Chest x-rays have been around for 100 years and are still widely used in health care. According to the government’s ongoing National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI) a chest X-ray might be suggested for individuals with possible symptoms of lung cancer. The NAEDI website also states: `This is a standard procedure and nothing to
In the context of the ongoing and increasingly sterile debate about the pros and cons of statins to lower cholesterol, it is refreshing to hear something new. At a recent meeting in Quebec, researchers made the case that it might be more sensible to better identify individuals at heightened risk of heart attacks and strokes
During a recent visit to China I knew I was being watched. My family were also frequently photographed and videoed. But I don’t believe there was anything sinister about the surveillance – it was just that we were clearly behaving in a way seen as unusual or old fashioned withinmodern China. Rather than jumping on
Self-testing is now available to any individual wishing to rule out conditions such as diabetes, pregnancy and bowel cancer. Traditionally, however, screening for cervical cancer has required women to attend a GP surgery in order to have a small sample of cells scraped from the surface of their cervix by a doctor or a nurse. The sample
No screening test for cancer is 100 per cent accurate. While some individuals might benefit from having an early cancer spotted, many more will have abnormalities detected that, although suggestive of a cancer, turn out after further investigations to be completely innocuous. Such false-positives have led to concerns that cancer screening can result in psychological
Eighteen hundred years ago, Romano-Britons with a variety of medical conditions would have visited the healing temple at Lydney Park in Gloucestershire, with some of them drinking the iron-rich waters found there. One person left behind a small offering – perhaps in appreciation of a successful cure – in the form of a model forearm.
An internal examination is an unpleasant and uncomfortable experience for many women. The process involves a doctor inserting two gloved lubricated fingers into the vagina while using the other hand to feel for abnormalities in the uterus or ovaries. Traditionally the vaginal examination has been promoted as a way to screen for diseases in non-pregnant
The traditional view of Vitamin D is that it is essential for bone health. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to rickets in children; and osteomalacia in adults. These two conditions can lead to bone deformities with an increased risk of fractures. Beyond the focus on bone health the evidence for other health effects of Vitamin
Most people won’t know about Helicobacter Pylori (H.Pylori), a common bacterial infection of the lining of the stomach. Yet it affects around half of adults in the UK and virtually everyone by the age of seventy. Unfortunately H. Pylori often causes no symptoms but is associated with a number of significant conditions such as stomach
