<description>&lt;p&gt;Global health reporter Dorcas Wangira joins Claudia Hammond to discuss how renaming a common health condition affecting millions of women worldwide hopes to improve understanding, treatment and diagnoses. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dorcas also brings Claudia Hammond news of a controversial AI algorithm being used by the Kenyan Government to work out how much people should be charged for healthcare costs. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We hear from Peru where researchers have been mapping pesticide use and cases of people getting cancer in a major new study. And from the USA where a study on our disease-fighting T cells shows that they become more effective after we’ve eaten a meal.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins, Georgia Christie and Jonathan Blackwell&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Polycystic ovary syndrome has been renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome

Global health reporter Dorcas Wangira joins Claudia Hammond to discuss how renaming a common health condition affecting millions of women worldwide hopes to improve understanding, treatment and diagnoses. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).Dorcas also brings Claudia Hammond news of a controversial AI algorithm being used by the Kenyan Government to work out how much people should be charged for healthcare costs. We hear from Peru where researchers have been mapping pesticide use and cases of people getting cancer in a major new study. And from the USA where a study on our disease-fighting T cells shows that they become more effective after we’ve eaten a meal.Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins, Georgia Christie and Jonathan Blackwell

Why renaming a health condition matters

<description>&lt;p&gt;We bring you the latest on the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise liner MV Hondius with BBC health reporter Smitha Mundasad.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Endometriosis, where cells similar to the lining of the womb grow elsewhere in the body, can take up to a decade to get diagnosed despite leaving some women in debilitating pain. A new scanning technique hoping to speed up that diagnosis. Dr Tatjana Gibbons, from Oxford University, who developed the test, explains how it works.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We unpack how the way operations are schedules affects patient outcomes with transplants. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;How electricity is improving treatment for patients with a heart rhythm disorder. Professor Oussama Wazni explains how it works.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And how seven rings can translate sign language into text.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins &amp;amp; Georgia Christie&lt;/p&gt;</description>

What exactly is hantavirus?

We 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 the womb grow elsewhere in the body, can take up to a decade to get diagnosed despite leaving some women in debilitating pain. A new scanning technique hoping to speed up that diagnosis. Dr Tatjana Gibbons, from Oxford University, who developed the test, explains how it works.We unpack how the way operations are schedules affects patient outcomes with transplants. How electricity is improving treatment for patients with a heart rhythm disorder. Professor Oussama Wazni explains how it works.And how seven rings can translate sign language into text.Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins &amp; Georgia Christie

Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship

<description>&lt;p&gt;The 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 health issues. It comes after President Trump directed $50million dollars to increase their availability. Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC Brazil reporter Camilla Mota to discuss what claims are made for the effectiveness of these drugs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A novel house design, called “Star Homes”, which promote airflow, block insects, and feature rainwater collection systems, can reduce child mortality, demonstrated by a randomised controlled trial in Tanzania. We hear from Professor Lorenz Von Seidlein from the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit in Bangkok about what makes these homes effective in lowering rates of malaria, diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We hear that the Russian health minister has called for 1 in 3 Russians to be tested for HIV annually. Russia has long had high rates of HIV, but it now has the highest prevalence in Europe, with particularly high rates among Russian troops since the beginning of the Ukraine war.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We also hear from David Méary, associate professor at the Université Grenoble Alpes, about whether infants have a sense of beauty. And Claudia and Camilla discuss habits that drive salt consumption in older people.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins and Jonathan Blackwell&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The US is fast tracking development of psychedelic drugs as a treatment for addiction

The 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 health issues. It comes after President Trump directed $50million dollars to increase their availability. Claudia Hammond is joined by BBC Brazil reporter Camilla Mota to discuss what claims are made for the effectiveness of these drugs.A novel house design, called “Star Homes”, which promote airflow, block insects, and feature rainwater collection systems, can reduce child mortality, demonstrated by a randomised controlled trial in Tanzania. We hear from Professor Lorenz Von Seidlein from the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit in Bangkok about what makes these homes effective in lowering rates of malaria, diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections.We hear that the Russian health minister has called for 1 in 3 Russians to be tested for HIV annually. Russia has long had high rates of HIV, but it now has the highest prevalence in Europe, with particularly high rates among Russian troops since the beginning of the Ukraine war.We also hear from David Méary, associate professor at the Université Grenoble Alpes, about whether infants have a sense of beauty. And Claudia and Camilla discuss habits that drive salt consumption in older people.Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Hannah Robins and Jonathan Blackwell

