Health Check
by BBC World Service
Latest episode
Should you allow your teenager to take protein powders?
Should you allow your teenager to take protein powders?
About this podcast
Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 326 episodes
- Should you allow your teenager to take protein powders? · 26 minHow young is too young to start using protein powders in the hope of building muscle? The twelve-year-old son of BBC health reporter Nat Wright has been asking to try it, so she…
- The challenges of thalidomide-related disabilities and age · 26 minThe survivors from the generation of children born suffering the effects of thalidomide – limb deformities, sight and hearing problems, internal damage and more – are still…
- First human case of Shamonda virus · 26 minThe first human case of Shamonda virus has killed a man in his 60s in France. Claudia Hammond is joined by professor of epidemiology and global health at Boston University…
- Solving the mystery of allergies · 26 minIn this week's Health Check, Claudia Hammond looks at a new study in mice that examines two longstanding questions about allergies: why do they often emerge only after repeated…
- What happens in the ovaries postmenopause? · 26 minPerhaps contrary to popular belief, it is not all over for ovaries once a woman is post-menopausal. In a study published in Aging Cell, researchers studying the ovaries from 28…
- Should we be worried about the plague? · 26 minThis week, Claudia is joined in the studio by Clare Wilson, Science writer at The i Paper. After a 28-young woman who was studying infectious diseases in a lab in Siberia has…
- Do men and women receive different medical treatment? · 26 minMen and women are frequently treated differently by healthcare systems according to a review of global research published in the journal, PLOS One. Women with the same medical…
- Could AI improve healthcare in low-income communities? · 27 minHealth Check discusses the role of AI in healthcare after the announcement that the Gates Foundation will put hundreds of millions of US dollars towards AI access in low-income…
- Expanding reproductive choice in women's sports · 26 minThe Spanish Football Association has announced a new programme that will make fertility treatments such as IVF and egg freezing available to female players and referees, but what…
- Addressing the risks of period pain in childhood · 26 minThere is still a lot unknown about why period pain can be so intense for some and not others. To find out more, Claudia Hammond speaks with Dr Melissa Lenert, research scientist…
- Vaccinating against skin cancer · 28 minUsually when we think about vaccines, we imagine preventing viruses, but could mRNA vaccine technology also be used to reduce skin cancer recurrence? Claudia Hammond discusses…
- Understanding OCD · 27 minEveryone experiences unwanted thoughts from time to time. But how does it feel to be trapped in a constant cycle of intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours? This is the…
- The health threat of rising temperatures · 26 minWith recent heat waves in many regions of the world, including parts of Asia, Europe and North America, Claudia Hammond speaks to Eran Bendavid, Professor of Medicine and Health…
- The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo · 26 minThree months since the Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 1,900 people have died from the virus, with more than 4200 confirmed cases…
- Why are some people microdosing weight loss drugs? · 27 minSome people are injecting a fraction of the standard dose of weight loss drugs and hoping to still receive the benefits, but many are doing so without any medical oversight and…
- Steering in the right direction to road safety · 26 minRoad accidents are a leading cause of death and injury around the world, and in 2020, the UN General Assembly set a target to reduce road deaths by 50% by 2030. Claudia Hammond…
- USA military launches testosterone screening programme · 27 minLast week, the US Defence Secretary announced a new policy that will require US military personnel to undergo annual screening for testosterone deficiency, however some health…
- HIV fears due to Niger’s anti-gay laws · 26 minOrganisations providing HIV services to gay men have had to close in Niger after a ban on same sex acts. Gay men there fear coming forward to be tested or treated and have lost…
- Health challenges after Venezuela earthquakes · 26 minOn June 24th, twin earthquakes hit Venezuela, and in the weeks since the healthcare system has been overwhelmed with need. Claudia Hammond speaks with International Red Cross…
- Ebola drug trials in the Democratic Republic of Congo · 26 minTwo Ebola drugs are due to be trialled in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as cases of the disease continue to rise in the country. BBC health and science correspondent…
- Lack of evidence most IVF ‘add-ons’ improve fertility · 26 minMany people with infertility use in vitro fertilisation (IVF), however the probability of having a baby following IVF is only approximately 30-40% per cycle and decreases…
- The global toll of food poisoning · 26 minThe WHO has conducted their first global assessment of food contamination in over a decade and found that more than 1.5 million people are killed by food poisoning every year. Dr…
- How reading fiction impacts our mental health · 26 minHow does reading shape our mind and spirit? Why do novels make us feel more human? In front of a live audience at the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts in Wales in the UK…
- Health at the football World Cup · 26 minFrom heat exhaustion to dengue fever - monitoring public health risks at the biggest tournament in football history. With millions of fans travelling to the USA, Canada and…
