News Articles
A company that builds cancer-fighting proton therapy machines is coming to SA
Date of Posting: 08-03-2018
A company that builds cancer-fighting proton therapy machines will set up an assembly, test and training plant in Adelaide. Work on ProTom's centre of excellence will begin later this year and is set for completion in 2019.[subscribe] The b Read More...
US researchers have developed a smartphone-based blood pressure monitoring prototype
Date of Posting: 08-03-2018
Early trials of a smartphone device that monitors blood pressure through a press of the finger have shown promising results. US researchers have developed a smartphone-based blood pressure monitoring prototype that could one day make measuring the Read More...
Health professionals of tomorrow offered skills to enhance their health and wellbeing
Date of Posting: 08-03-2018
Bond University has become one of the first in Australia to introduce a proactive and preventative counselling service for health and medical students, aimed at providing the tools needed to develop resilience during study and beyond. The independ Read More...
Starving superbugs could be the key to fight infection
Date of Posting: 08-03-2018
Adelaide researchers have developed and patented a novel approach to fight superbugs, like golden staph, by targeting the bugs’ favourite food—iron. Dr Katharina Richter and colleagues from the University of Adelaide have commenced the Read More...
Unlocking the genetic combinations that control complex disease
Date of Posting: 08-03-2018
More targeted and effective treatments for some of the world’s most complex diseases in humans may be a step closer, thanks to research that better maps disease susceptibility to genes and DNA. Sophisticated statistical methodology developed Read More...
A six-year-old girl undergoes Aust-first robot surgery
Date of Posting: 06-03-2018
A six-year-old Canberra girl fighting cancer has undergone an Australian-first robotic surgery to remove a tumour which was initially considered inoperable. Six-year-old Freyja Christiansen faced a grim prognosis when doctors found a tumour at the Read More...
A paediatric specialist suggests to screen babies for immunodeficiencies
Date of Posting: 06-03-2018
Newborn screening for primary immunodeficiency diseases should be a health priority, says Dr Jovanka King, a specialist paediatric immunologist. Australian newborns should be screened for severe immunodeficiency diseases to improve survival and he Read More...
Study shows bright light suppresses melatonin in kids
Date of Posting: 06-03-2018
New research shows children are very sensitive to bright light before bedtime, adding to concern about night-time digital technology use. One hour of exposure to bright light before bedtime almost completely shuts down the production of the sleep- Read More...
Donated blood has a very short shelf life
Date of Posting: 05-03-2018
Donated blood has a shelf life just 42 days but most Australians believe it lasts forever, according to a new national survey. Seriously ill patients could be missing out on life-saving blood transfusions because Australians don't realise dona Read More...
Researchers move one step closer towards functioning kidney tissue from stem cells
Date of Posting: 02-03-2018
Researchers from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), University of Melbourne and Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) in The Netherlands have made an important step towards making human kidneys from stem cells that they one day h Read More...
New codes of conduct take effect for nurses and midwives
Date of Posting: 02-03-2018
New codes of conduct are now in effect for all nurses and midwives in Australia. The new Code of conduct for nurses and Code of conduct for midwives (the codes), take effect today, 1 March 2018, for all nurses and midwives in Australia. The codes Read More...
HIV study to examine transgender treatment
Date of Posting: 02-03-2018
Charles Darwin University researchers are seeking transgender Australians living with HIV to share their post-diagnosis psychosocial and medical experiences. The new study will explore issues including the transgender population’s healthcare Read More...
Earlier palliative care at home linked to fewer hospital admissions
Date of Posting: 02-03-2018
Offering palliative care earlier to dying patients at home is linked to fewer hospital admissions at the end of their lives, raising questions about the time restrictions placed on accessing community-based palliative care in some parts of the world, Read More...
Lack of understanding of gynaecological cancer among Australian women
Date of Posting: 01-03-2018
A nation-wide survey released by Ovarian Cancer Australia has found most women didn't know the difference between ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. Alarming new research shows too many Australian women incorrectly believe the Human papilloma Read More...
Call for mental health support services for children in pre-school and primary school
Date of Posting: 01-03-2018
The National Mental Health Commission would like to see investment in the development of local 'childspaces' or wellbeing centres for vulnerable children. The mental health and wellbeing of young Australians could fall further behind other Read More...
Report warns superbug E.coli driving Australia sepsis rates
Date of Posting: 28-02-2018
A new report shows the most common bacterial cause of bloodstream infections in Australia is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. The widespread and unnecessary use of antibiotics has put Australians at risk of life-threatening sepsis i Read More...
Calls for families and carers of dementia patients to reach out for support
Date of Posting: 28-02-2018
Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe says there is a wrong perception that nothing can be done following a dementia diagnosis. An estimated 425,000 Australians will be living with dementia in 2018, prompting calls for families and carers to reach o Read More...
Research shows sleep, genes link impacts Alzheimer's risk
Date of Posting: 27-02-2018
Australian researchers believe they may have found a possible mechanism to explain the association between poor sleep and Alzheimer's disease. A person's genetics may influence the impact poor sleep has on their risk of Alzheimer's dis Read More...
Health experts calls for Australia's supermarket giants to remove all junk food and soft drinks
Date of Posting: 26-02-2018
A new report on the nutrition policies of Australia's major supermarket chains has found they could be doing much more to promote healthy eating. A first-of-its-kind study conducted by the Global Obesity Centre at Deakin University has assesse Read More...
Calls to improve the management of mental health patients in hospital emergency departments
Date of Posting: 26-02-2018
There are calls to improve the management of mental health patients in hospital emergency departments, with research showing they wait longer to be admitted. Patients with an acute mental illness have been forced to wait days in busy and overcrowd Read More...
