Inside Health

BBC Radio 4
  • 1.0 (1)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS
Inside Health Podcast

Series that demystifies health issues, separating fact from fiction and bringing clarity to conflicting health advice.

  1. 27 AUG

    Cancer vaccine trials and planning for cyber attacks

    Trials of a cancer 'vaccine' have begun and presenter James meets Steve, one of the first patients to trial the new treatment, Steve remembers his shock at being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in his 40s and tells the story of how he became involved in this pioneering research into tackling cancer. The vaccine is based on the same mRNA technology as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and James heads to the University of Cambridge to find out how the early work into cancer vaccines became the foundation for the rapid rollout of the covid vaccine. In the lab, molecular biologist Dr Anne Willis and immunologist Dr James Thaventhiran explain how the vaccine is personalised to target the unique make-up of an individual patients' cancer cells, and how if the trials are successful they could open the door to mRNA treatments being used to treat a wide range of diseases. Also, Imperial College London cyber security researcher Dr Saira Ghafur joins James in the studio to explain why healthcare is a growing target for cyber attackers and how we can prepare for the next one because, as Saira says, it really is a case of "when" not "if". Presented by James Gallagher Produced by Tom Bonnett with Hannah Robins Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett Editor: Holly Squire

    28 min

  2. 20 AUG

    Mpox, your statins questions and tick-borne meat allergies

    Mpox is spreading and it’s been classified a public health emergency by the World Health Organization. Presenter James Gallagher meets Professor Trudie Lang from the University of Oxford who has been working in the areas affected to discuss what it means for people in the countries it’s already reached and whether its spread can be stopped. James also puts your questions on statins to Professor Naveed Sattar, and we hear the story of Simon who works in the outdoors as a landscape manager. He was having bouts of severe illness and was struggling to understand what was behind it. The answer? He’d had successive bites from ticks and was having symptoms of an allergic reaction when he was eating meat. He had alpha gal syndrome, commonly known as a meat allergy. We hear how it’s caused debilitating changes to his life. We also hear from Consultant Immunologist Dr Rachael O’Brian who has been documenting the first case of alpha gal syndrome her team have been diagnosing at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Tom Bonnett Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett Editor: Holly Squire

    28 min

  3. 13 AUG

    What should we do about vaping?

    Richard was 10 when he started smoking, and by the age of 35, he had given up on giving up smoking. But thanks to vaping he quit, almost by accident, in just a few months. However, vaping has been in the spotlight recently, with the rise of disposable vapes and awareness of more young people starting to vape. So, is vaping a useful tool to help people get off of cigarettes, or is it a gateway for young people into smoking? We hear from young people about their experiences and thoughts on vaping. In the studio, Dr Sarah Jackson, Principal Research Fellow at UCL Alcohol and Tobacco Research Group, and Hazel Cheeseman, Deputy Chief Executive of ‘Action on Smoking and Health’, are with James to discuss. Plus, podiatrist Dr Ivan Bristow is on hand to advise why James and listener Linda have had a hard time getting rid of their verrucas for years. We find out exactly what the warts are and what options are available to help our body tackle them. Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Hannah Fisher Assistant producer: Katie Tomsett Editor: Holly Squire

    28 min

  4. 6 AUG

    Can diet and exercise ever replace statins?

    The inventor of statins, Akira Endo, died this summer. When he was prescribed statins in older age for high cholesterol he refused, preferring to improve his diet and lifestyle instead. But how far can changes like these really go to reduce our bad cholesterol and our overall risk of cardiovascular disease? Our resident GP Margaret McCartney and Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine Naveed Sattar discuss. Dermatologist Dr Alexandra Banner gives us the lowdown on how to treat sunburn, including reviewing some of your surprising home remedies. And what is snus and does it enhance sporting performance? Professor Toby Mundel explains. Presenter: James Gallagher Producers: Hannah Robins and Tom Bonnett Assistant producer: Katie Tomsett Editor: Holly Squire

    28 min

  5. 30 JUL

    How can we age well?

