Health Check

BBC World Service

Health issues and medical breakthroughs from around the world.

Categories: Health

Listen to the last episode:

Receiving a specific type of shingles vaccine may provide a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events like stroke or heart failure for up to 8 years. With reports of other shingles vaccines protecting against the risk of dementia, scientists are trying to understand the mechanism underlying these unintended benefits.

The WHO aim to eliminate the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis from endemic countries by 2030, we investigate what might be standing in the way of this goal.

After 18 years and over 200 snake bites, key protective compounds have been identified in Tim Friede’s blood with the potential to make a snake antivenom with “unparalleled” protection.

Also on the show, a trial led by Professors Adalsteinn Gunnlaugsson and Per Nilsson has shown that a prostate cancer treatment regimen that takes two-and-a-half weeks is as safe and effective as longer 8-week courses, ten years on from treatment.

Plus, if you have celiac disease should you be worried about kissing someone who has just eaten gluten? A new study looks at how much gluten is exchanged in a kiss.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Hannah Robins Assistant Producer: Katie Tomsett Researcher: Tabby Taylor Buck Studio Managers: Cath McGee and Sarah Hockley