We are a society gripped by constant pain of one sort or another—and life appears to be getting more painful by the year. In the UK alone, according to Liam Donaldson, the UK’s principle medical advisor, at least a third of all households—representing some eight million of us—have one or more members suffering from ...

Aspirin seems to have reclaimed the mantle of 'wonder drug' over the last couple of days with new research that recommends all healthy men and women who are 50 years and older should take one a day to prevent heart attack and stroke. It's not the first time that aspirin has been promoted as the ultimate prophylactic that needs to be ...

There are all sorts of exciting developments for retinal conditions. If you wish to read some, go to the 'My Vision' website. You'll also find some online check your vision tests there. In this month's newsletter on their site, there is an article about the beneficial effects of fish oil on retinal health. I can't find this ...

Nothing makes my blood run cold so much as hearing about a new variety of ‘preventive’ medicine. This alarming notion aims to stop disease in its tracks by treating the patient with a just-in-case remedy while he is still healthy. Yet, medical preemptive strikes don’t have a good track record. They’re usually at the heart ...

A reader’s husband, who is in his seventies, had triple bypass surgery two and a half years ago and has been taking aspirin and statins ever since. Recently, because of pain in his arm and increasing breathlessness, he took a treadmill test and is suspected to have more blocked arteries.  His wife is desperate to know if there is any ...