All Checked Up

07/05/2025

This is why we keep on doing what we do, because this for me is the best part of the job... helping patients in anyway we can.

A really nice testimonial from one of our patients that I wanted to share with you (and with their permission of course). It's also a nice testimony to all the healthcare teams that come together to improve patient care on a daily basis.

31/03/2025

Heard this on the radio this morning. It comes from recent research by Randall Bell, that suggests that making your bed each morning is linked to a 206% higher chance of achieving millionaire status. I think the main point is that making your bed each morning instills practical discipline which is really important trait for success in business and in life in general.

What's your thoughts?

21/03/2025

If you are thinking of taking a PSA test and you are on Finasteride, it's worth consulting with your Doctor first as Finasteride can cause decreased PSA value by about 50% usually within 9 to 12 months after taking it*




*BMJ and GP Notebook

16/03/2025

Orange juice is a good source of:

✅️ Vitamin C
✅️ Iron
✅️ Folate

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Orange Juice Benefits

05/03/2025

🩸The CA 125 blood test has been commonly used to screen for potential ovarian cancer, as well as monitor existing ovarian cancer treatment. However, elevated levels of CA 125 don't necessarily mean ovarian cancer is present

CA 125 belongs a family glycoproteins. A glycoprotein is a molecule that is a combination of a carbohydrate (or glycan) linked to protein.

CA125 is found in the blood by both normal and cancerous cells. CA125 can be found on the surface of most ovarian cancer cells. Levels of CA 125 may be raised in other cancers as well as non cancerous conditions such as:

- Menstruation
- Pregnancy
- Pelvic inflammatory disease

❓️ How accurate is a CA125 blood test in detecting Ovarian Cancer?

It is estimated elevated CA125 levels have been found in about 80% of women with ovarian cancer.

A recent study funded by Cancer Research UK and NIHR found that the CA125 blood test detected more than 77% of all ovarian cancers and more than 85% of invasive ovarian cancers which are most likely to be fatal.

Crucially, the study also found more than 38% of ovarian cancers were picked up early (at either stage I or II) when treatment is most likely to be successful.

It also noted that the CA125 blood test was able to pick up other cancers including lung, pancreatic, or even bowel cancer. All in all, 1 in 3 women aged over 50 years old who had a CA125 blood test result above the NICE recommended cut-off value of 35 KIU/L were diagnosed with some form of cancer.

The study was conducted by scientists at the Universities of Cambridge, Manchester, and Exeter and looked at more than 50,000 symptomatic women who had a CA125 blood test at their GP surgery between 2011 and 2014. Symptoms included abdominal pain or bloating, or a change of bowel habits.

Order your CA125 blood direct from

26/02/2025

We get asked this question a lot. Primarily as Total B12 is being tested in primary care, we thought it would be a good idea to talk about the difference between the two.

Vitamin B12 is actually a group of vitamins. These vitamins are coenzymes necessary for our red blood cell production, brain function and making of our DNA. Red blood cell production is important for ultimately helping transport oxygen around the body.

Not all B12 in our body is in "ready to use" form for our body to take up - in fact about 15% of all our B12 is only available to use. This is because Vitamin B12 exists bound to other proteins.

Vitamin B12 exists in 2 bound forms. It can be bound to haptocorrin to form holohaptocorrin; or bound to transcobalamin to form holoTC.

Our body can only take up vitamin B12 in the form of holoTC, this is called Active B12.

As the name suggests, Total B12 is the total amount of B12 in our body, both inactive and active form.

Measuring Active B12 (holoTC) is more reflective of vitamin B12 status than measuring total vitamin B12.

Active B12 is therefore a more reliable marker of vitamin B12 deficiency.

15/02/2025

Isn't it great that we are all living longer. More time to spend doing things, seeing family and friends, and more...

According to the ONS, as of 2022, Men in the South East and Women in the South West can expect to have the highest life expectancy in England whilst 11.9% of boys and 18.5% of girls born this year will live to be at least 100 years thanks to advancement in health care and living healthier lifestyles

04/02/2025

03/02/2025

So it's official, Prostate cancer has overtaken breast cancer to become the most common cancer diagnosed in England

2023 showed a similar trend to 2022, with a total of 50,751 men being diagnosed with prostate cancer in England - that’s compared to 48,531 breast cancer cases.

A PSA blood test can detect early prostate cancer. If the cancer is caught earlier, then treatment can be offered that may cure the cancer or extend life.

This is because prostate cancer can cause the architecture of the prostate to change, causing more PSA to leak out in the blood. Therefore, men with prostate cancer tend to have higher levels of PSA in their blood even without any noticeable symptoms.

However, cancer can be present without increased PSA levels. Around 15% of men with a normal PSA level (less than 3 nanograms/mL) may have prostate cancer, and 2% will have high-grade cancer.

Likewise, an elevated PSA result may not be due to prostate cancer. Instead, it might be caused by non-cancerous conditions such as an enlarged prostate, prostatitis, and even a urinary tract infection.

A PSA test, therefore, should not be used to diagnose prostate cancer but can be a useful tool for referring men for further testing.



Source: Prostate Cancer UK

22/01/2025

It's cervical cancer awareness week

20/01/2025

"The first wealth is health,” is a famous phrase written in 1860 by the American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Its meaning emphasises the importance of our health and how it builds the foundations on which to build—a life, a community, and an economy.

I think often we get so busy sometimes we may forget to look after ourselves - both our physical and mental health. But it's very true, our good health lays the foundations for everything we do in life.

Take time to rest and look after your health and get checked up of something doesn't quiet feel right

02/01/2025

Are you giving up alcohol for January?