Podcast
The Health Review
Hosted by The Health Review · EN
I’m Emily — a TV journalist and presenter on a mission to cut through the noise and find real answers about how we can take care of our health.
After struggling with chronic health issues for years — from recurring infections to gut problems and burnout — I made some big lifestyle changes that completely transformed my life.
Now, I use my journalism background to ask the questions we all really want answered. On The Health Review, I speak to top doctors, nutritionists, and experts to make sense of the science and debunk the endless health myths online.
Subscribe for weekly episodes with incredible health and wellness voices!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Women's Health Doctor: Why the Health Industry Is Failing Women on Endo, PCOS, UTIs, Menopause & Pain
3d ago00:51:19Tap to summarizeHow many times have you left a GP appointment without the answers you went in for? Been told your pain is normal, your symptoms are just stress, or that losing weight will sort it out? For millions of women, that experience is not unfamiliar. In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Dr Reem Al-Shaikh — GP with over 20 years of experience, British Menopause Society specialist and co-founder of the Women's Wellness Clinic. And as it happens, my sister-in-law — which meant this was one of the most honest and personal conversations I've had on the show.We get into the conditions that are still being missed, mismanaged and dismissed across women's healthcare — from endometriosis and PCOS to painful sex and heart health. This is the conversation I wish every woman could have with her doctor.We cover:The systemic dismissal of women's symptoms — and what it's costing women in years of suffering before they get answersEndometriosis — the nine-year average diagnostic wait, the new non-invasive tests now being backed by NICE, and what women with suspected endo should be asking for right nowPCOS beyond the basics — what it actually means for long-term metabolic and cardiovascular health, and why women are still just being told to lose weightThe mental health dimension of PCOS — anxiety, depression and body image that goes largely unaddressed in standard carePainful sex — why it is never normal, what the root causes actually are and how to have the conversation with a clinician who will take it seriouslyWhy women present differently to men with the same conditions — and what that means for diagnosis and treatmentHow to advocate for yourself in a medical system that doesn't always make it easy — what to ask for, what to push back on and when to seek a second opinionThe postcode lottery of women's healthcare — and what needs to change systemicallyWhat Dr Reem wishes every woman in her 30s and 40s knew about her own healthThis episode is for you if:You've been struggling to get answers about endometriosis, PCOS or pelvic pain. You've been told your symptoms are normal when something feels deeply wrong. You want to understand your own health better and feel equipped to advocate for yourself. Or you simply want to hear an honest, experienced women's health doctor speak plainly about what is and isn't working in the system.About Dr Reem Al-Shaikh:Dr Reem Al-Shaikh is a GP with over 20 years of clinical experience and a British Menopause Society specialist. She is co-founder of the Women's Wellness Clinic with clinics in Cambridge and Bishop's Stortford, dedicated to providing women with the comprehensive, compassionate care they deserve.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Topics: endometriosis diagnosis UK | PCOS | PCOS and mental health | PCOS and metabolism | painful sex | women's health UK | heart disease in women | women's health dismissal | EndoTest | EndoSure | NICE endometriosis | women's health advocacy | GP women's health | postcode lottery women's health | Dr Reem Al-Shaikh | Women's Wellness Clinic | women's health podcast | PCOS treatment | endometriosis symptoms | pelvic pain | women's health 2026 | advocating for yourself | women's health inequality | PCOS cardiovascular | endometriosis awarenessToday's episode is sponsored by Coach Business School — Andy Ramage's world-class coach training programme, which I trained through myself. Use code HEALTH50 for £50 off the Foundation Certificate at coachbusiness.school.This week's sponsor, vagus nerve stimulator SONA has offered The Health Review listeners 15% off SONA. Use code THR at checkout or access the discount automatically here: https://sona.help/?im_ref=SkfXugw-kxyZWz0TwYRUY2%3AdUkuReuR-SzLO0Q0&sharedid&irpid=7022575&irgwc=1&afsrc=1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The Vaginal Microbiome — What Every Woman Needs to Know About UTIs, Fertility & Intimate Health
