Health Report

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 arteries, and a higher risk of heart disease. But are they being monitored for these risks? In hospital regular medications are sometimes paused while the patient recovers from other illnesses and procedures, but that can mean people are missing these vital medications for much longer than they should. References E-scooter and e-bike injuries and deaths in Australia: national trends and data limitations Coronary Plaque Burden and Plaque Composition in Long-Term Cancer Survivors: A Comparative CCTA Study Hospitalisation Is a Strong Risk Factor for Discontinuation of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors for Type 2 Diabetes The Lancet: 21st century global threats to health are not what you think TGA: MS-2 Step (mifepristone and misoprostol) Testosterone Screening Thresholds in Active-Duty US Male Service Members

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 cancer, says there are some surprising results.  Research shows pre-teens who began using a smart phone at age 12 showed a greater risk of eating disorder symptoms at age 14. If you or anyone you know needs help with an eating disorder:  Butterfly Foundation on 1800 334 673 National Eating Disorder Collaboration Lifeline on 131 114   References RANZCOG Management of vasomotor and genitourinary symptoms of menopause clinical guideline Cell: Microbiome signatures linked to cancer and treatment adverse events in a real-world cohort JAMA Network Open: Smartphone Ownership and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Early Adolescence Health Report: What age is best for a child's first smartphone? Journal of the Royal Society Interface: Quantifying the direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 vaccination: evidence from Victoria, Australia AIHW: Health Expenditure Australia 2024-2025 Australian College of Emergency Medicine: State of Emergency JAMA Neurology: Global Incidence of All-Cause Dementia, A Meta-Analysis

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 come back in 3-5 years time for another procedure. But does that timing decrease your risk of cancer? A new study shows fear related harms like post traumatic stress disorder and panic disorder are the most frequent symptoms experienced by survivors of intimate partner violence involving guns and other weapons. Family and domestic violence support services:  If you need help immediately, call emergency services on Triple Zero.  Women's Crisis Line: 1800 811 811 1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732 Men's Referral Service: 1300 766 491 The Kids Helpline: 24-hour support on 1800 55 1800 Lifeline: 131 114  References The Lancet commission definition of clinical obesity: a multi-cohort cross-sectional analysis from early childhood to older age in seven high-income countries Colonoscopy Intervals and Colorectal Cancer Incidence after Adenoma Removal Gun and Other Weapon–Involved Intimate Partner Violence and Psychiatric Symptoms AIHW: Polypharmacy in Australia in 2025 BMJ: Quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccination before pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes: nationwide, population based case-control study ABC News: Russia rails against online 'plague' claims, but few in Irkutsk trust authorities

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 now facilitates dispensing of the pharmaceutical company's own GLP1 medicine in Australia. The Fijian government recently declared a national emergency in response to the rising number of HIV cases in the country. How will that help residents who already have HIV to stay healthy, and prevent further transmission? References Weight loss drug will be easier to access as Eli Lilly disrupts the pharmacy model ABC News: Doctors condemn Eli Lilly move to dispense GLP-1 medication Mounjaro direct to door Lilly Australia told ABC News that LillyDirect operates within existing regulatory frameworks and that the service would improve affordability and convenience for Australians. A spokesperson said: "Australian doctors prescribe the medicine, Australian pharmacists review and dispense prescriptions, and Australian healthcare, pharmacy, privacy and regulatory requirements apply at every stage." A systematic review of epidemiological studies into daylight-saving time & health identifying beneficial & adverse effects Trial of a Maternal Diet Rich in Eggs and Peanuts to Reduce Infant Allergy Astrazeneca to extend PBS access to Zoladex® (goserelin) monthly (3.6mg) implant

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 even home delivery. While diagnoses for adult ADHD are on the rise, we look at medications and other treatments for ADHD in children.  Emergency room visits and unplanned hospitalisations occur more often for those being cared for in privately run aged care homes. A study investigating the potential link between the use of hormonal contraceptives and colorectal cancer finds using these medications does not affect your chance of getting this type of cancer, nor does it provide protection against the disease. References Lilly Direct consumer press release A Randomised Open-Label Comparison of Dexamphetamine and Methylphenidate in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Symptom Response, Adherence and Weight Impact Over 12 Months Association of long-term care facility ownership and location on residents’ mortality and hospitalisations: A population-based retrospective cohort study in Australia Contemporary hormonal contraception and colorectal cancer in premenopausal women: nationwide cohort study Fijian government declares national HIV emergency as cases soar WHO continues to support Fiji as it declares HIV a national emergency Keeping HIV under control is increasingly challenging Andrographis removed from listed medicines framework because of allergy risk

It's expected now that we will generally live longer, but what really interests people is how to spend their longer life in good health—what to do now in order to set a good foundation.

