The Olympics has reignited a century-old debate about sex categories in sport — and what happens when policy doesn't align with biology. A look at the Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Melbourne. Also, a response to union calls for reproductive leave to support women going through menopause. Why people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of severe injuries. And the history of Hepatitis E, which one expert says Australia needs to take more seriously....
Aug 09, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Marketing of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) tests could be exploiting the anxiety women might feel about their fertility. An update on influenza, COVID-19 and whooping cough in Australia. Two more risk factors for dementia have been identified — what are the implications for preventing cognitive decline? And what impact does a double mastectomy have on breast cancer recurrence and deaths?
Aug 02, 2024•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Research is clear on the benefits of exercise for certain types of pain, including for pain associated with cancer treatment. A running group is putting this into practice. An update on mammal-to-mammal transmission of bird flu, and a check in with a major AIDS conference. Also, do we need to reconsider regulations around cigarettes in the wake of a crackdown on vaping? And heart attacks in young women can have a major psychological impact — especially when the person had no known risk factors....
Jul 26, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Adolescence is a stressful time. Researchers have been investigating simple ways to help improve teen mental health. The US president tests positive for COVID, plus the results of a large study into COVID vaccines and pregnancy. Asthma action plans to help manage the condition. How reminiscing about the past can improve wellbeing in the present. And why you should stick to soap and water if there's gastro about.
Jul 19, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sex tech is giving people with disability better access to their own bodies. What Australia is doing to prepare for the migration of birds that could be carrying a potentially catastrophic strain of avian influenza. The argument for a sugar tax gets stronger, thanks to more evidence from countries that already have one. And in the last 50 years of Aboriginal alcohol programs, what has worked? Plus a special NAIDOC issue of the Medical Journal of Australia....
Jul 12, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Clarity on vaping changes and a look at the national diabetes inquiry. It turns out Australians are getting close to half of their energy needs from ultra-processed foods which can increase the risk of chronic disease Experts believe seasonal depression is more common in Australia than once thought. New research shows Indigenous Australians with hearing loss aren't getting the care they need.
Jul 05, 2024•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is it 10 thousand steps or 30mins? How advice on regular exercise varies. What's being done in response to medication shortages. Deprescribing is when you wean off a prescription medication you no longer need, but it needs to be done safely, and it can be difficult to find the right advice. Experts want women to know they don't have to suffer through heavy periods. And when all the tests come back negative, initially it's a weight off your mind, but then you start to wonder, 'what the hell is wr...
Jun 28, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Take a look at changing teaching methods in the classroom, and why that matters for future health. Australian researchers are developing a new drug to fight the potentially deadly condition of sepsis. Could a common drug be used to treat macular degeneration? And what effect does space travel have on ageing?
Jun 21, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast A comprehensive review has delved into the current research into zinc supplements and their effectiveness. Research has shown that people experiencing chronic pain see the world as a harsher place – distances are longer and hills are steeper. We blink more than we need to, and scientists have been trying to find out why. And, sharing memories of Michael Mosley.
Jun 14, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many people with migraines suffer in the dark for years before they find the right treatment, but one neurologist has suggested a framework to ease the pain. What's happening at the cellular level when an ageing brain is exposed to exercise? At least through the microscope, it looks like rejuvenation.
Jun 07, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Australia has a successful breast cancer screening program, but experts say it can (and should) be better. New research drives home the importance of treating type 2 diabetes as early as possible for lifelong benefits. An update on how COVID vaccines are faring with all the new variants circulating in the community. And we take a look at some of the advancements being made in transplant technology.
May 31, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast The top five things you can do to keep your mental health in check, plus an update on the virus everyone is talking about: bird flu.
May 24, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Correcting the record on fructose, and new research offers some clues about whose allergies might desist as they grow up. Also, new insights from a vaccine complication, and the risk of catching a common virus during pregnancy.
May 17, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast How bird flu has (probably) gone from cows to humans, as well as the latest on psychedelics for depression and psychotropics in healthcare. How much time you should spend sitting, standing, moving and sleeping for the optimal 24 hours. How sexuality might shorten your lifespan. And why the health effects of nanoplastics are so difficult to uncover.
May 10, 2024•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Researchers have found a possible link between iron and long-COVID Each year the flu vaccine is reformulated to target the current strains of influenza A and B that are circulating globally — but what if it didn't need to be? A new review of Health at Every Size shows that, at least when it comes to measures like cholesterol and blood pressure, it's not enough on its own. One of the most common interventions for IBS is an elimination diet to try to identify a trigger. But that diet might carry i...
May 03, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Avian influenza particles have been detected in US milk supplies, just how concerning is that? Why are COVID treatment recommendations different depending on what country you're in? And how much does the average Australian know about preventing dementia? The latest research on bras and knees. You might not think they have much to do with each other, but it turns out that wearing the right bra might actually reduce a woman's risk of a serious knee injury. Pregnancy has been linked to accelerated ...
Apr 26, 2024•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Research into the influence of gender on autism spectrum disorder diagnoses. Calculating how many lives were saved by Australia's Covid-19 vaccine roll-out, and how to spot a fake Dr Karl, or Dr Swan, in the wilds of social media marketing. A review into how cognitive behavioural therapy can help young people who've experienced trauma. Recently updated WHO guidelines say babies as young as six months can start drinking cow's milk rather than infant formula, but that contradicts Australia's natio...
