In the Star Wars films there is a seesawing battle between the empire and the “rebels”. Through the initial three-film trilogy each side is in the ascendency at differing times. Whilst not a perfect analogy, it is interesting to apply this concept to battles in...
Would it be big news if one third of athletes felt that using performance-enhancing drugs was not a form of cheating? Would this be even bigger news if 20% admitted doing so? I think it would be. Many people would be outraged. There would be calls for action and a...
There is a very old maxim in medicine, which is first, do no harm. Once upon a time this was fairly easy to comply with, as there was little doctors could actually do. Today many tests and treatments can cause or lead to considerable harm. This does not mean they...
A major review of the data behind the anti- flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza was released earlier this month. Governments worldwide spent billions of dollars stockpiling these drugs (Tamiflu particular) to release in case of a pandemic. This was based on them reducing...
A survey has shown that nearly half of American adults believe there are conspiracies in health to cover things up. This sounds crazy but lets reserve judgment for the minute. Here is something that should concern all of us. Whilst we hear about the wonders of...
When you pick up a bottle of over-the-counter medication to treat symptoms of an illness in your child, you do so with the belief that anything you can purchase from a pharmacy shelf is probably safe for use. While over-the-counter medications may be marketed to kids,...
