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Postponing the menopause?

Menopause postponement debate; Health burden of heavy school bags; Alzheimer’s blood test

A UK fertility company is now offering this procedure to women up to the age of 40. Professor Simon Fishel explains how it would work. Dr Melanie Davies, a consultant gynaecologist at University College Hospital London argues against this approach to ‘treating’ the menopause.

Indian authorities are enacting rules to limit the weight of children’s school bags after a campaign highlighting the dangers of heavy school bags. Children have developed of back pain, skeletal and nerve damage because of the weight of the textbooks they have been expected to carry. Chhavi Sachdev talks to overburdened children, parents, doctors and school teachers.

Doctors at the Washington University report they have developed a simple blood test that reveals people’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease up to 20 years before symptoms appear. Dr Randall Bateman explains the basis of the new test and Claudia discusses its usefulness with Alzheimer’s researcher Tara Spires-Jones of the University of Edinburgh.

Claudia’s studio guest is Professor Matthew Fox, an epidemiologist at Boston University. He talks about the success or otherwise of the ‘test and treat’ approach to reducing HIV rates in subSaharan Africa and influenza vaccines for pregnant women.

(Photo caption: Women power walking together - credit: Getty Images)

Health Check was presented by Claudia Hammond

Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker

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27 minutes

Last on

Mon 12 Aug 2019 01:32GMT

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