Fiona Callingham

Weight-loss medication options have expanded with regulatory approval of the UK’s first GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet, offering an alternative to weekly injections. Dr Amir Khan explains that the pill contains the same drug, semaglutide, but must be taken daily on an empty stomach and may be more accessible for those who are needle‑phobic or unable to store injections properly. Eligibility on the NHS is limited to adults with obesity or those overweight with related health conditions. Guidance stresses correct usage for effectiveness and notes common gastrointestinal side effects, with advice to stay hydrated and seek medical help if symptoms become severe.

The DVLA warns UK drivers that scammers are using increasingly convincing fake texts, emails and websites to obtain personal and financial information. Drivers are advised to access services directly through GOV.UK, avoid links promising vehicle tax refunds, and remember that genuine refunds are processed automatically. The agency also urges people to report suspicious messages and avoid sharing driving licence or V5C log book images online, as these details could enable identity theft or vehicle cloning.

The NHS advises people taking atorvastatin to check with a doctor or pharmacist before using certain medicines or supplements because interactions can increase the risk of serious side effects, including muscle damage. Doctors may temporarily stop treatment, prescribe another statin or reduce the dose. Common effects include headache, digestive problems and cold-like symptoms, while unexplained muscle pain, jaundice, severe stomach pain, breathing problems or other listed symptoms require urgent medical attention.

Neurologist Dr Baibing Chen warns that a worsening severe headache accompanied by symptoms such as fever, stiff neck, light sensitivity, confusion, seizures or a non-fading rash may indicate meningitis, which can become fatal within hours, particularly in bacterial cases. The NHS advises calling 999 or going to A&E immediately when meningitis is suspected. The article also explains how meningitis spreads, identifies higher-risk groups and highlights vaccination against several bacterial causes.

Brendon Reid, a sporty father from Winchburgh, initially attributed calf pain to a rugby injury, but tests at St John’s Hospital revealed a vein infection, atrial fibrillation and severe heart failure at age 35. His heart’s ejection fraction was just 22%, and doctors could not determine whether untreated AF caused the heart failure or vice versa. After medication adjustments and a period away from sport, his heart function improved, allowing him to resume five-a-side football and family activities. He plans to swim 1.4 miles from Bournemouth Pier to Pier with his mother Jacalyn to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

Dr Amir Khan warned that extreme UK heat can worsen asthma and other lung conditions, heart disease and high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, and migraines. He advised staying hydrated, monitoring relevant health indicators, using medicines correctly, avoiding strenuous activity during the hottest hours, staying cool and shaded, wearing sunscreen, and checking on vulnerable people. Certain medications, including water tablets, some antidepressants, and antihistamines, may increase sensitivity to heat.

The RSPCA warns dog owners not to place damp towels directly over overheated dogs because they can trap heat and worsen heatstroke. Owners should stop exercise, move dogs into shade, cool them with suitable water and airflow, and contact a vet urgently after cooling them. Warning signs include heavy panting, confusion, weakness, vomiting, seizures and collapse. The advice comes as the Met Office issues a red extreme heat warning for parts of the UK and the UK Health Security Agency issues heat-health alerts.

Dr Amir Khan warns that brittle or spoon-shaped fingernails, known as koilonychia, can be a sign of iron-deficiency anaemia. He explains that the condition may result from inadequate dietary iron, blood loss, gut illnesses or, in some cases, underlying cancer. Other symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, mouth sores and restless legs. People concerned about these symptoms are advised to increase iron-rich foods and consult a healthcare professional or GP.

Daily Record lifestyle writer Fiona Callingham describes using cognitive shuffling after four consecutive nights of severe insomnia and says she fell asleep while mentally generating words beginning with successive letters. The technique, promoted by Dr Amir Khan and developed into the concept of “serial diverse imagining” by researcher Luc P. Beaudoin, aims to interrupt worry-driven thoughts with calm, dream-like mental imagery. The article also cites NHS guidance that adults generally need seven to nine hours of sleep and should consult a GP when insomnia persists for months, does not improve with sleep-habit changes, or disrupts daily life.

Dr Amir Khan explains the ABCDE checklist for assessing moles for possible melanoma: asymmetry, irregular borders, uneven colour, diameter greater than 0.5 centimetres, and evolving changes such as growth, itching or bleeding. He advises seeking dermatological assessment when two or more warning signs are present. Melanoma is linked primarily to ultraviolet exposure and can spread to other organs, while Cancer Research UK cautions that signs may be harder to detect on brown or black skin and may not follow the usual ABCDE pattern.

Dr Amir Khan explains that weight loss often slows or plateaus during GLP-1 treatment because the body adapts, metabolism decreases as body mass falls, and hunger hormones may rise. A plateau does not necessarily mean the medication has stopped working; it may indicate a shift from active weight loss to weight maintenance and prevention of regain. Higher doses may help some patients, but anyone concerned about their weight should consult a GP.

Doctor Karan Rajan recommends berries, seeds, beans and lentils, and oats as foods that may help reduce high cholesterol through polyphenols, healthy fats, fermentable fibre and beta-glucan. The NHS also advises eating oily fish, healthy oils, whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables while limiting fatty meats, butter, full-fat dairy, cakes, biscuits and products containing coconut or palm oil. High cholesterol affects around two in five UK adults and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Dr Amir Khan warns that prolonged stress can keep cortisol and insulin levels elevated, potentially contributing to insulin resistance and increasing the risk of diabetes, particularly alongside poor sleep, inactivity and weight gain. He stresses that stress does not directly cause diabetes overnight but can worsen metabolic health over time. Diabetes UK supports the link between stress hormones and impaired insulin function, while NHS advice includes talking about feelings, exercising, using breathing and time-management techniques, seeking peer support and avoiding alcohol or drugs as coping mechanisms.

