Health Report - Separate stories podcast

3D printing is becoming an incredibly versatile modern tool — there’s scope in engineering, manufacturing, architecture and design — and very much in several aspects of health care.Today we tour the Herston Biofabrication Institute, part of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, where clinicians, academics, and industry work together in a state of the art facility.This story is one from our archives. It was first broadcast on 2 October 2023.GuestsMathilde Desselle, Biomedical Engineer, General Manager, Herston Biofabrication Institute, Metro North, Queensland Dr Martin Batstone, Director, Maxillofacial Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Dr Tanya Kairn, Director, Medical Physics for Cancer Care Services, Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital Dr Jason Brown, Director, Queensland Adult Statewide Burn Service

Kylie and Gillian had been friends for years when Kylie had a stroke in her early 30s. It turned Kylie's work-driven life upside down, and forced her and husband Chris to re-evaluate everything. Just 12 months after the stroke they decided to have children, and were soon navigating stroke recovery with raising Beren and Corey.  In episode one of A Stroke of Luck, we hear from Kylie and her family about the experience.This story is one from our archives. It was first broadcast on 30 January 2025.You can hear all of the episodes from the 'A Stroke of Luck' series on the Health Report website.

A possible new tool to help quit smoking - psilocybin, the active component of magic mushrooms. But there are plenty of caveats.Significant differences between women and men after a diagnosis of cancer - both in their risk of death and adverse outcomes.And an update on a story from Health Report producer Shelby Traynor last year - about Paul and a pioneering cancer treatment for his dog Rosie with the help of artificial intelligence.ReferencesPsilocybin or Nicotine Patch for Smoking CessationSex-based prognosis in industry-sponsored advanced solid tumour trials: an individual participant data meta-analysis of survival and adverse eventsThanks to AI, Paul can see the culprit of his dog's cancerMeet the man who designed a cancer vaccine for his dog

Could diets high in ultra-processed food for kids be increasing their risk of anxiety, aggression and hyperactivity? Researchers in Canada have been investigating that question.GuestDr Kozeta Miliku, Assistant Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto.  ReferencesUltraprocessed Food Consumption and Behavioral Outcomes in Canadian ChildrenMultilevel predictors of ultra-processed food intake in Canadian preschoolers

The spotlight in women's health is often on conditions like endometriosis, menopause and perimenopause.But a new study finds that the top issues for women might include some very different areas.GuestDr Sara Holton, Senior Research Fellow, Monash UniversityReferences‘Women deserve better’: a national mixed-methods exploration of the ‘silent’ health conditions and social issues affecting women and girls in Australia

STI testing has its challenges - the turnaround between the time a sample is taken and when the result is returned can mean delays in treatment, losing people to follow up and stress and anxiety as someone waits for results.To solve some of these problems, a new point-of-care treatment that can test for sexually transmitted infections in under an hour is currently being developed by the Doherty Institute.Guest/sDr Shivani Pasricha, Laboratory Head, The Doherty InstituteReferencesCRISPR-Cas-based diagnostics for point-of-care detection of sexually transmitted infections: a laboratory development and evaluation study

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week: from pronunciation problems to the chemistry of heated citrus. You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

A new review of screen use and sleep in young people finds no link between the amount of use and sleep quality or duration.When a young child comes to hospital with a broken bone or a bad sprain, how should their pain be managed?And could a multivitamin slow your rate of ageing? Spoiler - no, not really.But there's a little more to it ... and it involves epigenetic clocks. For more on that story, read this piece from our colleagues on the ABC Science digital team.ReferencesWithin-Person Association Between Daily Screen Use and Sleep in YouthAcetaminophen (Paracetamol) or Opioid Analgesia Added to Ibuprofen for Children’s Musculoskeletal InjuryEffects of daily multivitamin–multimineral and cocoa extract supplementation on epigenetic aging clocks in the COSMOS randomized clinical trial

MDMA psychotherapy for PTSD was approved in Australia back in July 2023.Near to three years on, what do we know about how it’s being used, whether people are finding it effective and how well we’re tracking the possible side effects of these treatments?Guest/sAssociate Professor Gill Bedi, Head of Substance Use Research, OrygenReferencesSide-effects of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysisExperiences of Australian clinicians, researchers, and patients with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: A framework-guided qualitative analysis

