Health Report

Endometriosis is a complex condition, and the pain associated with it can persist despite medications and surgery. New guidelines have suggested lifestyle changes like diet or supplements could work for some. Also, what you can do in your 40s to prevent heart failure later on. And anal cancer is rare but might be going under people's radar. Who should be screened?ReferencesAssessment of malnutrition in preschool-aged children by mid-upper arm circumference in the Gaza Strip (January, 2024–August, 2025): a longitudinal, cross-sectional, surveillance studyTestimony, advocacy, and the public health effect of genocideHealth of the Nation report - RACGPNobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineAustralian Living Evidence Guideline: Endometriosis - The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic health: an actionable vision for heart failure prevention - the LancetAnal Cancer Screening Guidelines

Daylight saving time kicks in this weekend for New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.Time shifts can be controversial, and in recent years there's been research into the effects on our health. One study has looked into the incidence of strokes and obesity. Also, why experts want to change the name of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and we take a tour of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. References:Draft National Health and Medical Research Strategy - NHMRCSafety concerns over imported melatonin products - TGARetraction: Apple cider vinegar for weight management in lebanese adolescents and young adults with overweight and obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled studyCircadian-informed modeling predicts regional variation in obesity and stroke outcomes under different permanent US time policiesPolycystic ovary syndrome perspectives from patients and health professionals on clinical features, current name, and renaming: a longitudinal international online survey - the LancetInside the Australian lab where scientists study bird flu and other emerging disease threats - ABC NewsDynamic Balnce for LifeA Judo-Based Exercise Program to Reduce Falls and Frailty Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Feasibility Study

US President Donald Trump has told women they shouldn't take paracetamol (also known as Tylenol or acetaminophen) during pregnancy because it has been linked to autism. We unpack the evidence with experts — where has this claim come from? Have we really found a treatment for autism spectrum disorder? And what are the dangers of taking health advice from Trump?Also, an unexpected result from a study looking into whether a yoga exercise program could prevent falls in older adults. 

Trump has suggested there's a link between pregnant women taking paracetamol and autism in children. In a press conference Trump said pregnant women with fevers should "tough it out".

A major change has been made to Australia's asthma guidelines, but how long will it take everyone to catch on?Also, we know daily aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease isn't beneficial, but a new study shows there might be risks. And should the one-time blood test for lipoprotein(a) be free for everyone?References:National Climate Risk Assessment | Australian Climate ServiceUnderestimating heat-related mortality—a comparison of excess mortality and death record studies for Australia - The Lancet Regional Health – Western PacificMore evidence climate change is bad for our hearts - ABC listen Medical Imaging and Pediatric and Adolescent Hematologic Cancer Risk | New England Journal of MedicineIg Nobel Prizes celebrate pizza-eating lizards, drunk bats and garlic-flavoured breast milk - ABC NewsAspirin, cardiovascular events, and major bleeding in older adults: extended follow-up of the ASPREE trialLp(a) testing for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in high-income countries: a cost-effectiveness analysisAustralian Asthma Handbook

The way we get information has changed, and when it comes to health and wellness more and more people are turning to social media. There are pros and cons, but when it comes to something as important as birth control, there's a price to pay for taking guidance from influencers. Also on the show, why parent-focused programs haven't been working to tackle obesity in toddlers. And a story about the benefits of withdrawing medication, rather than starting it. ReferencesAlcohol and Cancer Risk - JAMA InsightsReview of Evidence on Alcohol and Health - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineGLP-1 RAs and Cardiovascular and Kidney Outcomes by Body Mass Index in Type 2 Diabetes Incidence of GLP‐1 receptor agonist use by women of reproductive age attending general practices in Australia, 2011–2022: a retrospective open cohort studyJoint statement on professional responsibilities for prescribing and dispensing medicines - AHPRAParent-focused behavioural interventions for the prevention of early childhood obesity (TOPCHILD): a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis“Do You Know What Birth Control Actually Does to Your Body?”: Assessing Contraceptive Information on TikTokWithdrawal of heart failure therapy after atrial fibrillation rhythm control with ejection fraction normalization: the WITHDRAW-AF trial