    From the Hay Festival, James and a panel of experts explain what we can all do to help ourselves age well. We discover what’s going on in our bodies when we age, the difference between biological and chronological age, as well as getting the audience moving for a physical test. James is joined by gerontologist Sarah Harper from the University of Oxford, biomedical scientist Georgina Ellison-Hughes from King’s College London, and doctor Norman Lazarus to understand how exercise, diet, and mental health all have a part to play in how we age. Presenter: James Gallagher  Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Holly Squire

    28 min

  6. 23 JUL

    Is watching sport good for you?

    As the emotional roller coaster of the Euros comes to a close and the summer Olympics begin, James joins Professor Damian Bailey for an experiment to measure the ups and downs of watching sport. We monitor brains, hearts, lungs and hormones to try to out if watching sport is good or bad for us. But is there an additional risk for sports fans attending the summer Olympics in Paris? As climate change drives the tiger mosquito northwards there are concerns over the potential spread of Dengue in France’s capital. James talks to disease ecologist Dr Jennifer Lord to discover what France are doing to prepare for this mosquito-transmitted virus. Plus, Professor Peter Openshaw joins James to digest the latest Covid-19 inquiry and what lessons we can learn for the next pandemic. Together, they discuss why we are currently experiencing a summer wave of Covid-19. Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Hannah Robins Assistant producer: Katie Tomsett Editor: Holly Squire

    28 min

  7. 7 MAY

    What does alcohol do to the body and brain?

    This week James visits a pub in Liverpool where he's joined by a trio of alcohol researchers who’ll watch carefully as he drinks two pints of lager. They’ll give him a few tests and talk through exactly what is going on in the body and brain from the very first sip to the minutes and hours that follow. James finds out we might be more at risk of harm than we may have thought - even if we drink below the recommended guidance of 14 units of alcohol per week. And we’re also going to answer some more of your insomnia questions - from whether exercise can help to why chocolate before bed might be a no-no and whether falling asleep to your favourite health podcast is good for rest… Inside Health is taking a short break for now so we'll see you in the summer. In our next series we're going to be talking about ageing and how to age well. Email your questions or thoughts to insidehealth@bbc.co.uk Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Gerry Holt Editor: Holly Squire Production coordinator: Liz Tuohy Studio manager: Neva Missirian

    28 min

  8. 30 APR

    Are more young people getting cancer?

    Last month, Catherine, Princess of Wales shared she’d been diagnosed with cancer. Describing this news as ‘a huge shock’ and at age just 42, the Princess’ disease falls into a category known as “early-onset cancer” – when the disease affects those under 50. While cases in this age group are still rare, diagnosis rates over the past few years have been growing. And scientists are now on a mission to figure out why. Receiving a cancer diagnosis at any age is devastating, but younger people living with the disease face additional challenges. James Gallagher talks to Emma Campbell, a mum of three young children who was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 36. Emma shares not just how her treatment affected her life, but the difficulties in advocating for herself as a younger person trying to get diagnosed. Professor Helen Coleman, cancer epidemiologist for Queens University Belfast, has been studying these diagnostic rates in younger people and explains possible reasons why more people like Emma are finding themselves living with the disease. A series of videos recently went viral on social media from women claiming their weight loss drugs got them pregnant. These drugs – like Ozempic and Wegovy – help people lose weight by suppressing appetite, but could they impact fertility? James speaks to Dr Charlotte Moffett, lecturer in Pharmacology and Molecular Pathology at the University of Ulster, who is studying if these drugs might alter someone's ability to conceive. James is also joined in the studio by GP, Dr Margaret McCartney, who helps him answer some of your questions. Presenter: James Gallagher Producer: Julia Ravey Content Editor: Holly Squire Production Coordinator: Elisabeth Tuohy TikTok credits: @Dkalsolive | @anastasiamalhotra | @coachkatierogers

    28 min
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Hosts & Guests

About

Series that demystifies health issues, separating fact from fiction and bringing clarity to conflicting health advice.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2024
  • Episodes
    337
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2024
  • Show Website
    Inside Health

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