Health Report - Full program podcast

ABC listen

4.0 (1)
MEDICINE
UPDATED WEEKLY

Specialist and mainstream audiences alike rely on the Health Report to bring clarity to health and medical issues from social, scientific and political points of view.

6 DAYS AGO

Bowel cancer is happening younger — so why aren't people getting screened?

Australia has been highlighted in an international report on the rising incidence of bowel cancer in young people. Our screening age was dropped last year to 45, however the overall uptake of bowel cancer screening remains at about 40 per cent. Also, a private hospital opening in Melbourne is promising to cut the cost to its patients down to zero. And what can be done to prevent depression and anxiety in adolescents?

41 min
7 FEB

As bird flu mutates, are eggs still safe to eat?

There's a shortage of eggs in Australia, and it might not let up as we brace for the arrival of the H5N1 strain of bird flu. That strain has shown is can make the jump into humans. But how does it manage? Also, menopause hormone therapy is in high demand. What are the benefits and the risks? And with kids spending less time outside, short-sightedness is on the rise. But treatments are improving.

41 min
31 JAN

How an online coach can keep your brain young

There are some things you can do to guard against cognitive decline, and a study has found a hands-on approach is best. Also, rates of vaccination in pregnancy are falling in New South Wales. Should Australia follow Italy's lead and screen everyone for coeliac disease? And we hear from two friends who've had strokes 20 years apart.

42 min
29 JAN

A Stroke of Luck: Kylie's story

Kylie and Gillian had been friends for years when Kylie had a stroke in her early 30s. It turned Kylie's work-driven life upside down, and forced her and husband Chris to re-evaluate everything.

9 min
29 JAN

A Stroke of Luck: Gillian's story

When Gillian suffered a stroke at age 50, Kylie was one of the first friends she reached out to. It wasn't Gillian's first life-altering medical emergency, having gone through cancer treatment years earlier.

9 min
29 JAN

A Stroke of Luck: Downs and ups of recovery

Despite their strokes being 20 years apart, Kylie and Gillian were left with similar disabilities. Both faced a long and often gruelling period of rehabilitation — thankfully with partners and friends by their sides.

8 min
29 JAN

A Stroke of Luck: Asking for help

When Kylie had her stroke, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) didn't exist. It took Gillian's stroke, 20 years later, for Kylie to fully understand how much support she was missing out on.

7 min
24 JAN

Why BMI is being sidelined in the diagnosis of obesity

For a long time many have assumed they can tell how healthy a person is because of their weight. Now, a major global collaboration of experts is challenging that. A Lancet commission has recommended changing the criteria for clinical obesity to move away from BMI as a sole measure of health. Also, why a recent review into fluoride in drinking water is flawed — and a higher quality study done in our own backyard. And how a genetic study of depression could unlock new treatments for people who are struggling to find medications that work.

40 min

See All (313)

Specialist and mainstream audiences alike rely on the Health Report to bring clarity to health and medical issues from social, scientific and political points of view.