Centre for GI Health

23/06/2026

Obesity is now widely understood as a complex chronic disease, and for many patients, achieving sustained and meaningful weight loss continues to present a significant challenge.

What makes this area particularly compelling is that our understanding of appetite regulation, metabolism and energy balance has advanced considerably over recent decades. As a result, new pharmacological therapies are changing what may be possible for patients living with obesity.

In this episode of Everyday Medicine, I’m joined by gastroenterologist Dr Matthew Peverelle to discuss the science behind modern weight loss medications, including GLP-1 receptor agonists and newer dual incretin therapies, and what clinicians should understand about their benefits, limitations and future potential.

We explore:

– How incretin-based therapies influence appetite, satiety and weight regulation

– The differences between GLP-1 receptor agonists and dual incretin therapies

– The effectiveness, risks and practical challenges of current treatments

– Where obesity pharmacotherapy may be heading in the years ahead

If you’re a clinician, or simply interested in the rapidly evolving field of obesity medicine, this is a fascinating and highly relevant conversation.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://www.gihealth.com.au/everyday-medicine-podcast/episode-190-pharmacological-treatments-for-obesity-with-dr-matthew-peverelle

As always, I’d welcome your reflections after listening.

Australians who are either overweight or obese are increasingly turning to pharmacological approaches, coupled with dietary measures, to achieve their weight loss goals before considering bariatric surgery.  These therapies are typically considered for adults whose BMIs are equal to or abo

09/06/2026

What appears to be a minor fracture can sometimes point to a much bigger diagnosis.

In this short snippet, Dr Jeremy Er explains why bone lesions are one of the most common features of multiple myeloma, and how they can present through back pain, fractures or injuries that occur with minimal trauma.

This conversation offers a practical look at the relationship between multiple myeloma and bone disease, and why recognising these patterns can be important for earlier diagnosis and patient care.

🎧 Revisit the full episode on our website: https://www.gihealth.com.au/everyday-medicine-podcast/episode-108-multiple-myeloma-with-dr-jeremy-er

If you found this snippet helpful, consider sharing it with a colleague or patient who may benefit from it.

02/06/2026

Can lifestyle factors increase the risk of developing colon polyps?

In this short video, Dr Ali Eqbal discusses some of the factors that may be associated with a higher risk of polyps, and why risk is not always straightforward.

Watch the full reel to learn more.

26/05/2026

Healthcare has become one of the most targeted industries for cybercrime, and the consequences can affect patient safety, privacy, access to care and public trust in the health system itself.

What makes this issue particularly important is that modern healthcare increasingly relies on connected systems, digital records and integrated technologies. As medicine evolves, so too does the complexity of protecting it.

In this episode of Everyday Medicine, I’m joined by Dave Vosnakes and Stephanie Way from the Australian Government National Office of Cybersecurity to discuss how medical cybercrime works, why healthcare is such a prominent target, and what clinicians, organisations and patients should understand about the evolving risk landscape.

We explore:

– Why healthcare systems are uniquely vulnerable to cyber-attacks

– The real-world consequences for hospitals, clinicians and patients

– How ransomware, phishing and credential compromise typically occur

– What improving cyber resilience in healthcare may look like moving forward

If you’re a clinician or simply want to better understand how cyber risk intersects with modern medicine, this is an important conversation.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://www.gihealth.com.au/everyday-medicine-podcast/episode-189-medical-cybercrime-with-dave-vosnakes-and-stephanie-way

As always, I’d welcome your reflections after listening.

Medical cybercrime refers to criminal activities involving cyber-attacks on healthcare systems, devices and data. These attacks can range from ransomware and data breaches to the exploitation of vulnerabilities in medical devices, posing serious threats to patient safety, data privacy and the stabil

19/05/2026

Menopause care has historically been driven by fear as much as evidence. In reality, the relationship between menopausal hormone therapy and cardiovascular risk is more complex.

A 2025 review by Arnautu and colleagues explores how menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and cardiovascular disease reinforces that timing, formulation and individual risk profile matter.

What’s clear is that menopause should not be viewed solely as a reproductive milestone. It’s a significant cardiovascular and metabolic transition requiring thoughtful, individualised care.

To explore how this applies in everyday practice, I sat down with Dr Sugandha Kumar to discuss the physiology of menopause, the evolving evidence around hormone therapy, and how clinicians can approach risk–benefit discussions with greater clarity and confidence.

