What Your GP Doesn't Tell You

04/09/2024

In my latest podcast, NHS cardiologist Dr Scott Murray discusses the risk factors for cardiovascular disease; the figures you need to understand when you get your cholesterol and triglyceride levels measured; and why you should fast before this test - something few patients are told.

When we get our cholesterol measured, we get four figures: our total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and our triglyceride level. Usually, the only figure focussed on is the amount of LDL, but Murray argues we need to look at all the data not just one figure in isolation to get an accurate idea of our risk of heart disease and how to prevent it.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Ul2SCTI5AyN3jz6wdubpD

20/08/2024

In my latest podcast, Professor Sarah Berry discusses how personalised nutrition is revolutionising our understanding of food, and revealing how different groups and individuals can have hugely varying responses to the same food.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2vqcqhy8MN0xEXMxAP4WQd

08/08/2024

In my latest What Your GP Doesn't Tell You podcast, dentist Dr Victoria Sampson argues that while the gut microbiome gets a huge amount of attention and research funding, in contrast the oral microbiome is almost entirely ignored. Yet, the two are closely linked and poor oral biome health is connected to a range of chronic conditions from heart disease and Alzheimer's to arithitis and diabetes.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2QXhsPa6PlxY2AIz2b23gd

25/07/2024

My latest What Your GP Doesn't Tell You podcast with Dave Feldman discusses how early research from the Citizen Science Foundation suggests that high cholesterol levels on a keto diet may - at least for those who are slim & metabolic healthy - not be a risk.

And reveals the result of an experiment showing that Oreo cookies could substantially lower cholesterol, which hopefully, I don't need to add is not a recommended medical intervention! But what it does reveal are the big gaps in our current understanding of cholesterol and how it works in our bodies.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Zh8itLPZp5eL3RZdHklvy

09/07/2024

In my latest What Your GP Doesn't Tell You podcast, oncologist Prof Robert Thomas - who uses all the conventional cancer treatments too - explains why he believes that lifestyle and gut health can play a key role in improving outcomes.

Robert says for the newer biological therapies which require a patient to have robust immunity, research is revealing that a healthier lifestyle and gut health, can improve the chances of responding well to these biological agents by 30-40%.

In our conversation, Robert discusses studies using several probiotic supplements. The details are available on the podcast show notes. Neither he nor I have a commercial interest in any of the products discussed.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2hsbUgM9XVHp5CEq2Q0m0M

25/06/2024

In my latest podcast with journalist Tom Mueller, he discusses his investigation into the US dialysis industry and why US kidney dialysis patients have almost twice the death rate of Europeans.

He argues what he found is a cautionary tale not just about dialysis, but about the impact on healthcare of for profit medicine in general.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4hpdikWNI8z0PJ7lmZyz4U

14/06/2024

In my latest podcast, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Michael Moss, reveals how the food industry engineer their products to be irresistible.
https://open.spotify.com/show/4t91rpNpUQMdzJixpJU79n

30/05/2024

In my latest podcast, addiction psychiatrist Dr Anna Lembke reveals how sugar and highly processed food have a similar effect on our brains to addictive drugs - which explains why some patients can become addicted to certain foodstuffs.

As our consumption of ultra processed food has increased, Lembke has seen more and more patients with food addiction.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qEBCHXbVd6u9JwsPx15RV

14/05/2024

New series of my What Your GP Doesn't Tell You podcast starts today. Kicking off with a series of three podcasts in conjunction with the International Food Addiction Consensus Conference taking place in London on 17 May.

The first one with Dr Rob Lustig asks if people can really become addicted to food, as they do drugs or alcohol?
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7IkyM0ZFxutUyqt1HMzmmG

12/04/2024

In my latest podcast about allergies with Dr Sophie Farooque, she explains why - perhaps counter initivitively - it is important to expose young children to a wide variety of foods to prevent allergy, including potentially hypoallergenic ones.

