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Dr John Briffa's blog, A Good Look at Good Health — writing on food, cholesterol, weight, energy and the science behind everyday health, from the drbriffa.com archive. Filter by topic, browse by category, or search the library.

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Another push to get cholesterol levels ever lower, but let’s make sure it isn’t killing people first Cholesterol and Statins

Another push to get cholesterol levels ever lower, but let’s make sure it isn’t killing people first

Cholesterol-reducing drugs are big earners for the pharmaceutical industry, despite the fact that cholesterol reduction is of dubious benefit and these drugs don’t work too well in terms of savings lives. In addition, some evidence of late has called into question the mantra that ‘lower is better’ when it comes to levels of supposedly unhealthy […]

December 5, 2008· 5 min read· Dr Briffa
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More evidence that the ‘overweight’ are not risking their lives Food and Medical Politics

More evidence that the ‘overweight’ are not risking their lives

The body mass index (BMI) has for a long time been the standard measurement used to determine whether someone’s weight is ‘healthy’ or not. BMIs (calculated by dividing weight in kg by the square of someone’s height in metres) of 25 or more are generally regarded as ‘unhealthy’. The suggestion is there are somehow mortal […]

November 3, 2008· 2 min read· Dr Briffa
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What does it mean to say a treatment “works”? Food and Medical Politics

What does it mean to say a treatment “works”?

Sometimes when I’m in practice I may give an opinion on how well someone has improved in terms of the symptoms that they originally consulted me for. However, I am acutely aware, and often remark, that my opinion doesn’t really count for much: it’s the patient’s opinion that is most important. I could be delighted […]

October 31, 2008· 5 min read· Dr Briffa
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What have the tobacco and food industries got in common? Food and Medical Politics

What have the tobacco and food industries got in common?

Very few people would disagree with the idea that cigarette smoking is generally bad four our health. This habit has strong links with a range of conditions including cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. The only doctors and scientists that dispute the negative effects of smoking seem to be those in the pay […]

October 27, 2008· 5 min read· Dr Briffa
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Review finds ‘publication bias’ endemic in medical research Food and Medical Politics

Review finds ‘publication bias’ endemic in medical research

Before a new drug is unleashed onto the market, it must first be determined that it is, broadly speaking, beneficial and safe. The drug’s sponsor, usually a drug company, submit relevant studies to an appropriate body made up of doctors, scientists, statisticians, toxicologists and the like who assess the evidence and then decide whether to […]

September 24, 2008· 3 min read· Dr Briffa
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Why warning of the heart risks associated with high cholesterol doesn’t tell the full story Cholesterol and Statins

Why warning of the heart risks associated with high cholesterol doesn’t tell the full story

The idea that high levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream puts us in mortal danger is perhaps one of the most firmly entrenched medical ‘facts’ of our time. Repeatedly, consistently and frequently we are warned that the cholesterol in our blood will bung up are arteries and increase our risk of heart disease. Another reminder […]

September 17, 2008· 5 min read· Dr Briffa
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Letter in BMJ draws our attention to profiteering by the pharmaceutical industry Food and Medical Politics

Letter in BMJ draws our attention to profiteering by the pharmaceutical industry

Driving in my car on Monday I had the radio on and was listening to a discussion on, among other things, pharmaceutical drug costs here in the UK. Obviously, they’re sky high. Well, of course, drugs are generally expensive to develop, test and market, but could other factors be at play too? One of the […]

September 10, 2008· 3 min read· Dr Briffa
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Does the flu vaccine really reduce risk of death in the elderly? Food and Medical Politics

Does the flu vaccine really reduce risk of death in the elderly?

Flu vaccination was in the news last week. Apparently, some scientists at Oxford University in the UK have developed a vaccine that might protect us against all strains of the flu virus. Clinical trials are just getting underway now. This news was greeted with much excitement from the press, as expected. The British Medical Journal […]

September 8, 2008· 3 min read· Dr Briffa
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Former medical journal editor details why doctors can’t rely on medical literature for valid and reliable information Food and Medical Politics

Former medical journal editor details why doctors can’t rely on medical literature for valid and reliable information

Some of you may have noticed that there has been a move in healthcare towards evidence-based medicine. And at least part of this concerns basing treatment regimes and recommendations on what scientific evidence appears to show. A big chunk of medical research is devoted to the gauging the effectiveness of pharmceutical drugs. And if we […]

September 5, 2008· 6 min read· Dr Briffa
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Is it right for scientists to put the links between cholesterol reducing medication and cancer down to ‘chance’? Cholesterol and Statins

Is it right for scientists to put the links between cholesterol reducing medication and cancer down to ‘chance’?

Back in July I wrote about a study (the so-called SEAS trial) in which two cholesterol agents (simvastatin and ezetimibe) taken in combination appeared to increase risk of cancer. The full results of this study were published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine [1] and can be read here. Alongside this research, […]

September 3, 2008· 4 min read· Dr Briffa
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