List A: Conditions to seek suitably qualified medical advice

• Addictions
• Alcoholism (dependence)
• Age-related macular degeneration, AMD
• Anaemia
• Angina
• Anorexia
• Arthritis [c.f. arthritic pain]
• Asthma
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD
• Autism
• Blood pressure, high
• Bronchitis
• Bulimia
• Cancer
• Cataracts
• Crohn’s disease
• Circulation, poor [c.f. circulatory problems]
• Chronic obstructive airway disease, COAD
• Compulsions (P)
• Depression [c.f. feeling down or feeling blue] (P)
• Diabetes
• Diverticulitis
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Drug addiction (substance abuse)
• Ear disorders, serious
• Eating disorders
• Emphysema
• Epilepsy
• Erection problems or erectile dysfunction [c.f. temporary erection problems, temporary erectile dysfunction]
• Eye disorders, serious
• Fibroids
• Fits
• Frigidity (P)
• Gall bladder disorder
• Gall stones
• Genito-urinary disorders
• Glaucoma
• Gout
• Hiatus hernia
• Heart disease
• Herpes zoster (shingles)
• Human immunodeficiency virus, HIV
• Hypertension impotence [c.f. temporary erection problems, temporary erectile dysfunction]
• Infectious diseases
• Infertility [c.f. sexual counselling]
• Insomnia, chronic
• Jaw joint dysfunction
• Kidney disorders
• Learning difficulties
• Leukaemia
• Malignant diseases
• Mania (P)
• Multiple sclerosis, MS
• Malaria
• Memory problems or memory lapses
• Menopausal symptoms
• Menstruation, regulation of
• Metabolic diseases
• Migraine [c.f. migraine headaches]
• Muscular dystrophy
• Myopathy
• Obesity [c.f. diet, trouble sticking to]
• Obsessions (P)
• Obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD
• Osteoporosis
• Overdose
• Pancreatitis paralysis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Prostate problems
• Psoriasis [c.f. skin problems]
• Psychosis (P)
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Respiratory diseases
• Schizophrenia
• ‘Senility’
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Skin disorders, serious
• Spinal injuries
• Stroke
• Suicidal thoughts (P)
• Thrush, oral [c.f. thrush, vaginal]
• Tonsillitis
• Tuberculosis
• Ulcer, gastric
• Under-eating
• Whiplash

Most health practitioners specialise in treating different types of ailments and medical conditions. For example, a counsellor or psychotherapist may treat depression. According to CAP, counsellors and psychotherapists represented by a (P) above can probably treat those listed ailments or medical conditions.

If you are registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC) or are accredited by a relevant professional or regulatory body, it may be acceptable to mention any of the above conditions, if you are suitably qualified in that specific area.

Please note: This list is not exhaustive and is subject to amendment and updating in line with ASA adjudications and prevailing medical opinion, including Government reports.

Further help

• CAP Help Note on Health, beauty and slimming marketing communications that refer to medical conditions – guidance on medical conditions that can be acceptably referred to in marketing communications and those that cannot. This document is also the original source of lists A and B.
• List B  – Conditions for which evidence could be sought.