She also discusses effective treatments for hayfever, and why if you are allergic to one cat, you're likely to be allergic to them all, but that's not necessarily the case for dogs.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/allergies-what-you-need-to-know/id1640338805?i=1000651164792

05/04/2024

In my latest podcast, I talk to NHS consultant allergist Dr Sophie Farooque about why allergy rates across the world are higher than ever before and what we can do about this.

In hay fever season, she says we shouldn't take a nasal decongestant, as this actually cause rebound symptoms, and ends up making the condition worse. And she recommends avoiding the hay fever (steroid) injection - a drug known as Kenalog - which can cause serious side effects.

In fact, the NHS also advises against its use. However, Kenalog is available from private clinics and pharmacies. Although it can be prescribed privately, there is an enforcement notice from the UK drug regulator, the MHRA, and the Advertising Standards Authority, which doesn't allow the advertising of the drug for hay fever on websites and social media. Despite this, when I looked yesterday, a number of places appeared to be advertising it.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/allergies-what-you-need-to-know/id1640338805?i=1000651164792

28/03/2024

Why do so many diets fail?

According to my latest podcast guest, Dr Jason Fung, a nephrologist, it's because we all have a sort of fat thermostat which tries to keep our body within a particular weight range. And studies have shown if we drop below this weight, our bodies will produce hormones to make us feel hungrier than we did before the diet. In addition our metabolism will slow down and research suggests evidence of this slowed metabolism can be seen even a year after the diet. So that we are actually able to eat less than we did before.

So the question is how can we reset our fat thermostat to prevent this? And it's all about the food you choose to include in your diet and when you eat it.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/why-hormones-not-calorie-counting-may-be-key-in-obesity/id1640338805?i=1000649689414

21/03/2024

My latest podcast is with Dr Jason Fung who argues that much of what we think we know about weight loss is simply wrong and that dieting may actually make the problem worse not better.

Jason argues that calorie counting is an overly simplistic approach and the critical factor in losing weight is hormones not calories.

He says that we all have what is effectively a fat thermostat in our bodies that tries to keep our body within a particular weight range, so if we try to lose weight and drop below this, our metabolism will do its very best to sabotage our diet, so that it’s harder for us to lose the weight and easier for us to regain it.

But all is not lost because there is a solution, changing what and when we eat, which can reset our fat thermostat.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2f4toL1SlVmseHMTBGNRtX

12/03/2024

The media's reporting on the weight loss drugs has been so poor. Several recent articles in The Times illustrate the problem. The paper has reported that Wegovy reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%. But actually what the trial showed was in the placebo group, there was about an 8% chance of cardiovascular disease. But if you took Wegovy this reduced the risk to 6½%. So the absolute risk reduction was 1.5%. (The relative risk was as The Times reported 20%.)

For any drug the absolute risk reduction is the figure you need, but too often the relative risk is reported because it sounds more impressive. For anyone interested in further info, I've gone into further details about difference between relative and absolute risk in the comments.

And the key fact The Times omits to mention at all, is that the trial was funded by the manufacturer and study after study has shown that manufacturer funded trials are more likely to reported positive results.

Kasim Kutay recalls when he realised that the drug, which transformed his company Novo Nordisk into the biggest in Europe, was a real breakthrough

08/03/2024

In my latest podcast, I talk to nutritionist Beth Kania-Zupec who has spent the last thirty years developing very low carb - or ketogenic - diets to treat a range of neurological and psychiatric conditions, and she has worked with many of the leading neurologists and psychiatrists in the field. There is increasing evidence that this dietary approach can actually be more successful than drug therapies. And even works for epilepsy which can't be successful treated with medication.

She reveals her tips for successful transitioning to a keto diet and maintaining that lifestyle.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-secrets-to-a-successful-keto-diet/id1640338805?i=1000648054112

27/02/2024

Staggering post on Reddit "Ask Psychiatry" Group:
"I am a psychologist working with a 6 year old who has a diagnosis of ADHD and Autism. He is taking eight medications including Quillivant, Ritalin, Intuniv, Seroquel, Lamictal, Clobazam, and Mirtazapine.

