The Prescription Strength Podcast

Have you been offered a statin and wondered why? Perhaps your cholesterol hasn’t changed very much, you feel perfectly well, and suddenly your GP practice wants to discuss cholesterol or cardiovascular risk.
In this Pocket Prescription I explain how statin decisions are made in primary care, why age has such a powerful influence on risk calculations, and why the conversation is usually about future cardiovascular risk rather than cholesterol alone.
Topics covered include:
Why statins are offered even when you feel well
How cardiovascular risk calculators work
The difference between cholesterol levels and overall cardiovascular risk
Why two people with similar cholesterol results can receive different advice
The role of blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, age and lifestyle
Absolute risk reduction and why context matters
Common misconceptions about statins
How to think about the balance between potential benefits and side effects
This episode focuses on primary prevention—people who have not previously had a heart attack, stroke or established cardiovascular disease.
As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as personal medical advice.
If you have concerns about your own health or medication, please speak to your healthcare professional.

Have you ever been told that your metabolism is broken, damaged, or slowing down with age?
Social media often blames metabolism for everything from weight gain to low energy, but the reality is usually much more complicated. In this episode, I cover the difference between metabolism and appetite, why the two are often confused, and why that distinction matters if you’re trying to lose weight or improve your health.
Topics covered include:
What metabolism actually is
Why metabolism is often more stable than people think
The research on metabolism and ageing
Why appetite changes far more dramatically than metabolism
The impact of sleep, stress, hormones and environment on hunger
Menopause, weight gain and common misconceptions
Why some medications can lead to weight gain
The role of protein, fibre and lifestyle habits in appetite regulation
Why “fixing your metabolism” is usually the wrong goal
If you’ve ever worried that you’ve damaged your metabolism or that age has made weight loss impossible, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on.
As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as personal medical advice. If you have concerns about your own health, please speak to your healthcare professional.

Have you been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and found yourself confused by conflicting advice online?
Perhaps you’ve heard that T3 is the “active” thyroid hormone, wondered why you’re prescribed thyroxine (levothyroxine), or been tempted by thyroid supplements, private testing, or claims that conventional treatment is missing something.
In this episode, I cover how thyroid hormones work, why thyroxine remains the standard treatment for hypothyroidism, why T3 isn’t routinely measured, and where much of the confusion around thyroid health comes from.
Topics covered include:
The difference between T4 and T3
Why levothyroxine is usually prescribed
Why T3 isn’t routinely tested
How thyroid blood tests are interpreted
Thyroid supplements, selenium and zinc
Why some people still feel unwell despite treatment
The role of fatigue, sleep, menopause and other health conditions
How to approach thyroid information online with a critical eye
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting messages about thyroid health, this episode will help you understand the basics and make sense of the conversation.
As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as personal medical advice. If you have concerns about your own health or treatment, please speak to your healthcare professional.

Fish oil used to be seen as universally “good for the heart.” Then suddenly the headlines said it might be dangerous.
So what’s actually true?
In this Pocket Prescription episode, GP Lynette Ewart explains what recent fish oil studies really showed, why different heart conditions matter, and why nutrition science so often gets reduced to simplistic headlines.

A practical, evidence-based guide to making sense of the confusion — without the hype.

Cortisol has become the internet’s favourite explanation for almost everything.
Poor sleep? Cortisol.
Weight gain? Cortisol.
Waking at 3am? Cortisol.
Tired all the time? Apparently also cortisol.
But what does cortisol actually do, when is it genuinely a medical problem, and how much of the online conversation is misunderstanding mixed with marketing?
In this Pocket Prescription episode, GP and strength coach Lynette Ewart explains what cortisol really is, why the wellness industry became obsessed with it, and what people often miss when they blame stress hormones for everything.
This isn’t a “stress doesn’t matter” episode. It absolutely does. But the internet version of cortisol has drifted a long way from reality.
In this episode:
What cortisol actually does in the body
Why cortisol rises normally during stress
The difference between chronic stress and true cortisol disorders
Why “hormone imbalance” is often used as a vague catch-all term
The problem with random online hormone testing
Why sleep, recovery, activity and overall health still matter more than hacks
No hacks.
No supplements being pushed.
Just a calm, evidence-based explanation from clinic reality.
You can also watch the video version on the  Prescription Strength YouTube channel