Researchers have tricked participants with placebo pain relief in an effort to map the brainstem. Also, how immunotherapy might be used to treat mental health conditions in some young people. And delays in diagnosing frontotemporal dementia means some people are missing out on important care. ReferencesAnswering common questions about GLP-1s for weight lossGLP-1s and eating disorders — what are the risks?A Case Series of Young People Receiving Adjunctive Immunotherapy for Neuroimmune-Mediated Major Mood or Psychotic SyndromesFourteen years later: Reviewing the diagnostic criteria for behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementiaSomatotopic organization of brainstem analgesic circuitryA radical new way to treat low back pain - ABC listenYou can listen to more episodes of the Health Report podcast with presenters Dr Norman Swan and Dr Preeya Alexander on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. Covering topics like Trump’s policy changes to the growing trend of young people being diagnosed with cancer, we bring you the latest in health and medical news. 

Lots of people develop a daily skincare routine for anti-ageing purposes, but what if there are benefits from starting even earlier — at just nine weeks old?Also, a discussion in the United States about SSRI antidepressants in pregnancy has caused lots of anxiety. We talk through the risks versus the benefits. And a common drug used to treat everything from nerves to heart conditions could show promise in stopping the spread of triple negative breast cancer. ReferencesPharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) Meeting Outcomes - July 2025Allostatic Load and Racial and Rural Disparities in Breast Cancer Survival | Oncology | JAMA Network Open | JAMA NetworkStructured vs Self-Guided Multidomain Lifestyle Interventions for Global Cognitive FunctionEmollients to Prevent Pediatric Eczema: A Randomized Clinical TrialPaternal Depression as a Risk Factor for Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Offspring: Implications for Maternal Depression and Its Treatment During PregnancyAssociation Between Serotonergic Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder in ChildrenHox-C12 coordinates β2-adrenoceptor coupling to a cAMP/calcium feedforward loop to drive invasion in triple-negative breast cancerAustralian Physiotherapy AssociationYou can listen to more episodes of the Health Report podcast with presenters Dr Norman Swan and Dr Preeya Alexander on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Covering topics like Trump’s policy changes to the growing trend of young people being diagnosed with cancer, we bring you the latest in health and medical news.

Cognitive Functional Therapy can help relieve low back pain, and shows some positive long-term results.Ovarian cancer doesn't start in the ovaries, but in the fallopian tubes, and opportunistic surgery could prevent it.And is your gut microbiome responsible for your insomnia or is your insomnia changing your microbiome?

Dietary guidelines tell us what we should eat for good health, but at the moment it is possible to follow the guidelines and still eat predominantly ultraprocessed foods. A new study has looked at the impact this has on your health, and compared it to a minimally processed diet chock full of whole foods. Also, there are calls to change the criteria for diagnosing perimenopause. And the benefits of psilocybin for depression might have been overstated. 

If you reach for a no-sugar drink, thinking you're making a wise choice, you might need to think again. A new study suggests artificially sweetened drinks carry a similar type 2 diabetes risk to sugar sweetened beverages. Also, loneliness is a growing public health issue, especially among younger people. What can we do to address it?And gynaecological cancer survivors are flipping the script, teaching health professionals. 

There are ways to rejuvenate old memories, but a new study has compared the process to the myth of Sisyphus, who was cursed to repeatedly roll a stone up a hill. Also on the show, many doctors are already using artificial intelligence to help take notes. But are patients always aware these AI scribes are in the room?The emergence of vaping has slowed our progress when it comes to smoking cessation. And looking at a sick person might activate your immune system, getting it ready to fight off infection.

Just like human children, young bats have been found to harbour and spread lots of viruses. Their susceptibility to contracting multiple viruses at once makes them the perfect breeding ground for new disease variants. Also, we take a look at a study that seemed to show private hospital were better than public hospitals for childbirth. Is it that simple?And a survey of people with chronic conditions shows where Australia is ahead, and where we need to improve. 