Oncologists don't always know which chemotherapy drug will work best, and even then, one treatment won't suit everyone. So there's growing research on potential therapies using animal 'avatars'. And later ... an estimated one in six Australians lives with tinnitus but told nothing can be done to help it.

Many people are waiting for an organ donation and some of them may die before a suitable organ is found. Some researchers think that in the near future we will be able to grow organs in animals to be safely transplanted into humans. The first of two features about medicine's use of animals for organ and tissue transplantation. This program was originally broadcast in October 2021.

A review of multiple studies on common painkillers found that they have a marked effect on our resistance to infection—which is sometimes bad and sometimes good. Some of these medications could also reduce our response to a vaccination—especially if taken straight before one. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals keep you healthy. But despite Australia's relative good health it has major problems with general practice. By international standards we are probably overproducing medical graduates, but not enough go into general practice. New variants of the COVID-19 virus continue to appear, especially as there are low income countries with low levels of immunisation. The 2022-23 Australian Budget allocated A$85 million to COVAX, the international program for delivering COVID-19 vaccines particularly to low income countries. Is it enough?

Assessing the continuing ability to treat COVID-19 with antibody infusions. | A 'temporary stroke' means people get the signs of a stroke but the symptoms go away it's a called a Transient Ischaemic Attack - but that could be a misnomer. | If you have high blood pressure and lifestyle controls are not helping - by how much should pressure be reduced? | Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a hormonal cause of high blood pressure; it's treatable and there's a simple test.

What we know about the diversity of blood group types in Australia has just been updated—it reflects patterns in immigration. And we discuss the potential benefits of modifying diet to treat multiple sclerosis. And whether mental health issues may raise the risk of cognitive decline.

Japanese Encephalitis (JEV) is common in Asia but now causing concern in Australia. The rise of JEV in Australia happened when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC) were reporting on climate change—a key aspect of which was the effect of climate on health. There's unique archival audio from the 1980s of the surgeon who performed a heart transplant operation on Baby Fae - using a baboon heart. And the records of 80 million people have been assessed to see why there are now less deaths from heart attack.

Australia is lucky to have free healthcare services—but there can be big gaps in who receives it; reports on two people with bipolar disorder finding benefit from a faecal microbiota transplant; and how stomas help the intestine heal.

Two recent scientific publications show that the pandemic originated in the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, in Wuhan, China. The publications are not yet peer reviewed but seem to put paid to the theory that the virus escaped from a Wuhan virology lab.

An Achilles tendon rupture is sometimes heard as a loud 'snap'—so then what? And how the cardiologists are developing new devices for heart transplants; And the complexity of treating cardiomyopathy in methamphetamine users.

Brendan Crabb on how we best understand and get to a COVID-normal life. Also, there's reason to consider screening kids at primary school age for hearing loss problems. Inflammation and how it may affect your risk of depression; And, congenital heart disease and genes not necessarily specific to the heart.

From the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, one expert came to the fore as a trusted voice, not just in his home country of the United States, but around the globe: Dr Anthony S Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

An omnibus episode about protecting kids from drug and alcohol misuse.

What you need to know about ICE-crystal meth, and a first-hand account of how difficult it is to quit an ICE addiction. Both items in this programs were originally broadcast in June 2021.

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. This program was originally broadcast in September 2021

If you mention Transient Global Amnesia – TGA – the chances are that nobody has heard of it. When Dasha Ross lost her memory for a day she was diagnosed as having experienced this mysterious ‘neurological enigma'. This enigma affects over a thousand Australians a year, and Dasha was determined to find out why, and what causes it. This program was originally broadcast in April 2021

Rapid antigen tests can now be purchased by the general public, and what you need to know. There's Part 2 of our Chimeras in medicine—the use of animal avatars. And further responses to questions about snakebite treatment from the expert toxinologist.

Many people are currently waiting for an organ donation, and some of those waiting may die before a suitable organ is found. However some researchers think that we will be able to grow organs in animals to be then safely transplanted into humans. This is the first of two features about medicine's use of animals for human tissue and organ transplantation.

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 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 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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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

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 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.

We now have modelling to guide our way out of the pandemic, but some researchers say we will need to vaccinate even younger age groups to reach sufficient immunity. Why are so many women having critical medical care delayed when experiencing a heart attack? And research shows people living with anxiety are more likely to use alcohol. But what happens when drinking becomes a problem and where can you get help?

What are people experiencing in intensive care as a result of the delta COVID outbreak and how are hospitals coping?

Right now overseas, several covid vaccines are being trialled in children as young as babies 6 months of age. So how long will it be until younger kids can get vaccinated? How pandemic prevention measures have been particularly tough on the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Cataract surgery can and is sometimes done in both eyes on the same day. But what does a review of the data tell us about whether this is best? And a puzzling link between two things that can cause disability as we age: cognitive decline, and fractures.

What's the best way to manage finite resources in the middle of a pandemic and what can Australia learn from other countries; what a review of COVID research exposes about waste and missed opportunities; low value care has little or any benefit and a new study finds patients agree; and what does research tell us about preventing alcohol and drug misuse in kids?