🎧 Listen to the two-part episodes here:

https://www.gihealth.com.au/everyday-medicine-podcast/episode-187-perimenopause-menopause-and-mht-with-dr-sugandha-kumar-part-1

https://www.gihealth.com.au/everyday-medicine-podcast/episode-188-perimenopause-menopause-and-mht-with-dr-sugandha-kumar-part-2

If the conversation adds perspective to your work in general practice or allied health, consider sharing it with a colleague. Good medicine spreads through good conversations.

Read the full article here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12652300/

12/05/2026

If you’re preparing for Coeliac testing, the steps beforehand matter than most people realise.

In this short snippet, Associate Professor Jason Tye-Din explains how a structured gluten challenge supports accurate diagnosis, and why a gradual approach is better tolerated.

While some people may show changes earlier, maintaining regular gluten intake for a consistent period helps ensure results are reliable, particularly when this may be the only opportunity to confirm the diagnosis.

This conversation offers a practical look at how to approach a gluten challenge with clarity and confidence.

🎧 Revisit the two-part episode on our website: https://www.gihealth.com.au/everyday-medicine-podcast/episode-118-coeliac-disease-with-associate-professor-jason-tye-din-part-1

https://www.gihealth.com.au/everyday-medicine-podcast/episode-119-coeliac-disease-with-aprof-jason-tye-din-part-2

If you’re interested in sharing your perspective on our next episode, please email [email protected] to get involved.

05/05/2026

Understanding when colon polyps develop can help guide the right time for screening.

In this short video, Dr Ali Eqbal explains what age polyps begin to appear, how risk changes, and when screening may be recommended.

Watch the full reel to learn more.

28/04/2026

Menopause is often spoken about as a single moment in time. In reality, it’s a transition that unfolds over years, with physiology, symptoms and long-term risk evolving along the way.

In this second part of Everyday Medicine, I shift the focus from understanding menopause to how we actually manage it in clinical practice, particularly for women struggling with symptoms that disrupt their daily lives.

What’s evident is that menopause care is rarely about a single prescription. In my experience, it’s a broader clinical conversation that includes symptom burden, overall health, risk factors and patient goals, all within the context of evolving evidence.

To explore this further, I’m joined again by Dr Sugandha Kumar, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with a specialist interest in menopause care. Sugandha shares how she approaches treatment decisions, including the role of menopausal hormone therapy, changing safety data, and why timing and individual context matter.

We explore:

– Why menopause consultations should include a broader health and lifestyle review

– The role of menopausal hormone therapy, including evolving evidence around safety

– How timing, formulation and delivery (oral vs transdermal) influence risk

– Why treatment decisions, including duration, need to be individualised

This is the second of a two-part conversation.

If you’re a clinician or simply trying to better understand this stage of life, this discussion offers a clear and practical foundation.

🎧 Listen to the episode here: https://www.gihealth.com.au/everyday-medicine-podcast/z6z1khj9rsmwcvqkfvn9mwr66fdlke

As always, I’d welcome your reflections after listening.

It is now increasingly recognised that women’s health care needs at menopause have been both under-recognised and under-treated by medical practitioners, and that menopause management has not been emphasised adequately in graduate and post-graduate education. Considering that half the world’s po...

21/04/2026

For most women, Menopause is often thought about later in life. However, the transition can emerge earlier and can impact more than the menstrual cycle.

A recent study by D’Costa and colleagues (2025) highlights that the menopause transition is also associated with important changes in cardiovascular risk. As oestrogen levels decline, there are measurable effects on lipid metabolism, vascular function, and glucose regulation.

To explore what this means in practice for patients, families, and clinicians, I sat down with Dr Sugandha Kumar to discuss how this shift is presenting in real-world care. Highlighting what the drivers are, how these cases differ from traditional presentations and how we should think about early recognition and screening.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://www.gihealth.com.au/everyday-medicine-podcast/episode-187-perimenopause-menopause-and-mht-with-dr-sugandha-kumar-part-1

If this conversation adds perspective to your general practice or allied health, consider sharing it with a colleague or patient. Good medicine spreads through good conversations.

Read the full article: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12511246/

16/04/2026

To understand diets like keto, it helps to first understand the physiology behind them.

In this short snippet, Professor Joseph Proietto explores how ketosis actually works and why the conversation is often misunderstood.

In some cases, this metabolic shift from keto diets can reduce hunger signals, which may influence how much people eat and how their weight changes over time.

This conversation offers a measured look at the physiology behind ketogenic diets and what it may mean in practice.

🎧 Revisit the full episode on our website: https://www.gihealth.com.au/everyday-medicine-podcast/episode-36-why-we-get-fat-with-professor-joseph-proietto

If you found this snippet helpful, consider sharing it with a colleague or patient who may benefit from it.