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ABC Australia

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 Report - Full program podcast

Which flu strains are likely to be dominant this flu season - and what's the story with the new nasal spray vaccine?

Speaking of sprays ... there's a simple saline spray that might help kids with sleep apnoea avoid surgery.

And a treatment for enlarged prostate that doesn't involve going under the knife.

Plus, a new review finds vaping is likely to cause certain types of cancer.

References:

The carcinogenicity of e-cigarettes: a qualitative risk assessmentCost-Effectiveness of Oral Immunotherapy Treatments vs No Treatment for Peanut Allergy in ChildrenAnnual Immunisation Coverage Report 2025Vaping likely to cause cancer, new Australian review of evidence finds (ABC News)Influenza (flu) vaccine - Department of HealthInfluenza immunisation resources - National Centre for Immunisation Research and SurveillanceHistoric 1994 influenza vaccine cohorts define breadth of antibody and B cell responses toward future influenza A and B virusesLab Notes: Super-K flu is here … but it's not our biggest problemIntranasal Treatments for Children With Sleep-Disordered Breathing: The MIST+ Randomized Clinical TrialProstate artery Embolisation Assessment of Safety and feasibilitY (P-EASY): a potential alternative to long-term medical therapy for benign prostate hyperplasiaThe ‘Prostate Embolisation AS first-line therapY compAred to meDication in treatment naïVe men with prostAte eNlargement, a randomised ControllEd trial’ (P-EASY ADVANCE): a randomised controlled trial of prostate embolisation vs medication for BPHProstate artery EmbolisAtion Safety and efficacY: Preliminary and foLlow-Up urodynamic Studies (P-EASY PLUS)

What to expect this flu season

3D printing is becoming an incredibly versatile modern tool - with scope to apply it to engineering, manufacturing, architecture and design challenges. And it's increasingly being used in ... healthcare.

Plus, 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.

This week's Health Report features stories from our archive. We'll be back with a new program next week.

3D printing in healthcare

There's been major buzz in recent years over ultra-processed foods and whether they may be harmful to our health. A new study out of Canada has measured what toddlers eat and how much of it is ultra-processed - and then followed up two years later to examine the behavioural outcomes of those same children.

New findings on 'silent' women's health issues and where women would like the focus of healthcare research and spending to be - what the authors are saying is a call to go 'beyond the bikini line.'

It takes days for the results of an STI test to come back, and that can cause all sorts of problems. A new 'point-of-care' test aims to shave that testing window down to less than an hour, with implications for sexual health treatment in regional and remote areas.

Plus, sex differences after a diagnosis of cancer - men and women appear to follow separate trajectories, especially when it comes to their risk of death and adverse outcomes.

References:

Psilocybin or Nicotine Patch for Smoking CessationSex-based prognosis in industry-sponsored advanced solid tumour trials: an individual participant data meta-analysis of survival and adverse eventsThanks to AI, Paul can see the culprit of his dog's cancerMeet the man who designed a cancer vaccine for his dogUltraprocessed Food Consumption and Behavioral Outcomes in Canadian ChildrenMultilevel predictors of ultra-processed food intake in Canadian preschoolers‘Women deserve better’: a national mixed-methods exploration of the ‘silent’ health conditions and social issues affecting women and girls in AustraliaCRISPR-Cas-based diagnostics for point-of-care detection of sexually transmitted infections: a laboratory development and evaluation study

Ultra-processed foods and behaviour in kids

MDMA psychotherapy was approved in Australia three years ago. Who's using it and what do we know about treatment side effects?

Vaccine reminders can help nudge people back on track, but how the message is framed matters.

A new review of screen use and sleep in young people finds no link between the amount of use and sleep quality or duration.

And a different way of looking at mental health outcomes - whether digital tools can help us forecast someone's future needs and provide better, more personalised care.

References:

Within-Person Association Between Daily Screen Use and Sleep in YouthAcetaminophen (Paracetamol) or Opioid Analgesia Added to Ibuprofen for Children’s Musculoskeletal InjuryEffects of daily multivitamin–multimineral and cocoa extract supplementation on epigenetic aging clocks in the COSMOS randomized clinical trialSide-effects of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysisExperiences of Australian clinicians, researchers, and patients with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: A framework-guided qualitative analysisThe AuTOMATIC trial: a multicentre digitally-automated, Bayesian, adaptive, parallel, factorial randomised controlled trial of SMS reminders for childhood vaccinationThe necessity of digital measurement-based care for navigating complexity in youth mental healthDynamic learning of individual-level suicidal ideation trajectories to enhance mental health care

MDMA therapy's side effects

Are Australian schoolkids eating too much salt? And does it put them at risk of high blood pressure?

A new approach to breast cancer screening based on risk could reduce the number of screens needed for some women.

There's been a lot of hype around brain training to protect against cognitive decline, but the results haven't always measured up. Now a new long-term study has promising results. 

Plus, navigating the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis -- when can the condition be medically managed and when should you consider surgery?

