Health Report - Full program podcast

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) affects 7 or 8 per cent of people in their 60s, and one in four people in their 80s. In an ageing population the number of those with mild cognitive impairment will increase.There's a new perspective on the cause and progress of Alzheimer's disease. Are we doing the right thing by removing accumulated amyloid protein from the brains of people with it?Some people experience a tingly feeling when they hear certain noises and this feeling might be a useful intervention for people with anxiety.Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia characterised by a rapid and irregular heartbeat. There is increasing evidence that relaxation methods like yoga and meditation can help manage the condition.Hosts:Dr Norman SwanTegan Taylor

More than two decades ago a major milestone in cancer research was reached with the discovery of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Inherited mutations to these genes can dramatically increase the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. The discovery opened up new ways of knowing who is at risk of cancer, how to treat the cancer, and even how to prevent it happening in the first place. This moving feature describes what this genetic information means for families who have seen loved ones endure sometimes multiple cancers—and it explains the emerging frontier in medicine trying to change that.Guests:Michelle BradyAnna MurphyDr Mark Pinese, Team Leader Personalised Medicine, Children’s Cancer InstituteA/Prof Paul James, Clinical Geneticist and Director, Familial Cancer Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne HospitalDr Laura Forrest, Senior Research Fellow and Genetic Counsellor, Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreHost: Dr Norman SwanInterviewer and Producer: Sarah Sedghi

With COVID we've focused on vaccines and masks but there is more we can do, and the situation parallels a public health revolution from the mid-1800s.If you're a modern human you likely carry a bit of tech on you to track how physically active you are. But how can we be sure it's really promoting activity?Telomeres are small 'caps' on the ends of your chromosomes—the length of telomeres is seen as an indicator of how fast we age. How accurate could they be?Hosts: Tegan Taylor and Dr Norman Swan

It's expected now that on the whole we will live longer, but individuals want to know how to spend a longer life in good health—and to set a good foundation.This program was first heard on 25 April, 2022Dr Norman Swan's book was published in July 2022.Guest:Prof Luigi FontanaLeonard P Ullman Chair in Translational Metabolic HealthDirector, Healthy Longevity Research and Clinical ProgramCharles Perkins Centre | Sydney Medical School (Central Clinical School)Faculty of Medicine and Health,  University of SydneyHost: Dr Norman Swan

A new study has found a genetic link between macular degeneration and Alzheimer's disease—with implications for drug development.The wellness space often refers to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide—or NAD. It's found in products promoting longevity—so may give you pause for thought—but shows promising results for human eyesight.High blood pressure is one of the most toxic risk factors for heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, dementia, and probably premature ageing—so it's incredibly important to get blood pressure under control.Hosts: Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor

Fish oil supplements—aka omega 3 fatty acids—are taken by some women during pregnancy. What are the benefits, and who gets them?Research into ageing has revealed a number of processes controlling its rate. Autophagy helps cells do a clean up. Researchers are wondering if it could be manipulated.Is it possible to say whether a pandemic is a natural spillover from an animal, or an accidental release from a lab? In her new book, Dark Winter, Professor Raina MacIntyre warns that scientists may not be the people to identify the source of pandemics—rather that Intelligence and law enforcement services could have a better toolkit.

The ABC’s Birth Project call out is discovering the good and bad of pregnancy and birth in Australia—one of the safest places in the world to give birth, but which sometimes fails women, their families, and clinicians.Parents-to-be now have access to simple blood tests that can indicate whether their baby might have a chromosome issue. But parents who want peace of mind or want to know the sex of their baby can feel blindsided when the result predicts high risk—or for something they didn't know they were being screened for.The Birth Project has shown us that the kind of care you might get if you're pregnant varies wildly across Australia. A national strategy around improving maternity care was launched in 2019.

With humans set to spend more time in spacer, one of the physical things to overcome will be gravity, and it's very important for how our bodies work.We hear frequent stories of mental health issues, but there is more investment in services, so are services effective or overwhelmed?An estimated 34,000 people in Australia have cerebral palsy. The cause can be a mystery but looking at a child's genes may supply information for parents and treatment teams. Hosts:Dr Norman SwanTegan Taylor

There's been talk of changing the packet size of paracetamol tablets, to reduce the self-harm of overdose—but it would be better to investigate and remedy why this harm occurs.The idea that society—as well as an individual—is responsible for this 'health literacy' is central to a new World Health Organisation report.Results of a randomised trial in people with low back pain who used a spinal cord stimulator were published recently, and the researchers are surprised by what they found.Hosts: Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor

How analysts are making health data safer | Linked health data can see the bigger picture of healthcare use  | Clinical trials need more clarity on the kind of harms incurred | Donating mitochondria may mitigate the risk of some genetic disorders—but it's not a given.