Health Report - Separate stories podcast
Episodes
Can AI make personalised medicine accessible?
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 mi...
Walking the Camino with knee osteoarthritis
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
People with osteoarthritis used to be told to take it easy and avoid overdoing exercise. But the advice has changed drastically. Also, should everyo...
Is Dr Google fuelling your hypochondria?
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Anxiety can manifest in an excessive worry about your health, and it can be debilitating. But there are effective treatments. Also, antidepressants ...
Uncovering the brain circuit for creativity
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's a paradox in neurodegenerative disease – sometimes as the brain deteriorates, creativity flourishes.Researchers have used imaging techniq...
Swapping salt for a heart healthier option
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Substituting your table salt for something with lower sodium could drive down your risk of heart attack and stroke. Also, what expectant parents mig...
VicHealth closure a blow for preventative health
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
VicHealth is the world's first health promotion foundation, with the goal of preventing people from becoming unwell. The Victorian Government plans ...
What to do if you have fatty liver disease
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Up to 30 per cent of Australian adults could be living with metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).Most of those people won’t be aware th...
Why fewer people are getting the HPV vaccine
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While Australia is still determined to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035, there are early warning signs emerging.Rates of vaccination against HPV, th...
Indigenous infants have healthier gut microbiomes
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A study has found Indigenous babies in remote Australia are born with more diverse gut bacteria. While this is a key marker of health, it's still un...
Mailbag: B6 toxicity and women's pain
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected]
Shingles vaccine could slow dementia decline
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Another study looking into the wide-reaching benefits of the shingles vaccine suggests it can stave off mild cognitive impairment and even slow down ...
More pain relief options for IUD insertions
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For many women, getting an intra-uterine device (IUD) inserted is a painful and scary experience.The level of pain relief offered can depend on the c...
How much is nature vs nurture?
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everything from your height to your heart disease risk can be determined by your genes and your environment.A major study looked at 34 characteristic...
How our gut microbiome helps (or hinders) vaccines
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Both antibiotics and vaccines can be life-saving medicines, but it turns out they don’t necessary play nice together.New research suggests direct a...
Mailbag: CT scans
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected]
TGA cracks down on B6 — but not until 2027
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Changes mean supplements containing more than 50mg of vitamin B6 will need to be bought over the counter with advice from a pharmacist.But the change...
CT scans: benefits vs cancer risks
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
CT scans can be vital in diagnosing disease, but they do come with small increased risks because of the radiation exposure.A recent US study found th...
Psoriasis isn't just a skin condition
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes red, scaly patches on the skin.But evidence is emerging that psoriasis goes more than skin deep, and...
Taking a trip to dental school
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a question dentists get a lot: what inspired you to get a job where you look in people’s mouths all day?It takes about four years to become ...
Mailbag: Oat sunscreen?
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected]
Are we getting closer to a GLP-1 weight loss pill?
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A Senate committee has handed down 47 recommendations after an inquiry into the extent, regulation and management of PFAS "forever chemicals".Also a ...
Impact of caffeine on atrial fibrillation
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It has long been thought that caffeine exacerbates abnormal heart rhythms.However in the first trial of its kind, researchers have compared a cup of ...
Does childhood asthma care need an update?
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The guidelines for asthma care in adolescents and adults have been changed, but what about children?Children aged six to 11 years are still being pre...
Cancer blood tests: how far away are we?
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Liquid biopsies are tests that look for traces of cancer in bodily fluids like blood, urine and saliva.The hope is these non-invasive biopsies become...
Mailbag: Goat's milk skincare
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected]
Public health spending down to pre-pandemic levels
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Government spending on public health has fallen $2.3 billion from last year, back down to pre-pandemic levels. This funding not only support vaccina...
Gluten intolerance — is it really the gluten?
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re not talking about coeliac disease here, which is an autoimmune condition where the immune system overreacts to gluten.Some people experience ...
Common acne medication could reduce schizophrenia risk
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A drug used to treat acne and to prevent malaria, doxycycline, could reduce the risk adolescents developing schizophrenia.The association was seen in...
Intl cancer agency wants bans of alcohol advertising
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Between 30 and 50 per cent of cancers could be preventable, and according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) we're ignoring a ...
Mailbag: Hiding veggies?
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected]
Flu deaths surpass COVID deaths
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time since February 2020, there were more flu deaths than COVID deaths in August. A study finds an association between COVID infection...
Referred to a psychologist for pain?
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We know that psychotherapy can be beneficial for some people experiencing chronic pain.But what does a session look like for someone who doesn’t ha...
How to introduce allergens to a baby
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New parents want to give their children the best start in life, but the first 12 months can be a confusing and stressful time to navigate. The advic...
The role of the nervous system in cancer
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers have discovered a chemical messenger that promotes tumour growth in bowel and stomach cancers.A drug that’s already being used for migr...
Mailbag: Changing the course of osteoarthritis
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected] you ever wanted to know...
