Obesity Drugs

EDP column by Professor Ketan Dhatariya There are currently three drugs available in the UK for the treatment of obesity. They work best when used in conjunction with a healthy diet involving eating fewer calories overall, as well as a regular amount of exercise. The...

Becoming an Organ Donor

EDP column by Professor Ketan Dhatariya “How do I become an organ donor?” About 3,000 people have an organ transplant every year – this may sound a lot, but there are about 7,000 people waiting for an organ, with up to 400 people per year in the UK dying whilst...

Pap Smear

EDP column by Professor Ketan Dhatariya “My doctor has asked me to have a smear test. He called it ‘pap smear’. What is that?” The smear test is named ‘pap’ after the chap who first developed it, George Papanicolau, a Greek doctor who lived between 1883 and 1962. A...

Paracetamol Overdose

EDP column by Professor Ketan Dhatariya “My sister recently broke up with her boyfriend and took an overdose of paracetamol. She ended up staying in hospital for several days on a drip. I thought paracetamol was safe?” No drug is safe if taken in overdose. The reason...

Parkinson’s Disease

EDP column by Professor Ketan Dhatariya “My wife has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. What is this?” James Parkinson was born in London in 1755 and died in 1824. He was a doctor, politician and a fossil collector. He described several medical conditions, but...