News Articles
New study points to best bone health for kids
Last Updated: 18-10-2020
New research has revealed the right levels of exercise, activity and sleep to ensure bone health in children. Childhood bone health is best supported with 90 minutes of exercise each day along with more than three hours of other light physical act Read More...
UQ tech to restore damaged bones
Date of Posting: 16-10-2020
A technological advancement that has the potential to stimulate bone formation inside the human body has been developed by University of Queensland researchers. The findings from the UQ School of Dentistry builds on existing research in the field Read More...
Under the influence: how COVID has affected our drinking
Date of Posting: 16-10-2020
Changes to our drinking habits could be a surprising “good news story” with the lockdown providing a catalyst for positive behaviour change, a new study has found. COVID-19 has changed our alcohol purchasing and consumption patterns in Read More...
Chronic disease and public health failures fuel COVID-19 pandemic
Date of Posting: 16-10-2020
Australia was not spared as a 30-year global rise in chronic illness and related risk factors such as obesity, high blood sugar, and outdoor air pollution created a perfect storm to fuel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths, new research shows. The lates Read More...
APA calls for immediate funding to enable aged care access to physiotherapy
Date of Posting: 14-10-2020
The Royal Commission has recommended the urgent funding of physiotherapists, and other allied health practitioners, to increase the provision of these vital services to aged care residents. Acceptance of the recommendations would immediately benef Read More...
Regrowing knee cartilage: new animal studies show promise
Last Updated: 13-10-2020
In our joints, a slippery, elastic tissue called cartilage covers the ends of the articulating bones. If this protective covering is lost through injury or ageing, it leaves bone grinding painfully against bone. Cartilage injuries are very c Read More...
New imaging technique to help sufferers of osteoarthritis
Date of Posting: 13-10-2020
New university research is using a new imaging technique to help sufferers of osteoarthritis. Australian researchers are using state-of-the-art imaging to find a new biomarker for osteoarthritis, which could lead to more targeted treatment and hel Read More...
CSIRO scientists have found virus survival times
Last Updated: 12-10-2020
The virus that causes COVID-19 can survive for up to 28 days on the glass on mobile phones, stainless steel and paper banknotes, CSIRO scientists have found. Australian scientists have found that the virus that causes COVID-19 can survive for up t Read More...
Pathology expert says rapid testing urgently needed
Last Updated: 09-10-2020
Rapid antigen testing must be added to Australia's current COVID-19 protocols to aid smooth economic recovery, a pathology expert says. Australia's COVID-19 economic recovery could be compromised by further waves of coronavirus without rap Read More...
Australian research shows COVID-19 vaccine works on old and new strains
Last Updated: 09-10-2020
A vaccine is equally effective against old and new strands of COVID-19, new Australian research shows, quelling fears some candidates may fall out of date. The quest for an effective COVID-19 vaccine is a step closer to reality, with Australian sc Read More...
A stronger aged care system with a focus on quality care
Date of Posting: 08-10-2020
Record investment of more than $2.7 billion will continue to drive aged care reform and ensure the needs of senior Australians are prioritised. Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck, said the 2020-21 Budget showcased the M Read More...
'Racism pandemic' hits young multicultural Australians in Victoria
Date of Posting: 08-10-2020
Most young people in Victoria from multicultural backgrounds are experiencing the effects of a “racism pandemic” and are worried about returning to public life for fear of racial discrimination, according to people surveyed in a new study Read More...
New report shows breast cancer checks plunged as virus hit
Last Updated: 08-10-2020
There were 145,000 fewer breast cancer screenings over the first six months of 2020 than in 2018 as COVID-19 shut down a national program, a new report shows. Breast cancer detection for many Australian women may have been delayed or missed entire Read More...
A researcher reflects on progress fighting hepatitis C - and a path forward
Date of Posting: 07-10-2020
When I began my medical career in Hong Kong in the early 1980s, I chose to focus on hepatitis B, in part because it was very common and because the hepatitis C virus had not yet been discovered. I witnessed the devastation that this virus cau Read More...
COVID-19 information accessibility lacking for blind and low vision Australians
Date of Posting: 07-10-2020
A Monash University study has found that graphical information relating to the COVID-19 pandemic regularly presented in mainstream media is inaccessible to blind and low vision people (BLV). Researchers from Monash University’s Faculty of In Read More...
Study identifies behaviours that support children to develop self-control
Date of Posting: 07-10-2020
New research using New Zealand’s largest longitudinal study of child development has identified key behaviours to support pre-school children to develop self-control, a key indicator of adult wellbeing. The research, funded through the Read More...
UQ tech could offer 'faster, cheaper and mobile' COVID-19 diagnosis
Date of Posting: 07-10-2020
Technology that helps to quickly extract and analyse genetic material could be used for cheap, accurate and mobile COVID-19 testing, including at airports and remote testing centres. ‘Dipstick’ technology, developed by the University o Read More...
Thalidomide financial support 'won't buy dignity'
Last Updated: 07-10-2020
A financial support package for thalidomide survivors has drawn a mixed response from recipients. A financial support package for Australian thalidomide survivors valued at almost $45 million has been labelled inadequate.[subscribe] The federal Read More...
Survey shows longer wait time for radiotherapy in poor areas
Last Updated: 07-10-2020
Latest figures show people living in low-income areas face a longer wait for radiotherapy cancer treatment than those in wealthier regions. Cancer patients living in low-income areas face a longer wait for radiotherapy treatment than people in mor Read More...
Gene therapy research gives hope on World Sight Day
Date of Posting: 06-10-2020
The potential of gene therapy to prevent blindness and restore sight for eye diseases that have long been considered untreatable is the focus on World Sight Day (8 October 2020) at the Centre for Eye Research Australia. “Gene and cell therap Read More...