References:

Impact of cognitive training on claims-based diagnosed dementia over 20 years: evidence from the ACTIVE studyEfficacy and safety of once-daily oral orforglipron compared with oral semaglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes (ACHIEVE-3)Risk factors for the development of food allergy in infants and childrenSodium, potassium and blood pressure in Australian schoolchildren: exploring differences by sex and weight status — a cross-sectional studyRisk-Based vs Annual Breast Cancer Screening: The WISDOM Randomized Clinical Trial

Are Australian kids eating too much salt?

We know many people are turning to generative AI for health advice, including tips on how to manage stress, anxiety and low mood. 

When is it safe to turn to a chatbot, and when do you need to see a real human being? And what if you can't afford it?

Also, a home review program that aims to get people off drugs they don't need to be on that might be negatively impacting their lives. 

And good news when it comes to Australia's goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035. 

References:

Uptake and performance of self-collection offered through primary care to all eligible participants in a national cervical screening programme in Australia: a retrospective cohort studyExtended follow-up of invasive cervical cancer risk after quadrivalent HPV vaccination: nationwide, register based studyLeisure-Time Physical Activity and Cancer Mortality Among Cancer SurvivorsInformed use of AI technologies for mental healthAI and mental health in Australia: what needs to happen next - Black Dog InstitutePharmacists call for medicine review program to be expanded - ABC NewsThe effect of deprescribing interventions on mortality and health outcomes in older people: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Can AI chatbots be good therapists?

A paper has suggested exercise has minimal, short-term effects on osteoarthritis. But experts are warning people with the condition that they shouldn't stop moving. 

Also, school kids are being called on to help in the fight against superbugs. A new study shoots down low-dose aspirin for older people wanting to prevent cancer. 

And we take a look at another form of arthritis: gout. It's under-recognised and under-treated, but what can be done about it, and why is it such a complicated story?

References:

Menopausal hormone therapy and long term mortality: nationwide, register based cohort studySixth Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health (AURA report)Education and Behaviour Change - The Fleming Initiative's StanceIntermittent fasting for adults with overweight or obesityEffectiveness of exercise therapy for osteoarthritis: an overview of systematic reviews and randomised controlled trialsCancer Incidence and Mortality With Aspirin in Older Adults: Follow-Up of the ASPREE TrialThe effects of daily low-dose aspirin on white matter hyperintensity lesions and retinal vascular calibre in healthy older adults: the ENVIS-ion exploratory neuroimaging substudy of the ASPREE randomised clinical trial • 
Treat-to-Target Urate-Lowering Treatment and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With GoutArthritis Australia gout resourcesGout Medcast resources

Wait, does exercise help osteoarthritis?

Researchers have pin-pointed the best exercise routines for depression or anxiety symptoms, and they might be equal to medication and talk therapy.

Also, why states and territories are making changes to their maternity care guidance for doctors. 

An update on Alzheimer's disease off the back of important vaccine discoveries. Why the packaging of statins might need an upgrade.

And some clarity on beta blockers after a heart attack. Does everyone need to be taking them?

References:

Valacyclovir Treatment of Early Symptomatic Alzheimer Disease: The VALAD Randomized Clinical TrialAssessment of adverse effects attributed to statin therapy in product labels: a meta-analysis of double-blind randomised controlled trialsNutritional deficiencies and muscle loss in adults with type 2 diabetes using GLP-1 receptor agonists: A retrospective observational studyEffect of exercise on depression and anxiety symptoms: systematic umbrella review with meta-meta-analysisRespectful Maternity and Newborn Care Frameworkβ blockers after myocardial infarction with mildly reduced ejection fraction: an individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trialsBeta-Blockers after Myocardial Infarction in Patients without Heart FailureBeta-Blockers after Myocardial Infarction without Reduced Ejection Fraction

Prescribing exercise for mental health

When you pay for private health insurance, you might assume you'll be well covered if you get injured or fall ill. 

But a new report has revealed the huge costs that catch people off guard, and sometimes prevent them from receiving care. 

Also, a study hints that constant colds in childhood might not be business-as-usual and should be taken more seriously. 

And we talk through the Nipah virus outbreak in India, and changes in Victoria to ADHD medication prescribing.

References:

Nipah and Hendra Viruses: Deadly Zoonotic Paramyxoviruses with the Potential to Cause the Next Pandemic - PMCUrgent ADHD Top-Up Prescriptions Even Easier And CheaperRestoring affordable access to specialist care in AustraliaBurden of Infections in Early Life and Risk of Infections and Systemic Antibiotics Use in Childhood

The cost shock of specialist care

Many people turning to AI for health advice are doing it for valid reasons — it's cheap, fast and isn't bound by a 15-minute timer. 

But the checks and balances companies use to ensure their products are safe, or even accurate, aren't open to public scrutiny.

Also on the show, medical abortion is available up to nine weeks in Australia. There's a push to allow access later. 

And the much-maligned fat cell gets a look-in from a world-leading expert.

References

First step towards a national medicines recordNational medicines database promised after telehealth 'doctor-shopping' leads to overdoseUptake of Shingrix vaccine in its first year on the National Immunisation Program: an analysis of Australian Immunisation Register dataCannabis‐based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adultsSafety and efficacy of early medical abortion at home between 10+0 and 11+6 weeks' gestation: a retrospective review

Can AI chatbots be good therapists?

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