Health Report - Separate stories podcast

In the US, companies have jumped on the trend of people abstaining from alcohol in January and offered THC as an alternative.It raises the question – is THC, or cannabis more broadly, a healthier alternative to alcohol?And what are the health benefits of avoiding alcohol for a month?Guest/sProfessor Michael Farrell, director of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at UNSWReferencesAlcohol consumption and mortality from four alcohol-related cancers in Australia 1950-2018: a time series analysis

Palliative care is designed to support people with life-limiting illnesses, but many people aren’t accessing it until they’re close to death.That’s despite research showing that accessing care early can improve quality of life and alleviate suffering.A new study has found early palliative care is associated with a higher likelihood of dying at home.It is also linked to a lower likelihood of hospital admissions in the final month of life.Guest/sAssociate Professor Chris Schilling, health economist in the centre for palliative care at the University of MelbourneReferencesEarly Palliative Care and Quality of End-of-Life Care for People With Terminal Cancer, Victoria, 2018–2023: A Retrospective, Population-Based Cohort Study

In some places in Australia, women are notified of how dense their breasts are after they’ve undergone their routine mammogram.Dense breasts can be a risk factor for cancer, and can also make it harder to detect.But notifying women can cause anxiety and confusion, not only because of the risks, but because of the out-of-pocket costs that follow.Guest/sDr Brooke Nickel, senior research fellow in the school of public health at the University of SydneyReferencesImpact of population based breast density notification: multisite parallel arm randomised controlled trial in BreastScreen

For the first time since the pandemic began, we haven't seen a significant spike in COVID-19 cases over the holidays. However there has been a rise in flu cases, with a strain spreading that evades the vaccines. The United States could lose its measles elimination status, but a senior CDC official says it's "the cost of doing business". And a new review reiterates what experts have been saying about paracetamol and autism. ReferencesNSW respiratory surveillanceSenior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in U.S. would be ‘cost of doing business’Prenatal paracetamol exposure and child neurodevelopment: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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

How far would you go to save your dog? One owner has used ChatGPT and other AI models to find a treatment for his pup's cancer. Also, we could be missing cases of liver disease because of differences between pathology centres. The final instalment of Stroke of Luck, a series on the experience of having a stroke and the recovery process. And a look back at the year: does artificial intelligence have a place in your local doctors' office?ReferencesWhat AI scribes can (and can't) do for healthcare - the Health ReportPaul is using AI to fight his dog's incurable cancer - UNSW

People with osteoarthritis used to be told to take it easy and avoid overdoing exercise. But the advice has changed drastically. Also, should everyone going onto GLP-1 medications for weight loss be screened and monitored for eating disorders? Another instalment of Stroke of Luck, a series on the experience of having a stroke and the recovery process. And a look back at the year: Robert F. Kennedy Jr and his hyperfixation on autism as an epidemic. ReferencesTrump links paracetamol to autism, urges parents to delay vaccinesThe EPIPHA-KNEE trial: Explaining Pain to target unhelpful pain beliefs to Increase PHysical Activity in KNEE osteoarthritis – a protocol for a multicentre, randomised controlled trial with clinical- and cost-effectiveness analysisManagement of eating disorders for people with higher weight: clinical practice guidelineEating disorder resources:The Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673 or webchat.Eating Disorders Foundation VictoriaEating Disorders Families Australia — 1300 195 626Professionals Credentialed in Eating DisordersLifeline on 13 11 14Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800

Anxiety can manifest in an excessive worry about your health, and it can be debilitating. But there are effective treatments. Also, antidepressants can be difficult to come off because of the withdrawal symptoms. An expert highlights the need to better educate patients and doctors on deprescribing. Another instalment of Stroke of Luck, a series on the experience of having a stroke and the recovery process. And a look back at the year: infectious diseases. ReferencesWhy the US measles outbreak is so concerningHow Australia's measles vaccine coverage compares to the USAntidepressant prescribing in Australian primary care: time to reevaluateRELEASE information and resourcesHealth anxiety information and workbookHealth anxiety in Australia: prevalence, comorbidity, disability and service use | The British Journal of PsychiatryThe global economic burden of health anxiety/hypochondriasis- a systematic reviewIncrease in the prevalence of health anxiety in medical clinics: Possible cyberchondriaCognitive behavior therapy for health anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical efficacy and health economic outcomesA clinician’s quick guide to evidence-based approaches: health anxiety