Are allergen starter packs safe?
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Now parents are encouraged to introduce common allergens in the first year of life, products are popping up promising to make it easier. However it'...
Male infertility: signs, causes and treatments
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When a couple is struggling to conceive, historically women have been the focus of infertility discussions.However in up to 30 per cent of cases male...
How long is the life of a joint replacement?
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joint replacements don’t last forever, but they are lasting longer thanks to new technology.A new report has looked at the more than 150,000 hip, k...
Pulse oximeters less accurate on darker skin
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve known for about 50 years that there’s an issue with the machine that measures oxygen saturation in your blood.Pulse oximeters can overestim...
Mailbag: GLP-1s, EDs and TMS
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected] a clinical trial
The impact of reversing peanut allergy advice
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A change in guidance has prevented tens of thousands of children from developing an allergy to peanuts. Until about 10 years ago, parents were advis...
When (and how) should weight be brought up?
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For people in larger bodies, going to the doctor can be a minefield, even for common ailments.Weight and weight loss can be brought up unprompted, an...
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for depression
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) uses the magnetic field to stimulate nerve cells in the brain.It has shown promise in depression when other t...
Catching pancreatic cancer earlier
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The five-year survival rate from pancreatic cancer is only 13 per cent, and one explanation could be late diagnosis.A consortium of experts has forme...
Mailbag: Pathology results
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected]
Why we should pay attention to antibiotic resistance
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The World Health Organization (WHO) has put out its global report on antibiotic resistance.In some countries resistance to last-ditch antibiotics is ...
What is rosacea and how is it treated?
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rosacea is a common and chronic skin condition that often affects the cheeks, chin, nose and eyes.While there’s no cure, there are treatments that ...
Human gene editing: what's possible vs what's ethical
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 2018, Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced he had edited the genomes of human embryos.The births of twins Lulu and Nana brought forward an ongoi...
Mailbag: Diet for endometriosis
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected]
More than 54,000 children in Gaza acutely malnourished
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tens of thousands of children aged under five are suffering acute malnutrition in Gaza, according to a recent study highlighting the impact of blocka...
Can diet changes help in endometriosis?
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is emerging evidence that diet changes might be able to help people with endometriosis manage their symptoms.There have been recent studies loo...
Rethinking heart failure prevention
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Heart failure affects about 55 million people worldwide, including Almost 144,000 people in Australia.Prevention is possible, but are we taking the r...
Challenging the stigma of anal cancer
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anal cancer is a rare cancer with a lot of stigma attached, and many misconceptions.While rates are significantly higher in men who have sex with men...
Mailbag: Eating disorders and GLP-1 access
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected]
Should we be funding more medical research?
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Independent MP Dr Monique Ryan says the government could double its funding to researchers through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). That's a...
The health consequences of daylight saving time shifts
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Changing the clock has been controversial since we started doing it in Australia from the 1960s.Your personal stance aside, there is evidence that ch...
The push to rename polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The name polycystic ovary syndrome, commonly known as PCOS, has for a long time caused controversy.Experts in the field say that the current name is ...
Inside the lab working on emerging disease threats
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) is a high-security facility that handles potentially lethal pathogens. One of its jobs is to re...
Mailbag: Learning how to fall
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected] Balnce for LifeA Judo-Base...
Trump links paracetamol to autism, urges parents to delay vaccines
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Guest/sProfessor Andrew Whitehouse, Deputy Director of The Kids Research Institute Australia and the Angela Wright Bennett Professor of Autism Resear...
Challenging the assumption yoga can prevent falls
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As we get older, falls become a serious health risk. They can trigger dramatic deteriorations in a person’s health.Preventing falls is important, s...
Mailbag: Lp(a) and aspirin
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected]
Trump links paracetamol with autism. What’s the evidence?
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trump has suggested there's a link between pregnant women taking paracetamol and autism in children. In a press conference Trump said pregnant women...
Should you be taking daily aspirin for your heart?
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It was once thought that taking daily aspirin was an effective way to prevent cardiovascular disease.But a follow-up of a major study that involved m...
Is it worth the cost to widely test the blood fat Lp(a)?
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lipoprotein(a) is another type of "bad cholesterol" that increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.Experts have looked at whether it would be cos...
Big change made to asthma care
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australia's handbook for asthma care has been updated, and there are some major changes. Now it's recommended all adults and adolescents get an inha...
What climate change will do to our health
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government has released its National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA), including modelling on the health impact. For example in Sydney, it...
Mailbag: Obesity prevention
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at [email protected]
The cancer risk with "light" drinking
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There has been back-and-forth on the health risks of light or moderate alcohol consumption. Recent reviews have tried to narrow down the cancer risks...
Why parent-focused obesity programs aren't working
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There’s no evidence that parent-focused programs are working to prevent obesity in kids up to two years of age.The results of the meta-analysis pub...