Virus therapy provided to Trump could pave way
Last Updated: 05-10-2020
Australia should keep a close eye on how Donald Trump battles his COVID-19 infection, according to one of the country's leading scientists. The treatment being provided to United States President Donald Trump could pave the way to fighting COV Read More...
Workout pre-menopause to boost health in later life
Last Updated: 02-10-2020
Women who want to enjoy peak health in their later years should establish an exercise routine before they hit menopause according to recent research published in the Journal of Physiology. The research demonstrates that the small blood vessels in Read More...
Health workers experiencing increased levels of stress due to COVID-19, research reveals
Last Updated: 02-10-2020
Independent aged care and disability support workers have experienced increased stress levels while working during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research reveals. The increase in stress is caused by financial strain, along with concern around contrac Read More...
Body fat deep below the surface is a toxic risk, especially for your heart
Last Updated: 01-10-2020
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s easy to forget one of the largest health challenges we face remains the global obesity epidemic. World Health Organisation data shows obesity has nearly tripled in less than 50 years, with about 40% of a Read More...
I regret stopping breastfeeding. How do I start again?
Last Updated: 01-10-2020
Many women find breastfeeding difficult and stop before they planned. Some women are relieved to stop. But others regret it. If you regret stopping, you may be able to give it another go, even if you no longer have any milk. This may be poss Read More...
A COVID-19 vaccine may come without a needle
Last Updated: 01-10-2020
Vaccines are traditionally administered with a needle, but this isn’t the only way. For example, certain vaccines can be delivered orally, as a drop on the tongue, or via a jet-like device. Vaccines that appear particularly suitable to Read More...
More than one way to grow in the womb
Date of Posting: 01-10-2020
Carrying a fetus that is small for gestational age (SGA) is associated with increased rates of stillbirth and neonatal death as well as metabolic disease in later life. However, new research from Flinders University placental biologist and pregnan Read More...
GPs crucial in effective COVID-19 vaccine roll out
Date of Posting: 01-10-2020
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is urging government to ensure general practice is front and centre in any potential COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The latest edition of the Australian Journal of General Practice, which is Read More...
E-cigarettes 'gateway' to smoking for non-smokers
Date of Posting: 01-10-2020
Using e-cigarettes triples the chance of a non-smoker taking up cigarettes and there is “insufficient” evidence that they help smokers quit, according to a new report submitted to the Government. Research led by The Australian National Read More...
Queensland biotechnology firm developing 15-minute virus test
Last Updated: 30-09-2020
Queensland researchers are engineering a 15-minute COVID-19 test that could ready by the end of 2020 and used for other viruses like dengue fever. A 15-minute COVID-19 which could be quicker than a pregnancy test is being developed by researchers Read More...
Melbourne adjusts to eased restrictions
Last Updated: 30-09-2020
A series of new COVID-19 restrictions have been clarified by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, who also confirmed the make-up his new ministry. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has clarified a bevy of COVID-19 rules as Melbourne adjusts to eased r Read More...
Research confirms link between sleep apnea and Alzheimer's disease
Date of Posting: 29-09-2020
New research has confirmed long-suspected links between sleep apnea and Alzheimer’s disease, finding identical signs of brain damage in both conditions. While the cause of Alzheimer’s disease remains a mystery, amyloid plaques that are Read More...
Treating our elderly people ethically and with transparency
Date of Posting: 29-09-2020
UNSW’s Richard Hugman says it is time to stop treating elderly people as objects, as the Royal Commission into Aged Care and Safety continues. The dramatic increase in COVID-19 deaths in Australia’s aged care homes begs the ethics arou Read More...
Australians say health workers should get COVID jab first
Date of Posting: 29-09-2020
Australians say frontline healthcare workers and aged and disability carers should be the first to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU). The survey of more than 3,000 Australians Read More...
An alarming rise in women with tongue cancer
Last Updated: 28-09-2020
There's been a dramatic increase in the incidence of rare tongue cancer in people under 45, particularly in young, non-smoking women, new research has found. There's been an alarming rise in the number of young people, particularly women, Read More...
Here are some tips for parents of fussy eaters
Date of Posting: 24-09-2020
Pediatric nutritionist Dr Jennifer Cohen says it's normal for children to go through a fussy eating stage, but she has tips for parents to stop meal wars. While fussy eating is part of normal childhood development, there are some suggestions p Read More...
Victorian government is negotiating on COVID bill
Last Updated: 24-09-2020
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the state government is negotiating with crossbenchers over the controversial COVID-19 Omnibus bill. The Victorian government is negotiating with crossbenchers over its controversial COVID-19 Omnibus bill.[sub Read More...
We can't ignore mental illness prevention in a COVID-19 world
Last Updated: 23-09-2020
Despite the incremental easing of Victoria’s restrictions, it’s clear the journey towards COVID-normal is far slower than many people had hoped. Australians – particularly Victorians – have shown remarkable res Read More...
5 things the pandemic has revealed about the Australian psyche
Last Updated: 23-09-2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned some of the most dramatic changes to Australian life in recent memory. We’ve had to adapt to a vastly different way of life to curb the spread of the virus, featuring unfamiliar challenges such as social dis Read More...
Self-harm content on Instagram: "self-harm or self-help?"
Date of Posting: 23-09-2020
Instagram users who post self-harm content online are choosing ambiguous hashtags in an attempt to circumvent the social media platform’s ban on harmful content, a researcher at the University of Otago, Wellington, has found. PhD student Jac Read More...
