Health Report - Full program podcast

By ABC listen

What's Health Report - Full program podcast about?

Specialist and mainstream audiences alike rely on the Health Report to bring clarity to health and medical issues from social, scientific and political points of view.

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Health Report - Full program podcast episodes:

04.15.2024
Norman Swan on what is schizophrenia?
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...
04.12.2024
Treating UTIs (without cranberry juice) and re-examining gender care
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...
04.05.2024
When your private health won't pay, and flu vaccine options
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...
03.29.2024
The bacteria causing bowel cancer, and how to make indoor air safer
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?
03.22.2024
ADHD medication a lifesaver? Will cancer treatment damage your ovaries?
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...
03.15.2024
Scrapping the term Long-COVID? Is toddler food bad? And the sick quitter effect
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...
03.08.2024
Short sleep and diabetes | Menopause and mood | VR patients and emergency
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...
03.01.2024
Exercise and depression | Melanoma and access to treatment | Comprehensive research on Sarcoidosis
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...
02.26.2024
CORONACAST BONUSCAST: New numbers around (super rare) vaccine side effects
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...
02.23.2024
News on long COVID and indoor air quality | Visualising plaque in your arteries | An under-tested blood fat | Kids' risk of poor health in the youth justice system
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...
02.16.2024
Insomnia, sun exposure | Low-carb diets | Sodium in food | Hepatitis in kids | Social prescribing
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...
02.09.2024
Food for kids in childhood centres—are their brains being starved? | Getting an autism diagnosis as an adult
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...
02.02.2024
Why fentanyl isn't so big in Australia? | Risks of under-vaccination | Breast cancer after an early scare | AI shaking up radiology
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...
01.26.2024
GLP1 agonists and weight loss | Opioids and cancer pain | Don't neglect dental care | Some back pain resolves, some lingers | Synaesthesia
The drug name on everyone’s lips is semaglutide—a seemingly magical substance that can solve all our ills. But it’s not just semaglutide, there’s a whole class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists. Opioids are commonly prescribed to patients who have cancer to...
01.23.2024
What's the deal with night terrors?
Night terrors are distressing awakenings of intense screaming, thrashing and fear that often happen at the same time each night. They're more common in children than in adults, but they can hang around or emerge later in life. Norman takes us through...
01.22.2024
Australian immunisation rates drop | What are 'incidentalomas'?
What's happening with COVID Australian vaccination rates are dropping A new term for chance discoveries on scans
01.15.2024
'Life and potential death': Being diagnosed with cancer while pregnant
The shock of a cancer diagnosis is familiar for far too many people. But when Na'ama Carlin was diagnosed with breast cancer, her health wasn't the only consideration. If you're in need of support you can contact Mummy's Wish or Hope for Two.
01.08.2024
Care and detection of younger onset dementia | Breastfeeding aversion
First heard in July 2023 It’s called ‘young onset’ dementia if diagnosed before the age of 65—and can occur while people are still caring for kids and supporting a household. First heard in July 2023 We think breastfeeding is quite natural, but it...
01.01.2024
Where does Australia stand on drug decriminalisation?
Drug use has been increasing, whether it be cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens, or ketamine. That includes recreational use and substance abuse. So it begs the question: Has criminalising drugs ever worked? And what needs to be done to drive down the...
12.25.2023
ADHD clinics and the diagnosis explosion | Chat GPT and virtual health care
A new kind of ADHD clinic is cashing in on surging demand for diagnoses—and promising salaries of more than $900,000 to recruit psychiatrists. As the need for services has grown, so have waitlists. Given the choice between a ChatGPT bot or...
12.18.2023
Invigorating ice baths | Waves in the dying brain | Gaming and exercise
More and more people are tackling the bracing discomfort of ice bath sessions. Alongside several touted health benefits there are some serious risks. Norman is at Bronte Beach to chill. Researchers observed the cardiac and neural signals from a small number of ICU patients at the point...
12.11.2023
Body dysmorphic disorder | Benefits of a low-salt diet | Primary aldosteronism | How a country buys its drugs
Feeling dissatisfied with their appearance can become an obsession for some people, and affect quality of life and relationships. Most people can benefit from reduced salt intake, and so reduce the risk of heart attack, atrial fibrillation, stroke, dementia, and kidney...
