Episode notes
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about the complexities of the voice with speech and language therapist, Lydia Hart. They ask why so many of us cringe at the sound of our own voice and whether it’s really possible to change it. They explore how adjusting the way we speak can shape how others respond to us, hear from Lydia about the most common issues she sees in the clinic and find out why voice work often turns out to be about far more than just sound. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at [email protected] or…
Podcast
What's Up Docs?
BBC Radio 4 · Tech & Science · English
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast, Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken are on a mission to help us take better care of ourselves. Although they are identical twins, Chris and Xand are very different and they never stop thinking and arguing about science and health. They want to lead healthy, happy lives and
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E139 · 12 May 2026 · 29 min
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Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, Chris and Xand dive into calcium. What is calcium, and what does it do in the body? How important is it for our health? How do we maintain healthy levels of calcium? They also examine how calcium interacts with vitamin D, whether we need calcium and vitamin D supplements, how calcium plays a part in bone health and how we can strengthen our bones. Joining them to discuss this is Dr Sagen Zac-Varghese,…
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E138 · 5 May 2026 · 28 min
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E137 · 5 May 2026 · 29 min
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E136 · 28 Apr 2026 · 22 min
Doctors' Notes: Balance
Chris and Xand continue their conversation with physiotherapist and vestibular rehabilitation specialist, Maggie Stacey. They explore why alcohol can make us unsteady, how our sense of balance develops and changes as we age, and why falls pose such a major health risk for older adults. They also hear from their guest about the balance problems she most often sees in the clinic, and the warning signs that it might be time to seek medical advice. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at [email protected] or Whatsapp on 08000…
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E135 · 28 Apr 2026 · 29 min
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Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tune in to the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they turn their attention to balance. Where does it come from, why is it so important for our health, and do some people naturally have better balance than others? They also explore how much we can improve it, and what we should be doing to maintain it. To help them find their balance, they’re joined by physiotherapist and vestibular rehabilitation specialist, Maggie Stacey. Falls can have serious consequences for our…
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E133 · 21 Apr 2026 · 28 min
How do we care for our voices?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tune in to the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they turn their attention to the voice. Where does it come from, why do we all sound so different, and how much can we really change it? They also explore what we should be doing to take care of our voices. To help them strike the right note, they’re joined by voice specialist and speech and language therapist, Lydia Hart. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08000 665…
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E132 · 14 Apr 2026 · 33 min
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E130 · 7 Apr 2026 · 31 min
Doctors' Notes: Cholesterol
Chris and Xand take a closer look at cholesterol - what it is, why it worries so many people, and how diet and medicine fit into the picture. They’re joined again by Professor Nita Forouhi, Professor of Population Health and Nutrition at the University of Cambridge, to discuss why foods like seed oils become controversial, when cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins make sense, and how her thinking on cholesterol has evolved over her career. Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Professor Nita Forouhi Producer: Faye Lyons-White Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo…
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E129 · 7 Apr 2026 · 29 min
How should we think about cholesterol?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken untangle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing. In this episode, they take on one of nutrition’s most misunderstood topics: fat. What is it, and why does our body need it? At what point does something normal and essential become something we worry about? What do cholesterol blood tests actually measure, and how well do they predict disease? Chris and Xand also explore the relationship between diet and cholesterol, asking how much influence what we eat really has,…
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