Health Report - Separate stories podcast

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".

It was once thought that taking daily aspirin was an effective way to prevent cardiovascular disease.But a follow-up of a major study that involved more than 15,000 adults found no evidence of benefit – in fact there was evidence of some risk.

Lipoprotein(a) is another type of "bad cholesterol" that increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.Experts have looked at whether it would be cost effective to subsidise the blood test for Lp(a) so more people know their risk.

Australia's handbook for asthma care has been updated, and there are some major changes. Now it's recommended all adults and adolescents get an inhaled corticosteroid for ore effective long-term management. But with blue puffers widely available over-the-counter, how long will this advice take to catch on?Guest/sProfessor Helen Reddell, Chair of the Global Initiative for Asthma Science Committee and research leader at the Woolcock Institute of Medical ResearchReferencesAustralian Asthma Handbook

The federal government has released its National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA), including modelling on the health impact. For example in Sydney, it states heatwave deaths would rise by more than 400 perfect under a 3 degree increase.

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

There has been back-and-forth on the health risks of light or moderate alcohol consumption. Recent reviews have tried to narrow down the cancer risks associated with drinking. Also, the heart benefits of GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy could be dependent on your BMI, based on a new study in people with type 2 diabetes. And an update from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) on GLP-1 prescribing practices. 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 - AHPRA

There’s no evidence that parent-focused programs are working to prevent obesity in kids up to two years of age.The results of the meta-analysis published in the Lancet suggest we need to rethink our current approach to prevention.The researchers say these programs are failing to outrun environmental and socio-economic factors that require coordinated action to change.Guest/sDr Kylie Hunter, Clinical Trials Centre at the University of Sydney ReferencesParent-focused behavioural interventions for the prevention of early childhood obesity (TOPCHILD): a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis

For many people, social media is their main source of health information. But the information can be far from accurate.A study has taken a closer look at TikTok content on contraception to assess the quality of the information provided.Themes included favouring natural contraceptive methods over hormonal options, and a distrust for health professionals.Guest/sDr Caroline de Moel-Mandel, Department of Public Health at LaTrobe UniversityReferences“Do You Know What Birth Control Actually Does to Your Body?”: Assessing Contraceptive Information on TikTok

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in people over the age of 75 and can lead to heart failure. There are therapies that can pull people out of heart failure, but once their AF is resolved do they need to stay on these medications?A new study has looked at what happens when some patients are taken off drugs and closely monitored. Guest/sAssociate Professor Sandeep Prabhu, cardiologist and electrophysiologist at the Alfred Hospital and researcher at the Baker Heart and Diabetes InstituteReferencesWithdrawal of heart failure therapy after atrial fibrillation rhythm control with ejection fraction normalization: the WITHDRAW-AF trial

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.auImmunotherapy could treat some psychiatric syndromes

The surgeon general of Florida wants to scrap vaccine mandates in the state, including requirements for children to be vaccinated to attend school.  Also, a Eureka Prize win for infectious diseases research for a team that found a single vaccine could protect against both meningococcal B and gonorrhea. And a call-out for information on GLP-1 prescribing — are they being prescribed to people with no clinical reason to take it?Answering common questions about GLP-1s for weight lossGLP-1s and eating disorders — what are the risks?

When a person is suffering with psychiatric symptoms we don’t typically look to the immune system for clues.But a study suggests that in a subset of young people an autoimmune issue could be at play – although the exact mechanisms are unclear.While it was a small sample size, a majority of the study participants saw improvements when they received tailored immunotherapy.Guest/sAssociate Professor Elizabeth Scott, youth mental health at the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of SydneyReferencesA Case Series of Young People Receiving Adjunctive Immunotherapy for Neuroimmune-Mediated Major Mood or Psychotic Syndromes

Frontotemporal dementia has been in the headlines recently because of the diagnosis of Bruce Willis in 2023. It's one of the most common forms of younger-onset dementia but there are fears many cases are being missed.Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia primarily targets parts of the brain which govern personality and social behaviour.Experts want the diagnostic guidelines to be broadened, as they currently exclude patients with memory loss.Guest/sJulane Bowen, dementia law advocateOlivier Piguet, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of SydneyReferencesFourteen years later: Reviewing the diagnostic criteria for behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementiaFrontotemporal dementia patients missing out on timely diagnosis and treatment, researchers say

Pain flares in different parts of the brainstem depending on which parts of the body are triggered. Researchers from the University of Sydney have used placebo pain relief to uncover this map-like system.The findings could the way for more targeted treatments for chronic pain conditions. Guest/sDr Lewis Crawford, postdoctoral researcher at the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of SydneyReferencesSomatotopic organization of brainstem analgesic circuitry

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.auReferencesA radical new way to treat low back pain - ABC listen

An application to include a drug to treat the early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) has been rejected. The committee in charge of making the decision has ruled the potential benefits of the drug donanemab are too small, and the burden for both patients and the health system too large. In other news, a new study has highlighted the benefits of lifestyle interventions in staving off cognitive decline in people at high risk. 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 Function

There could be a relatively simple way to prevent eczema in children, and it starts at just a few weeks old.A new study has compared infants who received daily moisturisation with infants who didn’t.It seemed to lower the rate of eczema, which is also a risk factor for children developing food allergy and asthma.Guest/sProfessor Eric Simpson, Professor of Dermatology at Oregon Health & Science UniversityReferencesEmollients to Prevent Pediatric Eczema: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has convened a panel to discuss the use of a common antidepressant during pregnancy.Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used to treat depression and other mental health conditions.Experts are concerned the panel has cast undue doubt on the medication, and changes shouldn’t be made without evidence.Guest/sDr Carolyn Breadon, perinatal psychiatrist at Alfred HealthReferencesPaternal 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 Children

Beta blockers are commonly used to treat heart conditions because they’re able to block the effects of stress hormones.Now Australian researchers are uncovering their potential in stopping the progression of triple negative breast cancer.Stress hormones can speed up the spread of cancer – so they’ve looked for a way to switch off that process.Guest/sAssociate Professor Michelle Halls, Monash University Institute of Pharmacological SciencesReferencesHox-C12 coordinates β2-adrenoceptor coupling to a cAMP/calcium feedforward loop to drive invasion in triple-negative breast cancer