Jo Waters ~ Freelance Health Journalist & Editorial Consultant 

Tuesday April 27 2010

Read my artiicle in today's Daily Mail Good Health section about whether there really is such a thing as the male menopause http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1269067/Its-derided-myth-doctors-convinced-men-fatigue-flagging-libido-going-MALE-menopause.html

Although not technically a menopause (the word has a very specific medical meaning referring to the end of periods in women) - experts do believe men do suffer falls in the levels of their sex homone - testosterone - in their middle to later years.

This condition is known as Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TDS) and is caused by either the testicles not functioning normally or when the body's overall hormone production is out of balance.

Testosterone is not only vital to a man's potency and sex drive, but is also important for manitaining muscle strength, healthy bones, positive  mood and energy levels.

Ken Harvey a 47 year old TDS sufferer I interviewed for the piece talks frankly about how he suffered mood swings, loss of libido, weight gain round his middle, fatigue and joint pain , as well as loss of facial and body hair and hot flushes. His symptoms improved markedly after he began testosterone replacement therapy and he feels  that more men could benefit from the treatment.

Indeed there do seem to be sound medical reasons for treating TDS. A 2007 study by the University of California's San Diego School of Medicine found men with low levels of testosterone are more likely to die prematurely from all causes. This is thought to be because TDS causes weight gain round the middle, which raises their chances of developing type 2 diabtes and increases their cardiovascular risks.

But some doctors believe falls in testosterone levels are  just a normal part of getting older and do not need treatment and are cautious about putting thousands of men on a hormone treatment they will need for the rest of their lives.

To find out more about TDS go to www.sda.uk.net

Tuesday April 20 2010

Gout is on the increase  and it's affecting more women too. Experts say the incidence of gout in women doubled between the 1970s and 1990s. They blame the fact that women are living longer, are more likely to be overweight, drink alcohol and take  certain types of prescription medication which increase uric acid concentration in the bloodstream. Read my article on Shelley Rees-Langley a 49 year old gout sufferer in today's Daily Mail Good Health  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1267311/Shelley-eats-healthily-hardly-drinks-women-battling-gout.html. Her story dispels some of the myths about gout being predominately a boozy old man's disease. Shelley hardly drinks alcohol, eats healthily, isn't overweight and has no family history of the disease and yet still suffered two painful attacks.

Gout is actually a form of arthritis caused by deposits of uric acid crystals forming in the joints and if left untreated can cause serious damage to the joints and bones. The good news is that highly effective treatments are now available which can prevent further attacks - so  sufferers don't have to just put up with it and endure all the jokes about tippling too much port and red wine. Incidentally beer is actually worse for gout sufferers than wine, probably because it contains preservatives that have a higher purine content - a compound that is broken down into uric acid in the boy.

To find out more about how to prevent anad manage gout symptoms contact the UK Gout Society http://www.ukgoutsociety.org/

I've also got a feature in this month's Spirit and Destiny magazine (on sale April 8) on Bend it Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha,50 and the health and fitness regime that has transformed her life. Gurinder, who has a new film out this month 'It's A Wonderful After Life' on general  release from April 23  - a comedy/horror film about reincarnation, was struggling with her weight and wanted to boost her energy levels after giving birth to  twins at age 47. She turned to a company called Nosh Detox and shed a stone and discovered a new passion for running in Regent's Park. She's got  some fascinating things to say about her spiritual life too (a numerologist predicted the day she would meet her huband and his initials!) and a great optimistic take on life, but what also comes across in the piece is that's she's a lot of fun and has a wicked sense of humour too.