GP Dr Amir Khan recommends cognitive shuffling as a way to quiet racing thoughts and encourage sleep. The technique involves choosing a neutral word, thinking of words beginning with each letter, and visualizing the objects before moving to another word if necessary. The advice complements standard sleep hygiene measures, while people with persistent, prolonged, or disruptive insomnia are encouraged to consult a healthcare professional.

A study suggests that people with later sleep-wake patterns may experience poorer mental health, including greater loneliness and anxiety. The research indicates that nighttime loneliness may be the key factor linking evening chronotypes to elevated anxiety. Researchers say assessing and addressing loneliness, particularly at night, could help therapists and clinicians support people who regularly stay up late, while the NHS advises those struggling with anxiety to contact their GP.

Professor Tim Spector says increasing dietary fibre may lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, mental health conditions and autoimmune diseases, with each additional five grams potentially reducing cardiovascular risk by up to 11%. Research links high-fibre diets with lower mortality, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose, while NHS guidance recommends adults consume at least 30 grams daily—more than the roughly 20 grams most people currently eat. Suggested sources include whole grains, pulses, vegetables, fruit, potatoes with their skins and unsalted nuts or seeds.

Some King Charles III £5, £10 and £20 banknotes may attract significant interest from collectors, particularly those with very low serial numbers, early prefixes such as “AA” or “1,” repeating or palindromic patterns, and historically meaningful numbers. A collecting expert highlights examples including 123456, AA01, 22222222 and 1000003, while the Bank of England confirms that low or symbolic serial numbers can generate substantial collector interest. Special early notes have also been auctioned for charity, including a 2020 sale of new £20 notes that raised £143,420.

People taking sertraline are advised to contact NHS 111 if they experience a fast heartbeat along with sweating, trembling, muscle twitching, confusion or agitation, as these may indicate the rare but serious condition serotonin syndrome. The NHS also advises urgent help for severe allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts. Common side effects such as nausea, headaches, vomiting and dizziness usually improve as the body adjusts to the medicine.

Some 2016 UK £1 coins contain a minting error in which the visible date beside the Queen’s head reads 2016 while the micro-engraved rim inscription reads 2017. The Royal Mint has confirmed the error, and experts advise using magnification or a microscope to inspect the rim. Although most such coins are worth only face value, examples have reportedly sold for up to £2,500, with mint-condition specimens estimated at £300 to £500.

Dr Amir Khan warns that common supplements and foods can interfere with prescription medicines. St John’s wort may affect antidepressants, contraceptives, blood thinners and transplant drugs; turmeric or curcumin may increase bleeding risk with anticoagulants; magnesium and calcium can reduce the absorption of some antibiotics and thyroid medicines; vitamin K can alter warfarin-related clotting risk; and grapefruit juice can affect statin metabolism. He advises people to tell their doctors about all supplements and remedies they take.

Dr Amir Khan has urged women and anyone with ovaries to seek medical advice if symptoms such as persistent bloating, abdominal or pelvic pain, reduced appetite, urinary frequency, indigestion, bowel changes, fatigue, unexplained weight changes or abnormal vaginal bleeding continue for three weeks or more. He noted that ovarian cancer symptoms can be vague and resemble digestive or menopausal problems, while family history of breast, ovarian or bowel cancer can increase risk. Cancer Research UK estimates around 7,700 new ovarian cancer cases and 3,900 deaths annually in the UK. Most people with these symptoms will not have ovarian cancer, but early assessment can improve outcomes.

People using GLP-1 weight-loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy are advised to contact a GP or call 111 if they develop sudden, severe abdominal pain, which may indicate acute pancreatitis. Common side effects include nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, stomach discomfort, tiredness and dizziness, while regulators have also warned about rare vision loss and reduced contraceptive-pill reliability with Mounjaro. The British Heart Foundation recommends a balanced diet, adequate protein and nutrients, and regular exercise to help limit muscle and bone loss during rapid weight reduction.

An experimental immuno-infrared sensor may detect protein-shape changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease up to 17 years before a typical clinical diagnosis and may also identify Parkinson’s disease at an early stage. Reported results include Alzheimer’s prediction accuracy of up to 0.82, higher accuracy among people with mild memory problems, and strong sensitivity and specificity in Parkinson’s testing. However, much of the evidence comes from existing studies, some Parkinson’s findings were based on an unreviewed preprint, and ALS-related results remain preliminary. The test is not approved for widespread screening and requires further validation, regulatory approval and expanded testing capacity; the study also disclosed a commercial connection involving betaSENSE GmbH.

Placing everyday objects in inappropriate locations, such as leaving a remote control in the refrigerator, may be a lesser-known sign of dementia rather than ordinary forgetfulness. Alzheimer organizations in Canada and the UK say this behavior can accompany memory loss, delusions about items being hidden, or hoarding. Caregivers are advised to keep belongings organized, use visual cues and locator devices, and seek medical advice when dementia symptoms appear.