Health Report - Separate stories podcast

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.auReferencesEverything you ever wanted to know about osteoarthritis 

Now parents are encouraged to introduce common allergens in the first year of life, products are popping up promising to make it easier. However it's unclear whether these sachets are adequate to help prevent allergies, or if it's still better to stick to whole foods. Guest/sProfessor Mimi Tang, paediatric immunologist and allergist at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital 

When a couple is struggling to conceive, historically women have been the focus of infertility discussions.However in up to 30 per cent of cases male reproductive issues are the sole factor, and in another 20 per cent of cases it’s a contributing factor.For the first time guidelines have been released for the assessment and management of male infertility.Guest/sProfessor Rob McLachlan, Medical Director, Healthy Male and consultant andrologist for the Monash IVF programReferencesGuidelines for the management of male infertility - Healthy Male

Joint replacements don’t last forever, but they are lasting longer thanks to new technology.A new report has looked at the more than 150,000 hip, knee and shoulder joint replacements in the 12 months to December 2024.Just 6.9 per cent of these were revisions, meaning an artificial joint needed to be replaced.Guest/sDr Peter Lewis, orthopaedic surgeon and deputy director of the Australian Joint Replacement RegistryReferencesData Resource Profile: The Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR)

We’ve known for about 50 years that there’s an issue with the machine that measures oxygen saturation in your blood.Pulse oximeters can overestimate oxygen saturation in people with dark skin, and it can result in them not receiving vital care.New research is underway to assess how this disparity might affect sleep apnea assessments – and whether incorrect readings could lead to misdiagnoses.Guest/sDr Amal Osman, Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health and Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI): Sleep HealthReferencesNovel Hypoglossal Stimulation Markedly Improves Airflow and Airway Collapsibility in OSARacial Bias in Pulse Oximetry Measurement - NEJM

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.auReferencesFind a clinical trial

A change in guidance has prevented tens of thousands of children from developing an allergy to peanuts. Until about 10 years ago, parents were advised to delay the introduction of peanuts until about three years of age. It's now understood that advice actually led to an increase in allergies. Also, the shingles vaccine could lower the risk of heart attacks and stroke, adding to benefits that go well beyond protection from the virus itself.ReferencesGuidelines for Early Food Introduction and Patterns of Food AllergyNew systematic review and meta-analysis shows an association between shingles vaccination and lower risk of heart attack and stroke Shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine - who should get vaccinated?

For people in larger bodies, going to the doctor can be a minefield, even for common ailments.Weight and weight loss can be brought up unprompted, and because of this some people avoid going to the doctors at all.So how should weight be discussed in primary care? How do doctors avoid an overemphasis on weight, versus avoiding it entirely?Guest/sProfessor Gemma Sharp, founding director of the Consortium for Research in Eating DisordersReferencesSupporting weight focused discussions in primary care: A qualitative exploration of barriers and facilitatorsDiscussing Weight with Patients in Primary Care in Australia: A Mixed Methods Experimental Study

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) uses the magnetic field to stimulate nerve cells in the brain.It has shown promise in depression when other treatments haven’t worked.Where does the evidence stand on TMS, and how does it compare to other treatments like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)?Guest/sProfessor Paul Fitzgerald, director of the school of medicine and psychology at the Australian National UniversityReferencesTGA approves new brain stimulation device for treatment of depression - ABC News

The five-year survival rate from pancreatic cancer is only 13 per cent, and one explanation could be late diagnosis.A consortium of experts has formed to increase survival by improving early detection and screening.The goal is to increase the 5-year suvival rate to 50 per cent within the next decade.Guest/sDr Diane Simeone, director of Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health and founder of the PRECEDE ConsortiumProfessor Andrew Metz, gastroenterologist and director of the Jreissati Pancreatic Centre at Epworth HospitalReferencesThe Australian Pancreatic High-RIsk ScrEening (APRISE) StudyThe Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection (PRECEDE) Consortium