Show Notes
In the news: 1.9 million Australians are taking more than five different medicines daily. And the number of medicines you take increases with age. What are the implications of 'polypharmacy' on your health? Being vaccinated against HPV before pregnancy has benefits for pregnancy outcomes. An unconfirmed case of pneumonic plague in Russia has caused international concern. Do you need to be worried?
References AIHW: Polypharmacy in Australia in 2025 BMJ: Quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccination before pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes: nationwide, populationbased case-control study ABC News: Russia rails against online 'plague' claims, but few in Irkutsk trust authorities
More from Health Report - Separate stories podcast
In the news: A report in the Lancet outlines the biggest risks to human health worldwide with obesity topping the list. But there are some more surprising risks identified. The TGA has approved a broader scope of use of a medicine for medical abortion care and miscarriage. A study has quantified the baseline prevalence of low testosterone in the United States military, ahead of the planned annual screening of men over the age of 30. References The Lancet: 21st century global threats to health are not what you think TGA: MS-2 Step (mifepristone and misoprostol) Testosterone Screening Thresholds in Active-Duty US Male Service Members
The first ever report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare that quantifies these injuries was released this week. It shows what many clinicians are already seeing in emergency rooms and surgeries. So what can be done to reduce the impact of these e-devices? Guest/s Professor Martin Wullschleger, Director of Trauma, Gold Coast Health and chair of RACS Queensland Trauma Committee References E-scooter and e-bike injuries and deaths in Australia: national trends and data limitations
A new study shows people who survive cancer have a build up of plaque in their arteries, and a higher risk of heart disease. The treatments that are used for their cancer are thought to be the cause. So what can be done to manage these new health risks? Guest/s Dr Cheng Hwee Soh, Honorary Senior Fellow at the Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, University of Melbourne and Group Leader, Imaging Research laboratory, Baker Institute References Coronary Plaque Burden and Plaque Composition in Long-Term Cancer Survivors: A Comparative CCTA Study
In hospital regular medications are sometimes paused while the patient recovers from other illnesses and procedures. But a new study about discontinuation of diabetes medication shows it is not reintroduced quickly once the person is discharged. Could better information transfer facilitated by a hospital pharmacist help prevent this? Guest/s Dr Tamara Milder, endocrinologist and Researcher, Medicines Intelligence Research Program, UNSW References Hospitalisation Is a Strong Risk Factor for Discontinuation of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors for Type 2 Diabetes
A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week. You can email us at [email protected]