Health Report

Latest Episodes:

Scrapping the term Long-COVID? Is toddler food bad? And the sick quitter effect Mar 16, 2024

Show notes

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.

Short sleep and diabetes | Menopause and mood | VR patients and emergency Mar 09, 2024

Show notes

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 the Lancet, with one paper specifically on mental health.

In hospital emergency rooms emotions can run high, and tempers can get frazzled, which is confronting for both staff and other patients.

Exercise and depression | Melanoma and access to treatment | Comprehensive research on Sarcoidosis Mar 02, 2024

Show notes

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 researched.

CORONACAST BONUSCAST: New numbers around (super rare) vaccine side effects Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

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 suspected, there is a link between the vaccines here in Australia and conditions like heart inflammation, blood clots and a usually temporary paralysis called Guillian-Barre syndrome, among others.

But the data also show the risk of those conditions is small in comparison to the risk of the same conditions in someone who actually catches COVID.

References:

COVID-19 vaccines and adverse events of special interest: A multinational Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) cohort study of 99 million vaccinated individuals

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 Feb 24, 2024

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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 Hidden Killer, and it may contribute to about 50% of heart attacks, especially people who may be younger and with relatively normal cholesterol levels. It’s called Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a).

New data is showing that, for children, any contact with the criminal justice system means they’re more likely to die earlier, and have health problems of every kind. Are kids already at risk more likely to be targeted by the system—what would change this trend?

Insomnia, sun exposure | Low-carb diets | Sodium in food | Hepatitis in kids | Social prescribing Feb 17, 2024

Show notes

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 another alarming trend: severe and unexpected liver disease in children all over the world.

Some activities really make us feel good—like working up a sweat, or connecting with people. Might it be possible for a doctor to prescribe such activities?

Food for kids in childhood centres—are their brains being starved? | Getting an autism diagnosis as an adult Feb 10, 2024

Show notes

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.

Why fentanyl isn't so big in Australia? | Risks of under-vaccination | Breast cancer after an early scare | AI shaking up radiology Feb 03, 2024

Show notes

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 AI is already having an impact in radiology.

GLP1 agonists and weight loss | Opioids and cancer pain | Don't neglect dental care | Some back pain resolves, some lingers | Synaesthesia Jan 27, 2024

Show notes

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 help them with pain, but the drugs are not risk free and can have their downsides.

Last year there was a Senate report into the state of dental care in Australia, and like a visit to the dentist—it wasn’t a fun read.

Back pain affects so many people – but when doctors look at it, they find that while some people recovery quickly other continue to suffer in silence and agony.

Australian immunisation rates drop | What are 'incidentalomas'? Jan 22, 2024

Show notes

What's happening with COVID

Australian vaccination rates are dropping

A new term for chance discoveries on scans

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