Health Report

Latest Episodes:

COVID-19 boosters; the big uptake for digital health; cholesterol in different age groups; amputation decision aid Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

As the world opens up after COVID-19, what should we know about further vaccination; cholesterol studies in different age groups; digital health and how it helps health care.

Malaria and vector-borne diseases, the Hippocratic Oath, the best way to treat snake bite Oct 11, 2021

Show notes

Malaria and the implications of a vaccine for it; a new book about what happens to the Hippocratic Oath when it's in the real world; and, if you are bitten by a snake - what next?

The widespread gender bias in healthcare Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

The gender bias in healthcare is pervasive and causes harm when women receive worse treatment during a heart attack, are denied proper pain relief when in pain or when less likely to receive timely access to critical health interventions.

Who gets care if hospitals become overwhelmed?; colorectal cancer risks; and the myth of placebos Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

What may happen if the hospital systems in NSW and Victoria are overwhelmed when we open up at 70 and 80% and the expected surge in cases occurs?

New research sheds light on colorectal cancer risks.

And are the potential benefits of placebos overblown?

The enduring stigma surrounding Borderline Personality Disorder Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

Borderline Personality Disorder is one of the most stigmatised and misunderstood mental health conditions.

It affects a significant number of people in the community, a large proportion of them having suffered trauma early in life. The emotional instability, fear of abandonment and patterns of self-harm can alter someone’s life and that of their loved ones in profound ways.

But the enduring stigma around BPD means it often goes unrecognised or not properly treated and many fall through the cracks.

The first year of COVID; the 'molecular messages' sent during exercise; is orthopaedic surgery over prescribed?; and can a combination pill transform how blood pressure is treated? Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

How did Australia fare in the first year of the pandemic?

What are the 'molecular messages' our body sends during exercise and how can they be used to help treat disease?

Are the most common elective orthopaedic surgeries prescribed always the most effective option?

And can a pill that combines four low-dose medications transform how high blood pressure is treated?

Vaccine rates in Indigenous communities; the origins of The Black Death; understanding illness caused by ticks; and the trial of Theranos founder begins Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

The COVID outbreak in regional New South Wales is highlighting the comparatively low vaccination rates in Indigenous communities.

New research uncovers more on the origins of The Black Death.

Researchers try to understand more about the experience of chronic illness after tick bites.

And in the US, the trial of the founder of biotech company Theranos begins.

Can substituting salt save lives?; the science of the COVID modelling; and Toxoplasma Gondii and cognitive decline Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

What new research shows about the effect of substituting salt and health - can it save lives?

Have we misunderstood the Doherty modelling?; High viral loads in vaccinated people; COVID risks to children; and substance use and the developing teenage brain Aug 23, 2021

Show notes

Australia is pinning its hopes on modelling that says restrictions can start to ease once we hit vaccination targets, but will the high case numbers in NSW disrupt that plan?

New research finds that people who are fully vaccinated but contract COVID can still carry high viral loads.

Why are some countries seeing high numbers of children in ICUs, while others are not?

And why are some teenagers more at risk of regular substance use? The answer - partly at least - may lie within the brain.

How can ventilation be improved to protect against COVID; post-op lung complications in patients who isolated before surgery; what's it like living with tinnitus?; and calls to do more to prevent chronic disease Aug 16, 2021

Show notes

How can ventilation be improved to help reduce the spread of COVID?

The surprising discovery that patients who isolate prior to surgery are more likely to develop post-operative lung complications.

What's it like living with tinnitus and can anything be done about it?

And calls to do more to prevent chronic disease.