2023 February 06 – Stories about health we think you should read

Five health treatments you should go private for With the NHS in crisis and its waiting lists growing longer, more people are taking control of where and when they have procedures. Learn more

The telltale signs that you’re completely drained – and how to recharge Feeling low and lost your get-up-and-go? This science-backed guide has the solutions you need for reigniting your spark. Get the tips

Why HRT may have health benefits beyond menopause Research shows HRT could help prevent Alzhemer’s in at-risk women – so should it be available as a pre-emptive health measure?A new study published in the Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy suggests HRT may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease in millions of women at risk of developing the condition, which has prompted a ripple of excitement in the world of women’s health. Instead of simply being a go-to remedy for hot flashes, brain fog and joint pain, should HRT be used as a preventative health measure? Instead of thinking of HRT as a replacement therapy, Dr Newson believes it should be considered a ‘hormone support treatment’ with the new, safer formulations enabling individual patients having access to it earlier as a preventative measure if they wish, rather than simply as a treatment only for menopause symptoms. Read on

	‘My symptoms seemed embarrassingly trivial – then I was diagnosed with MS at 49’. In his new book, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst explores the shock of having a life-changing illness.
	How do you know which symptoms to take seriously? We ask the experts which health conditions warrant a trip to A&E and which are the ones that don’t. Read the list.
	With more and more young people choosing to cut their alcohol intake, could drinking go the same way as smoking? Boudicca Fox-Leonard investigates.
	‘My wife is fitter than ever while I’ve let myself go’. Our anonymous author feels fat, grumpy and old before his time – but can’t face the effort needed to get himself fit. Read more.

The Whale | What we can learn about morbid obesity from UK’s fattest man

How the typical British diet is fuelling the risk of cancer It is well known that processed foods are unhealthy, but a new study provides the most compelling evidence yet. Laura Donnelly, our Health Editor, explains how half of the items in everyday British diets are adding to our risk of developing cancer and reveals the biggest culprits – some of which may surprise you.

Health | The lessons I learnt from doing Dry January

British Columbia Vancouver just legalised possession of heroin and crack cocaine – this is what it looked like on the ground By Jamie Johnson, US Correspondent, in VANCOUVER I had been in Canada for less than 45 minutes when I came upon a desperate scene. A drug addict laying on the ground inside Vancouver’s Waterfront underground station, being treated by paramedics. He groaned as they rolled him over. Commuters kept walking. Vancouver is widely regarded as one of the most livable cities in the world – and for many it is. A bustling centre, burgeoning food scene, reliable public transport, nature on the doorstep and skiing nearby – it has it all. But the province in which it sits, British Columbia, has just decriminalised hard drugs. Adults in possession of 2.5g or less of heroin, crack cocaine, fentanyl or ecstacy will not be arrested and will not have their substances seized. For those who live on the periphery of society, this liberal attitude appears to be both a blessing and a curse. Addicts will not be punished for their actions, but the new law introduces no measures to help them become sober or make the drugs they are taking safer. An article describing East Hastings street in the Vancouver Sun was headlined: “Welcome to Hell.” I still wasn’t prepared for what it looked like up close. A small packet of crack cocaine CREDIT: Jamie Johnson/Daily Telegraph Just one block in, crouched in an alleyway, a crouched hooded man searched for a vein. He stabbed at it with a needle before plunging it in. I checked my watch. It still wasn’t 8am. Soon after I met Nicola, a blonde 40-something who had been hooked on drugs since she was a teenager. More placid than her neighbours, we started to talk as she pulled out a small plastic bag containing crack cocaine. It was an orderly process: place a small ‘rock’ on a piece of foil. Heat it from below using a blowtorch lighter. Inhale the vapour and fumes through a plastic tube. I reached out and asked to hold the bag. Being in possession, according to the new regulations, wasn’t a criminal act. After handing it back, raised voices boomed. Two men were fighting over a lighter ending with one pulling out a kitchen knife. I turned to leave, a syringe crunched under my foot. Justin Trudeau’s government insists the new drug laws will help, it’s just not clear yet who.

‘I’m holding crack cocaine in my hand – but in Vancouver, the police don’t care.’ Thanks to a radical new policy introduced by British Columbia, one of Canada’s most liberal provinces, adults in possession of 2.5g of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine or ecstasy will not be arrested or even have their drugs seized. More than 11,000 British Columbians have died from drug overdoses since a public health emergency was declared in 2016. That’s six people a day for six years in this province of just five million people.