Tuesday March 30 2010,
Statins - the cholesterol-lowering drugs prescribed to six million Britons have undoubtedly saved countless lives - but at what cost to quality of life?
Read my article in today's Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1262130/Statins-Doctors-fear-effects-devastating.html about the impact these drugs can have on day to day life and the side effects they can cause including memory problems, muscle pain and nerve damage.
I got interested in this subject after I met a number of older people - including my parents and their friends who were struggling to cope with statin side effects. They all felt their concerns were being brushed aside by their GPs and that they were expected to put up with debilitating side effects because of the perceived long term health benefits. They all told me  that if you get any group of over-60s together - statins and their side effects was always one of the hot topics of conversation. Just anecedotal reports I know but I thought it was worth investigating.
I'm not doubting statins do cut cholesterol and I'd assumed that as they reduce the risk of having a cardiac event by as much as 30 per cent they must also increase life  expectancy. But Dr Malcolm Kendrick (admittedly a cholesterol sceptic) told me that even if a man who had a heart attack and was at high risk of another, took statins for 40 years he would only extend his life by 17.5 DAYS. I found myself asking whether muscle pain,memory problems and nerve damage were really worth putting up with for a little more than a fortnight extra on the planet.
Paul Rhoades, a smallholder who I interviewed for the Mail piece believes not. He has  suffered permenant nerve damage and been left unable to walk - he swears statins are to blame, but of course can't prove it.
Jeff Cable a former NHS nurse from Leighton Buzzard has been compiling personal testimonies from patients about statin side effects on his website http//:talkingstatins.com.
There's also a new group called the UK Statin Side Effects Group - contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to join - you'll find that most members tell a similar story. It has to make you at least question whether the government's enthusiasm for statins for all over-50s can really be justified. It's hard for individual patients to go against the conventional wisdom - we're all told statins are a wonder drug after all - but maybe its worth weighing up the risks versus the benefits and decide for yourself.
Tuesday March 23 2010,
This week I've been writing about the scandal of elderly people hooked on tranquillisers (also known as benzos) for decades. An estimated 1.5 million people are hooked on the drugs in the UK despite the fact that prescribing guidelines advise GPs  should prescribe them for no more than 4 weeks at a time.
I interviewed 74 year old retired engineer Keith Andrew about his 45 year addiction to benzos for the Daily Mail's Good Health section today http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1259892/Thousands-60s-hooked-tranquillisers-turned-virtual-zombies.html.Keith has suffered for decades and was never offered any help to come off his medication by doctors. However with the help of Oldham Drug and Alcohol Advisory Service he has managed to reduce his 30mg prescription to 5.5mg - although it has been far from easy.

MPs are now so concerned about the extent of benzo addiction they have complained to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission about the lack of support available to people addicted to benzos compared to those provided for people addicted to hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

 The great tragedy is that many of these so-called addicts (actually I'd prefer to call them victims) are never offered help and support to quit and many are doomed to stay on them for the rest of their lives.

Check out my three page profile of tennis ace Pat Cash in the latest issue (April) of Spirit and Destiny magazine, where he reveals all about his spiritual guru and love of alternative health and green issues.

Tuesday  March 2 2010,
Read my latest article in today's Daily Mail Good Health section on Ali Jagger http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1254714/Doctors-said-Ali-Jagger-greedy-8-stone-6-months--truth-far-sinister.html Poor Ali piled on eight stone in just six months and was just told she was greedy by doctors - but  nine months later she was  diagnosed with an underactive thyroid condition. Unfortiunately its taken her six long years to lose the extra weight she gained but she's now  back to 10 st 7lbs.

Tuesday February 23 2010

Read my article on How to get rid of nits in today's Daily Mail Good Health section.

One in five primary school children have head lice at any one time and as every parent knows they can be a devil to get rid of.

 A new survey has found that a third of GPs and pharmacists are still recommending insecticide treatments despite the fact that 80 per cent of head lice are now resistant to them. No wonder that most parents are left scratching their heads as to how to get rid of the annoying little creatures.!

Ian Burgess director of the Medical Entomology Centre in Cambridge  says its the newer non-insecticide treatments that parents should be using - they act in a completely different way and "shrink wrap" the lice so they suffocate and die. These can be between 70 and 97 per cent effective providing you repeat the treatment as instructed. The treatments that  are most effective include Hedrin, Lyclear Spray Away, NYDA and Full Marks Solution.

Other useful tips from Ian include the importance of weekly checks with a plastic nit comb - your child might not even be scratching their head but  just one louse can lay up to 150 eggs in its 28 lifespan so it's important to be vigilant!!

Also check out the Saga Health Channel  http://www.saga.co.uk/health/news/how-to-turn-down-tinnitus-079.asp for my article on coping with tinnitus.