Health Report

What keeps some people running while others drop off? New data from parkrun groups shows why some keep coming back to jogging.New draft limits on 'forever chemicals' PFAS in Australia's drinking water from national medical research body.Type 2 diabetes incidence seems to be edging down in Australian adults — but this decline isn't the same across all ethnic groups.And juvenile arthritis is as common as type 1 diabetes among children, but diagnosis is much slower and there are vastly fewer specialists to treat this autoimmune disease.

The ancient practice of blood letting is still a vitally important treatment for some people. But for years that blood was being discarded.The viruses behind the recent burst of infections this Spring, and why your recent blood pressure reading might have been incorrect.Self-harm is on the rise among for young people, a major new report recommends addressing social and cultural contributors to halt this rise.And meet the 'breech whisperer' helping deliver babies in the breech position — bottom first instead of head first. He wants to preserve the delicate art of this manoeuvre.

There are plenty of app games on the market claiming to help kids with ADHD, depression or anxiety, a review examines if they do.MicroRNA researchers have won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. What's the big deal with these tiny molecules?Despite being common, there are few treatments for functional seizures and functional neurological disorder (FND). A new program is changing that.The rate of skin infections in Aboriginal children living in remote communities has halved over the course of a major five-year study, and this could prevent more severe life-threatening illnesses.

There's long been an assumed link between ADHD and dyslexia, and now a study has looked at the genes of thousands of people to find the overlap. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can be found in homes and workplaces. Researchers have looked at a potential link between domestic levels of radon and childhood leukaemia.Can period-tracking apps be trusted to give you information about your fertility?And science fiction is becoming science fact in the field of brain-computer interfaces. 

There are areas known as 'Blue Zones' where people were thought to live very long lives. It was thought to have something to do with lifestyles in these spots, but one demographer has debunked the entire notion. Also, we discuss the best way to maintain weight loss in adolescents with weight-related health problems. How to screen for prostate cancer better, with fewer false alarms. And a new protocol that could reduce the toxicity of Hodgkin lymphoma treatment. 

The government bans life insurers from using genetic testing results to demand higher premiums. Inflammation in childhood is linked to metabolic disorders and mental illness in later life. Australian invention could revolutionise X-ray market. And COVID antiviral gets put to the test. 

A scientist carbon dated his own kidney stone to better understand the mysterious, and painful, formations. How a new approach could curb the biggest killer of young people. The Ebola vaccine is put to the test.And diabetes drugs now available for weight loss prescriptions in Australia. 

You hear a lot about the dangers of concussion in sport, but maybe sport can actually mitigate the harms of concussion.We navigate the link between tablet use in children and angry outbursts. How erectile dysfunction and other issues below the belt can be indicators of problems above the belt.And did Australian supermodel Elle MacPherson really beat cancer without treatment? 

Most people struggling with insomnia at least once in their life, and for some it's a long-term struggle. Can an app help with treatment?We give an update on all things COVID-19, including the latest research on vaccine effects. How parents, childcare centres and policymakers can keep children safe from toxins. And how accurate are food tracking apps, especially when it comes to complex meals?

Tips on how to fend off the behavioural problems and cognitive troubles that come with too much screen time, too young. What a new paper has to say about semaglutide and suicidal ideation, plus promising results from a trial of antibiotics in sub-Saharan Africa. What dietitians can do to help drive down the rising rate of obesity. And a rare inner ear condition that could benefit from developments in gene therapy.