This page covers three things: what data we collect, how cookies work on this site, and the terms under which you use it.
Privacy
What we collect
Reading an article requires no account and no personal data. Our server records standard technical information — IP address, browser type, pages requested, time of request — which is what any web server logs in order to function.
If you subscribe to the newsletter, we store the email address you give us and the date you gave it. Nothing else.
If you contact us, we keep the message and your reply address for as long as needed to deal with it.
What we do not do
We do not sell personal data. We do not share it with advertisers. We do not build profiles of individual readers for targeting.
Analytics
We use analytics to understand which articles are read and how people arrive at the site. This is aggregate: which page, which source, which country, which device type. It is not used to identify you individually.
Newsletter
Subscribing is optional and reversible. Every email carries an unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing removes your address. We do not pass subscriber lists to anyone.
Your rights
Under UK and EU data protection law you can ask what we hold about you, ask for it to be corrected, or ask for it to be deleted. Write to us through the contact page and we will respond within one month.
Retention
Server logs are kept for a limited period and then discarded. Newsletter addresses are kept until you unsubscribe. Contact messages are kept while relevant and deleted afterwards.
Cookies
What we use
Necessary cookies keep the site working — remembering your cookie choice, keeping a form session alive. These cannot be switched off without breaking the site.
Analytics cookies tell us which articles are read. They are anonymous and can be declined.
Preference cookies remember choices you have made, such as dismissing a notice.
What we do not use
We do not run advertising cookies and we do not host third-party ad trackers.
Managing cookies
You can change your choice at any time through the cookie notice, or clear and block cookies in your browser settings. Blocking analytics cookies does not affect what you can read.
Every major browser lets you view, delete and block cookies per site. The setting is usually under Privacy or Site settings.
Terms of use
Using this site
You may read, link to and quote our articles with attribution. You may not republish them in full without permission.
Not medical advice
Everything here is general information published for a general audience. It is not a diagnosis, not a prescription, and not a treatment plan for your situation. Do not start, stop or change any medication or treatment on the basis of something you read here. If you have a health concern, speak to a clinician who can examine you.
Accuracy
We work to be accurate and we correct errors openly — see our corrections policy. But research moves, products reformulate, and articles carry the date they were published. An older article may no longer reflect current evidence.
Product reviews
Reviews reflect our assessment of a product’s label, dose and value at the time of writing. Formulations change without notice. Always read the label on the product you actually buy.
We do not sell the products we review, we take no payment for reviews, and we use no affiliate links.
External links
We link to studies and other sources for verification. We are not responsible for the content of sites we link to, and a link is not an endorsement.
Liability
We publish in good faith and take care with what we write. We are not liable for decisions you make on the basis of general information published here. Nothing in these terms limits liability where the law does not allow it to be limited.
Changes
These terms and the policies above may change. Substantive changes are dated at the bottom of this page.