This Medical Life

Ancient Egyptians called it podagra (foot-trap), Hippocrates the unwalkable disease, and the 17th and 18th century it became known as the Disease of Kings. Gout has long been associated with rich foods and an affluent lifestyle. Yet, its significance in the modern era cannot be overstated. Commonly thought of a joint disease, the systemic impact are becoming increasingly apparent. Join us as we discuss the significance of gout for patients and the importance of diet, treatment and management. Our special guests include: Professor Richard Johnson is a physician in internal medicine, renal, and infectious diseases. Professor Johnson is involved in research and published over 260 journal articles, ‘The Fat Switch’ in 2012, and ‘Nature wants us to be fat’ in 2022. He also is popular on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAjC_BWMElk Professor Ken Sikaris is a chemical pathologist and the Director of Chemical Pathology at Melbourne Pathology. Professor Sikaris is a NATA assessor, Founding Fellow of the RCPA Faculty of Science and principle examiner in Pathology Informatics. He is also an advocate of the low carb diet on YouTube (with over half a million views) and was Professor Blood in the Australian documentary ‘That Sugar Film’. This is the story of gout.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marijuana has a complex history. It seems every society has grappled with balancing the positive and negative effects. Historical records indicate that Ancient Chinese farmers were the first to grow this plant but also were the first to reject it as a socially acceptable drug. In the middle ages, Pope Innocent VIII took this fight to the extreme associating it with witchcraft and sorcery labelling marijuana an existential threat. Those who cultivated it were imprisoned, exiled or executed. Alternatively, in the 1790s, the British saw it as a great source of tax revenue out of India. Today we recognised there is a number of benefits of medicinal cannabis. Our special guest is Professor Jennifer Martin who is a clinical pharmacologist and physician with vast experience and research in this field. Australian registered medical practitioners who would like to access to medicinal cannabis products for the treatment of appropriate patients may apply through the following links: Accessing medicinal cannabis for a patient: https://www.tga.gov.au/accessing-medicinal-cannabis-patient Special Access Scheme: https://www.tga.gov.au/form/special-access-scheme Authorised Prescriber Scheme: https://www.tga.gov.au/form/authorised-prescribers This is the story of medicinal cannabis.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1770, in the small German town of Bonn, a child was born that would impact the world on a par with great emperors and conquerors. Yet, it was not with a sword or bloodshed but with imagination and composition. This man was Ludwig van Beethoven and his influence is possibly even more important today than when he was alive. Ludwig was one of seven children but only three of them survived beyond infancy. Ludwig’s musical gifts were apparent at a very young age but he had an abusive and alcoholic father who demanded performances at any time he desired (often back from the pub with his similarly inebriated friends). At the age of 16, Ludwig’s mother died of tuberculosis. At the age of 21, his father died. Beethoven’s life was beset with poor health including gastrointestinal problems and headaches. He was not fond of doctors but he loved his wine, his women and his music. Unfortunately, in his late twenties, Ludwig experienced progressive hearing loss which eventually led to complete deafness in his late 40’s and 50’s. At the age of 56 years, on the 26 March 1827, Beethoven died. His final words ‘Pity, pity, too late’. This is the story of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1930s, outbreaks of a mysterious febrile illness occurred with abattoir workers in Queensland in Australia. Physicians investigated these patients but no cause was able to be identified. To complicate matters, there wasn’t any consistency between those who got sick, the area where they worked in the abattoir nor the animals with which they worked with. Hence, the name has come to us as ‘Q’ (meaning ‘Query’) fever. It would take significant investigative skills and an outbreak in the United States to confirm the diagnosis. Today, the causative agent is called Coxiella burnetti. This is the story of Q fever.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pauline Gross was a seamstress in 1895 who had seen family members die at an early age from cancer. At the time, one of her clients was a pathologist by the name of Dr Aldred Scott Warthin and confided in him her fear that that this would be her fate too. The two combined to record the most comprehensive family history ever created. Dr Warthin called them ‘Family G’. In the 1960s, Dr Henry T Lynch who revived the search for the members of Family G. Through family gatherings and meetings, he managed to track down over 650 family members, of which, 95 had a history of cancer. He noted that they had an Autosomal Dominant disorder that increased their incidence of uterine and gastrointestinal cancers. Dr Lynch called it a ‘Cancer Family Syndrome’. Today, it is known as Lynch syndrome. Our special guests include: Ami McKay: an award winning novelist who has written ‘Daughter of Family G/Before my time: a memoir of love & fate’. Ami has also produced the radio documentary ‘Daughter of Family G’ available at amimckay.com Dr Tristan Rutland: Anatomical pathologists at Liverpool hospital and based at Western Sydney University with a PhD in colorectcal cancer. Dr Rutland was the recipient of the Konrad Muller RCPA Outstanding Teaching Award Professor Graeme Suthers: National Director of Genetics for Sonic Pathology Australia who trained in clinical and laboratory genetics in Sydney, Adelaide, and Oxford. This is the story of Lynch syndrome.