EKU Podcast: Fatty liver disease

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), also known as Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is estimated to affect up to 1 in 5 people in the UK. Rates are increasing with rising levels of obesity. Although most cases of MASLD are linked to excess weight, you can develop the disease if you have a healthy weight. In this podcast, Dr Thomas Round talks to Dr Helen Jarvis, a GP and Clinical lecturer and researcher at Newcastle University with an interest in liver disease about fatty liver disease in primary care.  RCGP. EKU Module on Diagnosis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. May 2024. RCGP. Liver Toolkit. June 2025 BSG. BSG Guidelines on the management of abnormal liver blood tests. December 2021. NICE. NG49. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): assessment and management. July 2016 (last reviewed October 2024).

In this podcast, Dr. Liz Angier discusses the GPwER role in allergy and how this would ideally be integrated into the local allergy team, improving service provision for patients. The podcast covers theory training as well as how to gain practical experience, including the ways in which the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology can help to link potential GPwERs with clinical experience. The podcast also covers some wider issues including the need for education in schools and in the food industry. Those who would like to know more about the GPwER role should visit the GPwER page of the RCGP website and click on the allergy framework, or email [email protected]. An educational grant was received from British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) for the production of the podcast. Editorial and content decisions were made solely by the RCGP.

Adenomyosis affects around 10% of women in the UK and is most prevalent in women aged 40-50, particularly those who have had pregnancies. It is frequently found alongside endometriosis and uterine fibroids and can cause heavy, painful, or irregular periods. In this podcast Dr Thomas Round talks to Dr Sharon Dixon, a GP in Oxford with a background in endometriosis research and supporting GPs with female patients suffering with endometriosis and their periods, about the symptoms, initial assessment, diagnosis and treatment of adenomyosis as well as its possible causes and overlap with endometriosis. This podcast falls within the Gynaecology and Breast curriculum field. British Journal of General Practice article on Uterine adenomyosis: an update for GPs RCGP EKU Programme module on Endometriosis: diagnosis and management RCGP eLearning course on Endometriosis RCGP eLearning course on Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

In this podcast Suzanne Evans, a patient and founder of Lipoedema UK, shares her story about this painful adipose disorder, which is often misdiagnosed as obesity or lymphoedema. Originally launched within the Lipoedema eLearning course in September 2014.

In this 20 minute podcast, Dr Emma Nash speaks to Dr Sally Higginbottom about adverse effects of antipsychotic medication, with a focus on movement disorders and strategies to detect them early in routine practice. Funding for this podcast was received from Teva Pharmaceuticals. Teva Pharmaceuticals reviewed the content for scientific accuracy and full editorial control remains the sole responsibility of the RCGP.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading global cause of death, with an estimated 18 million deaths each year (over 30% of all global deaths). In 2022, around 175,000 people in the UK died from CVD, accounting for about 27% of all deaths — the second most common cause of death after dementia and Alzheimer's disease. In this podcast, Dr Thomas Round talks to Dr Nicholas Jones, a salaried GP in Oxford with a special interest in cardiology, about primary risk assessment and lipid management in cardiovascular disease. This podcast falls within the Cardiovascular Health curriculum field. EKU Programme module on Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment, reduction & lipid modification. British Journal of General Practice article on Cardiovascular disease — risk assessment and reduction: NICE 2023 update for GPs.

People living with severe mental illness face one of the greatest health equality gaps in England. Their life expectancy is 15–20 years shorter than that for the general population, and this disparity is largely due to preventable physical illnesses. In this podcast, Dr Thomas Round discusses physical health in people with severe mental illness with Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham, a Professor of General Practice Research at Keele University and a GP in Manchester and Dr David Shiers, Honorary Research Consultant at Psychosis Research Unit and a former GP in North Staffordshire, who became involved in the early intervention reform after his daughter’s experience of a severe psychotic illness.  This podcast falls within the Mental Health curriculum field.

In this podcast Dr. Julie Oliver, chair of the Primary Care Women’s Health Society is interviewed about endometriosis. Starting with the basics of definition and symptoms, the podcast then goes on to discuss more nuanced aspects of care, including decisions about whether to refer or manage empirically, and how to support a patient in primary care while she is on a potentially long list for consultant review. The podcast takes a life course approach, ending with a discussion about management of the menopause in women who have had endometriosis, and the need to remember that symptoms may persist even after apparently definitive surgical treatment. An educational grant was received from Scottish Government for the production of this podcast. Editorial and content decisions were made solely by the RCGP.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are a class of drugs initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes and are now becoming more widely used for obesity. They work by mimicking the actions of the GLP-1 hormone, which is released by the gut after eating. GPs will be used to prescribing them for type 2 diabetes, but less so for obesity.  In this podcast, Dr Thomas Round discusses the evolving role of GLP1-RA in obesity, the benefits and potential side effects, the role of the GP, and the latest NICE guidance in this area with Dr Stephanie DiGiorgio, an urgent care GP with a specialist interest in obesity.  This podcast falls within the Metabolic Problems and Endocrinology curriculum field.

This podcast is part of a Veterans' Health eLearning course, which aims to educate GPs and primary care teams as to why veterans are a special group. In this podcast, Dr Emily Brookes talks to Jon Lynn, a military veteran, about how a veteran patient may present differently in their health-seeking behaviours and how identifying whether a patient is a veteran can enable healthcare professionals to provide good healthcare to this patient group.  The Royal College of General Practitioners has developed the Veteran Friendly GP Accreditation Programme. This programme will improve the healthcare of veterans and their families, by giving a better understanding of the special needs of this population and resources available to help. Thousands of NHS England Practices are now successfully accredited, with numbers of accredited practices rapidly growing. You can find out more about accreditation for your practice here: www.rcgp.org.uk/veterans Funding for the production of this course was provided by NHS England as part of the RCGP Veteran Friendly Accreditation Programme. Editorial and content decisions were by the RCGP and NHS England.