Patient Health Resources
Plain-English guides written and reviewed by the doctors you actually see.
CT Coronary Calcium Score: What It Is and Who Should Consider It
A CT coronary calcium score is a non-invasive CT scan that measures calcium in the coronary arteries to assess heart-disease risk.
Dr Christopher Irwin · MBChB, FRACGP, MMed (Skin Cancer), FACAM, ASCD →
Heart healthHigh Cholesterol (Hyperlipidaemia): Understanding, Treatment, and Lifestyle Management
Dr Chris Irwin explains high cholesterol (hyperlipidaemia): what cholesterol does, the difference between LDL and HDL, why genetics and age matter as much as diet, when treatments such as statins, bile acid sequestrants or ezetimibe are used, and the dietary and lifestyle changes — heart-healthy diet, weight management, exercise, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol — that lower cardiovascular risk..
Dr Christopher Irwin · MBChB, FRACGP, MMed (Skin Cancer), FACAM, ASCD →
Liver & blood testsUnderstanding Gilbert Syndrome: A Harmless Cause of Raised Bilirubin
Dr Chris Irwin explains Gilbert syndrome: a common, inherited and harmless condition in which bilirubin sits mildly higher than average because the liver processes it a little more slowly.
Dr Christopher Irwin · MBChB, FRACGP, MMed (Skin Cancer), FACAM, ASCD →
Vitamins & nutritionUnderstanding Vitamin B12: Low or Borderline Results Explained
Dr Chris Irwin explains what a low or borderline vitamin B12 result means: what B12 does, why absorption problems (not just diet) cause deficiency, the four main causes, the symptoms — including nerve and mood changes that can occur without anaemia — and how it is treated, from diet and high-dose tablets or sprays to injections, with guidance on when injections are essential..
Dr Christopher Irwin · MBChB, FRACGP, MMed (Skin Cancer), FACAM, ASCD →