Health Report - Separate stories podcast

The latest health news, including a curriculum changes in Victoria to bring phonics learning into the classrooms. A look at Australia's COVID, influenza and RSV numbers, and the vaccination rates for winter. And concerns over the quality of research in a paper on excess mortality rates during the COVID pandemic published in the British Medical Journal.

Sepsis is a potentially deadly condition that happens when the immune system has an extreme response to infection. It can cause irreversible organ damage. Australian researchers are developing a new drug designed to restore cells that become degraded.

Age-related macular degeneration is a common disease which leads to a loss of central vision.

While it's still a rarity reserved for astronauts and the very rich, space travel is becoming more common. We know it changes the body, both at the physiological and the cellular level. But we're still in the dark about what this means for long-term health when crew members splash back down to earth.

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week, including iron infusions and more on migraines. You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week, including asthma prevention and the etymology of migraine. You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

We blink more than we need to, and scientists have been trying to find out why. New research suggests blinking helps us see the world in finer detail – essentially, it makes our eyes more sensitive.

Pain can be a helpful tool to make sure we don't exceed our limits, but when it persists it can be detrimental. Research has shown that people experiencing chronic pain see the world as a harsher place – distances are longer and hills are steeper.

If you're one of many ransacking the cold and flu aisle this winter, you might have spotted a common ingredient: zinc. It has been touted as a remedy for sickness — even a preventative. A comprehensive review has delved into the current research into the supplement and its effectiveness. Guest Assistant Professor Daryl NaultReferences Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold

Dr Penny Palmer, Executive Producer of ABC TV's Catalyst, looks back at her time working with Michael Mosley at the BBC in the early 2000s.

Making health new this week, could a common type-2 diabetes treatment also help in the fight against some cancers? And, two research papers examine the most effective way to treat sepsis.

The latest health news, including promising developments in the treatment of skin cancer and prostate cancer. Also, an update on the various bird flu strains circulation as Mexico records a death from H5N2. And a new discovery sheds light on the cause of inflammatory bowel disease. References Avian Influenza A (H5N2) - MexicoLong-Term Outcomes in Patients Using Protocol-Directed Active Surveillance for Prostate CancerNeoadjuvant Nivolumab and Ipilimumab in Resectable Stage III MelanomaA disease-associated gene desert directs macrophage inflammation through ETS2

About 1 in 5 Australians suffer with migraine, a complex and often debilitating condition. While there is no cure, migraines can be managed. However it can take a long time for people to find an approach that works for them, which is why experts want to make that journey easier. Guest Associate Professor Susan Tomlinson

We know that exercise is good for us, but what is going on at the cellular level to explain it? New research hints at what exercise is doing to the brain cells of mice to keep them mentally fit. Guest References Exercise rejuvenates microglia and reverses T cell accumulation in the aged female mouse brain

In a climate changed world, we're bound to experience hotter days with more frequency. There are physical health implications, but there are mental health consequences as well. Guest Dr Taylor BraundReferences Ambient maximum daily temperature and mental health‐related presentations to a western Sydney emergency department, 2015–2019: analysis of hospital and meteorological data

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week, including a little-known predictor of heart disease. This under-tested type of blood fat could be driving heart disease You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

The latest health news, including new research on how effective our COVID-19 vaccinations are, especially at keeping people out of hospital and preventing death.

For the first time in 15 years, breast cancer screening is undergoing a review in Australia. A report has recommended updating the assessment protocol and incorporating newer imaging technologies.

The earlier blood sugar levels are normalised in type 2 diabetes, the fewer complications a person will go on to have.

Stem cells have long held the the promise of revolutionising medicine. They're taking a while to deliver on the promise, but two new studies have brought us a little closer. One combats the life-threatening rejection disease that many bone marrow donation recipients develop ... using a different type of stem cell. The other looks at using someone's own blood to generate a 'patch' that could replace the need for a heart transplant. What's more, a key ingredient of keeping the patch going comes from silkworms.