Health Report - Full program podcast
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.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 34 minutes
- Episodes
- 248
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Mapping the brain using the placebo effect
Researchers have tricked participants with placebo pain relief in an effort to map the brainstem.
Also, how immunotherapy might be used to treat mental health conditions in some young people.
And…
00:40:47 |
Fri 05 Sep 2025
Could your baby’s skincare routine have lifelong benefits?
Lots of people develop a daily skincare routine for anti-ageing purposes, but what if there are benefits from starting even earlier — at just nine weeks old?
Also, a discussion in the United States …
00:41:46 |
Fri 29 Aug 2025
Long term relief for low back pain
Cognitive Functional Therapy can help relieve low back pain, and shows some positive long-term results.
Ovarian cancer doesn't start in the ovaries, but in the fallopian tubes, and opportunistic sur…
00:43:51 |
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Can an ultraprocessed diet ever be healthy?
Dietary guidelines tell us what we should eat for good health, but at the moment it is possible to follow the guidelines and still eat predominantly ultraprocessed foods.
A new study has looked at …
00:45:22 |
Fri 15 Aug 2025
Is your no-sugar drink really the healthier option?
If you reach for a no-sugar drink, thinking you're making a wise choice, you might need to think again.
A new study suggests artificially sweetened drinks carry a similar type 2 diabetes risk to su…
00:43:34 |
Fri 08 Aug 2025
The pros and cons of mental time travel
There are ways to rejuvenate old memories, but a new study has compared the process to the myth of Sisyphus, who was cursed to repeatedly roll a stone up a hill.
Also on the show, many doctors are …
00:41:02 |
Fri 01 Aug 2025
What bat parents and human parents have in common
Just like human children, young bats have been found to harbour and spread lots of viruses.
Their susceptibility to contracting multiple viruses at once makes them the perfect breeding ground for n…
00:43:06 |
Fri 25 Jul 2025
How to add 14 years to your lifespan
Five risk factors explain 50 per cent of cardiovascular risk at age 50, according to a new study.
Addressing those risk factors can add years to your life, even if you address them in middle age.
…
00:43:07 |
Fri 18 Jul 2025
Mapping the environmental exposures that impact human health
The human exposome is the environmental equivalent of the human genome, and there's a project in the works to map it.
It's a huge project that needs to take into account our lifestyles, cultures, e…
00:40:07 |
Fri 11 Jul 2025
Harnessing the immune system to fight cancer
Immunotherapy uses the body's immune system to fight cancer. In blood cancer, a revolutionary t-cell therapy has cured patients and could show promise in solid tumours.
In bladder cancer, the tuber…
00:36:15 |
Fri 04 Jul 2025
The man using AI to try treat his dog's cancer
In the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence, it can sometimes feel like the answer to everything is right around the corner.
A dog owner is testing this with the help of super-computing, to …
00:36:48 |
Fri 27 Jun 2025
What do hyenas have to do with human health?
Hyenas and vultures play a role in driving down the risk of disease outbreaks, but their decline due to human behaviour is putting our health in danger.
Also, we discuss Lifeblood's changes which br…
00:44:03 |
Fri 20 Jun 2025
Is it too easy to get a prescription for medicinal cannabis?
There are concerns people are getting their hands on medicinal cannabis to treat conditions where there's very little evidence of benefit — and the possibility of harm.
Also, why weight loss drugs …
00:39:02 |
Fri 13 Jun 2025
Exercise packs a punch in fending off cancer
A structured exercise program has increased survival in people with colon cancer after they've undergone surgery and chemotherapy.
Also, a common genetic variant could double the risk of dementia i…
00:40:35 |
Fri 06 Jun 2025
Can you predict how smart a baby will be in adulthood?
Our cognitive ability changes throughout our lives, but what happens when we're young can determine our intelligence in adulthood — especially if we don't do anything to bolster it.
Also, NSW foll…
00:42:48 |
Fri 30 May 2025
Deepfake scammers have stolen Norman’s voice
If you've come across ads of Norman pushing a product for you to buy — no you haven't.
These ads are actually deepfake scams using an AI Norman to sell unproven supplements.
Also, why a new Alzhe…
00:42:01 |
Fri 23 May 2025
Want to heal your gut? Here's the evidence
Gut health is more complicated than social media influencers might have you believe.
It can be impacted by diet, exercise, the medications you take, the colds you catch. And any one of these factor…
00:41:16 |
Fri 16 May 2025
You don’t have to snore to have sleep apnea
It's a common sleep disorder that can have knock-on effects on your cardiovascular and overall metabolic health.
But sleep apnea doesn't always present how people think, especially in women.
Also…
00:43:58 |
Fri 09 May 2025
Left or right arm? The site of your booster vaccine matters
The immune system seems to respond faster, and better, when you get a booster vaccine in the same arm as your initial vaccine.
Also, your GP might miss something going wrong with your liver because…
00:39:45 |
Fri 02 May 2025
Would you trust AI to make a life or death decision?
When you can't make medical decisions for yourself, it's often the responsibility of a loved one, or sometimes a doctor who doesn't know you at all.
Some researchers are suggesting artificial intel…
00:40:26 |
Fri 25 Apr 2025
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are the property of [email protected]. This content is not affiliated with or endorsed by eachpod.com.