If you’ve fallen behind on vaccinations for yourself or your kids - does getting a nudge from the doctor reminding you to come in encourage higher vaccination rates?With vaccination among young children in decline post-pandemic, a new trial shows potential pathways to improving uptake.Plus, some insights on how the framing of the message might matter too - whether it's more neutral or persuasive.Guest/sProfessor Tom Snelling, School of Public Health, University of SydneyReferencesThe AuTOMATIC trial: a multicentre digitally-automated, Bayesian, adaptive, parallel, factorial randomised controlled trial of SMS reminders for childhood vaccination

With more tools at our fingertips than ever for capturing how we feel day-to-day - smartphones, apps, wearables and more - is there a way to better utilise that data to improve mental health outcomes?Researchers from the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney argue an approach to treatment that captures and analyses these data - called measurement-based care - can help clinicians more effectively monitor and treat patients.Guest/sAssociate Professor Frank Iorfino – Brain and Mind Centre, University of SydneyReferencesThe necessity of digital measurement-based care for navigating complexity in youth mental healthDynamic learning of individual-level suicidal ideation trajectories to enhance mental health care

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week: too much salt or too little, hot orange juice (?!) and Norman's teeth-brushing obsession.You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

A brain training trial finds a reduction in dementia diagnoses after 20 years -- but for a very specific kind of training.New research into oral GLP-1 medications for diabetes and -- perhaps further down the track -- weight loss.And risk factors for developing an allergy. Some well known, others more peculiar.ReferencesImpact of cognitive training on claims-based diagnosed dementia over 20 years: evidence from the ACTIVE studyEfficacy and safety of once-daily oral orforglipron compared with oral semaglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes (ACHIEVE-3)Risk factors for the development of food allergy in infants and children

Most Australian children are eating too much salt, according to new research.The study found Victorian school children were getting too much sodium, but not enough potassium.A high salt intake can lead to high blood pressure, which in children can be an early warning sign for cardiovascular disease later in life.GuestDr Carley Grimes, Senior Lecturer in Population Nutrition, Deakin UniversityReferencesSodium, potassium and blood pressure in Australian schoolchildren: exploring differences by sex and weight status — a cross-sectional study

Currently, breast screening is recommended for women aged 50 to 74. Women over 40 can also have a free mammogram every two years.But researchers have looked at what happens when the type of screening is adjusted depending on your risk.High-risk women would undergo more intense screening, while screening for low-risk women wouldn’t happen at all until they reach 50.Guest/sProfessor Dorothy Keefe, CEO, Cancer AustraliaReferencesRisk-Based vs Annual Breast Cancer Screening: The WISDOM Randomized Clinical Trial

The diagnosis and management of endometriosis can be complex and difficult to navigate.What are the different ways in which the condition can be diagnosed? When is a laparoscopy called for and when don't you need one? And how do you seek a second opinion?Guest/sDr Nyash Gwata, Gynaecologist, Obstetrician and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon in Melbourne

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

A study has found self-collection swabs are enabling more women to be screened for HPV, which is the leading cause of cervical cancer. Vaccination against HPV has also been shown not to wane in a long-term follow up of more than 300,000 girls and women. And another win for exercise — moderate to vigorous physical activity has been associated with a lower risk of death among survivors of bladder, endometrial, lung, rectal and ovarian cancers. ReferencesUptake and performance of self-collection offered through primary care to all eligible participants in a national cervical screening programme in Australia: a retrospective cohort studyExtended follow-up of invasive cervical cancer risk after quadrivalent HPV vaccination: nationwide, register based studyLeisure-Time Physical Activity and Cancer Mortality Among Cancer Survivors

There have been some cases where chats between vulnerable people and AI bots have gone horribly wrong.But it shows that people are turning to generative AI when they’re in need of support – whether that’s for general life advice or actual therapy.Given psychologists can be expensive and difficult to access, how can a person seek support from AI without it going off the rails?Guest/sProfessor Jill Newby, clinical psychologist and researcher at the University of New South Wales and the Black Dog Institute Dani ZetzerLauren OLoughlinReferencesInformed use of AI technologies for mental healthAI and mental health in Australia: what needs to happen next - Black Dog Institute

When you think of a pharmacist, you probably think of someone giving you medication to take.But for some, their whole job is to deprescribe – assess what drugs you’re on now, and which ones are no longer necessary.Research shows that for a portion of older adults, deprescribing drugs can even extend their life.Guest/sDeborah Hawthorne, consultant pharmacist in rural Victoria ReferencesPharmacists call for medicine review program to be expanded - ABC NewsThe effect of deprescribing interventions on mortality and health outcomes in older people: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis