Latest healthcare news

WHY DO PEOPLE DIE OF COVID-19 AND WHAT ROLE DOES SUGAR PLAY? Many of the people dying in the COVID-19 pandemic are harmed by their own immune system rather than by the virus itself.  The infection triggers a cytokine storm – a surge in cell signalling proteins...

An interesting article in The Lancet Public Health journal published April 23, 2020 discussed the pitfalls of judgement during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The author, Donald A Redelmeier, suggested that there were pitfalls, which if one was aware of might help to...

Coronavirus: How we're protecting you when you come into The London General Practice. We've been very fortunate here at The London General Practice to have been able to stay open throughout this period and see patients for face to face Consultations. In order to do...

ASTHMA and COVID-19 For people with asthma, ensure that your asthma is as stable as possible.  This means taking your inhaled steroids and other routine medications regularly as prescribed.  Having a relieving inhaler is also important if your asthma...

Loss of Taste and Loss of Smell Early and accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 infection is paramount. Clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 is complicated as patients present with an influenza like illness.  The definitive diagnosis relies on a positive PCR swab from the...

Non-pharmaceutical Interventions Against Coronavirus Disease, Do They Work?  What Evidence is There? A study performed in Hong Kong looked at the use of aggressive public health measures including massive mobility restrictions, universal fever screenings in all...

Coronavirus Lockdown – The Way Forward A proposal in the Lancet Journal by Julian Dopito of The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine:  We as a population are being offered alternating periods of lockdown and relaxation of restrictions during this...

Wearing Facemasks The WHO has shown inconsistency in their initial guidance on whether these should be worn.  In January 2020 the WHO did not recommend the mass wearing of masks in healthy individuals within the community as a way to prevent infection of...

COVID TESTING AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF IMMUNITY AND THE RESULTS Let us start with the basics. SensitivityThis is the ability of the test to detect the immune protection.  If 100 patients have immunity and the test is positive in 90 of them, then it has a 90%...

COVID-19 TESTING Rapid near patient testing for both current and past infection is urgently required. Test, test, test was the mantra of the World Health Organisation and is the key to controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and its clinical manifestation COVID-19....

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses capable of causing infection ranging from a common cold to severe respiratory conditions.  The most recently discovered coronavirus is COVID-19. The current guidance from Public Health England suggests that most people...

There are more than 200 different types of cancer that can cause many different symptoms.  Knowing what is normal for your body means you are more likely to recognise new symptoms.  Detecting cancer at an early stage can save lives. Self-checks including...

New Year’s resolutions start to wane and the good intention of giving up alcohol is now passing as we return to our usual drinking habits.  However, are we really aware of the risk of drinking alcohol?  Alcohol is a powerful chemical that can have a wide range of...

Bowel cancer: the facts  Bowel cancer is also known as colorectal cancer. It is a cancer of the large bowel or rectum.  Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest cancer killer. Over 42,000 people are diagnosed with bowel...

November 21 2019 marks World Pancreatic Cancer Day, a day dedicated to the combined efforts of more than 80 organisations from over 30 countries to inspire action for better outcomes for pancreatic cancer. It is essential to raise awareness of this specific cancer,...

Influenza is a viral infection of the respiratory tract and is highly infectious.  Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, chills, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, dry cough, sore throat and stuffy nose. Most healthy individuals usually recover within two to seven...

What is the prostate gland? The prostate is a small gland found only in men and contributes to the production of healthy sperm. It is about the size and shape of a walnut, however it tends to get bigger with increasing age. It lies just below the bladder and surrounds...

Diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar level is too high.  High levels of glucose in the blood can cause symptoms which can lead to complications.  However with early detection, treatment and management you can live a healthy life and reduce the risk...

Breast Lumps Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide.  Most breast lumps are not cancerous, but it is always best to have them checked by your GP. Non-cancerous causes of breast lumps include fibroadenomas and cysts. Fibroadenomas are solid...

Becoming unwell does not follow a standard 9-5 routine and can happen at any time, on any day. Being unwell is frustrating at the best of times but when illness strikes ‘out of hours’, this can cause increased levels of stress and anxiety.  Questions like ‘who to...

We are very pleased to announce that Gerry Sloan has joined The London General Practice as Operations Manager.  Gerry joins from The London Clinic to head up the day to day running of the Practice and support our continuing growth. As part of his role Gerry leads...

A smear test (cervical screening) is when the health of the cervix (the opening to the womb from the vagina) is checked.  A sample of cells is taken form the cervix to look for abnormal cell changes. Abnormal cell changes if left untreated can lead to cancerous...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, one of the most common cancers in the UK with around 1 in 8 women developing breast cancer in their lifetime,  Being aware of symptoms can lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment, and with that more effective...

Dr Angela Rai from The London General Practice, discusses the benefits and importance of vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for healthy teeth and bones and helps regulate calcium levels in the body. The consequences of vitamin D deficiency are cardiomyopathy (a...

Heart disease can affect people at different ages.  Younger people may be affected by inherited or congenital conditions.  Coronary heart disease is classically associated with being an old man’s disease, however younger men and women are also affected by...