Health Report - Full program podcast

Mar 07 2025 237 ep. 33 mins 2.2k

Health Report - Full program podcast artwork

Covering the health stories that make a difference. Dr Norman Swan and Dr Preeya Alexander dissect the latest and breaking news in the medical world.

Health & Fitness

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Early dementia signs from the body not the brain

Mar 07 2025 44 mins

When you have dementia, being diagnosed early can help you and your loved ones manage the condition. It could also aid in treatment. A new study has found that in some cases, weight loss and lipid changes happened up to a decade before dementia was diagnosed. Also, concerns that people of a higher weight with restrictive eating disorders could access GLP-1s if doctors aren’t sc

Listening to influencers could give you an incidentaloma

Feb 28 2025 44 mins

On social media, an influencer's job is to influence you — to get you to strive for a particular lifestyle or buy a specific product. In some cases they're pushing medical tests, telling people to take charge of their health with full body MRI scans and cancer detection tools that have very little, or no evidence to support them. Also, we take a comprehensive look at GLP-1s li

Why some women are in the dark about breast density

Feb 21 2025 41 mins

Victoria is starting to notify women when they have dense breasts on their mammogram, following Western Australia and South Australia. So what does this information mean? And what should you be doing with it? Also, the concerning state of health policy in the United States. A correction on adolescent mental health. And what western medicine can learn from First Nations communit

Bowel cancer is happening younger — so why aren't people getting screened?

Feb 14 2025 41 mins

Australia has been highlighted in an international report on the rising incidence of bowel cancer in young people. Our screening age was dropped last year to 45, however the overall uptake of bowel cancer screening remains at about 40 per cent. Also, a private hospital opening in Melbourne is promising to cut the cost to its patients down to zero. And what can be done to prev

As bird flu mutates, are eggs still safe to eat?

Feb 07 2025 41 mins

There's a shortage of eggs in Australia, and it might not let up as we brace for the arrival of the H5N1 strain of bird flu. That strain has shown is can make the jump into humans. But how does it manage? Also, menopause hormone therapy is in high demand. What are the benefits and the risks? And with kids spending less time outside, short-sightedness is on the rise. But treatme

How an online coach can keep your brain young

Jan 31 2025 42 mins

There are some things you can do to guard against cognitive decline, and a study has found a hands-on approach is best. Also, rates of vaccination in pregnancy are falling in New South Wales. Should Australia follow Italy's lead and screen everyone for coeliac disease? And we hear from two friends who've had strokes 20 years apart.

A Stroke of Luck: Kylie's story

Jan 29 2025 9 mins

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.

A Stroke of Luck: Gillian's story

Jan 29 2025 9 mins

When Gillian suffered a stroke at age 50, Kylie was one of the first friends she reached out to. It wasn't Gillian's first life-altering medical emergency, having gone through cancer treatment years earlier.

A Stroke of Luck: Downs and ups of recovery

Jan 29 2025 8 mins

Despite their strokes being 20 years apart, Kylie and Gillian were left with similar disabilities. Both faced a long and often gruelling period of rehabilitation — thankfully with partners and friends by their sides.

A Stroke of Luck: Asking for help

Jan 29 2025 7 mins

When Kylie had her stroke, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) didn't exist. It took Gillian's stroke, 20 years later, for Kylie to fully understand how much support she was missing out on.