12.04.2023
Concerns about a cancer therapy | Promise and risk in health AI | Where are all the psychiatrists? | Tackling high blood pressure
Bringing clarity to health and medical issues from social, scientific and political points of view.
11.27.2023
Respiratory illnesses in China | ACL injury in women | GP referrals to psychiatrists
There are eerily familiar of clusters of respiratory infections being reported across China. We know that for some health conditions women are more likely to have a worse time than men. But for the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the chances of...
11.23.2023
CORONACAST BONUSCAST: The latest wave, a new vaccine and let's talk about lockdowns
Another COVID wave, another COVID vaccine and another episode of Coronacast ... sort of? Norman and Tegan will be providing coronavirus updates when needed, so subscribe to The Health Report feed so you don't miss out! References: The unequal effects of the health–economy...
11.20.2023
Weighing the data on legal cannabis | Overuse of antimicrobials | Delayed cord cutting in premature babies
In 2016 Australia legalised cannabis for medicinal use and now the Greens party are advocating for its recreational use as well. The Australian Medical Association say that would send the wrong message. Antimicrobial resistance has been described an emerging public health...
11.13.2023
Senate report on ADHD | ABC Birth Project responses | Yellow fever and mosquito-borne diseases | Assessing our spending on health
In March 2023 a Senate inquiry began to review how the health system manages people with ADHD, and the Government has now three months to respond. The ABC's Birth Project invited people to share their experiences of birth in Australia—and if improvements could be made...
11.06.2023
Narcolepsy and its strange symptoms | Body clocks and our sleep
If we don't get enough sleep we're apt to doze off in the day, but for some people, dozing off can signal rare disorder of the brain's sleep-wake cycles, and it plays havoc with their lives. In one 24-hour period our body undergoes a number...
10.30.2023
Vitamin C, COVID, and cancer | Hand arthritis, and new treatment | Birthing in the COVID world | Blood cancer treatment advances
A question asked about COVID-19 was whether high doses of intravenous vitamin C could fight it. Two randomised controlled trials showed no benefit for COVID-19. But high-dose Vitamin C can benefit cancer treatment. Arthritis of the hands is common, painful, a bit of a...
10.23.2023
Atrial fibrillation, catheter ablation, stroke, and dementia | A bank for poo | Survey to improve care in general practice
Two of the most common causes of death in Australia, and globally, are stroke and dementia. One cause of stroke is atrial fibrillation—an abnormal heart rhythm—it may also cause dementia. Faecal microbe (or poo) transplants are something we've talked about on the program, but until...
10.16.2023
A new treatment for PTSD | Why blood pressure cuff size matters | Diversity of participants in cancer trials
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an extreme form of anxiety caused by the laying down of bad memories when someone is involved in a threatening situation. A new treatment has been developed for people to write about their experience, and feelings...
10.09.2023
The Voice is a health issue—hearing again the reasons why | Diabetes and cause of death
Australians will soon vote on changing the Australian Constitution to recognise First Nations people—the Voice to Parliament. When it comes to health, there's a strong evidence base for the Voice. In a slightly edited form, we hear again a conversation...
10.02.2023
The versatility of 3D printing in healthcare—for prosthetics, training surgeons, scaffolds, and new skin for burns
3D printing is becoming an incredibly versatile modern tool—there’s scope in engineering, manufacturing, architecture and design—as well as in several aspects of health care. Today we tour the Herston Biofabrication Institute—part of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital—where clinicians, academics, and industry work together...
09.25.2023
Pre-operative assessments | Kids, sinusitis, and antibiotics | Kids, fainting, and an unusual heart rhythm | Knee replacements and digital rehab
To have you in the best physical condition before major surgery many surgeons send you for a pre-operative assessment by a physician—does it help? When a child has persistent cold symptoms, it might be sinusitis and require antibiotics. If a child faints it's really only a...
09.18.2023
The science of sleep
Humans spend around a third of their lives sleeping, and its management has created a multi-million dollar industry. We discuss the sleep of FIFO workers, the sleep of people with PTSD, and what we can do to improve our shut-eye time with...
09.11.2023
A clearer view of diagnostic error | Monkeys, semaglutide, and addiction | Exercise and gamification
A clearer picture of where and how mistakes are made in medical diagnoses. Monkeys on some Caribbean islands are helping researchers understand more about addiction. Sydney's Liverpool Hospital developed a program using gaming to spur on patients recovering from traumatic brain injury.
09.04.2023
The latest research on Long COVID | Healing worms | Talking about weight loss
