Women typically have higher baseline calorie needs per kg of body weight than men, and much of this is due to the need to regulate hormone levels. I wrote last week about the need to fuel appropriately, and part of the reason for this is to avoid endocrine (hormone) dysfunction. When I speak to patients […]

A very common question I get asked by patients is along the lines of ‘what sort of exercise should I be doing?’ I could talk for hours on this, as there are so many nuances, but I would like to try and outline some key concepts. However the single most important point in my opinion […]

Quick answer: Much exercise and fasting research has historically under-represented women, and doesn’t always translate to them. Fasting raises cortisol and can disrupt oestrogen, thyroid and other hormone levels — especially peri- and post-menopause — and many women benefit from eating something before exercising rather than training fasted. I believe a key quality of a […]

I often get asked by patients what time of day is best to take their medication, particularly with respect to blood pressure. There have been a few clinical trials looking at this with slightly surprising results. Two new trials have really put the topic to bed though, and in this week’s research video you can […]

It certainly seems like summer is over now! I’ve packed away the garden furniture, turned our leftover home grown tomatoes into chutney (which is absolutely delicious by the way – tomato, red onion, chilli, paprika, cardamom) and mown the lawn for possibly the last time this year.  It’s been a tough weekend actually. My parent’s […]

Do you take any medications? Or supplements? I do. Perhaps supplements is a post for another time, but I do want to mention something on medication. I take a nasal steroid spray, and have done daily for about 12 years. Truth be told I really should have been on it lifelong, as I have had […]

Today I want to update you about something incredibly common, and will likely have touched many of our lives one way or other: coronary artery disease. There’s so much to say it’s hard to know where to start, as there were so many related sessions presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting. Let’s start […]

Life is back to normality now having involved a lot of travel over the last few weeks. The European Society of Cardiology meeting last week has provided so much content it will keep me going for a few weeks at least. Now I’ve had time to organise my thoughts, I think breaking the conference down […]

It’s been a working weekend for me, as I have been lucky enough to attend the European Society of Cardiology meeting in London. It’s possibly the largest cardiology meeting in the world, rotating through a number of major European cities each year. There are 10s of thousands of delegates, hundreds of stands and presentation. It […]

Back to work with a bump on Friday morning having got home shortly before midnight. Do you sometimes feel like you need a holiday to get over a holiday? I’m sure I do! Luckily there’s a bank holiday to look forward to. I opened my inbox of 365 unread emails and sighed.  I would like […]

Week 2 in Sri Lanka, and it’s been a fabulous holiday. The people, food and weather have all been amazing. The only downside was some inadvertent gluten for my daughter who has coeliac disease and the poor thing wasn’t well for a day, but overall finding gluten-free options has been fine. I’m writing this blog […]

Greetings from Sri Lanka! I’m away for 2 weeks, but of course that won’t stop me writing my blog, and indeed filming. Do check out this week’s video on polyphenols – what they are, why they are important, and how you can get more of them. I’m a little hamstrung by the hotel wifi – […]

I’m changing tack a little this week for my blog, on account of a couple of different patients I’ve seen which have highlighted what I think is a really common problem, and indeed misconception in my view. Let me explain. The first is a lady in her 80s who has had atrial fibrillation (AF)  in […]

What a beautiful weekend! Shame I’ve been on-call all week and it’s been very busy. At the end of on-call weeks I often like to write my blog on an interesting case I’ve seen, and try to tease out any learning points that are of value to the public. Today is no exception, but there […]

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Quick answer: Yes — menopause raises cardiovascular risk, mainly because falling oestrogen levels remove a natural protective effect on the arteries and can push up cholesterol and blood pressure. Early menopause (before 40) carries a higher risk still. The encouraging part: HRT started within 10 years of menopause has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk […]

There is a definite gender gap when it comes to heart health, and it is evident in many areas. Please check out my accompanying video too. Women have I do not think the disparity is any one person or organisation’s fault, but is probably a reflection of wider unconscious bias. By raising awareness hopefully we […]

I have been thinking of writing and videoing about women and the heart for a little while, and a patient I saw this week has prompted me to do so today. She had symptoms that were not necessarily typical for a heart problem and had struggled to get a diagnosis, but when we ran some […]

Quick answer: Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a genetically inherited marker of cardiovascular risk that isn’t part of a standard cholesterol test. Raised levels substantially increase heart attack and stroke risk — especially in people with no other diagnosed heart disease — and because it’s inherited rather than lifestyle-driven, it’s a test you typically only need […]

You may know I’m a keen Arsenal fan, so whenever a story crops up involving the club I tend to take a look, and so it was this in 2024 with former Gunners mid-fielder Jack Wilshere. He is a British Heart Foundation ambassador, having been on a long journey with his young daughter who had […]

I’m fascinated by behaviour change: why do some people appear able to makes changes while others struggle?  Why do we desire change in the first place? Are there things we can do to increase the likelihood of success?  Here are my top tips, based on social science research: Point 1 The starting point is to […]

Quick answer: Cold exposure increases brown fat and mitochondrial activity, and has clear mental health benefits alongside physical ones. Around 11 minutes of cold exposure per week appears to be the sweet spot — build up gradually, and never go straight into open water alone. The benefits of cold exposure for health and wellbeing are […]

If you haven’t already, check out my video discussing about the biological process of atherosclerosis, or ‘furring-up’ of heart arteries, and demonstrate this using a model. However, as interesting as this is, what patients really want to know is whether or not they have any issues. The good news is that this is now easy […]

I’ve been into gadgets since I was a child. The complexity of what’s available now would have delighted and amazed my 12 year old self. The amount of data we can have at our disposal is really incredible. Health ‘wearables’ in particular, can be really insightful. I use my apple watch daily for a number […]