Health Report

Mary Papanicolaou, the developer of the PAP test, discusses the challenges of detecting ovarian cancer early. The podcast also explores the safety of testosterone replacement therapy for men. Additionally, it highlights the unsung hero, Mary Papanicolaou, whose research led to the discovery of the Pap test. Finally, the podcast emphasizes the importance of sleep quality and its impact on thinking and memory.

The podcast explores topics such as polycystic ovary syndrome, the benefits of vigorous incidental physical activity in reducing the risk of developing cancers, and the evolution of cochlear implant technology.

The podcast discusses the importance of the voice referendum in Australia for Indigenous health, success of voice-like mechanisms in improving health outcomes, intergenerational trauma in Aboriginal children, challenges faced by Aboriginal communities, impact of the Western diet on Indigenous health, and the need to preserve traditional knowledge for Aboriginal health.

Exploring metastatic breast cancer and the need for more awareness. A program offering free gene analysis for rare cancers is introduced. The importance of clinical trials and accessibility to treatments for patients with rare mutations. The significance of clinical trials in treating fatal cancers and the barriers to accessing new medications. The effects of different exercises on blood pressure, including the benefits of running, aerobic training, and isometric exercises.

To assess the heart health and stroke risk factors of the population, Australian GPs and cardiologists have referred to a study from the population of Framingham, Massachusetts, but last week the Heart Foundation replaced it with a tool based on New Zealand and Australian populations.An abnormal heart rhythm can mean observations by a cardiologist with a cumbersome and expensive Holter monitor. A team at Westmead Hospital and the University of Sydney have compared a simple finger electrode linked to your mobile phone against Holter monitoring.Red and processed meats have an environmental cost and health implications. The World Health Organisation has flagged that, globally, we need to consume less. We discuss the evidence for cutting back, and what it could mean for Australia—a big producer and consumer of these meats.

In health news Norman and Tegan discuss changes in the health system for medical termination of pregnancy; and about life span vs life expectancy in Australia.Alongside MDMA and psilocybin as treatments for mental health issues is ketamine—which shows promise in treatment-resistant depression.A common fracture in children comes from a fall onto an outstretched arm. Parents instinctively want to get an X-ray but an ultrasound can work just as well for most these cases.

Strength training is fundamental to most athletes' regimes, but the guidelines are overwhelmingly based on male data.An analysis of labelling on sports foods—things like protein shakes and bars—finds that the nutritional claims they make often don’t tally with the ingredients panel.Worry about memory loss is not uncommon, and not confined to an older age group, but measuring memory accurately needs refinement.Many Australians are prescribed opioids as relief for back pain, but the a world-first trial led by the University of Sydney found that opioids don't offer significant benefit and guidelines for their use need to be changed.

If dementia is diagnosed before someone is 65 it's called 'younger onset' dementia, and it can occur while people still have family responsibilities. We talk with people who have been given this news, and to researchers looking to improve diagnosis and care.We think of breastfeeding as being quite natural, but it doesn't always come easily, and issues such as Breastfeeding Aversion Response (or BAR) are still under-researched.

A look at some of the big stories in health over the last week ... cough syrup, Duchenne gene therapy; chemo drugs in the US.Some new prescribing guidelines for opioids recommend an exit strategy—and the need for better support infrastructure.It was suspected that brain damage for some people with Parkinson's disease was due to chemical toxins—one of the probable culprits is an environmental contaminant.Having your tonsils out as a child used to be routine, but what about for adults? British authorities noticed an increase in tonsillectomy rates—which prompted a clinical trial to see if the surgery was merited.

A recent bus crash in the Hunter Valley claimed 10 lives. Trying to make sense of such tragic events often prompts a reach for advice that sounds right, but might not be.Therapy using psychedelic drugs is generally safe yet a review of its use found that adverse events were not properly assessed or not reported.In Canada cannabis was legalised 5 years ago for non-medical and recreational use. Public health researchers have asked if this legalisation had health impacts on mothers and their babies if it was used during pregnancy—and how those babies were affected.An Australian clinical trial found that a form of psychotherapy called Cognitive Functional Therapy could help people with chronic disabling low back pain.