Health Report

The way we get information has changed, and when it comes to health and wellness more and more people are turning to social media. There are pros and cons, but when it comes to something as important as birth control, there's a price to pay for taking guidance from influencers. Also on the show, why parent-focused programs haven't been working to tackle obesity in toddlers. And a story about the benefits of withdrawing medication, rather than starting it. ReferencesAlcohol and Cancer Risk - JAMA InsightsReview of Evidence on Alcohol and Health - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineGLP-1 RAs and Cardiovascular and Kidney Outcomes by Body Mass Index in Type 2 Diabetes Incidence of GLP‐1 receptor agonist use by women of reproductive age attending general practices in Australia, 2011–2022: a retrospective open cohort studyJoint statement on professional responsibilities for prescribing and dispensing medicines - AHPRAParent-focused behavioural interventions for the prevention of early childhood obesity (TOPCHILD): a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis“Do You Know What Birth Control Actually Does to Your Body?”: Assessing Contraceptive Information on TikTokWithdrawal of heart failure therapy after atrial fibrillation rhythm control with ejection fraction normalization: the WITHDRAW-AF trial

Researchers have tricked participants with placebo pain relief in an effort to map the brainstem. Also, how immunotherapy might be used to treat mental health conditions in some young people. And delays in diagnosing frontotemporal dementia means some people are missing out on important care. ReferencesAnswering common questions about GLP-1s for weight lossGLP-1s and eating disorders — what are the risks?A Case Series of Young People Receiving Adjunctive Immunotherapy for Neuroimmune-Mediated Major Mood or Psychotic SyndromesFourteen years later: Reviewing the diagnostic criteria for behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementiaSomatotopic organization of brainstem analgesic circuitryA radical new way to treat low back pain - ABC listenYou can listen to more episodes of the Health Report podcast with presenters Dr Norman Swan and Dr Preeya Alexander on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. Covering topics like Trump’s policy changes to the growing trend of young people being diagnosed with cancer, we bring you the latest in health and medical news. 

Lots of people develop a daily skincare routine for anti-ageing purposes, but what if there are benefits from starting even earlier — at just nine weeks old?Also, a discussion in the United States about SSRI antidepressants in pregnancy has caused lots of anxiety. We talk through the risks versus the benefits. And a common drug used to treat everything from nerves to heart conditions could show promise in stopping the spread of triple negative breast cancer. ReferencesPharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) Meeting Outcomes - July 2025Allostatic Load and Racial and Rural Disparities in Breast Cancer Survival | Oncology | JAMA Network Open | JAMA NetworkStructured vs Self-Guided Multidomain Lifestyle Interventions for Global Cognitive FunctionEmollients to Prevent Pediatric Eczema: A Randomized Clinical TrialPaternal Depression as a Risk Factor for Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Offspring: Implications for Maternal Depression and Its Treatment During PregnancyAssociation Between Serotonergic Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder in ChildrenHox-C12 coordinates β2-adrenoceptor coupling to a cAMP/calcium feedforward loop to drive invasion in triple-negative breast cancerAustralian Physiotherapy AssociationYou can listen to more episodes of the Health Report podcast with presenters Dr Norman Swan and Dr Preeya Alexander on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Covering topics like Trump’s policy changes to the growing trend of young people being diagnosed with cancer, we bring you the latest in health and medical news.

Cognitive Functional Therapy can help relieve low back pain, and shows some positive long-term results.Ovarian cancer doesn't start in the ovaries, but in the fallopian tubes, and opportunistic surgery could prevent it.And is your gut microbiome responsible for your insomnia or is your insomnia changing your microbiome?

Dietary guidelines tell us what we should eat for good health, but at the moment it is possible to follow the guidelines and still eat predominantly ultraprocessed foods. A new study has looked at the impact this has on your health, and compared it to a minimally processed diet chock full of whole foods. Also, there are calls to change the criteria for diagnosing perimenopause. And the benefits of psilocybin for depression might have been overstated. 

Associate Professor Michelle Lim, a clinical psychologist and CEO of Ending Loneliness Together, discusses the alarming rise of youth loneliness and its profound health impacts. She shares insights on how loneliness differs from isolation and stresses community solutions to address this issue. Joining her is Professor Barbara DeCorten from RMIT University, who reveals startling findings about the health risks of no-sugar drinks, suggesting they may pose similar dangers to type 2 diabetes as their sugary counterparts. This conversation challenges common perceptions about healthy beverage choices.

Enrico Coiera, director of the Centre for Health Informatics, discusses the benefits and potential pitfalls of AI scribes in healthcare, emphasizing the need for patient consent. Becky Freeman, a public health professor, highlights alarming trends in youth vaping, suggesting it could act as a gateway to smoking and calling for stricter regulations. Heinz Barmol, a psychology professor, explores the concept of mental time travel, explaining how it can enhance memory retrieval but can also destabilize memories during the process.

Just like human children, young bats have been found to harbour and spread lots of viruses. Their susceptibility to contracting multiple viruses at once makes them the perfect breeding ground for new disease variants. Also, we take a look at a study that seemed to show private hospital were better than public hospitals for childbirth. Is it that simple?And a survey of people with chronic conditions shows where Australia is ahead, and where we need to improve. 

David Coghill, a leading expert on ADHD and Chair of Developmental Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, joins Jim Buttery, an infectious diseases physician and RSV vaccination expert. They discuss how addressing five key cardiovascular risk factors can potentially add up to 14 years to your life, even if tackled in middle age. Coghill elaborates on the rising ADHD diagnoses and the intricate balance of treatment effectiveness. Buttery provides insights into the promising outcomes of the maternal RSV vaccination program to safeguard infants.

Marko Popovich, an ophthalmologist and retinal surgeon from the University of Toronto, discusses the intriguing concept of the human exposome, which maps environmental factors impacting health. He highlights concerns about GLP-1 drugs linked to wet age-related macular degeneration, emphasizing the need for safer prescribing guidelines. The conversation also addresses health disparities faced by Indigenous Australians regarding kidney disease and transplantation, exploring the systemic barriers that hinder equitable healthcare access.