2w ago00:41:30Tap to summarizeWomen's health has come a long way in recent years. We're talking more openly about perimenopause, hormones and fertility, yet there is one area that remains surprisingly under-discussed that affects millions of women every single day and sits at the intersection of intimate health, the microbiome, fertility and long-term wellbeing. The vaginal microbiome.In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Eleanor Gardner — physiotherapist, founder of Pelvic Relief and one of the UK's leading voices in women's intimate health. Eleanor founded Pelvic Relief in 2014 after recognising a significant gap in accessible, evidence-based solutions for women's pelvic and intimate health conditions. She has since acquired VJJ Health and its vaginal probiotics and launched an advanced vaginal microbiome test in partnership with Bio-Me — measuring over 50 key vaginal microbes and giving women the kind of insight into their intimate health that most GP appointments simply don't provide.I also share my own experience of taking Eleanor's vaginal microbiome test — and the silent UTI it uncovered that explained months of unexplained fatigue I couldn't put my finger on.We cover:What the vaginal microbiome actually is — and why it's completely different from the gut microbiomeWhy Lactobacillus dominance matters — and what happens when those protective bacteria declineThe vaginal and bladder microbiome connection — why women with recurrent UTIs often have a reservoir of uropathogens in the vaginal space that keep reinfecting themWhy the bladder is not sterile — and what that means for how we treat and prevent UTIsThe link between the vaginal microbiome and fertility — shorter time to conceive, reduced miscarriage risk and better IVF outcomesWhat a vaginal microbiome test actually involves, what it shows and how to use the resultsHow the menopause devastates the vaginal microbiome — and why genitourinary syndrome of menopause is progressive unlike other menopausal symptomsWhy local oestrogen is one of the most underused and underappreciated tools in women's intimate healthThe products that genuinely help — oral vaginal probiotics, D-mannose, pH-matched lubricants — and what the evidence actually saysWhat to stop using immediately — douching, harsh soaps, anything that promises freshnessPartner testing for BV — why male partners can be asymptomatic carriers and what that means for recurrencePractical lifestyle factors most women have never been told — underwear, thongs, bathing suits, going to the toilet after intercourse Your questions answered — on probiotics versus antibiotics, how the bladder and vaginal microbiome are linked and what to do if probiotics upset your stomachWhere vaginal microbiome testing is headed in the next five years — and Eleanor's hope that it becomes embedded in routine clinical careThis episode is for you if:You've been struggling with recurrent UTIs, BV or thrush and keep getting the same prescription without getting to the root cause. You're on a fertility journey and want to understand every piece of the puzzle. You're perimenopausal or menopausal and noticing changes in your intimate health. Or you just want to understand why the vaginal microbiome matters so much for your overall wellbeing.Find the company at pelvicrelief.co.uk and @pelvicrelief on Instagram.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Today's episode is supported by Totally Derma, the evidence-based collagen drink supplement recommended by dermatologists and cosmetic clinics across the UK. As mentioned in the episode, The Health Review listeners get 15% off their first subscription with code HEALTHREVIEW15 at checkout: https://totallyderma.com/?ref=115Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →How Many Eggs Do You Actually Need to Freeze? The Complete Guide to Egg Freezing & IVF
3w ago00:44:09Tap to summarizeMore babies than ever are being born through assisted reproduction. Women are having children later, environmental factors are increasingly affecting fertility, and the world of egg freezing, IVF and embryology is changing faster than most of us realise. But what actually happens inside the lab — and what does every woman need to know before she makes any decisions about her fertility?In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Emma Whitney — Director of Embryology and Genetics at The Evewell, one of the UK's leading fertility clinics, and winner of the Claire Gillot Prize, the most prestigious award a UK embryologist can receive. Emma spends her days doing something most of us will never see — working with eggs, sperm and embryos in the lab to help people build the families they want.We cover:Who egg freezing is actually for — and why Emma thinks the conversation should be starting much earlier than most women have itThe ideal age to freeze eggs and where the statistics start to shift significantlyHow many eggs you actually need frozen to have a realistic chance of a live birth — the honest numbers most clinics don't lead withWhat happens inside the lab on egg collection day — what Emma is looking for and what makes a good collectionVitrification — the flash freezing process that transformed egg freezing success rates and what it's actually doingGERI time-lapse incubators — the technology The Evewell uses and why continuous monitoring of embryo development changes outcomesEmbryo