- Seafarer welfare in the Strait of Hormuz · 26 minThree months into the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, we find out about the 20,000 sailors trapped on board with dwindling resources and minimal health provision. We hear from…
- Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo · 26 minAn Ebola outbreak that started in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading in the region and has been declared a health emergency. Health Check’s…
- Why renaming a health condition matters · 26 minGlobal health reporter Dorcas Wangira joins Claudia Hammond to discuss how renaming a common health condition affecting millions of women worldwide hopes to improve…
- Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship · 26 minWe bring you the latest on the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise liner MV Hondius with BBC health reporter Smitha Mundasad. Endometriosis, where cells similar to the lining of…
- Psychedelic drugs as treatment · 26 minThe American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just awarded fast track status to three companies developing psychedelic drugs as a treatment for addiction and other mental…
- Making surgery safer for infants · 26 minWe learn about a new injectable microgel to help reduce bleeding in infants who require surgical care. In a mice model, it reduced bleeding by at least 50%. Ashley Brown…
- Risky requests for unvaccinated blood on the rise · 26 minA minority of patients requiring blood transfusions are increasingly requesting ‘unvaccinated’ blood in the United States, per a new report published in the journal Transfusion…
- How awe can boost your health · 26 minAs the Artemis II crew return to Earth, we uncover the health benefits of the feeling of awe with world-renowned expert, Dacher Keltner. We also discuss how we might find more…
- What next for sunscreen in Australia? · 26 minIn Australia last year, it was discovered that hardly any sunscreen products actually offered the protection listed on the bottle. Now the Australian regulator has finally…
- Antimicrobial resistance in conflict zones · 26 minFor the last few weeks, the news has been dominated by the situation in the Middle East. Joining Claudia Hammond is BBC Health Correspondent James Gallagher who speaks with Dr…
- Does your home country impact your cancer risk? · 26 minNorth Korean defectors and lifelong South Korean residents have significantly different cancer rates, despite their genetic similarities; new research finds. Presenter Laura…
- Using lasers to fight brain cancer · 27 minNew research from Yale shows that aging doesn’t have to result in mental and physical decline. In fact, they found that nearly half of older adults actually improved in cognitive…
- Do collagen supplements really do anything? · 26 minCollagen supplements have become increasingly popular over recent years. However, a new review has revealed that although taking collagen may rejuvenate the skin, it won’t stop…
- Could a single vaccine block nearly all viruses? · 26 minA universal nasal spray vaccine that could block nearly all viruses, and possibly also bacteria and allergens has been successful at early stages of research. By leaving immune…
- Surviving without lungs for 48 hours · 26 minHow a patient survived for 48 hours without lungs. Too ill to receive a lung transplant straight away, the man relied on an artificial lung while his body recovered from an…
- Are statins safer than we thought? · 26 minStatins are one of the most prescribed drugs in the world as they are highly effective at reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol that causes cardiovascular disease. A new review in the…
- Why do some people hoard? · 26 minMany of us can empathise with that feeling of keeping stuff for years and years. We might keep treasured objects with real sentimental value, or we might have items for a long…
- South African coming-of-age initiations · 26 minFor some communities in South Africa coming-of-age initiations are a hugely significant moment, but there have been rising concerns over the safety of the circumcisions at the…
- Could the shingles vaccine really slow down the ageing process? · 27 minJoined by BBC Brazil reporter Camilla Mota, presenter Claudia Hammond discusses new research from the U.S. that has found that people who have had a vaccine against shingles seem…
- What effect does exercise really have on depression? · 26 minWe are often told exercise is good for boosting your mood, but a new Cochrane review has looked at what the evidence says about how much difference exercise can really make when…
- China’s latest bid to boost its birth rate · 26 minChina has just brought in taxes on contraception including condoms in a bid to increase the nation’s birth rate. What impact could this have when considered alongside other…
- How can we eliminate malaria? · 27 minIn the past decade there has been little progress in lowering malaria cases, with over half a million people still dying from the mosquito-borne disease every year. We look at…
- 2025: A big year for tackling malaria · 26 minMalaria is still the third biggest killer on the planet and despite decades of serious investment it’s a disease that is still very much with us. But that investment is starting…
- Behind the Huntington’s disease breakthrough · 27 minJames Gallagher joins Claudia Hammond to share his pick for health breakthrough of 2025 – the world's first gene therapy to treat Huntington’s disease. Popular science author…
- Shingles vaccine slows the progression of dementia · 26 minWe already knew that the shingles vaccine reduces the risk of developing dementia, but new research has shown that it also slows the progression of the disease. BBC journalist…
- The risky use of skin lightening in children · 26 minNew research shows that 20% of children under five years old in Nigeria have been exposed to skin lightening products, even by parents who know the risks associated with the…
