Pneumonia’s a bug ...not a weakness

HILLARY CLINTON’S opponents in the race for the White House are determined to prove her pneumonia diagnosis is a sign of weakness. But it’s simply not the case – anyone can succumb. It is more common and more serious in the frail and those over 65, but we see it in every age group and in fit men and women. Pneumonia is a significant chest infection that reaches deep into the lungs. It is caused by a viral infection, like flu, or a bacterial infection, as with Mrs Clinton, left. Recovery takes time, even in someone in otherwise good health. There have also been concerns for some time about Hillary’s cough, one of the most common signs of a lung infection. Anyone over 50 who has a cough for more than three weeks should visit their GP. It’s probably nothing sinister – but it can be a sign of cancer, and early diagnosis always makes for better outcomes. IT ALSO seems surprising that Donald Trump, inset left, was declared by his doctor to be in ‘excellent‘e health’, despite the reve revelation that he is 16½ stone. He He’s a tall man – 6ft 3in – which puts his body mass index at about 29.4. A score of 30 would make him obese, the medical term for when fat starts to raise the risks of a host of diseases. And he’s on statins for high cholesterol, so for a 70-year-old he’s pretty lucky. For anyone in any doubt about the damage that fat causes inside the body, a groundbreaking documentary was aired last week which broadcast the post mortem of an obese American. It showed in shockingly graphic detail the bloated, marbled, fatty liver and strained, droopy heart typical of obesity. The poor lady died aged just 60: I suggest that Donald and his doctor watch the programme. A STUDY of 360,000 six- to 18-year-olds in Wales has revealed a 28 per cent rise in antidepressant prescriptions over the past decade. This sad trend illustrates a sea change in the mental-health landscape. I worry it is the result of a lack of therapy and psychology services for children, which I witness in my own practice. Perhaps they are being offered medication as an easier and more available alternative to therapy.