Medical Matters Memory decline is common in older age and indeed about 20% of adults over 65 have some degree of clinically significant cognitive impairment. Notably, the incidence of dementia also doubles every 5 years from the age of 65 reaching a prevalence of about 20% by the time one achieves octogenarian status! Despite the…

Medical Matters Every year in Ireland, over 3500 hip fractures occur in older people most of whom have no prior diagnosis of ‘brittle bones’ or osteoporosis. While the term osteoporosis was first coined in 1835, it’s a condition that has actually been identified in humans over several millenia. Today, an increased lifespan has been one…

Medical Matters The year of 2021 has already been marked by more than 100,000 new Covid cases and tragically over 1000 deaths, just at a time when we looked forward in hope after the arrival of new vaccines. The emergence of new viral strains which are up to 70% more transmissible coupled with increased social…

Medical Matters One of the most commonly prescribed medications in Ireland are proton pump inhibitors which are used in the treatment of acid reflux and peptic ulcers. In fact, up to 20% of adults suffer with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) which appears to be increasing in prevalence and is more common in those of older…

Medical Matters The approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by British authorities early this month truly marks a great triumph for science and not just in the battle against Covid-19. Scarcely could anyone have imagined that at the start of the year the hopes of the world would rest on the approval of a vaccine for…

Medical Matters Our lives have changed in so many ways as a result of the pandemic, which has impacted negatively on health-related behaviours such as alcohol consumption, smoking, diet and physical activity. This will not come as any surprise given that surveys suggest that up to half of the population have experienced moderate levels of…

Medical Matters Last month saw the marking of World Alzheimer’s Day as part of an international campaign to raise awareness of a condition that is still stigmatised and often misunderstood. It is estimated that there are about 50 million people in the world with dementia and this figure continues to rise with an ageing population. …

Medical Matters It’s now nearly seven months since the first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Ireland and the start of an unprecedented journey of restrictions and lockdowns that has radically changed the way we live. While we avoided a surge that could have swamped our health service, the death toll stands at over 1700, many…

Medical Matters Hippocrates is credited with the ancient quote that ‘all disease begins in the gut’. While modern medicine casts a different light on factors underlying most diseases, recent research has highighted the complex and interesting role our gut may play when it comes to general health. But how exactly might the gut influence this?…

Medical Matters The Covid-19 pandemic has now infected more than 15 million people globally and claimed the lives of more than 600,000. While the incidence in Ireland remains low, significant spikes in the number of cases in parts of the US, UK and Australia are a reminder of the need for ongoing vigilance and restrictions.…