Health Report - Full program podcast

The pros and cons of mental time travel

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.

What bat parents and human parents have in common

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. 

How to add 14 years to your lifespan

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.  

Mapping the environmental exposures that impact human health

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

Harnessing the immune system to fight cancer

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?