The Chemist Couple Podcast

Is it Dangerous to Drink Alcohol on Medication?

Welcome to the final episode of this alcohol series, this week we discuss the interactions of alcohol with common medication that you may encounter. As always, our aim is to provide the evidence for you to decide whether alcohol should be apart of your lifestyle and we do so in an unbiased fashion. Within this episode we assess the evidence relating to the proposed mechanism of interactions, proposed outcome and what this means in a practical sense. There is a lot to discuss and we are aware that we cannot cover everything in this episode, also, please see our references below for any further reading.
If you would like to go to a particular section, please click on the time stamp below:
00:07 - Welcome back
00:54 - What did we think of alcohol with medication?
02:12 - How can drugs interact with each other?
02:58 - How can alcohol interact with commonly bought medication?
09:27 - How does alcohol interact with drugs that act on the CNS?
12:37 - What should I be cautious of when taking alcohol with anti-microbial medication?
16:39 - How does alcohol interfere with drugs that work on the cardiovascular system?
18:58 - Alcohol and diabetic medication interaction?
20:07 - Key points to note about alcohol with medication
20:51 - Final thoughts
Sign up to our newsletter:
https://mailchi.mp/c15c44eee6a0/thechemistcouplepodcast
You can also watch this podcast episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAf1zFQF4_dyVG4z8DD0_3Q 
As always, this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used in substitute to seeing a healthcare professional. Any questions, please reach out to us and thanks for listening!
Here is a list of the sources that we used to make this podcast:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4498995/#:~:text=Glucuronidation%20is%20the%20main%20pathway,detoxified%20by%20the%20glutathione%20pathway
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7038249/#:~:text=Available%20data%20support%20that%20oral,are%20equivocal%20for%20trimethoprim%2Dsulfamethoxazole
Rang & Dale’s Pharmacology 10th edition - general pharmacological overview
https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/ - Alcoholic anonymous

The Benefits of Alcohol

Welcome to the 3rd episode of our alcohol series, this week we discuss the perceived benefits of alcohol for our health. As always, our aim is to provide the evidence for you to decide whether alcohol should be apart of your lifestyle and we do so in an unbiased fashion. Within this episode we assess the evidence relating to cardiovascular health, social implications and current uses in therapeutic medicine. There is a lot to discuss and we are aware that we cannot cover everything in this episode, also, please see our references below for any further reading.
If you would like to go to a particular section, please click on the time stamp below:
00:07 - What were our initial instincts surrounding alcohol benefits?
04:15 - What are the uses of alcohol?
05:36 - Social benefits of alcohol, what is the evidence?
11:44 - Is alcohol beneficial for your cardiovascular health?
19:30 - Do we agree to alcohol having any benefit?
23:25 - Alcohol use in medicinal formulations
26:25 - Our final opinion and thoughts on alcohol
Sign up to our newsletter:
https://mailchi.mp/c15c44eee6a0/thechemistcouplepodcast
You can also watch this podcast episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAf1zFQF4_dyVG4z8DD0_3Q 
As always, this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used in substitute to seeing a healthcare professional. Any questions, please reach out to us and thanks for listening!
Here is a list of the sources that we used to make this podcast:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40750-016-0058-4
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-023-02911 w#:~:text=The%20“J%2Dshaped”%20relationship,it%20greatly%20increases%20health%20risks.
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-023-02907-6
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802963
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556147/
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/scientific-guideline/information-package-leaflet-regarding-ethanol-used-excipient-medicinal-products-human-use_en.pdf
https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k4370/rr-2
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378517324001273
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1360-0443.1996.911255.x#:~:text=The%20British%20Medical%20Association%20recently,sensible%20drinking%2C%20obtainable%20from%20British
Rang & Dale’s Pharmacology 10th edition - general pharmacological overview
https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/ - Alcoholic anonymous

