Health Report

It's expected now that on the whole we will live longer, but individuals want to know how to spend a longer life in good health—and to set a good foundation.

This program was first heard on 25 April, 2022

Dr Norman Swan's book was published in July 2022.

Guest:

Prof Luigi FontanaLeonard P Ullman Chair in Translational Metabolic HealthDirector, Healthy Longevity Research and Clinical ProgramCharles Perkins Centre | Sydney Medical School (Central Clinical School)Faculty of Medicine and Health,  University of Sydney

Host: Dr Norman Swan

A new study has found a genetic link between macular degeneration and Alzheimer's disease—with implications for drug development.

The wellness space often refers to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide—or NAD. It's found in products promoting longevity—so may give you pause for thought—but shows promising results for human eyesight.

High blood pressure is one of the most toxic risk factors for heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, dementia, and probably premature ageing—so it's incredibly important to get blood pressure under control.

Hosts: Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor

Fish oil supplements—aka omega 3 fatty acids—are taken by some women during pregnancy. What are the benefits, and who gets them?

Research into ageing has revealed a number of processes controlling its rate. Autophagy helps cells do a clean up. Researchers are wondering if it could be manipulated.

Is it possible to say whether a pandemic is a natural spillover from an animal, or an accidental release from a lab? In her new book, Dark Winter, Professor Raina MacIntyre warns that scientists may not be the people to identify the source of pandemics—rather that Intelligence and law enforcement services could have a better toolkit.

The ABC’s Birth Project call out is discovering the good and bad of pregnancy and birth in Australia—one of the safest places in the world to give birth, but which sometimes fails women, their families, and clinicians.

Parents-to-be now have access to simple blood tests that can indicate whether their baby might have a chromosome issue. But parents who want peace of mind or want to know the sex of their baby can feel blindsided when the result predicts high risk—or for something they didn't know they were being screened for.

The Birth Project has shown us that the kind of care you might get if you're pregnant varies wildly across Australia. A national strategy around improving maternity care was launched in 2019.

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 genes may supply information for parents and treatment teams. 

Hosts:

Dr Norman Swan

Tegan Taylor

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 cord stimulator were published recently, and the researchers are surprised by what they found.

Hosts: Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor

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 alcohol control measures have been warning for years that there are not enough of them.

Hosts: Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor

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 Neuropathology

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

and

Director, Australian Sports Brain Bank

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 you screen people for disease the outcome will be good - because you get on top of the problem. But how far should you go.