Health Report - Separate stories podcast

Changing the clock has been controversial since we started doing it in Australia from the 1960s. Your personal stance aside, there is evidence that changing between standard and daylight saving times can have health consequences. A new study has looked into these time shifts and their affects on obesity and stroke. Guest/s Professor Jamie Zeitzer , Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in Sleep Medic...

The name polycystic ovary syndrome, commonly known as PCOS, has for a long time caused controversy. Experts in the field say that the current name is misleading, and suggests PCOS is only an ovarian or gynaecological condition. People with PCOS commonly experience insulin resistance, weight gain and mental health issues – indicating it’s a condition that affects the whole body. Guest/s Dr Pav Nana...

The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) is a high-security facility that handles potentially lethal pathogens. One of its jobs is to respond to outbreaks of animal diseases.

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week. You can email us at  healthreport@abc.net.au References Dynamic Balnce for Life A Judo-Based Exercise Program to Reduce Falls and Frailty Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Feasibility Study

Guest/s Professor Andrew Whitehouse , Deputy Director of The Kids Research Institute Australia and the Angela Wright Bennett Professor of Autism Research Professor Chris Blyth , Centre Head of Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases based at The Kids Research Institute Australia

As we get older, falls become a serious health risk. They can trigger dramatic deteriorations in a person’s health. Preventing falls is important, so we need to know the exercises and activities that give the biggest bang for buck. A new study has looked into Iyengar yoga and whether it can help prevent falls – with surprising results. Guest/s Professor Anne Tiedemann , physical activity and healt...

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week. You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

Trump has suggested there's a link between pregnant women taking paracetamol and autism in children.  In a press conference Trump said pregnant women with fevers should "tough it out".

It was once thought that taking daily aspirin was an effective way to prevent cardiovascular disease. But a follow-up of a major study that involved more than 15,000 adults found no evidence of benefit – in fact there was evidence of some risk.

Lipoprotein(a) is another type of "bad cholesterol" that increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Experts have looked at whether it would be cost effective to subsidise the blood test for Lp(a) so more people know their risk.

Australia's handbook for asthma care has been updated, and there are some major changes.  Now it's recommended all adults and adolescents get an inhaled corticosteroid for more effective long-term management.  But with blue puffers widely available over-the-counter, how long will this advice take to catch on? Guest/s Professor Helen Reddell , Chair of the Global Initiative for Asthma Science Commi...

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week. You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

The federal government has released its National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA), including modelling on the health impact.  For example in Sydney, it states heatwave deaths would rise by more than 400 perfect under a 3 degree increase.

There has been back-and-forth on the health risks of light or moderate alcohol consumption. Recent reviews have tried to narrow down the cancer risks associated with drinking.  Also, the heart benefits of GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy could be dependent on your BMI, based on a new study in people with type 2 diabetes.  And an update from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA...

There’s no evidence that parent-focused programs are working to prevent obesity in kids up to two years of age. The results of the meta-analysis published in the Lancet suggest we need to rethink our current approach to prevention. The researchers say these programs are failing to outrun environmental and socio-economic factors that require coordinated action to change. Guest/s Dr Kylie Hunter , C...

For many people, social media is their main source of health information. But the information can be far from accurate. A study has taken a closer look at TikTok content on contraception to assess the quality of the information provided. Themes included favouring natural contraceptive methods over hormonal options, and a distrust for health professionals. Guest/s Dr Caroline de Moel-Mandel , Depar...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in people over the age of 75 and can lead to heart failure.  There are therapies that can pull people out of heart failure, but once their AF is resolved do they need to stay on these medications? A new study has looked at what happens when some patients are taken off drugs and closely monitored.  Guest/s Associate Professor Sandeep Prabhu , cardiologist and elec...

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week. You can email us at  healthreport@abc.net.au Immunotherapy could treat some psychiatric syndromes

The surgeon general of Florida wants to scrap vaccine mandates in the state, including requirements for children to be vaccinated to attend school.   Also, a Eureka Prize win for infectious diseases research for a team that found a single vaccine could protect against both meningococcal B and gonorrhea.  And a call-out for information on GLP-1 prescribing — are they being prescribed to people with...

When a person is suffering with psychiatric symptoms we don’t typically look to the immune system for clues. But a study suggests that in a subset of young people an autoimmune issue could be at play – although the exact mechanisms are unclear. While it was a small sample size, a majority of the study participants saw improvements when they received tailored immunotherapy. Guest/s Associate Profes...

Frontotemporal dementia has been in the headlines recently because of the diagnosis of Bruce Willis in 2023.  It's one of the most common forms of younger-onset dementia but there are fears many cases are being missed. Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia primarily targets parts of the brain which govern personality and social behaviour. Experts want the diagnostic guidelines to be broadene...

Pain flares in different parts of the brainstem depending on which parts of the body are triggered.  Researchers from the University of Sydney have used placebo pain relief to uncover this map-like system. The findings could the way for more targeted treatments for chronic pain conditions.  Guest/s Dr Lewis Crawford , postdoctoral researcher at the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney...

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week. You can email us at  healthreport@abc.net.au References A radical new way to treat low back pain - ABC listen

An application to include a drug to treat the early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) has been rejected.  The committee in charge of making the decision has ruled the potential benefits of the drug donanemab are too small, and the burden for both patients and the health system too large.  In other news, a new study has highlighted the benefits of lifestyle...

There could be a relatively simple way to prevent eczema in children, and it starts at just a few weeks old. A new study has compared infants who received daily moisturisation with infants who didn’t. It seemed to lower the rate of eczema, which is also a risk factor for children developing food allergy and asthma. Guest/s Professor Eric Simpson , Professor of Dermatology at Oregon Health & Sc...