Inside Health

The evidence behind minimum pricing of alcoholic drinks in England and Wales - putting the political debate aside, does it actually work?Could harnessing the power of phages - naturally occurring viruses that prey on bacteria - help fight the threat posed by growing resistance to antibiotics?Plus a follow up on last week's item about Cervical smears - if women in their late 60s are among those most likely to develop cancer of the cervix, why aren't they included in the national screening programme?And babies' hips - concerns that the resurgence of swaddling is leading to abnormal hip development.

Following the chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies apocalyptic report comparing the threat of antibiotic resistance to terrorism, Dr Mark Porter looks at the overuse of antibiotics. He asks is it even useful to ask if an infection is viral or bacterial - are antibiotics the right thing even in a bad, bacterial infection? 60,000 pregnant women will go into premature labour every year in the UK. Mark visits a pioneering clinic at St Thomas's hospital in London to prevent premature labour. He also asks do all women need smear tests even if they're in long term monogamous relationships, have always had clear tests or are in a lesbian relationship? And aspirin to prevent the risk of stroke after hip replacements.

Dr Mark Porter questions Lord Howe, Minister for Health, as the government announces a U-turn to the NHS reforms following widespread concern that they would lead to privatisation by the back door, and the end of the NHS as we know it.Why women with epilepsy need to take extra care with their contraception, and the importance of managing their medication when they do get pregnant.And what sort of thermometer should you use when monitoring your child's temperature?

Dr Mark Porter puts the Pharmaceutical Industry in the spotlight as some clinical trials are criticised for testing new drugs against a weaker rival so that the results appear much better than they really are. Kamran Abbasi takes on Dr Bina Rawal from the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry to discuss if the hurdles are being set too low, so that a new therapy comes out on top.And what if sustained periods of adversity in childhood are associated with permanent structural changes in brain development? So suggests new research into adolescents with Conduct Disorder - a controversial diagnosis given to 1 in 20 teenagers in the UK with aggressive or anti-social behaviour. Many of these children will have been exposed to severe abuse, but do these findings have implications for common family discord that lasts months or years? Mark Porter investigates.

Is it safe to drink urine, or even sea water in a survival situation? Mark Porter examines calls to withdraw one of the most widely used anti inflammatory drugs, diclofenac, because it increases the risk of heart attacks. And what kinds of health problems can result from living with a parrot, cockatiel or a loft full of pigeons? As guidelines to improve hospital meals are introduced, how will the idea of food as medicine improve patients' experience?

Dr Mark Porter investigates a new shingles vaccine for the over 70s. Is a chicken pox vaccine for children an alternative? And contraception for the over 35s: can you take the pill until the menopause? Mark Porter finds out why we're so poor at First Aid. And if you're switching to cheaper drugs, does the size and colour influence how you take your medicine. Could changing to a cheaper brand have a hidden cost? And early clues to Parkinson's disease.

Why the reporting of drug side effects has dropped by a third in a decade - it's the responsibility of GP's and the general public to notifiy through the yellow card system - but it's on the wane - does that mean drug safety is slipping through the net?Mark Porter finds out how the medical technology that identified why King Richard 111 died could be used to help the rest of us.And answers a listener's question about so called 'chemo brain'. Does chemotherapy really effect memory and the ability to concentrate? Plus a family history of cancer - is it always as worrying as it sounds?

Following the latest figures on deaths from alcohol, Dr Mark Porter talks to liver transplant expert Dr Varuna Aluvihare from King's College London, the largest liver transplant centre in Europe.Targeted cancer therapies - thousands of people with cancer are to have their genes mapped as part of a new drive towards treatment tailored to the individual. But what's in it for the patient? Mark discusses with Prof Peter Johnson, chief clinician for Cancer Research UK.Mark talks to Dr Paul Farrant about caffeine - is there a benefit to having it in your shampoo?Halitophobia - fear of bad breath and what can be done to help. Tim Hodgson and Claire Daniel from the Eastman Dental Hospital in London explain.

New research suggesting that the ban on smoking in public places has led to a sharp fall in the number of children admitted to hospital with asthma.Sunbeds and cancer Dr Mark Porter examines claims by some tanning salons that their machines do not increase the risk of developing skin cancer despite UV tanning devices being classified as carcinogenic to humans.Plus we visit a leading expert to answer a listener's query about why she is waking up with a very dry mouth.And why your body mass index may not be the best way to work out if you are overweight.

Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.