Australia's had probably its first conference on Long COVID. The idea of a worm infection evokes a visceral response—but there are potential health benefits to worms. GPs may hesitate to approach a discussion about weight loss because of the risk of body shaming and stigma.
08.28.2023
Learning from Mexican food nutrition labels | Perils of sitting | Misleading fertility tests | Which uterine surgery is better?
Mexico has implemented labelling of processed foods with large warnings if the unhealthy ingredients exceed globally agreed thresholds. New research has been looking into why sitting is bad—and how to change that. Women are being mislead by fertility tests which promote anti-Mullerian hormone—or AMH testing—which...
08.21.2023
New ovarian cancer test | Testosterone | How the PAP test began | A deep look at sleep
We heard today about a new test for ovarian cancer. For a long time there's been a search for a way to reliably detect this cancer early on. Some men are prescribed testosterone-replacement therapy in middle age or older, but there's questions around how safe that...
08.14.2023
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome | Vigorous Incidental Lifestyle Physical Activity | Cochlear implants
Measuring activity on Cradle Mountain—Norman and Tegan rise to the challenge. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome—a new guideline for doctors and women. Vigorous Incidental Lifestyle Physical Activity—micro-bursts of it can decrease the risks of developing various cancers. Cochlear implants—the latest intel on this transformative tech. As part of...
08.07.2023
Importance of The Voice for Aboriginal health | Bush tucker and health in Balgo
wide health implications. The remote community of Balgo in the Tanami Desert has many years of hunting for bush tucker. People must leave their Country if they want dialysis care, but that's changing.
07.31.2023
Metastatic breast cancer | Free gene analysis for rare cancers | Best exercises to lower blood pressure
Metastatic cancer is for the spread of a cancer from a primary site to other parts of the body. There's no nationally consistent way of keeping track of how many of these cancer patients there are. A consortium of Australian cancer researchers has announced...
07.24.2023
New Australian guidelines for cardio vascular disease | Phone-connected device can collect heart rhythm data | Panel discussion on reducing red and processed meat consumption
To assess the heart health and stroke risk factors of the population, Australian GPs and cardiologists have referred to a study from the population of Framingham, Massachusetts, but last week the Heart Foundation replaced it with a tool based on New Zealand and Australian...
07.17.2023
Ketamine for depression | Ultrasound instead of X-ray | WHO on Aspartame and dietary guidelines
In health news Norman and Tegan discuss changes in the health system for medical termination of pregnancy; and about life span vs life expectancy in Australia. Alongside MDMA and psilocybin as treatments for mental health issues is ketamine—which shows promise in treatment-resistant depression. A common...
07.10.2023
Women and strength training | sports food nutrition and labelling | subjective memory study in twins | opioids not beneficial for back pain
Strength training is fundamental to most athletes' regimes, but the guidelines are overwhelmingly based on male data. An analysis of labelling on sports foods—things like protein shakes and bars—finds that the nutritional claims they make often don’t tally with the ingredients panel. Worry about...
07.03.2023
Improving diagnosis and care in younger onset dementia | Recognising and overcoming breastfeeding aversion
If dementia is diagnosed before someone is 65 it's called 'younger onset' dementia, and it can occur while people still have family responsibilities. We talk with people who have been given this news, and to researchers looking to improve diagnosis and...
06.26.2023
Health in the news this week | opioid deprescribing | Parkinsons and contaminants | tonsillectomy in adults
A look at some of the big stories in health over the last week ... cough syrup, Duchenne gene therapy; chemo drugs in the US. Some new prescribing guidelines for opioids recommend an exit strategy—and the need for better support infrastructure. It was...
06.19.2023
Talking and tragedy | Psychedelic-assisted therapy and harms | Cannabis in pregnancy | Chronic low back pain
A recent bus crash in the Hunter Valley claimed 10 lives. Trying to make sense of such tragic events often prompts a reach for advice that sounds right, but might not be. Therapy using psychedelic drugs is generally safe yet a review of...
06.12.2023
Electrical signals in the dying brain | A positive film about palliative care | New government system to assess trials
Bringing clarity to health and medical issues from social, scientific and political points of view.
06.05.2023
Medication searches and obesity correlations | Diabetes and exercise benefits | Peripheral artery disease and women
A recent study has looked at correlations between rates of (Australian) population obesity and searching online for anti-obesity and diabetes drugs—searches for a class of drugs called the GLP-1 agonists. You probably know the Australian Government has general exercise recommendations for adults, but what if you're in...