grading — what it means, how it works and how much a grade actually predicts successPGT-A — preimplantation genetic testing — when to use it, what it reveals and why it matters for implantationEgg versus embryo freezing — the key differences and how to decide which is right for youHow to genuinely optimise egg quality before a freeze cycle — what the evidence says about CoQ10, diet, sleep, alcohol and stressWhat happens when someone returns years later to use their frozen eggs — and the factors that most affect whether it worksThe emotional reality of fertility treatment — what Emma sees in the lab and what she wishes more women knew before they startedThis episode is for you if:You're considering egg freezing and want to understand what actually happens during the process. You're in your twenties or thirties and wondering whether now is the right time to have the conversation. Or you're going through IVF and want to understand what's happening to your embryos in the lab.About Emma Whitney:Emma Whitney is Director of Embryology and Genetics at The Evewell, one of the UK's leading fertility clinics. She is the winner of the Claire Gillot Prize — awarded by the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists for outstanding contribution to embryology education — the most prestigious award a UK embryologist can receive.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health or fertility treatment.Today's sponsor Totally Derma: Today's episode is supported by Totally Derma, the evidence-based collagen drink supplement recommended by dermatologists and cosmetic clinics across the UK. As mentioned in the episode, The Health Review listeners get 15% off their first subscription with code HEALTHREVIEW15 at checkout: https://totallyderma.com/?ref=115Find Emma: htps://www.instagram.com/emmatheembryologist/Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Coaching, Acne Lasers, Women Health & Fertility — A Personal Update
3w ago00:20:56Tap to summarizeThis one is a little different. No guest, just me — with some updates I've been wanting to share for a while and a look ahead at what's coming on The Health Review this summer.This is a solo episode and a personal one. I talk about completing my six-month coaching diploma with Andy Ramage at Coach Business School — what coaching actually is, why it surprised me so much, and how I'm now working with clients. Also, something I haven't mentioned on the show before — a fertility journey I'm on (early days), and the nervous system and lifestyle work I've been doing alongside it. I also share an honest update on my acne journey, including trying AviClear — a laser treatment that was significantly more painful than I expected and whether I think it's worth it so far.I also answer some of your questions from Instagram — on future podcast themes, whether I'm still working in news, non-toxic product swaps and longevity protocols — and run through the health news stories that have caught my attention recently, including the new non-invasive endometriosis tests getting NICE backing, the Bryan Johnson vaginal microbiome moment and what's really going on with GLP-1 drugs beyond weight loss.And I share what's coming this summer — a full women's health series covering:Egg freezing and fertility with the UK's leading embryologistPerimenopause and hormones with Dr Rima ShakeThe vaginal microbiome with the founder of Pelvic ReliefUTIs, cystitis and intimate healthWomen's nutrition and mental healthIf you have questions for any of these guests — nothing is too personal or too embarrassing — send them to hello@thehealthreview.com or drop them in the DMs.Topics covered: solo episode | women's health series | fertility journey | nervous system health | acne laser treatment | AviClear review | positive psychology coaching | Coach Business School | Andy Ramage | wellness toolkit | non-toxic swaps | endometriosis diagnosis | vaginal microbiome | GLP-1 drugs | Ozempic news | longevity basics | methylation testing | health news UK | The Health Review summer seriesThis episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The Oral Microbiome — Why What's Living In Your Mouth Is Affecting Your Whole Body | Dr Daniel Sutcliffe
Jul 800:37:57Tap to summarizeWe're spending billions on supplements, gut health, longevity tracking and biological age testing. And yet one of the most powerful windows into our overall health — one that's been right there the whole time — is something most of us think about for a few minutes a day. The mouth.In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Dr Daniel Sutcliffe — founder of The Bespoke Dentist, one of London's leading holistic and biological dental practices, and one of a growing number of clinicians making the case that the mouth and the body are not separate systems. The oral microbiome, gum disease, how we breathe, the position of our jaw, whether our wisdom teeth are impacted — all of it connects to our cardiovascular health, our gut, our sleep, our cognitive function and potentially even our future risk of dementia.As Daniel puts it — medicine and