Health Check

Many people want to have a cholesterol test when they reach middle age – thinking that if it’s too high they can change their diet or take medication to reduce their risk of having a heart attack or stroke. But new research suggests that knowing how much of the 'bad' kind of the fatty substance is in our bodies much earlier – in our 30s – is key to cutting the risk of cardiovascular disease. Mental health experts along with some top poets and rappers gathered in Birmingham, UK recently – to try and break the record for the world’s largest mental health lesson. We hear if they managed it – and how they aim to reduce the stigma of mental illness. In Ethiopia nurses who normally tend to women whose bodies are harmed by a serious complication of childbirth called fistula are now running counselling sessions to support their mental health. We hear how the women who have already lost their babies are then shunned by their community which leads to anxiety and depression. (Photo credit: Light Field Studios/Getty Images.) Health Check was presented by Claudia Hammond Producer: Paula McGrath

A former health minister from Peru has called corruption in healthcare 'a cancer' which leads to the deaths of 140,000 children every year. Dr Patty Garcia is in London for the Academy of Medical Sciences International Health Lecture. She has seen x-ray machines and scanners in public hospitals deliberately broken so that people would pay for tests in nearby private clinics. She is calling for more research into the best ways to stop corruption – as the money saved could fund universal healthcare. Medical advances mean that people living with HIV won’t pass the virus onto a sexual partner if their viral load is kept to an 'undetectable' level. But a series in the journal The Lancet is highlighting how attitudes have not always kept up. The stigma felt by HIV+ people can wreck lives. Swedish clinical professor in global infectious disease epidemiology Anna Mia Ekström explains how one of her HIV+ patients wished they had cancer instead – so they could tell their mother and get support. In Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, HIV youth activists from 25 countries gathered recently to improve their leadership skills in order to fight stigma and isolation. Angela Robson went along to the Spark meeting – to talk to young people living with HIV from places like India, Turkey and Zimbabwe. (Photo: Male doctor with money in uniform pocket. Credit: Ivan Balvan/Getty Images.) Health Check was presented by Claudia Hammond Producer: Paula McGrath

A new British study indicates that half of lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans (LGBT) teenagers are experiencing depression. Despite the improvement of equality for LGBT people in some countries stigma and bullying is still common and affects mental health. Another study carried out in the US city of Texas also showed that 1 in 4 adolescents at an inpatient unit were LGBT – a higher level than you’d expect by chance. Researchers in the US are trying to find out if a practice called vaginal seeding might help to reduce food allergies in babies born by caesarean section. When a baby is delivered via the vagina it will come into contact with potentially-useful bacteria. So vaginal seeding aims to replicate that process. We hear from one family who have volunteered to take part in the study in New York. Past studies on fish oils and their impact on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been contradictory. New research carried out in Taiwan has shown that children with low levels of fish oils who took high-dose supplement saw an improvement in their ability to concentrate. The researchers say fish oils should only be taken under medical supervision. (Photo: Two people holding hands. Credit: fizkes/Getty Images.) Health Check was presented by Claudia Hammond Producer: Paula McGrath

Vaping is often recommended to help people give up smoking tobacco - because it’s a safer way of obtaining nicotine. But in the United States 39 deaths and more than 2000 lung injuries have been linked to vaping e-cigarettes. We hear how the chemical vitamin E acetate and THC found in cannabis are now being blamed for the epidemic. The same pattern of harm has not been seen in other parts of the world so vaping is still considered a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes which kills half the people who smoke them in the long term. Climate change is being blamed for an increase in cases of insect-borne diseases like Lyme Disease and West Nile Disease in Canada. Anyone hiking or camping is advised to cover up their arms and legs and use an insecticide to reduce their risk of being bitten. The number of patients who survive serious bleeding could almost double if a new approach to treatment developed at a London hospital is followed. Doctors gave blood products early to patients – instead of just clear fluids - and monitored how their blood was clotting, to improve their chances of survival. (Photo: Young Woman Smoking e-cigarette. Credit: Ranta Images/Getty Images.) Health Check was presented by Claudia Hammond Producer: Paula McGrath

Air quality in Delhi has been downgraded from severe to very poor – thanks to strong winds which are blowing away some of the city’s smog. Despite this good news hospital admissions are up for people with respiratory problems. The government has handed out 5 million face masks to schoolchildren and car use has been restricted but doctors fear there will be long-term health consequences after exposure to such severe pollution. Teenagers can be mean to each other in order to gain popularity – or they might instead turn on the charm. Psychologists in the United States and Canada wanted to know whether it’s the nice teenagers – boys as well as girls – who others like best. They discovered that a mix of strategies might be the most effective way of becoming popular. A Health Check listener tweeted about how she can’t burp – and whether we could find out if there’s anything that can be done to help her and others who suffer discomfort as a result. (Photo: Children in India wearing face masks. Credit: Sakib Ali/Hindustan Times) Health Check was presented by Claudia Hammond Producer: Paula McGrath