Health Report - Separate stories podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

The TGA has approved a drug — donanemab — to treat Alzheimer's disease in its early stages. 

The drug has a small effect in slowing cognitive decline, however it isn't a cure and can have significant side effects. 

Also, the World Health Assembly adopts historic Pandemic Agreement with zero objections. 

For months, the Health Report has been getting emails about ads where 'Norman' was promoting unproven supplements. 

Scammers have been using Norman's voice and face to create AI videos to sell hundreds of dollars worth of supplements to trusting listeners. 

References

• The growing impact of deepfake health scams | 7.30
• Deepfake videos of Norman Swan are tricking people into buying unproven supplements at a risk to their own health

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.

You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

With Labor winning another term — and a larger majority — their health promises have gone from election pledges to government mandate. 

They've promised big boosts to Medicare and to cut costs for certain treatments and medications.

But not everyone is happy with what has been promised — because of what wasn't given a spotlight during the campaign. 

About one in seven Australians take an antidepressant, and many people are taking them long-term.

However there isn’t much evidence for the effectiveness of antidepressants long-term.

But getting off these drugs can be tough, because withdrawal symptoms can be severe and can mimic a relapse.

Guest/s

• Professor Katharine Wallis, lead of the RELEASE (REdressing Long-tErm Antidepressant uSE) program, University of Queensland

References

• Antidepressant prescribing in Australian primary care: time to reevaluate
• RELEASE information and resources

Early pregnancy loss, including miscarriage, is widespread. Up to one in five women will have a miscarriage before 20 weeks.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has put out clinical guidelines for the treatment of miscarriage.

Advocates are hoping to improves care for women, and draws attention to an important issue.

Guest/s

• Isabelle Oderberg, chair of the Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition and author of Hard to Bear: Investigating the science and silence of miscarriage
• Dr Nisha Khot, president-elect of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

References

• Miscarriage, Recurrent Miscarriage and Ectopic Pregnancy: Clinical Guideline
• Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition

Sleep apnea is a condition that affects your breathing when you sleep, and can have serious consequences.

There are some hallmark symptoms like snoring, but that’s not always how it presents – particularly in women.

Sleep apnea is also linked to a host of metabolic conditions, like insulin resistance, diabetes and fatty liver disease.

Guest/s

• Dr Peter Wallbridge, respiratory and sleep physician

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.

You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer.

It follows the diagnosis of one of our own prominent politicians, Barnaby Joyce.

There’s been a lot of changes lately in the guidelines for detecting and treating prostate cancer, but gaps remain.

Guest/s

• Associate Professor Jeremy Grummet, director of urology at Alfred Health and Monash University

References

• Public Consultation: DRAFT 2025 Clinical Guidelines for the Early Detection of Prostate Cancer

In a world first, a baby has been treated with a personalised gene-editing technique.

KJ’s parents were given the choice of a liver transplant or a CRISPR therapy that nobody had ever received. The journey isn’t over, but KJ has improved.

So what’s on the horizon for CRISPR therapies – will we continue to see personalised applications?

Guest/s

• Professor Marco Herold, CEO of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and head of the Blood Cancer and Immunotherapy Laboratory

References

• World's First Patient Treated with Personalized CRISPR Gene Editing Therapy at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Patient-Specific In Vivo Gene Editing to Treat a Rare Genetic Disease - NEJM