dentistry used to be married. Now they're divorced.We cover:What biological and holistic dentistry actually means — and why every dentist could be practising itThe mouth as the front door to the gut — why 45% of gut bacteria is fed from the mouthThe oral microbiome — the second largest biome in the body and what we're doing to it every day without realisingWhy aggressive mouthwashes are the oral equivalent of spraying weed killer on your gardenThe dementia link — P. gingivalis DNA found in 90% of Alzheimer's brains in one study and what that meansThe two-way relationship between gum disease and diabetes — and why treating one affects the otherFluoride — why Daniel doesn't use it and what hydroxyapatite toothpaste actually does insteadAmalgam fillings — the safe removal protocol and why most dentists are still drilling straight throughSleep apnoea and snoring — how what's happening in your mouth and airway connects to cardiovascular health, cognitive function and energy levelsWisdom teeth — when to remove them, when to leave them and the nerve damage risk nobody tells you aboutMouth breathing versus nasal breathing — and the wonder molecule nitric oxide that nasal breathing deliversTongue scraping — why Daniel is massively for it and what it's doing for your oral microbiomeWhy looking after your mouth could be the single most effective thing you do for the rest of your bodyAbout Dr Daniel Sutcliffe:Dr Daniel Sutcliffe is the founder of The Bespoke Dentist on Harley Street and UK mentor for the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. He specialises in biological dentistry, safe amalgam removal, sleep apnoea treatment and the oral-systemic health connection. His book Heal Your Mouth, Heal Your Body is due for publication in February 2027.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Topics: biological dentistry | holistic dentistry | oral microbiome | gum disease and dementia | oral health and gut health | fluoride alternatives | hydroxyapatite toothpaste | amalgam removal | safe amalgam removal | sleep apnoea treatment | snoring and health | mouth breathing | nasal breathing | nitric oxide | wisdom teeth | tongue scraping | oral health and diabetes | oral health and heart disease | P gingivalis | Dr Daniel Sutcliffe | Bespoke Dentist | IAOMT | mouth body connection | dental health UK | oral probiotics | waterpik | flossingThis week's sponsor, vagus nerve stimulator SONA has offered The Health Review listeners 15% off SONA. Use code THR at checkout or access the discount automatically here: https://sona.help/?im_ref=SkfXugw-kxyZWz0TwYRUY2%3AdUkuReuR-SzLO0Q0&sharedid&irpid=7022575&irgwc=1&afsrc=1Dr Daniel's website: https://thebespokedentist.co.uk/Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Wheelchair-Bound at 18 to Holistic Health Expert — Lauren Vaknine's Extraordinary Healing Journey
Jul 100:42:10Tap to summarizeMost of us approach our health the same way. We get a symptom, we find a treatment, we manage the condition. What we rarely ask is why — why is the body doing this, what is it trying to tell us, and what would it mean to actually heal rather than just cope?In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Lauren Vaknine — holistic health expert, author and chronic illness advocate whose own healing journey is one of the most extraordinary I've encountered.Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis just before her second birthday, Lauren spent her childhood navigating the medical system, and by the age of 18 was completely wheelchair-bound — unable to grip cutlery, bend her elbows or sit up straight — after while being on a chemo-based drug, her arthritis spread to every joint in her body within ten months. It was in that moment, at 18, sitting in the rheumatologist's office, that she made a decision that changed everything. Disability wasn't going to be her story. Wellness was.What followed was a decade-long healing journey — through nutrition, meditation, somatic work, inner child healing and nervous system regulation — that not only transformed her own health but became the foundation for the work she now does with thousands of women through her Rise membership.We cover:Lauren's extraordinary personal story — from diagnosis at two years old to wheelchair-bound at 18 to holistic health expertHer mother's instinct to reject conventional steroids in 1986The moment in the rheumatologist's office that changed everything — and the decision she made at 18 that set the course of her lifeWhy nervous system regulation has to come before everything else — supplements, protocols, nutrition — everythingWhat chronic stress is actually doing to your body — the predator response explained in a way that will change how you think about your gut health, your immune system and your sleepFood as medicine — where to start and what Lauren changed first on her healing journeyWhat somatic healing actually is and how to begin — breathwork, movement and processing emotions through the bodyThe difference between existing in trauma and processing itMeditation and the corpus callosum — the