As the world opens up after COVID-19, what should we know about further vaccination; cholesterol studies in different age groups; digital health and how it helps health care.

Health Report - Full program podcast

COVID-19 boosters; the big uptake for digital health; cholesterol in different age groups; amputation decision aid

Malaria and the implications of a vaccine for it; a new book about what happens to the Hippocratic Oath when it's in the real world; and, if you are bitten by a snake - what next?

Malaria and vector-borne diseases, the Hippocratic Oath, the best way to treat snake bite

The gender bias in healthcare is pervasive and causes harm when women receive worse treatment during a heart attack, are denied proper pain relief when in pain or when less likely to receive timely access to critical health interventions.

The widespread gender bias in healthcare

What may happen if the hospital systems in NSW and Victoria are overwhelmed when we open up at 70 and 80% and the expected surge in cases occurs? New research sheds light on colorectal cancer risks. And are the potential benefits of placebos overblown?

Who gets care if hospitals become overwhelmed?; colorectal cancer risks; and the myth of placebos

Borderline Personality Disorder is one of the most stigmatised and misunderstood mental health conditions. It affects a significant number of people in the community, a large proportion of them having suffered trauma early in life. The emotional instability, fear of abandonment and patterns of self-harm can alter someone’s life and that of their loved ones in profound ways. But the enduring stigma around BPD means it often goes unrecognised or not properly treated and many fall through the cracks.

The enduring stigma surrounding Borderline Personality Disorder

How did Australia fare in the first year of the pandemic? What are the 'molecular messages' our body sends during exercise and how can they be used to help treat disease? Are the most common elective orthopaedic surgeries prescribed always the most effective option? And can a pill that combines four low-dose medications transform how high blood pressure is treated?

The first year of COVID; the 'molecular messages' sent during exercise; is orthopaedic surgery over prescribed?; and can a combination pill transform how blood pressure is treated?

The COVID outbreak in regional New South Wales is highlighting the comparatively low vaccination rates in Indigenous communities. New research uncovers more on the origins of The Black Death. Researchers try to understand more about the experience of chronic illness after tick bites. And in the US, the trial of the founder of biotech company Theranos begins.

Vaccine rates in Indigenous communities; the origins of The Black Death; understanding illness caused by ticks; and the trial of Theranos founder begins

What new research shows about the effect of substituting salt and health - can it save lives?

Can substituting salt save lives?; the science of the COVID modelling; and Toxoplasma Gondii and cognitive decline

Australia is pinning its hopes on modelling that says restrictions can start to ease once we hit vaccination targets, but will the high case numbers in NSW disrupt that plan? New research finds that people who are fully vaccinated but contract COVID can still carry high viral loads. Why are some countries seeing high numbers of children in ICUs, while others are not? And why are some teenagers more at risk of regular substance use? The answer - partly at least - may lie within the brain.

Have we misunderstood the Doherty modelling?; High viral loads in vaccinated people; COVID risks to children; and substance use and the developing teenage brain

How can ventilation be improved to help reduce the spread of COVID? The surprising discovery that patients who isolate prior to surgery are more likely to develop post-operative lung complications. What's it like living with tinnitus and can anything be done about it? And calls to do more to prevent chronic disease.

How can ventilation be improved to protect against COVID; post-op lung complications in patients who isolated before surgery; what's it like living with tinnitus?; and calls to do more to prevent chronic disease

We now have modelling to guide our way out of the pandemic, but some researchers say we will need to vaccinate even younger age groups to reach sufficient immunity. Why are so many women having critical medical care delayed when experiencing a heart attack? And research shows people living with anxiety are more likely to use alcohol. But what happens when drinking becomes a problem and where can you get help?

The modelling on the pathway out of the pandemic; why critical care for women having heart attacks is being delayed; and alcohol use and anxiety

What are people experiencing in intensive care as a result of the delta COVID outbreak and how are hospitals coping?

The frontline of the NSW COVID outbreak; the race to find more effective COVID treatments; and COVID risk for people living with mood disorders

Right now overseas, several covid vaccines are being trialled in children as young as babies 6 months of age. So how long will it be until younger kids can get vaccinated? How pandemic prevention measures have been particularly tough on the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Cataract surgery can and is sometimes done in both eyes on the same day. But what does a review of the data tell us about whether this is best? And a puzzling link between two things that can cause disability as we age: cognitive decline, and fractures.

COVID vaccine trials for young children; COVID's mental health toll on Indigenous communities; should bilateral cataract surgery be done on the same day?; and the link between bone loss and cognitive decline

What's the best way to manage finite resources in the middle of a pandemic and what can Australia learn from other countries; what a review of COVID research exposes about waste and missed opportunities; low value care has little or any benefit and a new study finds patients agree; and what does research tell us about preventing alcohol and drug misuse in kids?

Managing resources in the pandemic; review of COVID research; low value care; and how to prevent kids misusing alcohol

What does modelling tell us about what it will take to bring the NSW COVID cluster under control; scientists try to settle the debate about the origins of Covid-19; how can people with blood cancers stay safe in the pandemic; and can exercise help counter the toll poor sleeps takes on our health?

Growing COVID crisis in NSW; the origins of COVID; vaccine protection for people with blood cancers; and can exercise help those with poor sleep quality?

The Health Report appeals to both specialist and mainstream audiences by applying a broad definition of health, and seeing health and medicine within social, scientific and political contexts. One audio file of each program for continuous listening.

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Health Report - Full program podcast

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