There's a paradox in neurodegenerative disease  – sometimes as the brain deteriorates, creativity flourishes.Researchers have used imaging techniques to map creativity in the brains of people with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.Also, the exercise program that could change the game for colorectal cancer survivors. And a look back at the year: GLP-1 medications for weight loss. ReferencesAnswering common questions about GLP-1s for weight lossWeight loss drugs could help people with schizophreniaGLP-1s and eating disorders — what are the risks?Structured Exercise after Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer - NEJM Mapping Neuroimaging Findings of Creativity and Brain Disease Onto a Common Brain Circuit

Substituting your table salt for something with lower sodium could drive down your risk of heart attack and stroke. Also, what expectant parents might not know about screening for genetic diseases before conceiving. Artificial intelligence (AI) could soon be used to help predict decisions a person might make at the end of life. And a look back at the year: Make America Health Again. ReferencesSalt Substitution and Recurrent Stroke and Death: A Randomized Clinical TrialMackenzie's MissionNationwide, Couple-Based Genetic Carrier Screening - NEJMUnlocking the secrets of your DNA - the Health ReportCan Artificial Intelligence Speak for Incapacitated Patients at the End of Life?Should artificial intelligence guide surrogate decisions in healthcare? - Journal of Medical Ethics blogA Personalized Patient Preference Predictor for Substituted Judgments in Healthcare: Technically Feasible and Ethically Desirable

VicHealth is the world's first health promotion foundation, with the goal of preventing people from becoming unwell. The Victorian Government plans to absorb the foundation into the government, threatening its independence. Also, an agency in the United States changes its recommendations around hepatitis B vaccination in babies. 

Up to 30 per cent of Australian adults could be living with metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).Most of those people won’t be aware they have the condition, and for those that are aware, the diagnosis can come as a shock.So what can be done to treat fatty liver disease? And can it be reversed entirely?Guest/sProfessor James O’Beirne, consultant hepatologist at Sunshine Coast University Hospital in Queensland ReferencesEating For Your Liver - Liver Foundation

While Australia is still determined to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035, there are early warning signs emerging.Rates of vaccination against HPV, the commonest cause of nearly all cervical cancers, have fallen. And they’re still lagging in boys.Experts suggest school vaccination programs are struggling because of rising absenteeism.They want more young people to know that they can receive a free HPV vaccine up to age 25.Guest/sProfessor Julia Brotherton, cancer prevention policy and implementation at the University of Melbourne References2025 Cervical Cancer Elimination Progress Report

A study has found Indigenous babies in remote Australia are born with more diverse gut bacteria. While this is a key marker of health, it's still unclear why these babies will grow up to have an increased risk of chronic disease. It highlights how Westernisation could be having a detrimental impact on the health on First Nations people. Guest/sProfessor Leonard Harrison, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and the University of MelbourneReferencesIndigenous infants in remote Australia retain an ancestral gut microbiome despite encroaching Westernization

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

Another study looking into the wide-reaching benefits of the shingles vaccine suggests it can stave off mild cognitive impairment and even slow down the course of dementia. Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) releases its guidelines for the use of GLP-1s in overweight and obesity. And updated advice for prescribing these medications when it comes to birth control and mental health. ReferencesThe effect of shingles vaccination at different stages of the dementia disease course WHO issues global guideline on the use of GLP-1 medicines in treating obesity Product warnings updated for GLP-1 RA class - TGA 

For many women, getting an intra-uterine device (IUD) inserted is a painful and scary experience.The level of pain relief offered can depend on the clinic and can be restricted by out-of-pocket costs the patient can’t afford.A trial is underway in Victoria offering a free pain-relieving "green whistle" to public patients, after a state enquiry into women’s pain.Guest/sDr Felicity Dent, GP and a board member for Pelvic Pain VictoriaReferencesInquiry into Women's Pain - Victorian GovernmentGovt backs green whistle during IUD insertion in response to women’s pain inquiry

Everything from your height to your heart disease risk can be determined by your genes and your environment.A major study looked at 34 characteristics and diseases to ask, how much can genetics determine?In some cases the environment – where you live, how you live and what you eat – had more sway than previously thought.Guest/sProfessor Loic Yengo, group leader at the Statistical Genomics Laboratory at the University of Queensland ReferencesEstimation and mapping of the missing heritability of human phenotypes

Both antibiotics and vaccines can be life-saving medicines, but it turns out they don’t necessary play nice together.New research suggests direct antibiotics in early life can make a baby’s response to vaccination weaker.

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