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
Medical Matters: Is there a doctor on board this flight?A medic’s decision could cost an airline a lot of money and possibly strand hundreds of passengers in some out-of-the-way corner of the worldTue Sept 15 2015 - 11:00
Should latest Alzheimer’s research concern us?Absolutely no evidence an infectious agent causes this form of dementiaThu Sept 10 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Want to reduce risk of heart attack? Take that afternoon napWed Sept 09 2015 - 09:36
Medical Matters: Musical theatre, surgical instruments and the pain scaleListening to music before, during, or after a surgical procedure is beneficial to patients and can reduce pain and anxiety significantlyTue Aug 25 2015 - 05:45
Breast cancer findings will not change Irish practice - surgeonUS oncology research claims a particular form of the disease is being over-treatedTue Aug 25 2015 - 01:00
Surgery can radically reduce obesity’s effects, study findsAverage excess weight loss experienced in Irish research was 55% after two yearsSat Aug 22 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Symptom checker sites beat Dr Google, but still get it wrong most of the timeStudy tested 23 symptom checkers and found one-third of cases correctly diagnosed, says Muiris HoustonMon Jul 27 2015 - 10:32
Medical Matters: How empathy and engagement enhance the placebo effectResearch shows efficacy in certain people may be linked to genetics, says Muiris HoustonMon Jul 20 2015 - 05:45
Medical Matters: Pooches with parasites and toxic tomcats - hazards of household petsAll pets are a theoretical risk, with bites, scratches, saliva and contact with faeces among the common routes of infectionMon Jul 13 2015 - 09:53
Medical matters: Why is Mers spreading so quickly in South Korea?There are scientific reasons why the ’flu-like virus is ‘super-spreading’, but cultural factors such as ‘doctor shopping’ are at play tooMon Jun 29 2015 - 06:00
After Portlaoise an independent body is needed to assess health managersHiqa found evidence of neglect by HSE managers in how they dealt with clearly documented problems at PortlaoiseMon Jun 22 2015 - 06:00
Medical Matters: How long will you live? Well, how quickly do you walk?Swedish scientists have developed a system that means we can assess our risk of dying by answering a few questions online. But will this just be an excuse for ‘cyberchondria’?Mon Jun 15 2015 - 06:00
Possible link between antacid tablets and risk of heart attackMore research needed into widely prescribed stomach ulcer drugFri Jun 12 2015 - 01:00
Muiris Houston: Lead linked to adverse health in 250 BCLong-term exposure can damage reproductive and nervous systemsWed Jun 10 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Is laughing gas harmless fun or a serious drug problem?Inhaling nitrous oxide is popular among young adults, but what are the dangers?Mon Jun 08 2015 - 06:00
Mammography screening cuts breast cancer deaths by 40%Study on women aged 50 to 69 years bolsters the case for national screening programmesWed Jun 03 2015 - 22:01
Clinical trials: how they work, and what they mean for patientsAfter a diagnosis it can be daunting to decide whether or not to take partTue May 19 2015 - 01:00
Ecstasy can cause a variety of adverse health effects in usersHeart failure may occur in susceptible individuals even after taking single doseTue May 19 2015 - 01:00
Opinion: Hiqa findings on Portlaoise highlight national problemsGovernment must consider temporary closure of Midland Regional HospitalMon May 11 2015 - 01:00
Second Opinion: If doctors don’t advocate for patients, we fail themPatient advocacy has been the subject of attacks from vested interestsTue Apr 21 2015 - 05:45
Medical Matters: The rude lexicon of medical slang, from acronyms to argot . . .Medical jargon is something some readers will perhaps be overly familiar with. If you are a patient, or a patient’s relative, you will have been exposed to the many acronyms doctors appear to revel in.Mon Apr 06 2015 - 06:00
Meet Una, one of the ‘new poor’ of the Irish health servicePatients with major diseases may be spared the worst deficiencies of our health system. Those with lower-level illnesses, such as hernias or gallstones, are more exposedSat Apr 04 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Medical paternalism and a patient’s right to know all the risks of treatmentThe ‘doctor knows best’ approach is outdated, but seeking consent is still challenging, says Muiris HoustonMon Mar 30 2015 - 18:19
Medical Matters: There is no clinical evidence to validate homeopathy – and it can even do harmThe ‘treatment’ can delay people from seeking more effective medicinces, says Muiris HoustonMon Mar 23 2015 - 10:00
Medical Matters: Following the links between antidepressant use and heart diseaseNew study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart InstituteMon Mar 16 2015 - 05:44
Be cautious about claims that daily coffees are good for heartModeration in all things, with healthy scepticism about new studies, is best approachWed Mar 11 2015 - 12:51
Medical Matters: Enthusiasm for cancer screening is still very highThe concept of harm by overdiagnosis hasn’t really hit home, says Muiris HoustonMon Mar 09 2015 - 08:00
What’s the secret to the world’s oldest woman’s longevity?Balanced, rice-based diet and affordable healthcare help Japan’s population to live longerThu Mar 05 2015 - 14:17
Geriatric ward treatment for Gerry Feeney dismayingMuiris Houston: Failure of basic care should be taken as seriously as medical problemsFri Feb 27 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Significant threat to at-risk groups from new variant of fluThe best hope is that the vaccine will mean the severity of the infection will be somewhat ameliorated, and it may help people avoid hospitalisationMon Feb 23 2015 - 16:00
Medical Matters: It’s time we faced up to the binge-drinking elephant in the roomMuiris Houston takes on third-level drinkingMon Feb 09 2015 - 17:05
A doctor writes: Is it time to reverse lifetime ban on gay men donating blood?Lifetime ban should be replaced with a one-year deferralMon Feb 02 2015 - 01:00
How intervention can reduce brain injury in babiesHead cooling is designed to prevent the further death of brain cellsSat Jan 24 2015 - 01:01
Medical Matters: Let’s feel good about the exercise we actually doDr Muiris Houston writes about the recent report saying we should do 20 minutes a dayFri Jan 23 2015 - 01:00
Medical Matters: Blood-sugar blues – how dentists can help diagnose diabetesThere are various oral features that can be detected during a routine dental examination that might suggest undiagnosed diabetesMon Jan 19 2015 - 17:28
Muiris Houston: Have you ever thought about how you would like to die?It has been suggested we should ‘stop wasting billions to cure cancer’ because terminal cancer is the best way to dieMon Jan 12 2015 - 06:00
Dr Muiris Houston: Five ways to deal with the trolley crisisWith the perennial hospital beds crisis reaching a crescendo, what can make a difference?Tue Jan 06 2015 - 22:22
