Health Report

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**Health Report**

Covering the health stories that make a difference. Dr Norman Swan and Dr Preeya Alexander dissect the latest and breaking news in the medical world.

Latest Episodes:

Long term relief for low back pain Aug 23, 2025

Show notes

Cognitive Functional Therapy can help relieve low back pain, and shows some positive long-term results.

Ovarian cancer doesn't start in the ovaries, but in the fallopian tubes, and opportunistic surgery could prevent it.

And is your gut microbiome responsible for your insomnia or is your insomnia changing your microbiome?

Can an ultraprocessed diet ever be healthy? Aug 16, 2025

Show notes

Dietary guidelines tell us what we should eat for good health, but at the moment it is possible to follow the guidelines and still eat predominantly ultraprocessed foods.

A new study has looked at the impact this has on your health, and compared it to a minimally processed diet chock full of whole foods.

Also, there are calls to change the criteria for diagnosing perimenopause. And the benefits of psilocybin for depression might have been overstated.

Is your no-sugar drink really the healthier option? Aug 09, 2025

Show notes

If you reach for a no-sugar drink, thinking you're making a wise choice, you might need to think again.

A new study suggests artificially sweetened drinks carry a similar type 2 diabetes risk to sugar sweetened beverages.

Also, loneliness is a growing public health issue, especially among younger people. What can we do to address it?

And gynaecological cancer survivors are flipping the script, teaching health professionals.

The pros and cons of mental time travel Aug 02, 2025

Show notes

There are ways to rejuvenate old memories, but a new study has compared the process to the myth of Sisyphus, who was cursed to repeatedly roll a stone up a hill.

Also on the show, many doctors are already using artificial intelligence to help take notes. But are patients always aware these AI scribes are in the room?

The emergence of vaping has slowed our progress when it comes to smoking cessation.

And looking at a sick person might activate your immune system, getting it ready to fight off infection.

What bat parents and human parents have in common Jul 26, 2025

Show notes

Just like human children, young bats have been found to harbour and spread lots of viruses.

Their susceptibility to contracting multiple viruses at once makes them the perfect breeding ground for new disease variants.

Also, we take a look at a study that seemed to show private hospital were better than public hospitals for childbirth. Is it that simple?

And a survey of people with chronic conditions shows where Australia is ahead, and where we need to improve.

How to add 14 years to your lifespan Jul 19, 2025

Show notes

Five risk factors explain 50 per cent of cardiovascular risk at age 50, according to a new study.

Addressing those risk factors can add years to your life, even if you address them in middle age.

Also, the UK demonstrates a cutting edge IVF technique is effective at avoiding mitchondrial disease.

ADHD treatment has real world positives, but the effects are lessening as more people get diagnosed.

And an update on how RSV vaccination in pregnant women is going, five months into the program.

Mapping the environmental exposures that impact human health Jul 12, 2025

Show notes

The human exposome is the environmental equivalent of the human genome, and there's a project in the works to map it.

It's a huge project that needs to take into account our lifestyles, cultures, economics and politics. Essentially, everything but our genome.

Also, a concerning disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians when it comes to kidney transplants.

And a small risk comes to light in relation to GLP-1s used for diabetes and weight loss.

References

Harnessing the immune system to fight cancer Jul 05, 2025

Show notes

Immunotherapy uses the body's immune system to fight cancer. In blood cancer, a revolutionary t-cell therapy has cured patients and could show promise in solid tumours.

In bladder cancer, the tuberculosis vaccine is infused to treat non-invasive cancer. However a shortage of BCG means researchers are having to test out other methods.

Also, is Australia on the front foot when it comes to type 2 diabetes treatment? And what does copper in the brain have to do with Parkinson's disease?

The man using AI to try treat his dog's cancer Jun 28, 2025

Show notes

In the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence, it can sometimes feel like the answer to everything is right around the corner.

A dog owner is testing this with the help of super-computing, to try and find another treatment for his dog's cancer.

Also, the national lung cancer screening program is about to begin. Who is eligible, and is the healthcare system prepared?

And with syphilis cases rising in the community, there are implications for expectant mothers.

What do hyenas have to do with human health? Jun 21, 2025

Show notes

Hyenas and vultures play a role in driving down the risk of disease outbreaks, but their decline due to human behaviour is putting our health in danger.

Also, we discuss Lifeblood's changes which bring down some of the barriers facing gay and bisexual men, and transgender women, who'd like to donate blood or plasma.

Pain education could help people with osteoarthritis get the most out of exercise programs — and even walk the Camino.

Plus there's a push to extend genetic carrier screening to cover dozens more conditions.

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