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Health Check

BBC World Service
Covid-19
Malaria
Mental Health
Climate Change
HIV
Public Health
MPOX
World Health Organization
Vaccination
Obesity
Measles
Long COVID
Tuberculosis
Polio
Malnutrition
Ebola
Depression
Gaza
M-Pox
Dementia

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes325Founded19 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Health & Fitness

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Artwork for Health Check

Latest Episodes

The survivors from the generation of children born suffering the effects of thalidomide – limb deformities, sight and hearing problems, internal damage and more – are still living with the impact. And now, to add to the challenges they’ve faced for d... more

The 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, Matthew Fox, to discuss how this cattle virus made its way into a human and t... more

In 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 exposure to the allergen and why do people with one allergy often develop... more

Perhaps 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 women found that even though their reproductive function ceases, the ovar... more

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Recent Guests

Camilla Mota
BBC Brazil reporter covering men's health, school phone bans and foot-stiffening socks research.
BBC Brazil
Episode: The challenges of thalidomide-related disabilities and age
Fiona Wood
Plastic surgeon and burns researcher who pioneered spray-on skin.
Burns Service of Western Australia
Episode: The challenges of thalidomide-related disabilities and age
Matthew Fox
Professor of epidemiology and global health at Boston University
Boston University
Episode: First human case of Shamonda virus
Jeffrey Huang
Senior anesthesiologist at Moffitt Cancer Center and professor of oncology science at the University of South Florida
Moffitt Cancer Center
Episode: First human case of Shamonda virus
Paul Cohen
Cardiologist and head of the Laboratory of Molecular Metabolism at Rockefeller University
Rockefeller University
Episode: First human case of Shamonda virus
Caroline Sokol
Allergist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Episode: Solving the mystery of allergies
Jane Burston
Founder and chief executive of the Clean Air Fund
Clean Air Fund
Episode: Solving the mystery of allergies
Francesca Duncan
Researcher, Northwestern University and Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Northwestern University; Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Episode: What happens in the ovaries postmenopause?
Vanessa Apea
Genitourinary consultant and HIV expert
Clinical practice in Ghana
Episode: What happens in the ovaries postmenopause?

Host

Claudia Hammond
Broadcaster, writer and health journalist covering health and psychology

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 455 ratings
  • Claudia Hammond is an excellent presenter. I love this show. It covers all new medical research and news from around the world. Each week there's a resident doctor who discusses the topics that come up briefly with Claudia, and they give his/her medical viewpoint.

    Full of facts and up-to-date research/information. Highly recommended

    Podchaser
    5
    Angie
    a year ago
  • Can’t play any episodes

    No episodes will play, all other pods are working

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    hippobite
    Canada2 years ago
  • Repeats other podcasts

    Too many sections taken from Inside Health. Either keep these podcasts separate or put on same feed.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Tammy, UK
    United Kingdom5 years ago
  • Annoying presenter bit excellent research

    “I’m Claudia Hammond...” how many times do you need to tell us? Get we just get on with hearing about the interesting research?

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Aminha Canela
    United Kingdom7 years ago
  • Great podcast

    Relevant and very interesting

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Caza slim
    United Kingdom7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A listener reports that episodes would not play, while others describe the production as professional and well put together.
Listeners praise the reporting as informative, thoughtful and relevant, with coverage of health issues from around the world.
Claudia Hammond is frequently praised for her presentation and for making complex health research engaging.
The magazine-style mix of stories is valued for offering a concise update and letting listeners focus on topics that interest them.
Some listeners find repeated presenter introductions distracting, and one review criticizes overlap with another health program.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#128
United Kingdom/Health & Fitness
Apple Podcasts
#235
Italy/Health & Fitness
Apple Podcasts
#247
Australia/Health & Fitness
Apple Podcasts
#60
Singapore/Health & Fitness
Apple Podcasts
#117
New Zealand/Health & Fitness
Apple Podcasts
#184
Japan/Health & Fitness

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The challenges of thalidomide-related disabilities and age
Q: And what advice do you have for our listeners about treating a burn to reduce long-term scarring? I mean, is it something you've got to kind of act straight away?
Wood advises using clean, cool running water for 20 minutes within three hours of the injury. She warns against ice and household substances such as butter, flour, eggs, toothpaste and vinegar.
The challenges of thalidomide-related disabilities and age
Q: And this is something you developed some time ago, and you used on some of the survivors who were injured in the bombings in Bali back in 2002.
Fiona Wood says they first sprayed skin cells in 1994–1995, and the technique became part of their care model. It was used for people injured in the Bali bombings.
Solving the mystery of allergies
Q: Did it make a difference?
Participants who took paracetamol showed less fear during the virtual plank task: they got onto the plank more quickly, walked faster and had a smaller heart-rate increase. Researchers cautioned against taking it to blunt everyday anxiety because of potential liver damage.
Solving the mystery of allergies
Q: Why is it that we need to be exposed multiple times, and what's the special nature of the immune response or of the body's sensing of allergens that can take those multiple exposures and turn it into something that is remembered?
Sokol says sensory neurons that detect allergens may store a memory of repeated low-dose exposures. The memory is based on the allergen's activity rather than a specific allergen, so it can increase responses to other allergens with similar activity.
First human case of Shamonda virus
Q: What have you found?
Huang says patients who reported physical activity before cancer surgery were about 50 percent less likely to develop postoperative delirium, although more research is needed to determine how much exercise and for how long.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Health Check

What is Health Check about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A weekly, magazine-style briefing on health issues and medical research from around the world. Claudia Hammond guides listeners through several stories in each episode, combining reported coverage with conversations with clinicians, scientists, public health specialists and health journalists. Topics range from emerging treatments and disease outbreaks to mental health, women's health, healthcare access and the effects of social and environmental conditions on wellbeing.

The format pairs accessible explanations of research with clinical and community perspectives, including reporting from different countries and accounts from people directly affected by health conditions. Its distinctive strength is the breadth of its coverage: alongside m... more

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How many subscribers and views does Health Check have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Health Check has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Health Check?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Health Check:

1. Inside Health
2. CrowdScience
3. BBC Inside Science
4. All in the Mind
5. Unexpected Elements

How many episodes of Health Check are there?

Health Check launched 19 years ago and published 325 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Health Check?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Health Check?

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What guests have appeared on Health Check?

Recent guests on Health Check include:

1. Camilla Mota
2. Fiona Wood
3. Matthew Fox
4. Jeffrey Huang
5. Paul Cohen
6. Caroline Sokol
7. Jane Burston
8. Francesca Duncan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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