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.
Latest episodes
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41 min
What should be done about e-scooters and e-bikes?
The first national report on e-scooters and e-devices from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare quantifies the impact of these devices on our community. So what should be…
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42 min
Menopause guidelines could be a gamechanger
New guidelines for clinicians will clarify when to use menopausal hormone therapy over other medicines, and what options are available for those with a history of breast cancer.The…
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42 min
What happens when you don't use BMI to measure obesity?
Broadening the definition of clinical obesity has lowered its prevalence in children but increased it in mid-life. Researchers hope this will assist clinicians with individualised…
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42 min
Waking up stiff and sore? It could be PMR
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory condition that mostly affects people over 65 years of age but can happen earlier. Learn what to look out for and when you should get…
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45 min
Should weight loss injections be easier to access?
After failing to negotiate a way for their weight loss medicine to be listed on the PBS, Eli Lilly has launched an online platform to "facilitate dispensing and delivery of medicin…
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43 min
Is AHPRA doing enough to curb unsafe prescribing?
Rachel has lived experience of an eating disorder and came across ads for a telehealth weight loss company on a podcast. The ads continue in their podcast feed, more than a year af…
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45 min
Why you should speed up your steps, even just in short bursts.
A study looking at step intensity and step count provides helpful advice for those who are limited in their time and ability to increase the number of steps and their pace.The phar…
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46 min
Validation for people living with chronic pain
An international study of the genes of 2.5 million people confirms fibromyalgia as a nervous system disorder. A rheumatologist explains the relationship to other disorders includin…
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49 min
Same work but no training pathway for unaccredited registrars
It's become harder for medical students to qualify as a fully accredited specialist. This delay is having a profound impact on the wellbeing of doctors and on access to specialists…
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43 min
Will this help more men get prostate checkups?
New clinical guidelines for early detection of prostate cancer make big changes to screening, with an end to the digital examination and more frequent PSA tests in older age groups…
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45 min
BMI fails the test as a predictor of disease risk
A study shows waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference (WC) should be included with BMI when assessing patients with abdominal fat for risk of cardiovascular disease.A new…
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52 min
Kate has a history of anorexia. Why was she prescribed weight loss jabs?
‘Kate’ has a history of anorexia nervosa and was once hospitalised for the condition. Yet she was able to access GLP1s to control her weight via a telehealth provider, without bein…
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43 min
An Alzheimer's blood test is on the way. What could that mean for you?
Clinicians, researchers, government and industry partners have come together in a new arrangement to trial a blood test that uses biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, in the hope it…
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44 min
When is a child ready for their own smartphone?
A new study looks at the health benefits of holding off on a child's smartphone by one year. Is there a "best" age to let them have their own device?Despite the lack of subsidies f…
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43 min
What can you really learn from a biological ageing test?
There's a race going on in Silicon Valley to find ways to slow down ageing and monetise longevity. Some of the tools used to measure this are biological age tests that give various…
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43 min
Who should be allowed to prescribe medications?
A review of the evidence for community pharmacist prescribing has reopened the debate about who should be able to prescribe, and a legislative change means some registered nurses w…
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44 min
Could a sleep supplement help reduce chronic pain?
While looking for ways to treat pain in those with musculoskeletal disorders, researchers examined studies in which sleep supplement melatonin had been used. A study into the behav…
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42 min
Should we ban the use of controversial herbicide, paraquat?
A movement disorder specialist says the APVMA decision on the use of herbicide paraquat ignores evidence of the link with cases of Parkinson's disease.Analysis of patient data show…
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19 min
Bird flu has reached Australia. Now what?
The first cases of H5N1 bird flu have been confirmed following the discovery and rescue of a sick bird on a remote beach in Western Australia.Since then more sick birds have been r…
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44 min
Good and bad news on alcohol and disease risk
A new review brings together data from studies worldwide and shows that the impact of alcohol has been underestimated, but that changing drinking habits can reverse and slow down d…