Medical Matters: Why people do not adhere to treatment plans are complexExpecting ‘buy in’ for 10 years or indeed a lifetime of treatment is probably unrealistic, says Muiris HoustonTue Jun 07 2016 - 05:45
A doctor writes: Cost of high-tech drugs a bitter pill to swallowMelanoma patients told State to cover Pembro, while CF drug Orkambi ‘too expensive’Fri Jun 03 2016 - 08:28
The muddy waters of body mass index (BMI)Is it time to move away from a BMI-focused approach at the level of the individual?Sun May 29 2016 - 15:42
Should doctors start prescribing religion for their patients?Harvard study shows beneficial effects for women of attending religious servicesMon May 23 2016 - 19:00
When does a herbal medicine become a mainstream medicine?The very ‘naturalness’ of herbal medicines reinforces the idea that they are safeTue May 17 2016 - 05:45
Medical Matters: Sarcopenia – what is it and how can we prevent it?If we are physically inactive, we can lose up to 5 per cent of our muscle mass per decade after age 30Tue May 10 2016 - 05:45
Would Sherlock Holmes be a coke addict today? It’s an interesting questionUS opioid sales quadrupled from 1999-2010, but there can serious side effects even when taken as directedMon May 02 2016 - 16:00
Zika advice for Irish people travelling this summerMedical matters: There is currently no medication or vaccine that can prevent the virusSun Apr 24 2016 - 05:45
How to calm and reshape an anxious mindMedical matters: Dr Harry Barry’s book contains much to put our busy brains to restMon Apr 18 2016 - 19:00
Study shows MMA fighters suffer brain injury in one third of boutsBlood clots can interfere with the respiratory centre in the brain, writes Dr Muiris HoustonTue Apr 12 2016 - 16:52
Medical Matters: No lazy assumptions about patients with intellectual disabilityTue Apr 12 2016 - 05:45
Medical Matters: 1916 leaders would be aghast at two-tier healthcareVisionaries would focus on local care and try to embed health as a social movementTue Apr 05 2016 - 05:45
Are house calls by doctors the way back for healthcare?Medical Matters: house calls by doctors give extra insight into the patient’s conditionMon Apr 04 2016 - 10:29
Judging ‘morning after’ driving condition an uncertain scienceSeveral variables, including pace of drinking, weight and gender, affect alcohol absorptionWed Mar 23 2016 - 01:00
Medical matters: Watch out, here comes summertimeAn increased stroke risk around daylight saving time changes probably relate to interrupted sleep patternsTue Mar 22 2016 - 06:27
A doctor writes: Procedure will increase size of donor pool and cut waiting timesMater hospital team breaks new ground with innovative surgical processThu Mar 17 2016 - 01:00
Celebrity doctors: the perils of treating the famousMedical Matters: Were blurred professional boundaries a factor in the deaths of Elvis and Michael Jackson?Tue Mar 15 2016 - 05:45
Caution required when prescribing – or blaming – antibioticsMedical Matters: Sir William Osler certainly wouldn’t be impressed with the current trend to overdiagnose and overtreatTue Mar 08 2016 - 05:45
Concern over new injury in young rugby playersType of hip fracture associated with violent trauma found in players at Tallaght hospitalTue Mar 08 2016 - 00:15
Electroconvulsive therapy: a treatment still full of dilemmasMedical matters: Change to Mental Health Act will make ‘little difference in practice’Tue Feb 23 2016 - 05:45
Muiris Houston: Which party has the best plan for the health service?Money is no longer the real issue – it’s how and where we spend itMon Feb 22 2016 - 11:46
Muiris Houston: Missed cancer cases in Susie Long’s homelandLate campaigner raised awareness of bowel cancer and failings in the health systemFri Feb 19 2016 - 01:00
Too early to hail success of T-cell cancer therapyWhile promising, the breakthrough requires trials on a far greater scaleWed Feb 17 2016 - 01:00
Medical matters: The universal truths of a hospital – through the eyes of internThe 1980s rules of my hero for medical students are still relevant todayTue Feb 09 2016 - 06:45
Zika virus: what we know and what we need to doPregnant women are being advised not to travel to 20 American countriesTue Feb 02 2016 - 01:00
Medical matters: Indestructible teens and challenges of needing medicationSticking to plan can be difficult for young people due to possible weight gain and stigmaTue Jan 26 2016 - 05:45
Medical Matters: What do your internet health cookies reveal about you?We seem relaxed about devices that openly share fitness information onlineTue Jan 19 2016 - 05:45
Medical Matters: To vape or not to vape?Some bodies claim vaping is 95 per cent less dangerous than smokingTue Jan 12 2016 - 05:45
Medical matters: Can acute fear actually curdle blood?And other questions on the lighter side of health matters - what is a condominium?Tue Jan 05 2016 - 13:23
Alcohol – an endless topic of researchMedical matters: The perennial search for a hangover continuesTue Dec 29 2015 - 05:45
Thanks to the happy hormones, Christmas could boost your immune systemEating nine brussel sprouts provides our daily vitamin C requirementTue Dec 22 2015 - 09:30
Medical Matters: Climate change threatens flood of health consequencesStorm Desmond signals winds of changeTue Dec 15 2015 - 17:33
Medical matters: Should doctors listen to their gut instinct?Guidelines can promote ‘tick-box’ medicine that does nothing for holistic patient careTue Dec 08 2015 - 05:45
Medical Matters: Getting to the heart of blood pressure ratesIt may be difficult, but getting to a lower rate has major benefits – and can often be done naturallyTue Nov 24 2015 - 09:56
Blood bank signals fatigue and dizziness could signal anaemiaIrish Blood Transfusion Service say some blood donors may have had low blood countWed Nov 18 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Robin Williams’s death puts Lewy body dementia in the spotlightWith no cure for LBD, treatment centres on managing the variety of symptoms, says Muiris HoustonTue Nov 17 2015 - 05:45
Medical Matters: Do I give a rashers about risk of cancer? Show me the evidenceTue Nov 10 2015 - 05:45
Blood pressure study to alter treatment goals for manyGroundbreaking trial challenges decades-old BP target , writes Dr Muiris HoustonMon Nov 09 2015 - 19:57
Blood pressure to be more tightly controlled after trial resultsStudy finds if BP kept below 120 mmHg, risk for heart attack, stroke falls 24 per centMon Nov 09 2015 - 19:57
Dr Muris Houston: There is no evidence to warrant an HPV vaccine scareA court case has sparked worry about the safety of the human papilloma virus vaccine. How does it work, and how effective is it?Sat Nov 07 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Doctors are human and will always make diagnostic errorsThere will always be known unknowns in the diagnostic processTue Oct 20 2015 - 05:45
Ebola’s persistence and resistance could overwhelm poor countriesNurse’s relapse and an alarming study show that Ebola has not gone awayThu Oct 15 2015 - 19:20
Medical Matters: How farm dust and gut bugs can fight allergensParents should stop asking for antibiotics and send the kids outside to playMon Oct 12 2015 - 16:00
Medical Matters: the uses of the Pill are wider than contraceptionThe oral contraceptive has some less obvious roles than preventing pregnancy, such as in the treatment of acne, severe premenstrual syndrome and endometriosisTue Sept 29 2015 - 06:38
Medical Matters: Truths among those redhead mythsRedheads produce more adrenaline than non-redheads, according to new bookTue Sept 22 2015 - 05:45
