Health Report - Separate stories podcast

In the news this week:
New obesity medicines recommended for heart disease.
Effectiveness of a vaccine program for RSV.
An outbreak of diptheria across multiple Australian states.
We also put out a special episode of the Health Report focused on the emerging Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda: Ebola outbreak: how it spreads and prospects for a vaccine
References
Obesity and cardiovascular disease: A clinical consensus statement from the National Heart Foundation of Australia
Impact and Effectiveness of Australia's 2025 Hybrid RSV Immunisation Program: Results from the PAEDS-FluCAN Network
Diphtheria outbreak could be 'contained within months' but response criticised as too slow

There's reportedly a major uptick in the number of people using or interested in peptides - injectable protein building-blocks.
You may have seen them on your social media feed linked to marketing that says they can ease joint pain, improve muscle recovery or for skin care.
But large parts of the peptides market are unregulated. What do we know about who is using peptides, what they contain and the evidence base for the benefits they purport to give?
Guest
Dr Tim Piatkowski, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, School of Public Health, University of Queensland
References
Responding to injectable synthetic peptide use among young people: priorities for clinicians and public health

Findings from a large study of Australians suggest the symptoms and experience of Parkinson's disease varies significantly between men and women.
The researchers also found that the disease is associated with being exposed to certain pesticides or working in some high-risk occupations.
Guest
Associate Professor Miguel Rentería, Group Leader, Computational Neurogenomics Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer
References
Insights from a cross-sectional population-based study of 10,929 Australians living with Parkinson's disease: risk factors, comorbidities, and sex differences

For people with a heart defibrillator, it's been common to undergo a treatment that lets the device take over a particular part of your heart's function.
But a study of people with defibrillators has found it makes no difference and doesn't need to be done.
Guest
Professor Prash Sanders, Director of the Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders in Adelaide
References
Cardiac resynchronization therapy with or without atrioventricular node ablation in atrial fibrillation: the CAAN-AF trial

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