Inside Health Folgen

Is sugar really addictive? As the Chief Medical Officer for England suggests that it is and a 'sugar tax' may have to be introduced, leading experts debate whether the white stuff on our table is really habit forming.How 40 year old research hidden away in a book has thrown new light on a link between iron deficiency and stroke.And why the clue to solving recurrent thrush maybe getting the diagnosis right in the first place.Plus concern about the increase in prescription charges just announced by the government.

Dr Mark Porter investigates a pioneering research project designed to reduce the psychological trauma experienced by more than half of critically ill patients after a stay in intensive care. Why do treatments on ICU cause hallucinations and post traumatic stress disorder in patients months after they leave hospital? Mark talks to the doctor who believes people over the age of eighty are being overtreated to protect them against heart attack and stroke. He finds out why some of the drugs used could increase their risk of falls. Also in the programme, how lens replacement surgery for cataracts is also being used to correct vision. And why are cases of scarlet fever on the rise?

Selenium supplements have hit the headlines with reports that men taking them can increase their risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer. Dr Mark Porter talks to leading expert on selenium, Margaret Rayman, Professor of Nutritional Medicine at the University of Surrey, to find the truth behind the story.Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a disease that kills more people in the UK than breast cancer. It's caused by the thickening and scarring of the part of the lung that forms the barrier between blood and air and can make your chest sound like it's full of Velcro. Mark talks to Luca Richeldi, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Southampton, about why it can be mistaken for asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - what used to be called emphysema and bronchitis. Also in the programme, as many as 1 in 20 children will experience long term constipation with no underlying cause and which doesn't get better with dietary changes. Mark visits a specialist clinic at Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge to meet families managing the problem.