What's Health Report - Full program podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Health Report - Full program podcast episodes:

Norman Swan on what is schizophrenia?

Treating UTIs (without cranberry juice) and re-examining gender care

When your private health won't pay, and flu vaccine options

The bacteria causing bowel cancer, and how to make indoor air safer

ADHD medication a lifesaver? Will cancer treatment damage your ovaries?

Scrapping the term Long-COVID? Is toddler food bad? And the sick quitter effect

Short sleep and diabetes | Menopause and mood | VR patients and emergency

Exercise and depression | Melanoma and access to treatment | Comprehensive research on Sarcoidosis

CORONACAST BONUSCAST: New numbers around (super rare) vaccine side effects

News on long COVID and indoor air quality | Visualising plaque in your arteries | An under-tested blood fat | Kids' risk of poor health in the youth justice system

Insomnia, sun exposure | Low-carb diets | Sodium in food | Hepatitis in kids | Social prescribing

Food for kids in childhood centres—are their brains being starved? | Getting an autism diagnosis as an adult

Why fentanyl isn't so big in Australia? | Risks of under-vaccination | Breast cancer after an early scare | AI shaking up radiology

GLP1 agonists and weight loss | Opioids and cancer pain | Don't neglect dental care | Some back pain resolves, some lingers | Synaesthesia

What's the deal with night terrors?

Australian immunisation rates drop | What are 'incidentalomas'?

'Life and potential death': Being diagnosed with cancer while pregnant

Care and detection of younger onset dementia | Breastfeeding aversion

Where does Australia stand on drug decriminalisation?

ADHD clinics and the diagnosis explosion | Chat GPT and virtual health care

Invigorating ice baths | Waves in the dying brain | Gaming and exercise

Body dysmorphic disorder | Benefits of a low-salt diet | Primary aldosteronism | How a country buys its drugs

Concerns about a cancer therapy | Promise and risk in health AI | Where are all the psychiatrists? | Tackling high blood pressure

Respiratory illnesses in China | ACL injury in women | GP referrals to psychiatrists

CORONACAST BONUSCAST: The latest wave, a new vaccine and let's talk about lockdowns

Weighing the data on legal cannabis | Overuse of antimicrobials | Delayed cord cutting in premature babies

Senate report on ADHD | ABC Birth Project responses | Yellow fever and mosquito-borne diseases | Assessing our spending on health

Narcolepsy and its strange symptoms | Body clocks and our sleep

Vitamin C, COVID, and cancer | Hand arthritis, and new treatment | Birthing in the COVID world | Blood cancer treatment advances

Atrial fibrillation, catheter ablation, stroke, and dementia | A bank for poo | Survey to improve care in general practice

A new treatment for PTSD | Why blood pressure cuff size matters | Diversity of participants in cancer trials

The Voice is a health issue—hearing again the reasons why | Diabetes and cause of death

The versatility of 3D printing in healthcare—for prosthetics, training surgeons, scaffolds, and new skin for burns

Pre-operative assessments | Kids, sinusitis, and antibiotics | Kids, fainting, and an unusual heart rhythm | Knee replacements and digital rehab

The science of sleep

A clearer view of diagnostic error | Monkeys, semaglutide, and addiction | Exercise and gamification

The latest research on Long COVID | Healing worms | Talking about weight loss

Learning from Mexican food nutrition labels | Perils of sitting | Misleading fertility tests | Which uterine surgery is better?

New ovarian cancer test | Testosterone | How the PAP test began | A deep look at sleep

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome | Vigorous Incidental Lifestyle Physical Activity | Cochlear implants

Importance of The Voice for Aboriginal health | Bush tucker and health in Balgo

Metastatic breast cancer | Free gene analysis for rare cancers | Best exercises to lower blood pressure

New Australian guidelines for cardio vascular disease | Phone-connected device can collect heart rhythm data | Panel discussion on reducing red and processed meat consumption

Ketamine for depression | Ultrasound instead of X-ray | WHO on Aspartame and dietary guidelines

Women and strength training | sports food nutrition and labelling | subjective memory study in twins | opioids not beneficial for back pain

Improving diagnosis and care in younger onset dementia | Recognising and overcoming breastfeeding aversion

Health in the news this week | opioid deprescribing | Parkinsons and contaminants | tonsillectomy in adults

Talking and tragedy | Psychedelic-assisted therapy and harms | Cannabis in pregnancy | Chronic low back pain

Electrical signals in the dying brain | A positive film about palliative care | New government system to assess trials

Medication searches and obesity correlations | Diabetes and exercise benefits | Peripheral artery disease and women