Apr 19, 2024•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast In light of the Bondi Junction attack, there's been a lot of commentary about mental illness - including schizophrenia. So what is schizophrenia? While the exact cause isn't known, it's a serious mental illness that can affect how a person behaves. It might also surprise you to learn that someone with a diagnosis is more likely to be harmed, than to harm others. On this special episode of Health Report, Dr Norman Swan talks about the medical facts about the disorder, how common it is and some of...
Apr 15, 2024•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is a simpler solution to recurrent UTIs on the way? Plus when should you exercise to get the most benefit? A deep dive into the UK's reviews of gender affirming treatment, and how Australia's system differs. Researchers say there's more PFAS in our water than previously thought, but how much do we know about the health harms? And a new way to deliver immunotherapy straight to the source in bladder cancer.
Apr 12, 2024•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast In health news this week it's cows with bird flu, vaccines for human flu, and GLP-1s for Parkinson's and possibly bowel cancer prevention. When your private health insurer won't pay, have you read the fine print on your policy lately? A look at health literacy barriers, when it's not the apple a day keeping some people away from the doctors' office. How mRNA technology developed during COVID is now being used to target the proteins that cause Alzheimer's and dementia. And new technology allowing...
Apr 05, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast How changes to codeine access impacted the use of PBS-listed opiods. Pinpointing particular strains of bacteria that could lead to bowel cancer. The Australian research that helped change our definition of anaemia. And why aren't there already strict guidelines on indoor air quality?
Mar 29, 2024•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Three recent scientific papers looking at ADHD treatment and other health outcomes. Why no one knows what your cancer treatment will do to your ovaries. In a small US study, brain cancer tumours shrank rapidly in the first few days when treated with chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR, T cells injected into the fluid around the brain. And suicidal thoughts are more common than researchers expected in people who do not fit with conventional diagnoses of depression or other psychiatric disorders....
Mar 22, 2024•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Queensland's Chief Health Officer says the term "long-COVID" should be scrapped, but there are different definitions of what long-COVID is and different ways data is collected Evidence suggests toddler or transition milks are unnecessary at best and harmful at worst. Numbers of alcohol related deaths may have been under reported because past abuse isn't captured when a reformed-drinker dies.
Mar 15, 2024•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast A 62-year-old man in Germany—called HIM—deliberately received the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination 217 times within a period of 29 months. Researchers were keen to know how he fared. Sleep has become a bit of an obsession and has us questioning just how much we need. A large study has compared participants' duration of sleep against their risk of Type 2 Diabetes. In pop culture and news coverage menopause and mood changes seem inextricably linked. A special series on menopause has just been published in t...
Mar 08, 2024•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of global disability, and exercise looks like a candidate for treatment. But which type? Skin cancer is a major health risk for Australians, but access to proper cancer screening and treatment is difficult, especially in some of our highest-risk areas, like Far North Queensland. Sarcoidoisis is an enigmatic condition that may attack different parts of the body. Diagnosis is difficult and there are few treatments. It's now being comprehensively researc...
Mar 01, 2024•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast When COVID vaccines first became available in 2021, they were met with celebration. Finally we had some defence against this virus that had struck down so many and triggered such heavy lockdowns. But once they started rolling out en masse, a new concern emerged – reports of side effects that, while rare, could be severe. Just how rare these conditions are has now been better described by a new paper drawing on data from 99 million people from across the world. The answer – as we already suspecte...
Feb 26, 2024•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast News this week is The Government response to the long COVID inquiry, which looked into how many Australians are living with long COVID and what could be done to support them. And, a report on fine particulates in the air, and their relationship with coronary heart disease. A study has tested whether showing people actual pictures of the plaque inside their arteries is more persuasive than a simple risk score in promoting healthy changes. Turns out, it is. A senior cardiologist calls it The Hidde...
Feb 23, 2024•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Health news: Insomnia: what kind of therapy and/or behaviour changes are more likely to work? And new advice on sun exposure that reflects Australia's diverse population. Low-carb diets have grabbed a lot of attention, promising weight loss and improved health, but they're not all the same. Diet is important for health, but foods high in sodium are a risk factor for high blood pressure, and stomach cancer. In early 2022, after nearly two years of the COVID pandemic, doctors started to notice ano...
Feb 16, 2024•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast A groundbreaking study from the Queensland Brain Institute has found serious deficiencies in the amount and quality of food provided to kids by Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services. This can compromise kids' nutritional needs, and brain development. Getting a diagnosis for autism for a child or adolescent is a series of complicated and often expensive hoops to jump through—and it’s even harder for adults.
Feb 09, 2024•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast The addictive painkiller fentanyl has swept through the USA—but its effects haven't been as big in Australia. Why? Vaccination against COVID-19 can save lives and reduce the risk of severe disease. Why are some people under vaccinated—and what's the risk for people not up to date with shots? An early form of breast cancer—ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)—is often found by women themselves, not as part of screening programs. The power and potential pitfalls of AI in medicine have been debated, but...
Feb 02, 2024•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
