Health Report

With humans set to spend more time in spacer, one of the physical things to overcome will be gravity, and it's very important for how our bodies work. We hear frequent stories of mental health issues, but there is more investment in services, so are services effective or overwhelmed? An estimated 34,000 people in Australia have cerebral palsy. The cause can be a mystery but looking at a child's ge...

There's been talk of changing the packet size of paracetamol tablets, to reduce the self-harm of overdose—but it would be better to investigate and remedy why this harm occurs. The idea that society—as well as an individual—is responsible for this 'health literacy' is central to a new World Health Organisation report. Results of a randomised trial in people with low back pain who used a spinal cor...

How analysts are making health data safer | Linked health data can see the bigger picture of healthcare use  | Clinical trials need more clarity on the kind of harms incurred | Donating mitochondria may mitigate the risk of some genetic disorders—but it's not a given.

The ABC series  Magda's Big National Health Check  us an immersive and personal journey about health in Australia today. It''s hosted by Magda Szubanski, who wants to know why Australia has a high level of chronic illness—and what to do about it. The latest statistics on causes of deaths in Australia show that deaths caused by alcohol rose by 6% last year—it's avoidable and advocates for greater a...

Severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) can be defined in pathology, yet only be diagnosed after someone has died and their brain examined. The Victorian state election is on 26th November and hospitals feature in political healthcare promises. Labor anticipates spending more than $6 billion on new hospitals and upgrading existing ones. Guest: Assoc Prof Michael Buckland Head of Dept of Neur...

There's a new perspective on how we think about the cause and progress of Alzheimer's disease. Are we actually doing the right thing by removing accumulated amyloid protein from the brain of people with it? Health practitioners are often still operating under the assumption that obesity is an individual's responsibility, even though science now tells us otherwise. It makes intuitive sense that if...

The debate may be over about robotic surgery for men with prostate cancer—but can hospitals afford the robots? How do you know if memory lapses are a part of slowing down—or an early sign of dementia? The psychology of moving more—and eating better. An Australian researcher in women and cancer has died .

Bringing clarity to health and medical issues from social, scientific and political points of view.

Bringing clarity to health and medical issues from social, scientific and political points of view.

From King George III's apparent madness, to Queen Victoria's genetic legacy, the Health Report takes a look back at the illnesses (and deaths) that have shaped the world.

Vital health and medical news.

Vital health and medical news.

Vital health and medical news.

Exploring how changing your diet—or even your eating schedule—can improve your long-term health outcomes. 

Vital health and medical news.

An option for cervical cancer screening could be a game-changer and miscarriages or stillbirths may bring an increased risk of stroke

With COVID there are more protective measures to take—and there's a historical parallel | The results of a trial of vitamin D supplementation find no evidence to support vitamin D supplements | Shingles can be a painful disease and those over 70 can have a free vaccination, but not the costly and most effective one.

The amount of money to spend on health care in the last year of someone's life is debatable. | The vital eligibility criterion for voluntary assisted dying in Australia is a problematic issue for doctors. | For a heart attack you want the best care possible—but where you live can affect limit that. Climate change is becoming more obvious—it now includes a noticeable mental health aspect.

Some immunologists are concerned that COVID-19 is not travelling as expected. An internationally respected immunologist had four doses of COVID vaccine but now recovering from heart failure after getting the virus. There are still community questions about the value of getting a fourth vaccine dose—we asked a vaccine development expert to explain why you should. Fitness and living longer are more...

In 2009 Australia launched a National Preventive Health Strategy with the aim of being the healthiest country in the world by 2020—where we're at with it now. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare has created a national clinical care standard for diagnosis and treatment. Many people are told to take a vitamin D supplement, especially in winter when there's less sunshine, bu...

Australia has many stories from people who say they have long COVID but who are unable to access help | Updated versions of coronavirus vaccines targeting the Omicron variant have been announced, yet the virus still mutates | People with Type 1 diabetes need to monitor their blood glucose but automatic systems are being trialled to assist them | A study on the behaviour of teens undertaken during...

What an Australian Centre for Disease Control might aim to be; An Indigenous perspective and research to engage culture for protection against cardiovascular disease and stroke; Research on links between mental health and mortality concludes that both mental and physical health can be adversely impacted.

There may be a link between what you eat and your mental health—also, avoiding overtreatment for breast cancer; predicting your risk of osteoarthritis; and whether mammogram results should inform women about breast density.

The cancer risks that run through generations of families—and the growing frontier in medicine trying to change that.

The term 'time toxicity' expresses the idea that if treatment to extend a patient's life means lengthy periods in medical facilities, it may be time wasted; In Australia smoking has decreased generally, but tobacco use is higher than average in young people with mental health issues; The bad form of cholesterol is LDL — low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein is the good form. An new...