Health Check

Ayan Panja, a family doctor specializing in treatments for dementia and type 2 diabetes, teams up with Raj Swaroop Lavadi, a neurosurgery research fellow focused on concussion risks. They delve into a new study linking genetic factors to early onset type 2 diabetes in South Asians. The conversation also touches on revolutionary asthma treatments and the alarming rise of slap fighting, spotlighting the serious concussion risks associated with this controversial sport. Their insights blend health, genetics, and safety in a captivating dialogue.

As the war in Sudan leads to multiple health crises in the country, we look at what can be done to improve the situation. Also on the show, is climate change helping disease-carrying ticks to spread beyond their usual range by an unusual method – migrating birds? And hot chocolate: it’s delicious, but in certain circumstances, could it also help to improve your vascular health? Claudia Hammond is joined by health reporter Laura Foster to explore these topics and more.Image: WFP trucks carry aid to Darfur and other famine-stricken parts through the Adre Border crossing Image Credit: Abubakar Garelnabei/ReutersPresenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Katie Tomsett and Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

Some Ugandan children with complicated malaria have shown partial resistance to leading anti-malarial drug artemisinin. What challenge does this pose to treatment efficacy and raising concerns about the potential spread of drug-resistant strains. We speak with Dr. Audrey Blewer, an epidemiologist and assistant professor in the School of Medicine at Duke University, about how 911 dispatchers providing CPR instructions can significantly improve bystander intervention rates, highlighting the critical role of telecommunicators in emergency response. Additionally, does working from home increase the amount of sleep and exercise you can get? We discuss the impact of remote working on health and productivity. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett

As Trump is elected to a second term in office, what will his policies mean for U.S. and global health funding, vaccine distribution and international health strategies? Also on the program, have you ever wondered what health issues we should worry about if humans settle in space? Claudia speaks with the Wienersmiths, a husband-and-wife team who authored a book exploring the possibility of space colonies, sharing insights on the scientific and logistical challenges of sustaining life beyond Earth. And we hear the latest on Pakistan’s smog crisis, examining its persistent impact on communities and its place within the global issue of air pollution. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Jack Lee(Image: President-Elect Donald Trump Meets With Biden, Congressional Leaders In Washington. Credit: Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images)

A new global report has found that tuberculosis is once again the leading infectious disease causing mortality around the globe, as covid cases recede. We find out what can be done to tackle the issue, and what lessons have been learned in the fight against this pernicious, but largely curable, illness. Also on the show, are we seeing the first cases of locally transmitted Mpox outside of the African continent? And FND, or functional neurologic disorder – the most common disorder you’ve probably never heard of.Image Credit: KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Claire Wilson, a science writer, discusses the global implications of egg donation, shedding light on diverse regulations and practices worldwide. Katie Palmer, a health technology correspondent, investigates the telehealth boom and its role in online prescriptions for weight-loss drugs, raising concerns about patient safety. Miranda Walpert, Director of Mental Health at the Wellcome Trust, reveals the promising outcomes of avatar therapy for psychosis, highlighting how personalized avatars help patients confront intrusive voices and improve their mental health.

A new study from America looks at the safety of organ transplants between people with HIV. Its promising results raise the potential for expanding access to life-saving treatments.This week's show also examines a surprising resurgence of scurvy, a disease often associated with historical poverty. Is the current cost of living crisis contributing to nutritional deficiencies? Plus, an update from the Africa CDC reveals encouraging news about the Marburg virus outbreak, but a grim warning about the spread of Mpox. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa Hawkins

Can rapid diagnostic tests make a difference in the fight against malaria? A new study tries to quantify the real-world difference these tests are making.Also on the show, what can we learn from a single documented case of a medical anomaly: like the recent study of a break dancer presenting with a thickened skull. And Claudia learns to surf – all in the name of health. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins

The discovery of Micro RNA has won the Nobel Prize for medicine. We learn more about what micro RNA is, how it contributes to gene regulation, and what that means for our health.Also on the programme, there has been an outbreak of Marburg virus in Rwanda, and the pharmaceutical company Gilead is making a revolutionary HIV medication available to countries that need it most. But does this good news story have an unexpected downside. We learn more on Health Check.

As mpox continues to spread to new places, we find out how the vaccine rollout is going and what more needs to be done to help both contain and better understand the virus.Also on the show; why the first medication approved to treat schizophrenia in decades has the world of psychiatry excited, and how finding out what doesn’t work in health care can be just as useful as knowing what does. Plus, can laughter help treat dry eye disease? Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins and Katie Tomsett