Dr Michael Daly

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DVT Warning for Contraceptive Pill users

Safety of the contraceptive pill is again being questioned, sparked by the news that an Adelaide based law firm may be launching a class action on behalf of women taking the combined contraceptive pill who have suffered from deep venous thrombosis (clots in the legs). The action may be against a pharmaceutical manufacturer of one of these pills. The fact is that all combined oral contraceptive pills increase the risk of deep venous thrombosis (‘DVT’) by an overall factor of three to four times the risk (ie if not taking the pill), as determined by a recent Cochrane review of...

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We have moved to 4 Willis Lane in Hampton

Dear Patients Hampton & South Medical Centre has moved to new commercial premises in Hampton.  We are next to Espresso Lane Coffee Shop and within 50m of the Sandringham bound side of Hampton Railway Station. If you find Hampton Community Centre, which is at the corner of Willis Lane and Willis St, head down towards the Station and you’ll find us. The  large car park at the rear of Safeway in Hampton is adjacent to the clinic. The clinic was previously located at the corner of Hampton St and South Rd in Brighton. Further information: The phone number ie 9521...

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Influenza Vaccine Safety & Effectiveness

Recent analysis of pooled research showed that the chance of benefiting from influenza vaccination is not as great as might be expected for healthy adults: at least 40 people would need vaccination to avoid one case of an “influenza like illness”, and 71 people would need vaccination to prevent an actual case of influenza. Vaccinated adults did no better when measured in terms of sick days taken or more seriously, in the need for hospitalisation. The full article is available at the Cochrane Library website (if logging in from an Australian location); refer to the ‘Plain Language Statement’ if seeking...

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Should you have a colonoscopy?

Colonoscopy is currently regarded as the gold standard in detecting bowel cancer, which is amongst the most common cancers in the country. This type of cancer is often slow growing and if detected early, can be nipped in the bud before it goes on to do its nasty work. A lump in the colon that has not yet become cancerous is referred to as a ‘polyp’. As stated, colonoscopy is the gold standard test to diagnose or rule out bowel cancer, but the approved method for mass screening is the ‘Faecal Occult Blood Test’. This means testing a small specimen...

Cholesterol Controversy

Cholesterol Controversy

Much controversy was generated by the 2013 ABC Catalyst documentary ‘Heart of the Matter’ in relation to cholesterol. The theme, as presented in the Catalyst Documentary, was that much of what we had previously understood about cholesterol and its role in causing cardiovascular disease was dysinformation. By ‘cardiovasculer disease’, we are referring to heart attack and stroke. As it turns out, much of Catalyst’s research was not as black and white as portrayed, and the independence of the ‘experts’ quoted by the program has been seriously questioned. Bias is always the enemy of objectivity. The rebutal came from many sources...

Vitamin D controversy

Vitamin D controversy

There is increasing controversy over the role of Vitamin D supplementation, lead by recently published research. Concerns relate to what really is the optimal level of Vitamin D in the body, and to the claimed outcomes from having such a level. Its generally agreed that Vitamin D supplementation is helpful for older patients at risk of falls, so as to decrease the risk of bone fracture in case of a fall. Other outcomes, such as claimed improved immunity, maybe spurious. For more information, refer to this article from The Age.