By Laura Passi
Our roundup of the health news headlines on Monday 6 September.
Unlucky - if well-remunerated - GPs have once again incurred the wrath of the Mail, with a pair of headlines linked to a Mail on Sunday investigation - 'Revealed: The 161 GPs making more than £200k a year... and one's raking in an astonishing £500,000' followed by: 'At least two GPs earning a staggering 500000 a year'.
GPC deputy chair Dr Richard Vautrey attempts to put it into perspective: ‘We are talking about a very small number of high earners. The figures relate to a minority of GPs who have become entrepreneurs and businessmen and often run several practices.'
Diabetes drug Avandia is still available on the NHS, even though the UK's Commission on Human Medicines recommended that it be withdrawn in July. The Guardian, and other papers as well, report that the MHRA were told ‘risks of rosiglitazone outweigh its benefits and that it no longer has a place on the UK market.' A Panorama documentary to be broadcast tonight and a BMJ article published today question whether there has been a failure of the UK's regulatory system.
The Daily Telegraph covers research which better explains the link between poor dental hygiene and an increased risk of heart attacks. ‘A Bristol University dental scientist has discovered that a common bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease can break out into the bloodstream and help blood clots to form,' we're told.
And finally, a comment piece in the Daily Mail has a wonderfully straight-to-the-point headline: 'Carrots keep you younger .
According to Dr Murad, a Hollywood dermatologist, water in fruit and vegetables is better than water in water. And this is how he explains it: ‘The water in fruits and vegetables is surrounded by molecules that help it get into cells easily. For this reason, I encourage patients to eat – not drink – water.' Hmmmm.
Spotted a story we've missed? Let us know and we'll update the digest throughout the day...
Daily digest
