The Health Report

A 62-year-old man in Germany—called HIM—deliberately received the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination 217 times within a period of 29 months. Researchers were keen to know how he fared.

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.

In pop culture and news coverage menopause and mood changes seem inextricably linked. 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.

Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of global disability, and exercise looks like a candidate for treatment. But which type?

Skin cancer is a major health risk for Australians, but access to proper cancer screening and treatment is difficult, especially in some of our highest-risk areas, like Far North Queensland.

Sarcoidoisis is an enigmatic condition that may attack different parts of the body. Diagnosis is difficult and there are few treatments. It's now being comprehensively researched.

When COVID vaccines first became available in 2021, they were met with celebration. Finally we had some defence against this virus that had struck down so many and triggered such heavy lockdowns.

But once they started rolling out en masse, a new concern emerged – reports of side effects that, while rare, could be severe. 

Just how rare these conditions are has now been better described by a new paper drawing on data from 99 million people from across the world. 

The answer – as we already suspected, there is a link between the vaccines here in Australia and conditions like heart inflammation, blood clots and a usually temporary paralysis called Guillian-Barre syndrome, among others.

But the data also show the risk of those conditions is small in comparison to the risk of the same conditions in someone who actually catches COVID. 

References:

• COVID-19 vaccines and adverse events of special interest: A multinational Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) cohort study of 99 million vaccinated individuals

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 study has tested whether showing people actual pictures of the plaque inside their arteries is more persuasive than a simple risk score in promoting healthy changes. Turns out, it is.

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).

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. Are kids already at risk more likely to be targeted by the system—what would change this trend?

Health news: Insomnia: what kind of therapy and/or behaviour changes are more likely to work? And new advice on sun exposure that reflects Australia's diverse population.

Low-carb diets have grabbed a lot of attention, promising weight loss and improved health, but they're not all the same.

Diet is important for health, but foods high in sodium are a risk factor for high blood pressure, and stomach cancer.

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.

Some activities really make us feel good—like working up a sweat, or connecting with people. Might it be possible for a doctor to prescribe such activities?

A groundbreaking study from the Queensland Brain Institute has found serious deficiencies in the amount and quality of food provided to kids by Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services. This can compromise kids' nutritional needs, and brain development.

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

The addictive painkiller fentanyl has swept through the USA—but its effects haven't been as big in Australia. Why?

Vaccination against COVID-19 can save lives and reduce the risk of severe disease. Why are some people under vaccinated—and what's the risk for people not up to date with shots?

An early form of breast cancer—ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)—is often found by women themselves, not as part of screening programs.

The power and potential pitfalls of AI in medicine have been debated, but AI is already having an impact in radiology.

The drug name on everyone’s lips is semaglutide—a seemingly magical substance that can solve all our ills. But it’s not just semaglutide, there’s a whole class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists.

Opioids are commonly prescribed to patients who have cancer to help them with pain, but the drugs are not risk free and can have their downsides.

Last year there was a Senate report into the state of dental care in Australia, and like a visit to the dentist—it wasn’t a fun read.

Back pain affects so many people – but when doctors look at it, they find that while some people recovery quickly other continue to suffer in silence and agony.

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Night terrors are distressing awakenings of intense screaming, thrashing and fear that often happen at the same time each night. 

They're more common in children than in adults, but they can hang around or emerge later in life. 

Norman takes us through his own childhood night terror, and Tegan weighs in on some of the reasons they happen in the first place. 

Got a health question? Shoot us a line @ABCHealth on Instagram, or send a voice memo to thatrash@abc.net.au. We'd love to hear from you!

Looking for COVID-19 updates? Don't panic, they've moved over to The Health Report

References: 

• Night Terrors: Clinical Characteristics and Personality Patterns
• An evolutionary perspective on night terrors

What's happening with COVID

Australian vaccination rates are dropping

A new term for chance discoveries on scans

The shock of a cancer diagnosis is familiar for far too many people.

But when Na'ama Carlin was diagnosed with breast cancer, her health wasn't the only consideration. 

If you're in need of support you can contact Mummy's Wish or Hope for Two.

First heard in July 2023

It’s called ‘young onset’ dementia if diagnosed before the age of 65—and can occur while people are still caring for kids and supporting a household.

First heard in July 2023

We think breastfeeding is quite natural, but it doesn’t always come easily, and some issues—such as Breastfeeding Aversion Response (or BAR)—are still under-researched.

Drug use has been increasing, whether it be cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens, or ketamine. That includes recreational use and substance abuse.

So it begs the question: Has criminalising drugs ever worked? And what needs to be done to drive down the harms associated with this increasing drug use?

If you're in need of support, you can contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline on 1800 250 015, or contact Counselling Online. 

A new kind of ADHD clinic is cashing in on surging demand for diagnoses—and promising salaries of more than $900,000 to recruit psychiatrists. As the need for services has grown, so have waitlists.

Given the choice between a ChatGPT bot or a real doctor, a panel of health care professionals found the bot's responses were both more empathetic and gave higher quality information.

More and more people are tackling the bracing discomfort of ice bath sessions. Alongside several touted health benefits there are some serious risks. Norman is at Bronte Beach to chill.

Researchers observed the cardiac and neural signals from a small number of ICU patients at the point when ventilatory support was withdrawn. They recorded the quite new phenomena of electrical activity in a particular area of the brain.

Keeping motivated to exercise can be difficult, but for people getting over a traumatic brain injury it's even more so. An exercise program at Liverpool Hospital uses gaming to encourage activity.

Feeling dissatisfied with their appearance can become an obsession for some people, and affect quality of life and relationships.

Most people can benefit from reduced salt intake, and so reduce the risk of heart attack, atrial fibrillation, stroke, dementia, and kidney damage.

A few months ago the program there was a story on an under-recognised cause of high blood pressure called primary aldosteronism. One listener asked to be tested.

An area of Australian healthcare that might be a candidate for review is drug subsidy. We might consider what New Zealand's PHARMAC does, and conduct a competitive tender.

Bringing clarity to health and medical issues from social, scientific and political points of view.

There are eerily familiar of clusters of respiratory infections being reported across China.

We know that for some health conditions women are more likely to have a worse time than men. But for the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the chances of a woman sustaining an injury to it are up to 6 or even 10 times as likely as men.

When someone has a complex or severe mental health issue, the specialist they really need is a psychiatrist. However, GPs are finding it now more difficult to track down a psychiatrist to accept their patients.

Another COVID wave, another COVID vaccine and another episode of Coronacast ... sort of?

Norman and Tegan will be providing coronavirus updates when needed, so subscribe to The Health Report feed so you don't miss out!

References:

• The unequal effects of the health–economy trade-off during the COVID-19 pandemic

In 2016 Australia legalised cannabis for medicinal use and now the Greens party are advocating for its recreational use as well. The Australian Medical Association say that would send the wrong message.

Antimicrobial resistance has been described an emerging public health emergency. A major cause is overuse of antibiotics and other drugs to combat microbes, like fungi.

When a baby is born premature time is of the essence, and the idea of slowing things down in those first few moments seems counter-intuitive.