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BBC Radio 4


Series that demystifies health issues, separating fact from fiction and bringing clarity to conflicting health advice.


Inside Health

Right now, research is gathering pace in revolutionising our understanding of inflammation, which could transform the treatment of so many chronic diseases - cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, depression, type 2 diabetes and many more. 

So, what is inflammation, how is it implicated in these diseases and can we do anything about it? 

Immunologist Professor Eleanor Riley at the University of Edinburgh explains what inflammation actually is and how chronic inflammation can get stuck in a self-perpetuating loop. 
 
We speak to Professor Charlie Swanton, who is the Francis Crick Institute’s Clinical Director. He explains how his research into inflammation is leading to a radical new approach to lung cancer-prevention. 

Professor Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, outlines the conundrum of inflammation in Alzheimer’s. We know it plays a key role, but how to intervene remains a mystery. 

And can we as individuals do anything to bring down inflammation? Professor Sarah Berry from the nutrition department at Kings College London explains how what we eat can heighten or reduce inflammation in our bodies. 
 
Presenter: James Gallagher 
Producer: Hannah Robins

Is inflammation behind all chronic disease?

Insulin has been used to treat type 1 diabetes for more than a century but now there is a new treatment being rolled out on the NHS that can delay the onset of the disease for years. Alongside, screening is gathering pace, identifying those that could benefit. So, is this the beginning of a new era for type 1 diabetes treatment? 

Dima and his mum Elena explain what it was like to be told that he had tested positive for developing type 1 diabetes and what it was like taking part in the trial for this new drug, teplizumab. Parth Narendran, a Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Birmingham, and Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist Dr Renuka Dias at Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital, reveal how these changes are transforming treatment. 

In July, the NHS announced plans to incentivise us to walk a marathon a month by offering vouchers and discounts. But with scant detail on how the plan will actually work, we ask Joan Costa-i-Font, Professor of Health Economics at London School of Economics, what makes schemes like this succeed or fail. 

Plus, why are horse fly bites so painful? Dr Erica McAlister, an entomologist at the Natural History Museum, explains how the flies break into our skin, while consultant dermatologist Dr Alexandra Banner describes what’s happening in our bodies. 

Presenter: James Gallagher 
Producer: Hannah Robins

A new era for type 1 diabetes treatment

More than six years since the start of the Covid pandemic, it might feel like we're pretty over it, yet that's simply not the case for the millions of people who suffer from long Covid. But could there be hope on the horizon? 

A new clinical trial led by University College London and University College London Hospitals found that over-the-counter antihistamines and a prescription anti-inflammatory drug called colchicine offered a small reduction in fatigue for people with long Covid. But it's still not a cure. Professor Danny Altmann, an immunologist at Imperial College London, joins us to discuss this new research and the problems with understanding long Covid. He also tells us about some of the upcoming studies that might help us better get a handle on the condition. 

Also this week, did you know that around one in 335 people in the UK are living with a stoma? Yet according to Colostomy UK, more than 60 per cent of those with a stoma say a lack of suitable toilet facilities affects their daily lives. Thanks to a campaign that started in Bristol, B&Q has now made the disabled toilets across its stores stoma-friendly. We pay a visit to B&Q with The Traitors' Mollie Pearce, who has been living with a stoma since she was 18, and colorectal surgeon Ms Caroline Burt from Bristol Foundation Trust to find out more. 

Finally, many of us have been guzzling ice cream to cool off during the hot weather. But have you seen the social media claims that the frozen treat can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes? We asked nutritional scientist Dr Sarah Berry from King's College London to give us the scoop on the 'ice cream paradox'. 

Presenter: James Gallagher 
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell 
Production coordinator: Stu Laws 
Editor: Ilan Goodman

Where are we at with long Covid?

We’ve had two heatwaves already this summer with warnings that even young and healthy people should rethink their fitness routines in the heat. 

So how can we keep exercising when it’s so hot you barely want to move? 

James chats with physiologist Damian Bailey from the University of South Wales. 

Next, James is at Rother Valley Country Park in Sheffield to meet Calli Hauger-Thackery who made headlines for running the Boston marathon while 22 weeks pregnant and physiotherapist Ros Cooke to find out what changes in the body during pregnancy - and see what exercise is safe. 

So we’ve worked up a sweat… but what’s the best way to recover?

We’re in the lab at the University of Westminster to put electrolytes to the test with Dr Lewis Mattin and we cool off with Ros Cooke while chatting about active recovery versus total rest.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Special appearance: Hannah Fisher 
Producer: Gerry Holt
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stu Laws

Staying fit in the heat and do we need electrolytes?

Earlier this summer, there was some incredible progress in cervical cancer. Women who have been vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) now have an almost zero chance of dying from cervical cancer before the age of 30. But does that mean women will no longer need cervical screening? Dr Jo Morrison, a consultant gynaecological oncologist from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, joins James Gallagher and resident GP Dr Margaret McCartney to discuss. 

The government has announced school dinners will soon be overhauled in England, in order to reduce the amount of salt, sugar and fat, and boost the amount of fibre and nutrients offered to schoolchildren. James is joined by Dr Maria Traka, head of the food and nutrition national bioscience research infrastructure at the Quadram Institute in Norwich, to find out what the new dinners will look like. He also pays a visit to the Food Museum in Suffolk, where curator Katherine Bridges takes him on a trip through the decades, to see whether school dinners are healthier than ever. 