Complications of Alcohol Use

Welcome to the 2nd episode of our alcohol series, this week we discuss both the acute and chronic complications cited with regular consumption. As always, our aim is to provide the evidence for you to decide whether alcohol should be apart of your lifestyle and we do so in an unbiased fashion. Within this episode we assess the evidence relating to cognitive impairment, alcohol-associated liver disease, use of alcohol in pregnancy, the effect on the microbiome and whether there is still a stigma surrounding alcohol? There is a lot to discuss and we are aware that we cannot cover everything in this episode, also, please see our references below for any further reading.
If you would like to go to a particular section, please click on the time stamp below:
00:07 - Introduction & alcohol statistics
03:10 - Acute complications of alcohol
09:12 - Where did the ‘hangover’ originate?
11:30 - Does alcohol increase cognitive impairment?
15:26 - What is Wernicke’s encephalopathy?
17:24 - How is the liver affected by the alcoholic onslaught?
20:41 - Does alcohol impact the microbiome?
22:04 - What are the complications of cirrhosis?
25:25 - Is there still a stigma around alcohol?
28:37 - Our survey says we want to socially drink!
30:46 - Fetal alcoholic syndrome, the risks around pregnancy
32:46 - Alcoholic complications key points
36:16 - Respect people’s choice not to drink
37:46 - Final thoughts
Here is a list of the sources that we used to make this podcast:
https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j2353?ijkey=78857d459765a35099284fe4b337607a4a8981f2&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha- cognitive impairment
https://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj-2023-077090 - Alcohol associated liver disease; microbiome dysfunction and general overview
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-involving-illegal-alcohol-levels-2021/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-involving-illegal-alcohol-levels-2021 - drink driving statistics
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/alcohol-statistics?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwjsi4BhB5EiwAFAL0YDoiCx0W2Nj8pRbtf-mhAt4awwbUTtlq1DhmDeacEfzrB5oeH3LWExoCo7IQAvD_BwE- general alcohol statistics
https://jech.bmj.com/content/68/6/542 - pregnancy study
Rang & Dale’s Pharmacology 10th edition - general pharmacological overview
https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/ - Alcoholic anonymous
Sign up to our newsletter:
https://mailchi.mp/c15c44eee6a0/thechemistcouplepodcast
You can also watch this podcast episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAf1zFQF4_dyVG4z8DD0_3Q 
As always, this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used in substitute to seeing a healthcare professional. Any questions, please reach out to us and thanks for listening!

Alcohol- Know The Basics

This episode is the start of a 4 part series, researching the origins of alcohol, the physiology, complications, benefits and interference with other medication. Our aim is to provide the evidence, for you to decide whether alcohol should be apart of your lifestyle and we do so in an unbiased fashion. Within this episode we venture into when alcohol was first referenced, what is the current recommended guidelines, how alcohol exerts its effects, what processes does the body possess to cope with alcohol consumption, are there any social implications with alcohol and our personal experiences.
If you would like to go to a particular section, please click on the time stamp below:
00:00 - Introduction & Why did we pick alcohol as a topic?
02:16 - What is the history of alcohol?
11:11 - What is a unit of alcohol? What are the current alcohol guidelines?
14:46 - How does our body deal with alcohol and how does alcohol exert its effects?
24:36 - What is our experience of alcohol? What are the social pressures?
30:36 - Final thoughts
Here is a list of the sources that we used to make this podcast:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80b7ed40f0b623026951db/UK_CMOs__report.pdf - low risk drinking guidelines
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2671803/ - molecular action of alcohol
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6527027/ - metabolism of alcohol
Rang & Dale’s Pharmacology 10th edition - general pharmacological overview
Sign up to our newsletter:
https://mailchi.mp/c15c44eee6a0/thechemistcouplepodcast
You can also watch this podcast episode on YouTube: 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAf1zFQF4_dyVG4z8DD0_3Q 
As always, this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used in substitute to seeing a healthcare professional. Any questions, please reach out to us and thanks for listening!

How to Manage Type 2 Diabetes: Essential Diet, Lifestyle Tips & Medication Strategies

Type 2 diabetes was once believed to be a lifelong condition, however, evidence now suggests that we can put this into remission. In this episode, we focus on how diet and exercise can have the biggest impact, an area of management that was quickly glazed over in the past. Also, we explain the current pharmacological guidelines, advise on circumstances to monitor whilst taking the medication and offer some personal insight.
As always, this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used in substitute to seeing a healthcare professional. Any questions, please reach out to us and please subscribe for future episodes, thanks for listening!
You can skip to the relevant sections if needed:
(00:00-01:15) - Introduction
(01:16-27:57) - Diet & lifestyle
(27:57-47:26) - Medication
(47:27-48:48) - Final Thoughts
For this episode we reviewed NICE guidelines, the manufacturer's summary of product characteristics (for each medication) and Rang & Dale's pharmacology. We also discussed the findings of the DiRECT:
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2213-8587%2823%2900385-6
You can also watch this podcast episode on YouTube: 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAf1zFQF4_dyVG4z8DD0_3Q 

