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
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
