Health Report

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 managed?
A new plan for improving asthma outcomes in Australia and ending that reliance on the blue puffer.
Understanding how the genes we're born with could shape our risk of some cancers in childhood - with implications for adults too.
And the links between home cooking and dementia - with studies suggesting slicing and dicing at home (instead of eating out more often) could have a protective effect for your cognition.
References
RSV Vaccine - Department of Health
Home cooking, cooking skills and dementia requiring long-term care: a population-based cohort study in Japan
Typology of out-of-home eaters: a description of sociodemographic, lifestyle, nutritional and environmental characteristics in the NutriNet-Santé cohort
Gender and age differences in weekend eating habits: associations with fat mass percentage in a cross-sectional study
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and risk of substance use disorders among US veterans with type 2 diabetes: cohort study
Heart-nosed bat alphacoronaviruses use human CEACAM6 to enter cells
Advances in understanding of cognitive symptoms during menopause
A Bold Blueprint for Asthma Reform in Australia
Integrated germline and somatic molecular profiling to detect cancer predisposition has a high clinical impact in poor-prognosis paediatric cancer

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 supporting young people with suicidal ideation or who self-harm.
And more findings that drugs removing amyloid from the brain don't help prevent dementia.
References:
Intensive LDL Cholesterol Targeting in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
Municipal water fluoridation, adolescent IQ, and cognition across the life course
Andrographis paniculata (Andrographis) and anaphylaxis - updated safety review and supplementary report
Amyloid‐beta‐targeting monoclonal antibodies for people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease
ChatGPT Health performance in a structured test of triage recommendations
Initiators of Semaglutide in General Practice in New South Wales, 2020–2023: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Suicide and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Children and Adolescents
Suicide and intentional self-harm hospitalisations among young people
Generational effects in self-reported age of onset for youth suicidal ideation, self-harm and attempted suicide: A retrospective analysis using data from the Australian National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020–2022

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 of Australian teenagers find links between school connection, sleep and mental health trajectories through adolescence.
If you have a shoulder injury and suspect it's the rotator cuff, should you have a scan? You might find more than you bargained for.
And how badly should you want to hang on to your appendix in the case of appendicitis? Is it better to jettison it or keep it in there?
References:
Association between GLP-1 receptor agonist use and worsening mental illness in people with depression and anxiety in Sweden: a national cohort study
Retraction: Cosmetic talc powder
Oncologic Risk of Missed Appendiceal Tumors in Acute Appendicitis
Future Proofing Study - Research Insights 2026
Incidental Rotator Cuff Abnormalities on Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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 might help kids with sleep apnoea avoid surgery.
And a treatment for enlarged prostate that doesn't involve going under the knife.
Plus, a new review finds vaping is likely to cause certain types of cancer.
References:
The carcinogenicity of e-cigarettes: a qualitative risk assessment
Cost-Effectiveness of Oral Immunotherapy Treatments vs No Treatment for Peanut Allergy in Children
Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2025
Vaping likely to cause cancer, new Australian review of evidence finds (ABC News)
Influenza (flu) vaccine - Department of Health
Influenza immunisation resources - National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance
Historic 1994 influenza vaccine cohorts define breadth of antibody and B cell responses toward future influenza A and B viruses
Lab Notes: Super-K flu is here … but it's not our biggest problem
Intranasal Treatments for Children With Sleep-Disordered Breathing: The MIST+ Randomized Clinical Trial
Prostate artery Embolisation Assessment of Safety and feasibilitY (P-EASY): a potential alternative to long-term medical therapy for benign prostate hyperplasia
The ‘Prostate Embolisation AS first-line therapY compAred to meDication in treatment naïVe men with prostAte eNlargement, a randomised ControllEd trial’ (P-EASY ADVANCE): a randomised controlled trial of prostate embolisation vs medication for BPH
Prostate artery EmbolisAtion Safety and efficacY: Preliminary and foLlow-Up urodynamic Studies (P-EASY PLUS)

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 used in ... healthcare.
Plus, Kylie and Gillian had been friends for years when Kylie had a stroke in her early 30s. It turned Kylie's work-driven life upside down, and forced her and husband Chris to re-evaluate everything.
This week's Health Report features stories from our archive. We'll be back with a new program next week.