Type 2 Diabetes- Risk Factors, Symptoms, Prevalence and Background

In this episode we discuss type 2 diabetes, how it is diagnosed? What are the complications? What is the prevalence? Just to name a few questions. In our opinion, the severity of diabetes has been diluted, could this be to the high rate of diagnosis in the UK? Nevertheless, we want to emphasise the complications associated with poor diabetic control and if you tune in to next week, we will discuss the current management protocol.
You can skip to the relevant sections if needed:
(00:00-05:05) - Introduction
(05:06-07:05) - Prevalence
(07:06-12:36) - Background
(12:37-19:20) - Causes/Risk Factors
(19:21-20:54) - Prognosis
(20:55-27:48) - Complications
(27:49-30:35) - Symptoms
(30:36-34:20) - Diagnosis
(34:21-36:32) - Final Thoughts
We used the following websites, which provide a wealth of information, so please review these for further guidance:
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-us/about-the-charity/our-strategy/statistics?gad_source=1
https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n1449#:~:text=What%20causes%20type%202%20diabetes,a%20decade%20(fig%201).
You can also watch this podcast episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAf1zFQF4_dyVG4z8DD0_3Q 
As always, this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used in substitute to seeing a healthcare professional. Any questions, please reach out to us and thanks for listening!

UK National Health Screening Programmes Explained: Essential Guide for 2024

In this episode we discuss 3 of the National screening programmes in the UK: breast cancer, bowel cancer and cervical cancer. We also discuss prostate cancer as this is the most common cancer in UK males, but does not have a screening programme and we go into the reasons why. Details regarding diagnosis rates, what the individual screening test involves, personal experiences and some frequently asked questions are all included in this podcast.
It is important to understand screening eligibility and why we provide such programmes within the UK, therefore, even if you think you will never be affected by the condition, at least understand why you are being offered this.
You can skip to the relevant sections if needed:
(00:00-01:29) - Introduction
(01:30-07:00) - Breast Cancer
(07:01-14:38) - Bowel Cancer
(14:39-21:00) - Cervical Cancer
(21:01-28:07) - Prostate Cancer
(28:08-30:32) - Final Thoughts
We used the following websites, which provide a wealth of information, so please review these for further guidance:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/population-screening-programmes-document-collection
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-screening/
You can also watch this podcast episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAf1zFQF4_dyVG4z8DD0_3Q
As always, this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used in substitute to seeing a healthcare professional. Any questions, please reach out to us and thanks for listening!

Unlocking Calm: Strategies for Managing Stress with Medical Insights

In this episode we delve into the topic of stress and what happens when this defence system becomes inappropriately heightened, leading to what is commonly known as chronic stress.
We discuss what the NHS currently offer to patients to manage the condition, as well as discussing our own experiences with stress and what strategies we have used to overcome it.
As always, this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used in substitute to seeing a healthcare professional. Any questions, please reach out to us and thanks for listening!
You can also watch this podcast episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAf1zFQF4_dyVG4z8DD0_3Q
Useful links:
Breathing technique - https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/learning-diaphragmatic-breathing
BetterHelp - https://www.betterhelp.com/get-started/?go=true&utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=Search_PPC_c&utm_term=cognitive+behavioral+therapy_b&utm_content=143273539171&network=g&placement=&target=&matchtype=b&utm_campaign=17446962945&ad_type=text&adposition=&kwd_id=kwd-10512750&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlvW2BhDyARIsADnIe-Ik4m_J-XZ9uS4jAGS0_UNMDqv6GSIDyAoHsNajdtTo0U4DCFToIjYaAtAwEALw_wcB&not_found=1&gor=start

Results day- does the longev8y way work?

Our latest podcast assesses our lifestyle changes utilising lipid profiles and HbA1c readings. As we discuss, clinical problems (mainly cardiovascular) manifest over decades and are usually asymptomatic until it is too late. Therefore, over the past 8 months we have adopted a largely whole food diet (ultra processed food makes up no more than 10%) to see if this can have a positive impact and the findings are astonishing, especially when you consider our baseline.
As always, this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used in substitute to seeing a healthcare professional. Any questions, please reach out to us and thanks for listening!
Instagram- @longev8y

Obesity- why are we growing as a nation?

With over 1 in 4 of adults in the UK classed as obese, we address some of the issues relating to this health pandemic. We discuss the physiology, complications, monitoring and treatment that is in place for this condition; here are the timings:
(00:00-06:50) - What is obesity?
(06:51-14:53) - How effective is BMI in a clinical setting?
(14:54-33:50) - Is calorie counting outdated?
(33:51-43:26) - How is eating regulated?
(43:27-1:04:31) - What treatment is available?
(1:04:32-1:10:35) - Complications of obesity?
(1:10:36-1:16:00) - Summary and future podcasts
Here are some studies from the podcast:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7946062/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3396444/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9999507/
As always, this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used in substitute to seeing a healthcare professional. Any questions, please reach out to us and thanks for listening!
Instagram- @longev8y