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EscapePod Podcasts

Shows worth your time, picked up where you left off.

HR

Medicine

Health Report

ABC Australia

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.

300 episodes

Waking up stiff and sore? It could be PMR 2 Oct 2026 · 42 min 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 ge…

Should weight loss injections be easier to access? 25 Sept 2026 · 45 min 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 medici…

Is AHPRA doing enough to curb unsafe prescribing? 18 Sept 2026 · 43 min 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 a…

Why you should speed up your steps, even just in short bursts. 11 Sept 2026 · 45 min 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 ph…

Validation for people living with chronic pain 4 Sept 2026 · 46 min 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 includi…

Same work but no training pathway for unaccredited registrars 28 Aug 2026 · 49 min 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 specialist…

Will this help more men get prostate checkups? 21 Aug 2026 · 43 min 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 group…

BMI fails the test as a predictor of disease risk 14 Aug 2026 · 45 min 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 ne…

Kate has a history of anorexia. Why was she prescribed weight loss jabs? 7 Aug 2026 · 52 min ‘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 bei…

An Alzheimer's blood test is on the way. What could that mean for you? 31 Jul 2026 · 43 min 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 i…

When is a child ready for their own smartphone? 24 Jul 2026 · 44 min 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…

What can you really learn from a biological ageing test? 17 Jul 2026 · 43 min 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 variou…

Who should be allowed to prescribe medications? 10 Jul 2026 · 43 min 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…

Could a sleep supplement help reduce chronic pain? 3 Jul 2026 · 44 min 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 beha…

Should we ban the use of controversial herbicide, paraquat? 26 Jun 2026 · 42 min 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 sh…

Bird flu has reached Australia. Now what? 22 Jun 2026 · 19 min 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…

Good and bad news on alcohol and disease risk 19 Jun 2026 · 44 min 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…

A crackdown on unregulated peptides 12 Jun 2026 · 46 min Genomic testing is cheaper than ever and can pick up a risk of disease in people with no family history. Should we expand it nation-wide? IUDs are a highly effective form of contr…

Does exercise lower your biological age? 5 Jun 2026 · 40 min Australia's specialist medical college for obstetrics and gynaecology is raising the alarm over proposed changes to abortion access in three Australian states. How physical activi…

The habits that protect your mental health 29 May 2026 · 43 min This week, an update on the diphtheria outbreak across multiple Australian states. What's changed to allow the spread to occur? How to build healthier housing for remote communiti…

Peptides: who's using them and what's in them? 22 May 2026 · 45 min The popularity of peptides appears to be growing in Australia - what do we know about who is using them, what's in them and the risks? A large study of Australians with Parkinson'…

Ebola outbreak: how it spreads and prospects for a vaccine 21 May 2026 The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern over an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. How does th…

Do you need surgery after an ACL tear? 15 May 2026 · 51 min ACL injuries are very common in Australia - and the common thinking has been that if you tear your ACL, you'll need surgery. Researchers are arguing the best evidence says we shou…

'Fitspo' content and mental health 8 May 2026 · 45 min Urgent care clinics are getting $1.8 billion in this year's federal budget to make them a permanent part of Australia's health system. We speak to the Health Minister Mark Butler…

Markers of irritable bowel syndrome 1 May 2026 · 45 min A new review suggests there may be biomarkers linked to irritable bowel syndrome, typically a diagnosis of exclusion. How you get followed up after going to the doctor with sympto…

What do we know about brain fog in menopause? 24 Apr 2026 Two thirds of women report concerns over memory loss, concentration or other cognitive symptoms during menopause. What do we understand about what's going on, and how can it be ma…

Can ChatGPT Health tell when you should go to hospital? 17 Apr 2026 · 50 min Can you trust the advice ChatGPT Health gives about whether you should go to the hospital or not? Who is using GLP-1 weight loss drugs and how common are they? New guidelines for…

Treating a medical emergency ... in space 10 Apr 2026 · 43 min When a medical emergency happens in space, how is it treated? And what does life in Antarctica have to teach us about staying healthy on a spaceflight? Findings from a large study…

What to expect this flu season 3 Apr 2026 · 42 min Which flu strains are likely to be dominant this flu season - and what's the story with the new nasal spray vaccine? Speaking of sprays ... there's a simple saline spray that migh…

3D printing in healthcare 27 Mar 2026 · 39 min 3D printing is becoming an incredibly versatile modern tool - with scope to apply it to engineering, manufacturing, architecture and design challenges. And it's increasingly being…