Five risk factors explain 50 per cent of cardiovascular risk at age 50, according to a new study. Addressing those risk factors can add years to your life, even if you address them in middle age. Also, the UK demonstrates a cutting edge IVF technique is effective at avoiding mitchondrial disease. ADHD treatment has real world positives, but the effects are lessening as more people get diagnosed. And an update on how RSV vaccination in pregnant women is going, five months into the program.  

The human exposome is the environmental equivalent of the human genome, and there's a project in the works to map it. It's a huge project that needs to take into account our lifestyles, cultures, economics and politics. Essentially, everything but our genome. Also, a concerning disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians when it comes to kidney transplants. And a small risk comes to light in relation to GLP-1s used for diabetes and weight loss. ReferencesGuidance on medicinal cannabis prescribing targets unsafe practice - AHPRAGLP-1 Drugs Linked to Higher Risk of Age-Related Macular DegenerationAm I on the list? Clinician‐reported factors for kidney transplantation non‐waitlisting among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with kidney failure: a cross‐sectional studyThe Human Exposome ProjectGeneration Cancer - 4CornersMapping the chemical complexity of plastics - Nature

Immunotherapy uses the body's immune system to fight cancer. In blood cancer, a revolutionary t-cell therapy has cured patients and could show promise in solid tumours. In bladder cancer, the tuberculosis vaccine is infused to treat non-invasive cancer. However a shortage of BCG means researchers are having to test out other methods. Also, is Australia on the front foot when it comes to type 2 diabetes treatment? And what does copper in the brain have to do with Parkinson's disease?

In the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence, it can sometimes feel like the answer to everything is right around the corner. A dog owner is testing this with the help of super-computing, to try and find another treatment for his dog's cancer. Also, the national lung cancer screening program is about to begin. Who is eligible, and is the healthcare system prepared?And with syphilis cases rising in the community, there are implications for expectant mothers. 

Hyenas and vultures play a role in driving down the risk of disease outbreaks, but their decline due to human behaviour is putting our health in danger.Also, we discuss Lifeblood's changes which bring down some of the barriers facing gay and bisexual men, and transgender women, who'd like to donate blood or plasma. Pain education could help people with osteoarthritis get the most out of exercise programs — and even walk the Camino. Plus there's a push to extend genetic carrier screening to cover dozens more conditions. 

There are concerns people are getting their hands on medicinal cannabis to treat conditions where there's very little evidence of benefit — and the possibility of harm. Also, why weight loss drugs could improve treatment for people with schizophrenia. The full breadth of corporate ownership of radiology clinics is revealed. And what questions need to be asked with IVF in the spotlight, as Monash IVF deals with the fallout from a second bungled embryo transfer.References:Medicinal cannabis prescribing practices under scrutiny after scripts issued 'every 4 minutes' - ABC News‘Infuriating and dangerous’: Psychiatrist tries and fails to speak with his patients’ medicinal cannabis prescribers - AusDoc.Efficacy and safety of semaglutide versus placebo for people with schizophrenia on clozapine with obesity (COaST): a phase 2, multi-centre, participant and investigator- blinded, randomised controlled trial in AustraliaCorporatisation and ownership concentration in diagnostic imaging: an audit of Australian practices

A structured exercise program has increased survival in people with colon cancer after they've undergone surgery and chemotherapy. Also, a common genetic variant could double the risk of dementia in men — if they receive two doses of the mutation. We provide an update on the flu, COVID and RSV circulating the community.And a study bringing together millions of lab tests has found is take a lot longer for the body to bounce back from pregnancy than commonly thought. References:Measles Seroprevalence in Infants Under 9 Months of Age in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisGene–Environment Interaction Affects Risk of Atopic Eczema: Population and In Vitro StudiesStructured Exercise after Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer - NEJM Haemochromatosis Genotypes and Incident Dementia in a Prospective Study of Older AdultsPregnancy and postpartum dynamics revealed by millions of lab tests - ScienceAdvancesal issues from social, scientific and political points of view.