neuroscience behind why meditation is the only practice shown to strengthen the bridge between the two sides of the brainIdentity work — why shifting out of the identity of your illness or your problem is the missing piece most people never addressWhy you can't hear guidance through the noise — and what sitting in silence every day actually doesIntuition as a health tool — how Lauren now makes decisions about food, movement and her body without any tracking or testingThis episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Lauren has kindly offered The Health Review audience a discount on her Rise membership: Just use the code RISEIS45 to get it for £45 instead of £75. https://www.laurenvaknine.co.uk/risemembershipThis week's sponsor, vagus nerve stimulator SONA has offered The Health Review listeners 15% off SONA. Use code THR at checkout or access the discount automatically here: https://sona.help/?im_ref=SkfXugw-kxyZWz0TwYRUY2%3AdUkuReuR-SzLO0Q0&sharedid&irpid=7022575&irgwc=1&afsrc=1Lauren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenvaknineFollow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Longevity, Biological Age & How to Live to 114 in Great Health | Dr Alka Patel
Jun 2400:44:24Tap to summarizeWe've all heard of the super agers — centenarians living well into their hundreds in the villages of Sardinia, the islands of Okinawa, regions of the world where reaching 100 in great health is almost the norm. Increasingly, longevity scientists believe that kind of lifespan could be within reach for many more of us — if we can fend off the age-related diseases that currently cut lives short. Nearly half of all UK adults already have at least one longstanding health condition. So the question is — how much of that is inevitable, and how much is actually within our control?In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Dr Alka Patel — GP, longevity doctor, TEDx speaker and founder of the Million Hour Club, whose mission is to help one million people live a one million hour life. With over 25 years of clinical experience and a quarter of a million patients, Dr Alka works at the fascinating intersection of cutting-edge biohacking and lifestyle medicine — and she brings a perspective on longevity that is both rigorously evidence-based and deeply personal.The conversation that stayed with me most was a patient she described — a 29-year-old whose biological age tested at 78. Not because of genetics or illness, but because of stress. The grind, the hustle, the pressure of doing it all. And the fact that nobody had told them what it was doing to their body.We cover:Why Dr Alka went from being a GP in conventional medicine to pioneering longevity careHer own health crisis — the birthday that ended with multiple organ failure and the question it forced her to askHealth is a verb not a noun — what that TEDx talk with over half a million views actually means in practiceHow much of our health is really down to genetics — and why the answer is more hopeful than most people thinkThe hierarchy of health — why mastering the basics has to come before peptides, IV drips and biological age testingWhat biological age testing actually measures and why it's one of the most motivating tests Dr Alka doesThe 29-year-old with a biological age of 78 — and what stress is really doing to the body over timeThe cortisol curve — why most of her high-performing patients don't have one, and what that means for sleep, energy and burnoutBiohacking for women — why we are not little men and what a female-specific approach to optimisation actually looks likeBiosynchrony — aligning your lifestyle with your biology, your hormones and your circadian rhythmPerimenopause, cycle tracking and why variety might matter more than routine for women at this life stageThe Blue Zones debate — what the research actually shows even if the specific data is being questionedWhy beauty begins in your biology — and the coffin line that stopped me in my tracksCautious curiosity — how to approach peptides, rapamycin and novel longevity interventions safelyWhat longevity medicine will look like in ten yearsThis episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Topics: longevity medicine | biological age testing | biohacking for women | Dr Alka Patel | million hour club | female biohacking | perimenopause health | cortisol testing | stress and ageing | epigenetics | Blue Zones | health is a verb | continuous glucose monitor | Oura Ring | HRV | biosynchrony | circadian rhythm | longevity supplements | peptides | rapamycin | NAD longevity | lifestyle medicine | functional medicine UK | how to live longer | healthy ageing women | burnout and ageing | superagers | centenarians | biological clockDr Alka's website: https://www.dralkapatel.com/Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Self-Compassion Expert on Why Coming Home to Yourself is The Key to Happiness | Suzy Reading