Less than a year ago he was only taking Ritalin. His mood was stable and the data provided by the school indicated there were no major concerns beyond attention and social skills.

His mother updates me on dosage changes monthly. It seems they are changing his medication every time I talk to her.

In the past six months since adding all these medications, this child has started having these new symptoms -Homicidal ideation -Suicidal ideation -Dizziness -Sleepiness, throughout the day, sleeping for up to 5 hrs at school -Diarrhea -Taken to ER at recommendation of school nurse due to heart rate

I do not want to question the psychiatrist as I am not the professional on this topic. But I am curious. Does it seem appropriate for a small child who had no previous ED concerns to be taking so many medications and have them change so frequently".

23/02/2024

In all the hype over weight loss drugs, one fact seems frequently forgotten. Once people stop taking the meds, they regain a lot of their weight. That means patients will potentially have to take them for life. So exactly what are the risks and benefits of these drugs ?

Find out in my latest podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3kvjfha9r7SHxyxI2qFiMM

13/02/2024

The whole point of cancer screening is to save lives, but the NHS has proposed a low sensitivity screening threshold for the bowel cancer FIT test, which will reduce the number of cancer cases spotted early. This is due to NHS resources not being able to cope if too many cases are identifed. Madness!

09/02/2024

In my latest podcast, Dr Mark Horowitz explains how to deprescribe from psychiatric drugs and taper off them safely.

He reveals to minimise serious withdrawal effects, patients need to come off their medications far more slowly than doctors have advised in the past. Remarkably it turns out that a 1mg dose can have almost half the effect of a 20 mg dose which means patients need to taper far more gradually as they move down to smaller and smaller doses of a drug.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/deprescribing-from-psychiatric-drugs-the-problems/id1640338805?i=1000644331655

01/02/2024

Could it be a vegetarian or vegan diet may not be best for physical and mental health?

In my latest podcast, psychiatrist Dr Georgia Ede explains why she thinks animal foods are an important part of a healthy diet. And reveals how early studies using a nutritional approach are achieving 6-10 times the effect of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs.

‎Show What Your GP Doesn’t Tell You, Ep Could Changing Your Diet Improve Your Mental Health? - 23 Jan 2024

25/01/2024

In my latest podcast, psychiatrist Dr Georgia Ede explores how diet can affect our mental well being. And she reveals how early results are suggesting that for a range of mental illnesses from bipolar disorder to schizophrenia, that diet may have a 6-10 times greater effect than any medication.

Ironically, the psychiatric drugs used to treat many of these mental health conditions, which Georgia argues can also be useful, can at the same time actually worsen metabolic health, which then has a negative impact on brain health...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IcDPmXJR5PNgXO3ryy9Nr

09/01/2024

In my latest podcast, I talk to Dr Lisa Sanders, whose Diagnosis column in the New York Times magazine, was the inspiration for the Fox medical series House MD. The show in which Hugh Laurie playing Dr Gregory House, managed to diagnose the most obscure of medical conditions.

But today Lisa has a rather tougher challenge than arguably Hugh Laurie ever faced, she’s started running a clinic for long covid. Finding effective treatments for the condition has so far largely eluded doctors.

However, Lisa reveals approaches that it does appear can help at least some patients and argues that we need to see this illness in the context of many other post acute infection syndromes. Controversially, her theory is that it required enough doctors to get sick from long covid for the profession to start taking these syndromes more seriously.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uiUd1mGELlJOUOFzQQGDg

11/12/2023

Because the drug thalidomide was never approved in the US, it was thought that the States had escaped its tragic consequences. But new research reveals that was very far from the case.

Journalist Jennifer Vanderbes' six years of research has discovered how the drug was prescribed by doctors pre-approval. From the data and documents Vanderbes has uncovered, she estimates that around 5 million doses of the drug were in circulation.

