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Viagra flops, vitamin pills in cancer fear link

By Ian Quinn

Our roundup of health news headlines on Tuesday 28 September.

It's an issue very close to many men's... er… hearts, so claims that Viagra pills are failing to work for half of those who use it will no doubt vex Daily Mail readers today almost as much as the latest developments between those pesky Miliband brothers.

According to an alarming story, which the Mail might struggle to stand up, tens of millions of pounds of NHS money is being wasted every year on tablets which don't treat the root cause of the problem.

It says many men handed prescriptions by their GP are actually suffering from low testosterone levels, which cannot be treated by Viagra alone.

However, in a classic case of good news bad news, the paper carries an accompanying story reporting research which claims Viagra can shrink prostate cancer tumours.

There is also a report that scientists fears vitamin pills could increase the risk of skin cancer. The Mail reports on research claiming supplements containing antioxidants and minerals can increase the chances of developing a malignant melanoma.

Spotted a story we've missed? Let us know, and we'll update the story throughout the day...

Daily digest