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1951, Australian anthropologists reported on a unique neurodegenerative disease from Papua New Guinea. The natives called it ‘Kuru’ which meant to tremble or to be afraid and it certainly struck fear into those who saw it. Through amazing investigative work and serendipity, a veterinary pathologist in the United States saw the histology of a Kuru from the brain and noted it looked a lot like ‘Scrapie’ (a neurodegenerative disease in sheep) and the link was made. It would not be until 1980s that the causative agent for these diseases was identified: Prion’s. And then in the 1990s, cows in the United Kingdom began showing symptoms… This is the story of Prion diseaseSupport the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1924, a previously well 20 year old woman presented to hospital with a headache and general fatigue. Her condition rapidly deteriorated and she died in 6 days. Over 6000 cases occurred within 1924. The search was on to find the cause. Fortunately, in 1935, a breakthrough occurred. We know the virus today as the Japanese Encephalitis Virus. The vast majority of people who become infected with JEV are either oblivious (asymptomatic) or only have mild non-specific viral symptoms (ie. fever). However, those who are very unwell and require hospitalisation have significant risks of morbidity and mortality. In 2022, cases of JEV have been identified in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. This is the first time cases have been recorded this far south. We know that JEV is endemic in at least 24 countries around Asia. Is Australia going to become the 25th? This is the story of Japanese Encephalitis Virus.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1951, two Haematology fellows, Dr William Harrington and Dr James Hollingsworth, agreed upon an experiment. They would ask the next patient with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) to donate 500ml of blood. Then, whoever was a blood-type match would get the transfusion and see if they got the disease. The results were immediate and dramatic.Surprisingly, the fact that platelets are the foundation of coagulation and derived from megakaryocytes have only been known for just over a century. Our understanding during this time has been exponential but the key to ITP remains in its name: idiopathic. Yes, we actually don't know the cause of this disease. Fortunately, there is a lot about ITP that we do know.Our special guest is Dr Nicholas Myles who is a General Haematologist and Senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide.This is the story of ITP.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1347, the European world encountered one of history’s greatest tragedies: the great plague. Today, it is known by many names: the black death, the black plague, or the great mortality. Whatever name we give it though, one thing is clear: those who lived through this time genuinely believed this disease would eradicate of humanity The true toll of this plague is unknown. Tens of millions of people were killed and those that weren’t, were scarred in every way imaginable. This disease would ravage European cities and countries for 7 years before it finally relented. Amazingly, it would only be 9 years before another plague epidemic appeared. They called this one the ‘Children’s plague’. Join us with this episode to study the disease that is responsible for millions of deaths in history and still exists with us today. This is the story of the black plague and Yersinia pestis.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is an under-recognised genetic condition that causes elevated cholesterol in patients and affects approximately 1/250 people in Australia. Approximately 100,000 Australians have FH but only ~5% are diagnosed. This needs to change. FH causes early cardiovascular disease and can be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in those affect. How do I know? Because a few years ago my brother with no significant co-morbidities and a healthy lifestyle had a life-threatening acute myocardial infarct (heart-attack) at the age of 43. Our special guests for this episode include: Dr Gavin Brown (brother of the co-host) A/Professor Damon Bell (Chemical pathologist for Clinipath, PhD in FH, A/Prof at the School of Medicine at the University of Western Australia) Professor Graeme Suthers (Director of Sonic Genetics Australia) This is our story of Familial Hypercholesterolaemia.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.