You can listen to the full story here:
Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thalidomide-the-story-you-dont-know-part-one/id1640338805?i=1000634754723
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thalidomide-the-story-you-dont-know-part-two/id1640338805?i=1000636763774

30/11/2023

The final part of my podcast on thalidomide is now available. A new six year investigation by journalist Jennifer Vanderbes, reveals that even more babies were harmed by the drug than has previously been thought.

Unbelievably, 5 million doses of the drug were in circulation in the US, even though it was never approved for use there, the consequences have been devastating...

It's a two part story, so if you haven't heard part one, please do go back and listen to that first.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/thalidomide-the-story-you-dont-know-part-two/id1640338805?i=1000636763774

17/11/2023

The new series of my podcast opens with a new two part investigation into thalidomide - one of the greatest drug failures of the 20th century.

Journalist Jennifer Vanderbes reveals her painstaking six year research, which has uncovered warnings that went unheeded, test results that were misrepresented, and scores of potential victims who went unrecognised.

Had early safety signals been acted on or investigated, thousands of families and babies could have been spared unbelievable heartbreak.

https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/thalidomide-the-story-you-dont-know-part-1/id1640338805?i=1000634754723

21/09/2023

In my latest Substack article, I discuss my podcast with Kim Witczak
about the tragic su***de of her husband, Woody.

He had been taking the SSRI anti-depressant drug Zoloft (sertraline) for insomnia. He had no history of depression or mental illness. Kim explains why she thinks the drug regulation system has to change.
https://liztucker.substack.com/p/the-accidental-drug-advocate-latest
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-accidental-drug-advocate/id1640338805?i=1000628416463

20/09/2023

In my latest podcast, Kim Witczak discusses the tragic su***de of her husband, Woody. He had no history of mental illness or depression, and had been taking the SSRI anti-depressant drug Zoloft (setraline) for insomnia.

Kim sued the drug company for wrongful death, later settling out of court. The company did not admit liability.

Today Kim sits on the (Food and Drug Administration (FDA) psychopharmacologic advisory board committee, which recommends whether a new drug should be approved or not. She argues that safety is not given a high enough priority by the FDA and explains why she thinks the system is failing.

One example she gives is of the smoking cessation drug Chantix/Champix (generic name varenicline). Originally, it carried a black box safety warning, which is the most serious safety warning, for neuro-psychiatric side effects. Nearly 3,000 lawsuits were settled out of court for around $300 million. The company did not admit liability. Later, the company conducted a new trial on the drug and presented evidence to the FDA which suggested that the safety warning was no longer necessary and so it was removed.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6IOcDlW5TCyukMKPj32f3g

06/09/2023

In my latest podcast, GP Dr David Unwin reveals why knowing the amount of sugar in our blood stream is so important.

We tend to think that unless we have a form of diabetes we don’t need to be concerned about our blood sugar levels, but nothing could be further from the truth.

That's because high blood sugar doesn’t just drive type 2 diabetes but a wide range of illnesses including high blood pressure, heart disease and some cancers too.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/why-knowing-your-blood-sugar-level-matters/id1640338805?i=1000626805285

24/08/2023

In my latest Substack article, I discuss my podcast How to Keep Your Brain Healthy Into Old Age with Dr Sabina Brennan. She reveals the lifestyle changes to make and the huge impact this can have on the ageing process and long-term brain resilience.

https://liztucker.substack.com/p/how-to-keep-your-brain-healthy-into
And here is a link to the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7xS95tyXf9xmSjxQ1v1Bwp

08/08/2023

In my latest What Your GP Doesn't Tell You podcast, with brutal honesty journalist Hadley Freeman discusses the two and half years she spent in hospital as an anorexic teenager. And she explains the advice she would give a parent today, who suspects their child is anorexic.

And perhaps most revealing of all, Hadley discusses the thought processes that an anorexic patient can go through, which to an outsider or worried parent can seem so illogical.
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/anorexia-a-patients-story/id1640338805?i=1000623779968