What does modelling tell us about what it will take to bring the NSW COVID cluster under control; scientists try to settle the debate about the origins of Covid-19; how can people with blood cancers stay safe in the pandemic; and can exercise help counter the toll poor sleeps takes on our health?

While NSW is still trying to contain COVID cases, the Prime Minister last week outlined a four stage pathway out of the pandemic. Singapore is already underway with its plan that uses a layered public health response including high vaccinations rates. Is this the path out of the pandemic? Just how dangerous is even small amounts of alcohol in pregnancy? Research shows it can set children up for unusual behaviours with alcohol while still very young. What help is out there for women with substance use disorders and their babies, and why are some falling through the cracks? And could a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet be linked to a healthier life? Well, it depends on what kind of carbs you're talking about.

Around the country, the threat of COVID has emerged again. What does the modelling show about where this is heading? The World Health Organisation finds it's the biggest workplace hazard - long working hours. And it says long hours can be deadly. UK research finds type 2 diabetes might be reversible without drugs for some people, as well as the other conditions that often come with it. Also on diabetes, could a new class of drug slash the number of people who go on to need dialysis or kidney transplants?

This week, the first of a new series on substance use and what you need to know about ICE - crystal meth. Does early diagnosis of ovarian cancer through screening make a difference to survival rates? And the search for an Alzheimer's disease treatment is as controversial as ever. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug for Alzheimer's disease in nearly two decades, but not everyone is welcoming the decision.

From the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, one expert came to the fore as a trusted voice, not just in his home country of the United States, but around the globe: Dr Anthony S Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Are grommets over prescribed for children with recurring ear infections?

Australian atlas of healthcare variation; dangerous sunburn; targetted radiation therapy; antibody testing for vaccine efficacy

Taking a look at how long we spend sitting, and what to do about it; assessing the cumulative affect of yearly weight gain; the oral microbiome and our ancestors; aiming for a brain biobank; and Q&A

Modelling COVID vaccination targets to achieve pandemic prevention and control in Australia; the developmental outcomes of preterm babies is becoming clear; a study on who has followed over 4000 of these kids to the age of 5; and treatment in hospital of a common respiratory condition of babies.

An Australian research group has undertaken a wide study on paracetamol to see what evidence exists for its use in different types of pain. We also ask whether medicinal cannabis is we would like it to be as a pain reliever; and if antidepressants are effective be in your elderly relatives with dementia.

Gun policy and regulation; new approaches in treatment for multiple sclerosis; Italian findings about recovery for people with schizophrenia; the continued health of cancer survivors.

What's best for urinary tract infections; heart disease differences between men and women; online tool for cancer patients; differences between the U.S. and Australia for COVID-19

If you mention Transient Global Amnesia – TGA – chances are that nobody has heard of it. When Dasha Ross lost her memory for a day she was diagnosed as having experienced this mysterious ‘neurological enigma'. It affects over a thousand Australians a year, and Dasha was determined to find out why it happened and what caused it.

One of the sessions at the recent World Science Festival was The Pulse of the Pandemic with Michael Osterholm, who spoke about pandemics past, present, and future. He's researched them for most of his career and was one of the first to warn that the current one was going to be bad. Plus recent research on pre-diabetes - which sometimes does not lead to diabetes.

Recently the issue has been raised about the credibility of people with mental health issues - what does psychiatric research and evidence tell us about the issues? And concern from doctors that their capacity to comment on COVID-19 vaccines is being reduced. And a West Australian group of researchers has looked at whether testosterone can really do all we think it can.

The Auckland COVID-19 Lockdown; Microplastics and seafood - what do we actually know about its effect on our health; a team of researchers from Monash University has discovered that a cardiac drug (carvedilol) could greatly reduce breast cancer progression; and the lifespan of Australians in capital cities can vary by 30 years, depending on where someone lives. In regional Australia there’s a greater difference.

What you can find out in cancer drug trials when you follow then for years, and the huge disparity in cancer clinical trials between rich, and low to middle income countries, and how there's a mismatch between burden of disease and what's actually studied.

Breastfeeding mothers want more advice about whether it's safe to have a COVID-19 vaccine whilst they are breastfeeding; and what we know about the immunising properties of breast milk; weighing up the means to decrease our alcohol consumption; and how to reduce salt in packaged food.

The pace of research around COVID-19 has been unprecedented in science.

Click-Sick, a three part Science Friction series from ABC Science and ABC Radio National, hunts down the sources, considers the harms, and shines a spotlight on fake health claims.

Patient Zero is a new podcast from ABC Science and RN that tells the stories of disease outbreaks: where they begin, why they happen and how we found ourselves in the middle of a really big one.

What's the story with vitamin D and COVID-19? Is there a link and could vitamin D supplements help?