Health Report - Separate stories podcast

A 62-year-old man in Germany—called HIM—deliberately  received 217 vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 within a period of 29 months. Researchers were keen to know more.

Sleep has become a bit of an obsession and has us questioning just how much we need. A large study has compared participants' duration of sleep against their risk of Type 2 Diabetes. The researchers also assessed whether participants' diet could reduce the risk in people with short duration sleep.

In pop culture and news coverage menopause and mood changes seem inextricably linked—to the point where depression around menopause feels almost inevitable. A special series on menopause has just been published in the Lancet, with one paper specifically on mental health.

In hospital emergency rooms emotions can run high, and tempers can get frazzled, which is confronting for both staff and other patients.

But now student staff are using virtual reality and ChatGPT to learn how to calm situations right down.

Producer:Shelby Traynor

Guests: Martin Brown, FMH Media Lab, University of SydneyDr Caryl Barnes, psychiatrist

Two scientific papers regarding Mifespristone have been retracted due to uncertainty about the data.

Less Australians are smoking—but more of them are vaping.

Hosts: Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor

Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of global disability, and although medication and psychotherapy are effective, many people are resistant to treatment. So more evidence-based treatments are needed, and exercise looks like a candidate. But, the guidelines for which type of exercise works best need to be clearer.

For a country as sunny as Australia, skin cancer is a major health risk. But access to proper cancer screening and treatment is falling short, especially in regional areas in some of our highest-risk areas, such as Far North Queensland.

Sarcoidoisis is an enigmatic condition that may attack different parts of the body. Diagnosis is difficult and there are few treatments. SARI (the Sarcoidosis Advocacy and Research Initiative) at UNSW, is a new approach for Australian sarcoidosis patients to gain recognition, support, and management of the condition.

News this week is The Government response to the long COVID inquiry, which looked into how many Australians are living with long COVID and what could be done to support them.

And, a report on fine particulates in the air, and their relationship with coronary heart disease.

A heart health check usually results in a cardiovascular disease risk score—a probability that you’ll have a heart attack or stroke in the next five years. If your risk is high, you’ll be asked to review your diet or lifestyle, or be prescribed medications to reduce your risk.

But change can be difficult, so a study has tested whether showing people actual pictures of the plaque inside their arteries is more persuasive than a simple risk score—and been successful.

A senior cardiologist calls it The Hidden Killer, and it may contribute to about 50% of heart attacks, especially people who may be younger and with relatively normal cholesterol levels. It’s called Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a). It’s rarely measured, and entirely separate from cholesterol levels. Neither is it affected by lifestyle and has the same level throughout a person’s life—so only one test is needed.

We know that people who spend time in prison are more likely to have both physical and mental health problems, but new data is showing that, for children, any contact with the criminal justice system means they’re more likely to die earlier and have health problems of every kind.

Insomnia: what kind of therapy and/or behaviour changes are more likely to work?

New advice on sun exposure that reflects Australia's diverse population -- previous guidelines have been about limiting exposure which is generally good advice for people who are white, but it's not universal

Low-carb diets have grabbed a lot of attention because they promise weight loss and improved health. There are several different ways people reduce their carbs and not all have the same results.

Diet is important for health, but foods high in sodium are a risk factor for high blood pressure, and stomach cancer. But it’s difficult to reduce sodium in the diet if a food is produced with high levels of it.

In early 2022, after nearly two years of the COVID pandemic, doctors started to notice another alarming trend: severe and unexpected liver disease in children all over the world. Questions grew about whether it was caused by COVID, an adenovirus, a combination or something else entirely. Researchers have pulled together data from 33 countries to try to solve the mystery.

Some activities really make us feel good—like working up a sweat, preparing a healthy meal with lots of veggies, or spending time connecting with other people. So might it be possible for a doctor to prescribe such activities, instead of medications?

Getting a diagnosis for autism for a child or adolescent is a series of complicated and oftentimes expensive hoops to jump through—and it’s even harder for adults.

Many children will spend most of their first five years in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services and rely on them for much of their nutrition and brain development.

A groundbreaking study from the Queensland Brain Institute has found serious deficiencies in the amount and quality of food.

In the UK, while King Charles received a cancer diagnosis. It was detected while he was receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate, but the diagnosis is not prostate cancer. There's speculation on what else it might be.

And we learned that UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has a fasting regimen. Does it matter which fasting pattern we follow?