Jun 1600:44:05Tap to summarizeWhen did you last feel totally safe in your body? When did you last connect with yourself on a deep level? For most of us, those questions sound almost foreign — and that, according to today's guest, is precisely the problem.In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Suzy Reading — chartered psychologist, yoga teacher, coach and author of ten books, including her latest How to Be Selfish. Suzy has spent two decades at the intersection of neuroscience, somatic therapy and psychology, and her work keeps coming back to one simple idea: that caring for yourself isn't selfish. It's the foundation of everything else. This is one of the most warm, honest and moving conversations I've had on the show — and one that I think will stay with you.Suzy shares her own deeply personal story of reaching what she calls energetic bankruptcy — becoming a new mother at the same time as losing her father to motor neuron disease, and what happened when she gave everything to everyone else and had nothing left. What she found her way back to became the heart of this book.We cover:Why mental health is not just something that happens in our head — it's a function of our nervous system, our breathing and our bodiesWhat somatic therapy actually is and why it reaches places that talking alone can't The hand on heart practice — a 30-second somatic hold that shifts your nervous system out of stress responseWhy we've been systematically distracted from ourselves — and why sitting with yourself can feel genuinely terrifyingThe difference between guilt and shame — and why shame is the hidden current running beneath so much of our exhaustion and self-criticismWhy the most successful people are often running hardest from their own sense of not-enoughnessEnergetic bankruptcy — what it feels like and how to find your way backThe seven steps to coming home to yourself from How to Be SelfishWhy a healed nervous system doesn't mean being calm all the time — it means being responsiveAwe hunting — Suzy's favourite spiritual practice and why it's more accessible than you thinkWhy self-compassion is the single most important thing for being a healthy and whole human beingThis episode is for you if:You've been giving everything to everyone else and feel like you have very little left. You feel disconnected from yourself and don't quite know where to start. You feel guilty every time you try to prioritise yourself. Or you simply want permission — backed by psychology and neuroscience — to finally stop abandoning yourself.About Suzy Reading:Suzy Reading is a chartered psychologist, yoga teacher, coach and the author of ten books on self-care and mental health, including How to Be Selfish, The Self-Care Revolution and Stand Tall Like a Mountain. She is one of the UK's most trusted voices on wellbeing and has spent two decades helping people build sustainable habits for head, heart and body.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Topics: self-care | self-compassion | somatic therapy | nervous system healing | burnout recovery | energetic bankruptcy | shame | self-abandonment | coming home to yourself | inner child | how to be selfish | Suzy Reading | somatic holds | awe hunting | perimenopause mental health | self-worth | emotional numbness | self-limiting beliefs | yoga therapy | psychologist self-care | seven steps self-care | nervous system regulation | hand on heart practice | wellbeing psychologySuzy's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzyreadingSuzy's website: https://www.suzyreading.co.ukFollow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The Wearable That Treats Depression at Home Without Medication — Flow Neuroscience's CMO Explains
Jun 1000:37:58Tap to summarizeOne in four adults in England is living with anxiety or depression. That's not a statistic from a bad year — it's the finding of the most rigorous long-term mental health survey in the world, and the trajectory has been heading in one direction for three decades. We are, by any measure, in a mental health crisis. And the treatments we have been relying on — antidepressants, talking therapies with months-long waiting lists — are simply not reaching enough people, fast enough.In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Dr Kultar Garcha — Chief Medical Officer at Flow Neuroscience, and a GP with deep experience in mental health treatment. Flow has built something genuinely remarkable — a wearable medical device that treats depression at home, without medication, by delivering gentle electrical stimulation to the precise area of the brain that goes underactive in depression. It has now been used by over 60,000 people across Europe and the UK, is being prescribed across seven NHS trusts and over ten services, and recently became the first device of its kind to receive FDA clearance in the US — backed by the largest ever at-home tDCS randomised controlled trial, published in Nature Medicine.We cover:Why depression and anxiety rates have risen so sharply — and why young people are being hit hardestWhat depression actually feels like from the inside — and why around half of people who have it are never diagnosedWhat's happening in the brain during depression — the prediction