:30

Dr Mark Porter puts the Pharmaceutical Industry in the spotlight as some clinical trials are criticised for testing new drugs against a weaker rival so that the results appear much better than they...

Drinking urine, diclofenac, pigeon fancier's lung, hospital food from 2013-02-19T21:30

Is it safe to drink urine, or even sea water in a survival situation? Mark Porter examines calls to withdraw one of the most widely used anti inflammatory drugs, diclofenac, because it increases th...

Shingles vaccine, Pill colour, First Aid, Contraception, Parkinson's from 2013-02-12T21:30

Dr Mark Porter investigates a new shingles vaccine for the over 70s. Is a chicken pox vaccine for children an alternative? And contraception for the over 35s: can you take the pill until the menopa...

Yellow cards, virtual autopsies, genetics and cancer from 2013-02-05T21:30

Why the reporting of drug side effects has dropped by a third in a decade - it's the responsibility of GP's and the general public to notifiy through the yellow card system - but it's on the wane -...

Alcohol, cancer treatments, hair, halitosis from 2013-01-29T21:30

Following the latest figures on deaths from alcohol, Dr Mark Porter talks to liver transplant expert Dr Varuna Aluvihare from King's College London, the largest liver transplant centre in Europe. ...

Asthma, Sunbeds, BMI, Dry mouth from 2013-01-22T21:30

New research suggesting that the ban on smoking in public places has led to a sharp fall in the number of children admitted to hospital with asthma. Sunbeds and cancer Dr Mark Porter examines clai...

Junk food, asthma and eczema; salt; fingerprinting; TGA; amitriptyline from 2013-01-15T21:30

Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.

Dementia, Sleep, Thyroxine from 2013-01-08T21:30

Dr Mark Porter explores Dementia Challenge - the Department of Health's much publicised campaign to improve dementia care, including a new scheme to test everyone over 75 who's admitted to hospital...

Self-Harm, Insulin Pumps, Night Terrors, Penile Cancer from 2012-10-23T20:30

Dr Mark Porter discovers that three quarters of people with diabetes who are likely to benefit from an insulin pump are not on one. He talks about the cancer that no one talks about - cancer of the...

Edge of space, Laparotomy, Tremor, Pyjamas from 2012-10-16T20:30

Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking freefall from the edge of space was witnessed online by 8 million people around the world this week. The jump was well-planned and included equipment to enable h...

Stem cells, Functional disorders, Epilepsy, Stoptober, Whiplash from 2012-10-09T20:30

As the Nobel Prize for Medicine announced this week recognises stem cell research, Dr Mark Porter asks if it's already making a difference to patients. And imagine waking up with numbness in your ...

What Doctors Don't Tell You, hepatitis E, vertigo from 2012-10-02T20:30

The latest addition to the burgeoning ranks of health magazines on the newsagent's shelves is called What Doctors Don't Tell You. The headlines on the front of this month's edition promise to help ...

'SARS-like' virus, reflux heartburn, corrective baby helmets from 2012-09-25T20:30

In Inside Health this week Dr Mark Porter asks whether headlines identifying a 'SARS Like' virus may cause unnecessary alarm. While this new virus and SARS are both members of the same family, viro...

Ovarian cancer screening, BP tables, Cough, Vegetarianism, Gallstones from 2012-09-18T20:30

Ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer - because its symptoms can often be vague - bloating, abdominal discomfort and feeling full after eating. An American medical body says that screening a...

Viruses and asthma, osteoarthritis, cartilage repair from 2012-09-11T20:30

Dr Mark Porter dispels myths about osteoarthritis. It is usually put down to ageing and the result of wear and tear with people told that the condition inevitably leads to surgery. Mark Porter inve...

New HIV test, Vitamin D and TB, Vitamin B12, mouth ulcers from 2012-09-04T20:30

HIV testing The first over-the-counter DIY testing kit for HIV is expected to go on sale in America in the next month. It's said to allow people to screen potential sexual partners for HIV before d...

BP reax, fibroids, access to notes, botox from 2012-08-28T20:30

As many as 2 million people in the UK may have been misdiagnosed with high blood pressure - getting treatment they don't need. But how many of them have so-called "white coat hypertension" - where ...

Over-diagnosis: High Blood Pressure from 2012-08-21T20:30

Dr Mark Porter asks whether doctors can try too hard in the early detection of disease and investigates the overdiagnosis of hypertension. This week he discovers that as many as 3 million people wh...

Over-diagnosis: Chronic Kidney Disease from 2012-08-14T20:30

Dr Mark Porter finds out that some medical conditions are over-diagnosed and therefore over-treated, because of the results of certain tests.

Steroids, the killing season, telehealth, Dupuytren's from 2012-08-07T20:30

Apart from a few cases that hit the headlines, the use of anabolic steroids is rare among the athletes in the Olympic village. But in the wider society abuse has exploded, according to an expert fr...

Liver disease, Hepatitis C from 2012-07-31T20:30

If you believe recent headlines the growing increase in deaths from liver disease is entirely down to excessive alcohol consumption, but it's estimated that two thirds of liver related deaths are c...