Psychedelic drugs as treatment

<description>&lt;p&gt;We 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, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at North Carolina State University and UNC Chapel Hill tells presenter Claudia Hammond more about this new material her team has designed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Joined by Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at Boston University in the US, Dr Matthew Fox, Claudia hears about a mystery illness that is being investigated by health officials in Burundi, which has caused five deaths and sickened thirty-five people. So far lab analysis of the illness - which causes fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea - has been negative for Ebola and Marburg viruses, Rift Valley fever, and others.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We hear about influential analysis from Cochrane which has concluded that "breakthrough" Alzheimer's drugs are unlikely to benefit patients. Researchers said the impact was "well below" what was needed to make a difference to dementia patients' lives. However, their report has also provoked a vicious backlash from equally esteemed scientists who label it as fundamentally flawed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We’re joined by health journalist Katie Silver in Mexico, who brings us the news that the President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has announced the details of a plan to introduce universal healthcare – no mean feat in country of 130 million people.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And we hear about an experiment that was done by academics to see if they could trick AI chatbots into believing in an entirely fake disease. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A new injectable microgel to help reduce bleeding in infants who require surgical care

We 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, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at North Carolina State University and UNC Chapel Hill tells presenter Claudia Hammond more about this new material her team has designed.Joined by Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at Boston University in the US, Dr Matthew Fox, Claudia hears about a mystery illness that is being investigated by health officials in Burundi, which has caused five deaths and sickened thirty-five people. So far lab analysis of the illness - which causes fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea - has been negative for Ebola and Marburg viruses, Rift Valley fever, and others.We hear about influential analysis from Cochrane which has concluded that "breakthrough" Alzheimer's drugs are unlikely to benefit patients. Researchers said the impact was "well below" what was needed to make a difference to dementia patients' lives. However, their report has also provoked a vicious backlash from equally esteemed scientists who label it as fundamentally flawed.We’re joined by health journalist Katie Silver in Mexico, who brings us the news that the President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has announced the details of a plan to introduce universal healthcare – no mean feat in country of 130 million people.And we hear about an experiment that was done by academics to see if they could trick AI chatbots into believing in an entirely fake disease. Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell

Making surgery safer for infants

<description>&lt;p&gt;A minority of patients requiring blood transfusions are increasingly requesting ‘unvaccinated’ blood in the United States, per a new report published in the journal Transfusion. Our studio guest today, genito-urinary consultant Vanessa Apea, explains how this can lead to potentially dangerous delays and higher risks.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Presenter Claudia Hammond speaks to Dr Angela Wu, from the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and Oxford Tobacco Addiction Group at the University of Oxford, about a new overview of the best available evidence worldwide for smoking cessation. The study, published in the journal Addiction, has found that nicotine‑containing e‑cigarettes appear to be more effective for stopping people smoking than other interventions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We hear how metabolic liver disease could affect nearly 1.8 billion people by 2050, according to new research published in The Lancet Gastroenterology &amp;amp; Hepatology journal. The growing number of cases means that many people are at risk of developing serious complications, however, the study also found that although more people are developing the disease, the overall impact on health has remained stable due to advances in treatment and care.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We also hear from BBC World Service reporter Sen Nguyen in Vietnam as Hanoi plans to pilot a new low-emission zone from July to tackle air pollution. We hear what the proposed changes are and with the prevalence of diesel motorbikes in the city, how prepared are residents, workers and businesses for this change?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And Claudia and Vanessa discuss whether living with friends may quietly be altering your gut bacteria, following new research published in the journal Molecular Ecology.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell and Hannah Robins&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Patients requiring blood transfusions are increasingly requesting ‘unvaccinated’ blood

A minority of patients requiring blood transfusions are increasingly requesting ‘unvaccinated’ blood in the United States, per a new report published in the journal Transfusion. Our studio guest today, genito-urinary consultant Vanessa Apea, explains how this can lead to potentially dangerous delays and higher risks.Presenter Claudia Hammond speaks to Dr Angela Wu, from the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and Oxford Tobacco Addiction Group at the University of Oxford, about a new overview of the best available evidence worldwide for smoking cessation. The study, published in the journal Addiction, has found that nicotine‑containing e‑cigarettes appear to be more effective for stopping people smoking than other interventions.We hear how metabolic liver disease could affect nearly 1.8 billion people by 2050, according to new research published in The Lancet Gastroenterology &amp; Hepatology journal. The growing number of cases means that many people are at risk of developing serious complications, however, the study also found that although more people are developing the disease, the overall impact on health has remained stable due to advances in treatment and care.We also hear from BBC World Service reporter Sen Nguyen in Vietnam as Hanoi plans to pilot a new low-emission zone from July to tackle air pollution. We hear what the proposed changes are and with the prevalence of diesel motorbikes in the city, how prepared are residents, workers and businesses for this change?And Claudia and Vanessa discuss whether living with friends may quietly be altering your gut bacteria, following new research published in the journal Molecular Ecology.Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell and Hannah Robins

Risky requests for unvaccinated blood on the rise

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