In this episode, we talk to Juan Carlos Bazo-Alvarez, a Senior Research Fellow within the Department of Primary Care and Population Health at University College London.

Title of paper: Risk of Parkinson’s disease in people with New Onset Anxiety over 50 years - Incidence and Associated Features

Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2023.0423

Presence of anxiety is known to be increased in the prodrome of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study investigated the risk of developing PD in people with anxiety compared with those without anxiety, accounting for a number of confounding variables. The results suggest that there is a strong association between anxiety and later diagnosis of PD in patients aged ≥50 years who present with a new diagnosis of anxiety. This provides evidence for anxiety as a prodromal presentation of PD.

In this episode, we talk to Dr Meena Rafiq, Academic GP and Clinical Research Fellow within the Institute of Epidemiology and Health at University of Melbourne.

Title of paper: Clinical activity in general practice before sarcoma diagnosis: an Australian cohort study

Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2023.0610

Sarcoma is challenging to diagnose with delays associated with poor patient outcomes and experiences. This study has shown that patients with sarcoma often have multiple GP visits and imaging requests in the year before their diagnosis. Clinical activity in general practice increases from 6 months before sarcoma diagnosis, primarily in the form of imaging requests, indicating that opportunities for a timelier diagnosis may exist in some patients. Primary care interventions to increase awareness of sarcoma symptoms and streamline diagnostic pathways, including promoting and clarifying guidelines to optimise the use of appropriate imaging and direct specialist centre referrals, could improve earlier diagnosis and patient outcomes.

In this episode, we talk to Dr Abi Eccles, Assistant Professor within Warwick Applied Health at Warwick Medical School.

Title of paper: The GP’s role in supporting women with anal incontinence after childbirth injury

Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2023.0356

Anal incontinence after childbirth injury has profound impacts on women’s lives and many find they cannot access healthcare and support. GPs can play a crucial role, but we know that very few women speak to their GPs about their symptoms. In combining GPs’ and women’s views, we show how anal incontinence after childbirth injury is often missed in a primary care setting. Drawing on these findings, we highlight the key ways GPs can provide support for such women

Click here for the RCGP course on anal incontinence after childbirth.