Also, have you seen the buzz surrounding creatine on social media? Gym-goers promise it can help you get stronger and build bigger muscles, but there is also some debate about whether it could boost your brain too. To dig into the science, James chats with Dr Damian Bailey, a professor of physiology and biochemistry at the University of South Wales.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stu Laws
Sound engineer: Steve Greenwood

Could we eliminate cervical cancer?

An experimental treatment to “reset” the immune systems of people with autoimmune disease is showing transformative results in early trials. 

James visits the NIHR Clinical Research Facility in Manchester to meet Kathy. She was diagnosed with lupus just after the birth of her baby and in 2024 became the first person in the UK to try CAR-T therapy as part of a clinical trial. How is she feeling now?

We’ll also hear from Kathy’s rheumatologist Professor Ben Parker, who led the trial Kathy took part in and explains how the therapy works, the astonishing early results - and whether the effects on the immune system are long lasting.

Also this week, James visits the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to meet some lab-grown British mosquitoes and find out whether they’re out to get us for longer periods of the year and how worried we should be about the threat of disease, with medical entomologist Dr Mojca Kristan and virologist Professor Roger Hewson. 

And we look at the latest online trend of “spermmaxxing” with urologist Professor Vaibhav Modgil. Why are men trying to optimise their sperm by dipping their testicles in iced water and abstaining from porn - and is there any evidence for these tactics?

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stu Laws
Sound engineer: Mary Stone

Could CAR-T therapy transform autoimmune disease?

A new non-hormonal drug has been approved to treat menopausal hot flushes. It works by regulating the body's cooling signals and is now available on the NHS in England for those who cannot use hormone replacement therapy. 

Before delving into the evidence with resident GP Dr Margaret McCartney, James finds out what it feels like to have a hot flush.

Also this week, James chats to Dr Manjula Meda, a microbiologist who is spearheading a radical new project. She has found that water systems in hospitals may be a breeding ground for antimicrobial resistance, and is tackling this by removing the sinks from wards. Is it effective and safe?

Finally, we all do it, but we don't like discussing it... Farting. James speaks to the University of Maryland's Professor Brantley Hall, who has developed a 'fart detector' that can measure emissions to get a better understanding of gut health. And James gets the chance to attach one to his pants for three days. For science, of course.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Gerry Holt
Content editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Inside Health was made by the BBC’s Audio Science Unit in collaboration with The Open University.

New treatment for menopausal hot flush

Little over a week on from the first meningitis cases in Canterbury, many crucial questions remain. 

So this week we're taking an in-depth look at those questions and what we’ve learnt from this outbreak - and could it happen again?

James also hears from author Michael Rosen whose son Eddie died from meningitis aged 18 about just how quickly the disease struck and how he deals with his grief. 

And would you trust health advice from an AI chatbot? 

We hear from someone who regularly turns to ChatGPT and from GP Dr Margaret McCartney about her concerns.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Content editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Studio engineer: Donald MacDonald

Inside Health was made by the BBC’s Audio Science Unit in collaboration with The Open University.

Could the Kent meningitis outbreak happen again?

More than 30,000 people are being contacted in the Canterbury area regarding the outbreak of bacterial meningitis in Kent. Two people have died, and others are seriously ill. James Gallagher speaks with immunologist Sir Andrew Pollard about the disease, and finds out what could have caused the outbreak.

That’s the major headline from the UK. But more broadly, for the last few weeks the news has been dominated by the situation in the Middle East. James speaks with Dr Antoine Abou Fayad, a microbiologist and medicinal chemist based in Beirut, Lebanon. He reveals that war, just like the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, provides the perfect storm to accelerate the spread of multidrug-resistant infections. And nobody is safe. 
 
And finally, James finds out about an ongoing trial at the University of Exeter, where interactive computer games are being used by stroke patients to improve their recovery. And, of course, James has a go himself!

Presenter: James Gallagher 
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell 
Researcher: Tom Hunt 
Editor: Ilan Goodman

What's driving the outbreak of meningitis among students?

There have been nearly 200 cases of measles in the UK so far this year.

Measles can be prevented with vaccines - but the proportion of children being immunised is declining across the UK, particularly in parts of London.

James visits Hackney, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, to find out why and to see what is happening to tackle this issue.

And have you tried an adaptogenic drink? They claim to relax the mind, without giving you a boozy hangover. 

James samples some in the lab and then gets behind the wheel of a simulator to see what it does to his driving skills…

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Researcher: Thomas Hunt
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Sound engineer: Giles Aspen

Inside Health was made by the BBC’s Audio Science Unit in collaboration with The Open University.

What causes vaccine hesitancy?

In 2016, Niall McCann was left with a bruised spinal cord when he crashed his speed glider into the side of a mountain at 50mph. 

He shares his journey to recovery and some unexpected life lessons he has had to navigate, from soiling himself in inconvenient places and not being able to control his flatulence, to having to re-learn how to have sex again.

We also hear from a Brecon Mountain Rescue medic on what looked like an “unsurvivable” situation and Niall’s surgeon on fixing his “exploded” spine.
 
Presenter: Smitha Mundasad
Producer: Gerry Holt
Editor: Holly Squire

Bladder, bowels and sex: Learning to live after my mountain accident

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