engine, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and why it's the key targetHow Flow works — transcranial direct current stimulation explained in plain terms, and what it actually feels like to use itThe Nature Medicine trial — 57.5% of patients in remission at 10 weeks, with responses beginning as early as three weeksWhy 67% of patients already on antidepressants achieved remission when they added FlowThe NHS results — including an 80% reduction in depression symptoms and up to 75% drop in suicidal ideation in crisis servicesThe side effect profile compared to SSRIs — and what Dr Kultar wasn't told about antidepressant side effects during his own medical trainingWhy some people feel trapped on antidepressants and can't get off them — and what alternatives now existThis episode is for you if:You or someone you love has struggled with depression or anxiety and hasn't found the right treatment. You've been on antidepressants and want to understand your options. Or you're simply curious about where mental health treatment is heading and why brain stimulation technology is one of the most exciting frontiers in medicine right now.About Dr Kultar Garcha:Dr Kultar Garcha is Chief Medical Officer at Flow Neuroscience and a practising GP with extensive experience in mental health treatment. He oversees all real-world evidence and safety data at Flow and is currently leading research into Flow's applications for women's mental health including perimenopause, postnatal depression and PMDD.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health or treatment.Visit Flow Neuroscience: https://www.flowneuroscience.com/Use the code THEHEALTHREVIEW for 15% off the Flow Device. Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The Hidden Psychological Cost of Our Tech Obsession — A Cyberpsychologist Explains | Dr Elaine Kasket
Jun 300:47:10Tap to summarizeTechnology is doing something to us. Not just to our productivity or our sleep — but to our relationships, our identity, our capacity for genuine human connection. And most of us are only just beginning to understand the scale of it.In this episode of The Health Review I sit down with Dr Elaine Kasket — chartered counselling psychologist, cyberpsychologist, author of Reset: Rethinking Your Digital World for a Happier Life and one of the world's leading experts on how technology reshapes our inner lives. Elaine has spent two decades at the intersection of psychology and technology and brings something genuinely rare to this conversation — the clinical depth to understand what is happening to us psychologically and the intellectual honesty to say it clearly.This is one of those conversations that makes you want to put your phone down the moment it's over.We cover:How technology is deliberately designed to manipulate our behaviour and push us toward specific usage patterns — and why knowing that isn't enough to change itWhy we have developed a genuine psychological dependency on our devicesThe concept of attentional infidelity — being physically present with someone while mentally elsewhere — and what it costs our closest relationshipsWhy a genuine relationship with AI is not possible — the absence of reciprocity and what that means for the millions of people forming emotional bonds with AI companionsThe fundamental human needs that technology exploits — to be seen, to feel important, to know that our thoughts and feelings matter to someoneWhat research shows happens to infants when a parent's attention is captured by a phone — and why it matters more than we realiseWhy serving others remains one of the most powerful sources of meaning and happiness — and how technology quietly erodes our capacity for thatThis episode is for you if:You've ever felt uneasy about your relationship with your phone but haven't been able to articulate why. You're curious about what AI relationships actually mean for human connection. Or you simply want to understand what technology is really doing to the people you love.About Dr Elaine Kasket:Dr Elaine Kasket is a chartered counselling psychologist, cyberpsychologist and author of Reset: Rethinking Your Digital World for a Happier Life and All the Ghosts in the Machine. She is a visiting professor at the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath and has spent two decades exploring how technology reshapes wellbeing, relationships, work and identity. She appears regularly on the BBC, CNN, ITV and beyond.This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your own clinician before making changes to your health.Topics: cyberpsychology | technology and relationships | AI relationships | attentional infidelity | screen time | digital dependency | phone addiction | human connection | AI companions | technology and mental health | digital wellbeing | Elaine Kasket | Reset book | technology psychology | social media psychology | phone and relationships | AI and loneliness | digital identity | technology manipulation | human needs | meaning and purposeDr Kasket's website: https://www.elainekasket.com/Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →