Episodes
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Robotic knee surgery is put to the test
Using NHS data, researchers compared full and partial knee replacements done with and without robotics to see if the outcomes were better for patients in the period following the procedures. A new study compares a less invasive method, called intrauterine insemination (IUI) as a first line...
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Does what you eat help manage acne?
A study using data from the UK Biobank indicates following the Mediterranean diet as a way to prevent acne. Researchers say avoiding entire food groups like dairy is not recommended. A new drug to treat pancreatic cancer can extend survival times significantly, but there are some major barriers…
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What should be done about e-scooters and e-bikes?
The first national report on e-scooters and e-devices from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare quantifies the impact of these devices on our community. So what should be done to prevent injuries and deaths? A new study shows people who survive cancer have a build up of plaque in their...
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Menopause guidelines could be a gamechanger
New guidelines for clinicians will clarify when to use menopausal hormone therapy over other medicines, and what options are available for those with a history of breast cancer. The author of a study investigating what goes on in the gut microbiome of people who have and are being treated for...
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What happens when you don't use BMI to measure obesity?
Broadening the definition of clinical obesity has lowered its prevalence in children but increased it in mid-life. Researchers hope this will assist clinicians with individualised care and advice for people in larger bodies. If you have polyps removed during a colonoscopy, you may be asked to…
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Waking up stiff and sore? It could be PMR
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory condition that mostly affects people over 65 years of age but can happen earlier. Learn what to look out for and when you should get it checked out. A health law expert talks through the regulations that may apply to the LillyDirect platform, which...
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Should weight loss injections be easier to access?
After failing to negotiate a way for their weight loss medicine to be listed on the PBS, Eli Lilly has launched an online platform to "facilitate dispensing and delivery of medicines to consumers". It provides a pathway via third party providers that people can use to get prescriptions filled and...
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Is AHPRA doing enough to curb unsafe prescribing?
Rachel has lived experience of an eating disorder and came across ads for a telehealth weight loss company on a podcast. The ads continue in their podcast feed, more than a year after they lodged a formal complaint with AHPRA. Rachel hasn't been updated on the status of the complaint. Disrupted...
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Why you should speed up your steps, even just in short bursts.
A study looking at step intensity and step count provides helpful advice for those who are limited in their time and ability to increase the number of steps and their pace. The pharmaceutical company closest to getting a drug to market to reduce Lipoprotein (a) levels announced that while it...
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Validation for people living with chronic pain
An international study of the genes of 2.5 million people confirms fibromyalgia as a nervous system disorder. A rheumatologist explains the relationship to other disorders including CFS/ME and long COVID. Women of reproductive age are getting iron infusions at an increasingly high rate. What’s...
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Same work but no training pathway for unaccredited registrars
It's become harder for medical students to qualify as a fully accredited specialist. This delay is having a profound impact on the wellbeing of doctors and on access to specialists across Australia. A new study shows people experiencing 'gout flares' more frequently have a higher likelihood of...
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Will this help more men get prostate checkups?
New clinical guidelines for early detection of prostate cancer make big changes to screening, with an end to the digital examination and more frequent PSA tests in older age groups. A new global study suggests people over sixty may face serious health risks from heat at much lower temperatures…
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BMI fails the test as a predictor of disease risk
A study shows waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference (WC) should be included with BMI when assessing patients with abdominal fat for risk of cardiovascular disease. A new rapid 'lateral flow' test is being trialled in the hope it will provide faster and more accurate results to help...
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Kate has a history of anorexia. Why was she prescribed weight loss jabs?
‘Kate’ has a history of anorexia nervosa and was once hospitalised for the condition. Yet she was able to access GLP1s to control her weight via a telehealth provider, without being screened for an eating disorder. Surveys of acute pancreatitis are currently underway around Australia, in response...
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An Alzheimer's blood test is on the way. What could that mean for you?
Clinicians, researchers, government and industry partners have come together in a new arrangement to trial a blood test that uses biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, in the hope it will aid diagnosis. A new vaccine developed to treat the latest outbreak of ebolavirus is already being tested on...
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When is a child ready for their own smartphone?
A new study looks at the health benefits of holding off on a child's smartphone by one year. Is there a "best" age to let them have their own device? Despite the lack of subsidies for CGM devices that monitor glucose levels for those with type 2 diabetes, research shows continuous glucose...
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What can you really learn from a biological ageing test?
There's a race going on in Silicon Valley to find ways to slow down ageing and monetise longevity. Some of the tools used to measure this are biological age tests that give various health readings. Can you biohack your way to reverse ageing? Parents and caregivers of adolescents can worry about…
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Who should be allowed to prescribe medications?
A review of the evidence for community pharmacist prescribing has reopened the debate about who should be able to prescribe, and a legislative change means some registered nurses with special training will soon be authorised to prescribe a number of medicines on the PBS too. Australia's Health…
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Could a sleep supplement help reduce chronic pain?
While looking for ways to treat pain in those with musculoskeletal disorders, researchers examined studies in which sleep supplement melatonin had been used. A study into the behaviour of immune cells in coeliac disease patients showed surprising results. Instead of being overactive, T cells in...
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Should we ban the use of controversial herbicide, paraquat?
A movement disorder specialist says the APVMA decision on the use of herbicide paraquat ignores evidence of the link with cases of Parkinson's disease. Analysis of patient data shows less than twenty percent of people attend a cardiac rehabilitation program after their hospital stay, despite the...
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Bird flu has reached Australia. Now what?
The first cases of H5N1 bird flu have been confirmed following the discovery and rescue of a sick bird on a remote beach in Western Australia. Since then more sick birds have been reported, with authorities stressing the safest approach is to take a photo and notify them. While the risk of bird…
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Good and bad news on alcohol and disease risk
A new review brings together data from studies worldwide and shows that the impact of alcohol has been underestimated, but that changing drinking habits can reverse and slow down damage. Should gyms turn the volume down on the loud music they play while patrons are working out? The donated brains...
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A crackdown on unregulated peptides
Genomic testing is cheaper than ever and can pick up a risk of disease in people with no family history. Should we expand it nation-wide? IUDs are a highly effective form of contraception, but some women are concerned about pain. A new study looks at how commonly women experience pain on…
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Does exercise lower your biological age?
Australia's specialist medical college for obstetrics and gynaecology is raising the alarm over proposed changes to abortion access in three Australian states. How physical activity influences your 'biological clock' - and whether it can help you feel younger than you actually are. Changes to how...
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The habits that protect your mental health
This week, an update on the diphtheria outbreak across multiple Australian states. What's changed to allow the spread to occur? How to build healthier housing for remote communities - and it starts with maintenance. A new trial shows some everyday steps people can take to protect themselves…
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Peptides: who's using them and what's in them?
The popularity of peptides appears to be growing in Australia - what do we know about who is using them, what's in them and the risks? A large study of Australians with Parkinson's disease finds links to certain pesticides and high-risk occupations. For people with heart failure, there's a...
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Ebola outbreak: how it spreads and prospects for a vaccine
The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern over an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. How does the disease spread, how can it be treated and how concerned should we be? Further Information: Why is there no vaccine…
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Do you need surgery after an ACL tear?
ACL injuries are very common in Australia - and the common thinking has been that if you tear your ACL, you'll need surgery. Researchers are arguing the best evidence says we should be looking to rehab first, and that for many people they will recover without surgery. Microplastics in our food...
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'Fitspo' content and mental health
Urgent care clinics are getting $1.8 billion in this year's federal budget to make them a permanent part of Australia's health system. We speak to the Health Minister Mark Butler about the decision. 'Fitspo' content that sometimes glamourises a ripped bod or restrictive ways of eating could be...
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Markers of irritable bowel syndrome
A new review suggests there may be biomarkers linked to irritable bowel syndrome, typically a diagnosis of exclusion. How you get followed up after going to the doctor with symptoms of bowel cancer is shaped in part by where you live. People can now access their diagnostic and pathology results...
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What do we know about brain fog in menopause?
Two thirds of women report concerns over memory loss, concentration or other cognitive symptoms during menopause. What do we understand about what's going on, and how can it be managed? A new plan for improving asthma outcomes in Australia and ending that reliance on the blue puffer.…
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Can ChatGPT Health tell when you should go to hospital?
Can you trust the advice ChatGPT Health gives about whether you should go to the hospital or not? Who is using GLP-1 weight loss drugs and how common are they? New guidelines for supporting young people with suicidal ideation or who self-harm. And more findings that drugs removing amyloid from…
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Treating a medical emergency ... in space
When a medical emergency happens in space, how is it treated? And what does life in Antarctica have to teach us about staying healthy on a spaceflight? Findings from a large study of Australian teenagers find links between school connection, sleep and mental health trajectories through…
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What to expect this flu season
Which flu strains are likely to be dominant this flu season - and what's the story with the new nasal spray vaccine? Speaking of sprays ... there's a simple saline spray that might help kids with sleep apnoea avoid surgery. And a treatment for enlarged prostate that doesn't involve going under…
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3D printing in healthcare
3D printing is becoming an incredibly versatile modern tool - with scope to apply it to engineering, manufacturing, architecture and design challenges. And it's increasingly being used in ... healthcare. Plus, Kylie and Gillian had been friends for years when Kylie had a stroke in her early 30s.…
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Ultra-processed foods and behaviour in kids
There's been major buzz in recent years over ultra-processed foods and whether they may be harmful to our health. A new study out of Canada has measured what toddlers eat and how much of it is ultra-processed - and then followed up two years later to examine the behavioural outcomes of those same...
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MDMA therapy's side effects
MDMA psychotherapy was approved in Australia three years ago. Who's using it and what do we know about treatment side effects? Vaccine reminders can help nudge people back on track, but how the message is framed matters. A new review of screen use and sleep in young people finds no link between…
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Are Australian kids eating too much salt?
Are Australian schoolkids eating too much salt? And does it put them at risk of high blood pressure? A new approach to breast cancer screening based on risk could reduce the number of screens needed for some women. There's been a lot of hype around brain training to protect against cognitive...
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Can AI chatbots be good therapists?
We know many people are turning to generative AI for health advice, including tips on how to manage stress, anxiety and low mood. When is it safe to turn to a chatbot, and when do you need to see a real human being? And what if you can't afford it? Also, a home review program that aims to get...
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Wait, does exercise help osteoarthritis?
A paper has suggested exercise has minimal, short-term effects on osteoarthritis. But experts are warning people with the condition that they shouldn't stop moving. Also, school kids are being called on to help in the fight against superbugs. A new study shoots down low-dose aspirin for older...
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Prescribing exercise for mental health
Researchers have pin-pointed the best exercise routines for depression or anxiety symptoms, and they might be equal to medication and talk therapy. Also, why states and territories are making changes to their maternity care guidance for doctors. An update on Alzheimer's disease off the back of...
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The cost shock of specialist care
When you pay for private health insurance, you might assume you'll be well covered if you get injured or fall ill. But a new report has revealed the huge costs that catch people off guard, and sometimes prevent them from receiving care. Also, a study hints that constant colds in childhood might…
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Going to ChatGPT for health advice?
Many people turning to AI for health advice are doing it for valid reasons — it's cheap, fast and isn't bound by a 15-minute timer. But the checks and balances companies use to ensure their products are safe, or even accurate, aren't open to public scrutiny. Also on the show, medical abortion is...
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What are the benefits of having a dry January?
If you're having a month off the beers to kick off the year, do you know what a short stretch of sobriety could achieve? Some companies in the United States are even pushing people to trade their alcohol for THC, for "high" January. Also, there hasn't been a big COVID spike over the holidays, but...
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Can AI make personalised medicine accessible?
How far would you go to save your dog? One owner has used ChatGPT and other AI models to find a treatment for his pup's cancer. Also, we could be missing cases of liver disease because of differences between pathology centres. The final instalment of Stroke of Luck, a series on the experience of...
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Walking the Camino with knee osteoarthritis
People with osteoarthritis used to be told to take it easy and avoid overdoing exercise. But the advice has changed drastically. Also, should everyone going onto GLP-1 medications for weight loss be screened and monitored for eating disorders? Another instalment of Stroke of Luck, a series on the...
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Is Dr Google fuelling your hypochondria?
Anxiety can manifest in an excessive worry about your health, and it can be debilitating. But there are effective treatments. Also, antidepressants can be difficult to come off because of the withdrawal symptoms. An expert highlights the need to better educate patients and doctors on…
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Uncovering the brain circuit for creativity
There's a paradox in neurodegenerative disease – sometimes as the brain deteriorates, creativity flourishes. Researchers have used imaging techniques to map creativity in the brains of people with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Also, the exercise program that could change the game for colorectal...
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Swapping salt for a heart healthier option
Substituting your table salt for something with lower sodium could drive down your risk of heart attack and stroke. Also, what expectant parents might not know about screening for genetic diseases before conceiving. Artificial intelligence (AI) could soon be used to help predict decisions a…
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Indigenous babies born with more gut bugs
Despite facing an increased risk of chronic disease later in life, remote Indigenous babies start life with a more diverse gut microbiome. A new study in Nature also found the infants have bacteria that have completely disappeared from non-Indigenous populations. Also, a guide to living healthy...