NHS consultant neurologist Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan argues that a range of medical conditions from autism to ADHD are now overdiagnosed, which is completely redefining how we think about sickness and disease. In a new book The Age of Diagnosis; Sickness, Health and Why Medicine Has Gone Too Far, she explains why she believes that creating large numbers of new diagnoses, carries risks for both our mental and physical wellbeing and can turn healthy people into patients.
Suzanne is convinced that we should be cautious about having unnecessary medical tests and investigations that may cause more harm than good.
And she reveals, perhaps surprisingly, that apart from a small benefit for large bowel cancer, cancer screening has not been shown to have an impact on all cause mortality. Suggesting that although we may be finding cancer earlier, we are not necessarily saving lives.
The Age of Diagnosis; Sickness, Health and Why Medicine Has Gone Too Far by Suzanne O'Sullivan is published by Hodder.
The host of the podcast, Liz Tucker is an award winning medical journalist and former BBC producer and director. You can follow Liz on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lizctucker and read her Substack newsletter about the podcast at https://liztucker.substack.com
If you would like to support this podcast you can do so via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/WhatYourGPDoesntTellYou or via PayPal at https://www.whatyourgpdoesnttellyou.com/support/
What Your GP Doesn’t Tell You has been selected by Feedspot as one of the top 15 UK Medical Podcasts https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_medical_podcasts/
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1:08:06
Omega 3 (and 6): What You Need To Know
Dr Bill Harris discusses the critical impact the Omega 3 fatty acids have - not just on our heart health - but on a myriad of other medical conditions.
Bill was one of the earliest researchers in this field. Ever since he gave a fascinating presentation at the Integrative and Personalised Medical Congress in London last year, I’ve been really keen to get him on the podcast.
In our conversation, Bill stresses why he believes the UK NHS's advice on limiting our oily fish intake is inaccurate and badly out-of-date. He reveals why getting enough Omega 3 is crucial.
And in what will be a surprise to many, Bill explains that he doesn’t believe seed oils are problematic and why it is important we also get enough omega 6, which these oils contain.
The host of the podcast, Liz Tucker is an award winning medical journalist and former BBC producer and director. You can follow Liz on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lizctucker and read her Substack newsletter about the podcast at https://liztucker.substack.com
If you would like to support this podcast you can do so via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/WhatYourGPDoesntTellYou or via PayPal at https://www.whatyourgpdoesnttellyou.com/support/
What Your GP Doesn’t Tell You has been selected by Feedspot as one of the top 15 UK Medical Podcasts https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_medical_podcasts/
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51:38
Cancer: How New Breakthroughs Are Transforming Care
In the very first episode of the new season of What Your GP Doesn't Tell you, Liz Tucker talks to medical doctor and researcher, Dr William Li who has treated some of the toughest cancer cases imaginable.
He argues for the 21st century treatment of cancer, the solution lies not in a single silver bullet but in an integrative approach. In addition to traditional cancer therapies this also includes newer ones such as immunotherapy and takes into account factors such as the gut biome.
Published research now suggests that the health of someone’s gut biome and the particular species of bacteria it contains can make a genuine difference in their body’s ability to fight cancer. William believes it’s essential doctors use all the tools at their disposal to provide the most effective treatment possible.
In a number of patients, including his own mother who faced a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Using a multi-factorial methodology, William has been able to successfully treating cancer cases which initially appeared to have extremely bleak diagnoses.
The host of the podcast, Liz Tucker is an award winning medical journalist and former BBC producer and director. You can follow Liz on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lizctucker and read her Substack newsletter about the podcast at https://liztucker.substack.com
If you would like to support this podcast you can do so via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/WhatYourGPDoesntTellYou or via PayPal at https://www.whatyourgpdoesnttellyou.com/support/
What Your GP Doesn’t Tell You has been selected by Feedspot as one of the top 15 UK Medical Podcasts https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_medical_podcasts/
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1:02:46
Can We Use Neuroscience To Help Manage Our Stress?
GP Dr Safia Debar discusses how we can leverage emerging knowledge of neuroscience to help us more effectively manage our stress.
This is something, she has personal knowledge of after finding herself burnt out as a GP, when she turned to her first degree in neuroscience to see how it could help her rethink her approach.
Safia argues it is not so much the stress that we face, but how we think about that stress and the processes that we put in place to manage it.
It is now implicated in almost every disease you can think of and intriguing new research suggests that using meditation as a calming technique, doesn't just affect the mind, but can create genuine biological change, switching our genes on and off.
The host of this award nominated podcast, Liz Tucker is an award winning medical journalist and former BBC producer and director. You can follow Liz on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lizctucker and read her Substack newsletter about the podcast at https://liztucker.substack.com
If you would like to support this podcast you can do so via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/WhatYourGPDoesntTellYou or via PayPal at https://www.whatyourgpdoesnttellyou.com/support/
What Your GP Doesn’t Tell You has been selected by Feedspot as one of the top 15 UK Medical Podcasts https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_medical_podcasts/
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46:55
Why do SSRI drugs and the science behind them generate such fierce debate?
Psychiatrist Professor Joanna Moncrieff discusses her new book Chemical Imbalance: The Making and the Unmaking of the Serotonin Myth.
I first spoke to Joanna two years ago, just after she had published a review paper suggesting that there was no link between depression and an imbalance of serotonin in the brain.
And her book picks up what happened next. As her article gained more and more attention, she found herself in a political maelstrom facing vitriolic personal and professional criticism.
Because if the serotonin hypothesis was false, what could be the possible grounds for prescribing the popular antidepressants - the selective serotonin uptake inhibitors - better known as the SSRIs? It’s been claimed in the past they can alter brain chemistry and correct imbalances, but how can they work if Joanna is right and no imbalance exists?
What followed illustrates the fierce political divide in psychiatry between those who remain sceptical of her claims and believe that the current medication for depression is a vital tool and those such as Joanna who are unconvinced by its value.
And we also discuss why much to her surprise, Joanna – although she has always been a socialist - found far more sympathy for her research from right wing media sources rather than the left.
Chemical Imbalance: The Making and the Unmaking of the Serontonin Myth by Joanna Moncrieff is published by Flint Books.
The host of this award nominated podcast, Liz Tucker is an award winning medical journalist and former BBC producer and director. You can follow Liz on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lizctucker and read her Substack newsletter about the podcast at https://liztucker.substack.com
If you would like to support this podcast you can do so via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/WhatYourGPDoesntTellYou or via PayPal at https://www.whatyourgpdoesnttellyou.com/support/
What Your GP Doesn’t Tell You has been selected by Feedspot as one of the top 15 UK Medical Podcasts https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_medical_podcasts/
Finalist in the recent 2024 Independent Podcast Awards, this fortnightly podcast reveals the stories from the world of medicine that others don’t, won’t or only very partially report. Aimed at both doctors and the public, it’s hosted by award winning medical journalist and former BBC producer Liz Tucker, who reports not just on the science but on the finance and money that can impact it. Liz asks what does the medical data actually tell us and why is this often interpreted and presented very differently? How do we know what information to trust and when should we ask our GP, but what’s the evidence?
Follow Liz on Twitter at @lizctucker
And on Substack on https://liztucker.substack.com
Podcast Website: https://www.whatyourgpdoesnttellyou.com/
UK