A new study suggests younger type-2 diabetes is bad for the heart
Date of Posting: 23-02-2018
A new study suggests younger-onset type 2 diabetes increases the risk of death from heart attack and stroke. The earlier a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the higher their risk of dying from heart attack and stroke, an Australian study h Read More...
Two in one: human placenta stem cells hold a dual benefit
Date of Posting: 23-02-2018
Scientists have discovered a new type of stem cell which has the potential to perform two functions at the same time, meaning better treatment or even cures for many diseases. University of Queensland researchers have found that Meso-Endothelial s Read More...
Study shows drinking soft drink linked to cancer risk
Date of Posting: 22-02-2018
A study of Melbourne cancer patients has found a positive association between regular soft drink consumption and an increased risk of developing cancer. People who regularly consume at least one soft drink a day, no matter the size of their waist, Read More...
Study shows genes won't affect weight loss
Date of Posting: 21-02-2018
A new US study shows there is probably no such thing as a diet that is right for a person's particular genetic make-up. The amount and quality of food and not a person's genetics will lead to weight loss, a US study has found.[subscribe] Read More...
The first treatment to help prevent serious allergic reactions to peanuts may be on the way
Last Updated: 21-02-2018
An American pharmaceutical company claims daily capsules of peanut flour can help prevent serious allergic reactions to peanuts, in a major study. A company said on Tuesday that its daily capsules of peanut flour helped children tolerate nuts in a Read More...
A leukaemia trial offers drug-free remission
Date of Posting: 20-02-2018
A trial has shown remission from chronic myeloid leukaemia is possible without additional treatment following therapy using a drug called nilotinib. Australian medical researchers have made a breakthrough in the treatment of a chronic form of leuk Read More...
Research shows placenta cells new hope for stroke victims
Date of Posting: 20-02-2018
A world-first Australian study has found injections of placenta cells can reduce brain injury and aid recovery in stroke victims. Giving stroke victims an injection of placenta cells could help heal the brain, according to researchers who are prep Read More...
An Australian study has found a link between gut and type 1 diabetes
Date of Posting: 19-02-2018
A person's genetics contribute to an 'unhealthy gut' which is linked to type 1 diabetes, an Australian study has found. Treatments targeting the gut could potentially help treat and even prevent type 1 diabetes in the future, Australia Read More...
Call for more streamlined guidelines in administering and supplying medical cannabis
Date of Posting: 19-02-2018
Researchers are calling for stronger and more streamlined guidelines in administering and supplying medical cannabis. Doctors have been warned against rushing to prescribe medical cannabis despite Australians' acceptance of its use.[subscribe] Read More...
Scientists have discovered that ovarian cancer is passed on by dads
Date of Posting: 16-02-2018
A 30-year study found women whose paternal grandmothers were affected by ovarian cancer were at the highest risk of developing the disease. Women can inherit a genetic mutation that causes ovarian cancer from their fathers as well as their mothers Read More...
Australian scientists discovered a new hope for better flu vaccines
Date of Posting: 15-02-2018
Melbourne researchers have revealed why flu vaccines work better in some people and not others. Australian scientists have discovered three specific white blood cells which play a key role in determining whether a person responds well to flu vacci Read More...
New research shows single parenting pose greatest risk to the health of fathers
Date of Posting: 15-02-2018
A study of 40,000 Canadians has found single fathers are at the greatest risk of dying prematurely, compared to single mothers and partnered parents. Single parenting appears to pose the greatest risk to the health of fathers rather than mothers, Read More...
A study has found opioid use linked to serious infections
Date of Posting: 14-02-2018
People who regularly use opioids are 60 per cent more likely to develop pneumonia or meningitis caused by Steptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, a study has found. Opioid use not only increases the risk of sudden death but is associated with developing Read More...
Benzodiazepines will not help low back pain
Last Updated: 14-02-2018
Australians seeking relief from low back pain are being urged not to use benzodiazepines (minor tranquilisers) as part of their treatment, according to recommendations released today by Choosing Wisely Australia. Five new recommendations around pa Read More...
Research shows new hope in battle against brain tumours
Date of Posting: 13-02-2018
A new immunotherapy treatment to help tackle brain cancer is being developed by Melbourne scientists. Adapting a successful blood cancer therapy could be the answer to treating notoriously difficult brain tumours, new Melbourne research shows.[sub Read More...
Study shows arthritis drug could reduce dementia risk
Date of Posting: 13-02-2018
A UK study suggests arthritis drugs could significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis could halve the risk of patients developing dementia, a study suggests.[subscr Read More...
Australian researchers developing a test to predict premature labour
Date of Posting: 13-02-2018
Researchers will test more than 3000 pregnant women in Melbourne in a bid to develop a test to predict who will give birth prematurely. Australian researchers are hoping to develop a swab test to predict which women will give birth prematurely.[su Read More...
Third hand cigarette smoke not cause for panic
Last Updated: 13-02-2018
An Australian National University (ANU) researcher is warning against undue alarm as the concept of health concerns from third-hand-smoke – lingering residue from cigarettes – is starting to build momentum in Australia. Professor Simon Read More...
Treating mental illness - how healthcare workers can really make a difference
Last Updated: 13-02-2018
The enduring stigma associated with mental illness, along with the depth of competence required to effectively help those who need it, has resulted in a shortage of much-needed mental health workers. “The mental health workforce is lacking i Read More...
Call for a national strategy to help women maintain a 'normal' weight before pregnancy
Date of Posting: 12-02-2018
Medical experts are calling for a national strategy to help women maintain a 'normal' weight before they conceive a baby to avoid serious complications. A steady increase in the rate of overweight and obese first time mums is to blame for Read More...