GP Access, Telehealth, ICU, Sewage from 2012-07-24T20:30

Do you have trouble getting an appointment to see your GP? If so, you are not alone. A Department of Health review from 2009 suggested that as many as 200,000 patients a day struggle to get a consu...

Whooping cough, Cardiac screening, Antibacterials, Selfcare, Xbox from 2012-07-17T20:30

Whooping cough is on the rise - but the official figures could be the tip of the iceberg, according to one doctor. Retired GP from Nottinghamshire Dr Doug Jenkinson has spent most of his profession...

Coughs, vocal cord dysfunction and athletes, taste and smell, waiting room toys from 2012-07-10T20:30

Dr Mark Porter debates whether the recent lung cancer awareness campaign on TV, radio and the internet, hits the spot or is scaremongering. He discovers new research suggesting some people with exe...

GI bleeds, pregnancy and working, frozen shoulder, patient surveys from 2012-07-03T20:30

50,000 people end up in hospital every year in the UK because of bleeding from the top end of the gut - an upper gastrointestinal bleed. Around 1 in 10 of them will die. Gastrointestinal or GI blee...

Teenage depression, Choir, Heart failure, Protein shakes from 2012-04-24T21:00

In Inside Health, Mark Porter clarifies recent headlines claiming that researchers have found a "Blood test that identifies depression". It certainly isn't that simple. GP Margaret McCartney repo...

Whooping cough, maternal deaths, blushing, intestinal transit from 2012-04-17T21:00

Whooping cough is making a comeback - the latest figures show that there were more confirmed cases in the first 3 months of this year than there were in the whole of 2010. But the condition can onl...

Morphine and the heart, antibiotics and the appendix, sick notes, blood tests, painkillers from 2012-04-10T21:00

Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us. Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation, discusses with Mark new ...

Prescription charges, HPV vaccine, tattoos, cycle helmets from 2012-04-03T21:00

Should prescriptions be free for everyone? They already are in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland - so why aren't they in England? The BMA says the current list of exemptions is unfair and outdat...

Aspirin, holiday sickness, ADHD from 2012-03-27T21:00

Aspirin is over 100 years old, but doctors still can't agree whether the benefits of taking it to prevent heart conditions or cancer outweigh the risks.Dr Mark Porter investigates. And - you've wor...

PCOS, garlic, PSA test, dignity from 2012-03-20T22:00

Dr Mark Porter demystifies discusses polycystic ovary syndrome, the health benefits of garlic, the PSA test for prostate cancer, and concerns over patients' dignity.

Red meat and heart health, carbon monoxide, screening, joints supplements from 2012-03-13T22:00

A new study shows that a diet rich in red meat increases the risk of developing bowel cancer - so how much is too much? Professor Tom Sanders from Kings College, London, explains how a rise in obes...

Vitiligo, diabetes care, knee implants, masks, social media from 2012-03-06T22:00

In Inside Health tonight, Dr Mark Porter tackles the confusion and prejudice that surrounds the skin condition Vitiligo - famously said to have been the reason why Michael Jackson skin looked so li...

Sleep tabs death, e-cigs, GP examples, underactive thyroid and pregnancy from 2012-02-28T22:00

10 million prescriptions for sleeping pills are written every year in England. So how alarmed should we be over new American research suggesting that people who take them are more likely to die tha...

Anti-smoking incentives, ACE inhibitor cough, Raynaud's, fizzy drinks from 2012-02-21T22:00

Dr Mark Porter demystifies the health issues that perplex us and separates the facts from the fiction. He brings clarity to conflicting health advice, explores new medical research and tackles the ...

Patient records, cholesterol, statins, whiplash from 2012-02-14T22:00

As the Prime Minister announces his efforts to reduce compensation claims for whiplash, Dr Mark Porter asks are doctors having the wool pulled over their eyes? Or are drivers and passengers making ...

Hospital infections, nutrition, gout, gluten, Shockwave, tennis elbow from 2012-02-07T22:00

Dr Mark Porter demystifies the health issues that perplex us and separates the facts from the fiction. He brings clarity to conflicting health advice, explores new medical research and tackles the ...

Pseudomonas, anti-coags, alcohol, pres drugs, high heels from 2012-01-31T22:00

On Inside Health this week, the bacteria Pseudomonas that's been responsible for a number of deaths in special care baby units in Northern Ireland. Mark Porter asks Prof Richard James, Director of...

NHS bill, tinnitus, pedestrians, teenage info, Vitamin D, cough mix from 2012-01-24T22:00

Inside Health covers the ongoing debate about proposed reforms to the NHS in England. This week Colleges representing nurses, midwives and physios have joined sceptical GPs and hospital specialists...

Health bill, Memory, Resuscitation, Flu from 2012-01-17T22:00

The programme that uncovers the real stories behind the health headlines, providing clarity where there's confusion. First, a subject that looks set to be in the headlines this week - growing disq...

Med devices, Testosterone, Itching, BP, Pills, Tourette's from 2012-01-10T21:30

New Series: Dr Mark Porter demystifies the health issues that perplex us and separates the facts from the fiction. He brings clarity to conflicting health advice, explores new medical research and ...