News Articles
Teenagers who self-harm are more likely to suffer mental health problems
Date of Posting: 11-07-2017
People who self-harmed as teens are more than twice as likely to be weekly cannabis users at the age of 35, Australian researchers say. Teenagers who self-harm are more likely to suffer mental health problems, have substance abuse issues and relat Read More...
Physiotherapists embrace telehealth app to connect with patients
Last Updated: 11-07-2017
About 8,000 Australian physiotherapists are tapping into an app to provide consultations remotely to around 300,000 patients. The Physitrack app, endorsed by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), enables physiotherapists to use telehealt Read More...
Childhood cancers will be curable in the not too distant future
Date of Posting: 10-07-2017
Swimming champion Libby Trickett is calling on Australians to register for a Jeans for Genes Day and join the movement to cure childhood cancer. This month marks 48 years since man first walked on the moon, a feat many would have thought impossibl Read More...
Australian GPs are overprescribing antibiotics for respiratory infections
Date of Posting: 10-07-2017
Research has revealed the extent to which Australian GPs are overprescribing antibiotics for acute respiratory infections. Australian GPs are overprescribing antibiotics for respiratory infections, even when their use is not recommended, research Read More...
Acne antibiotic can help people with major depression
Date of Posting: 07-07-2017
A small yet world-first clinical trial at Deakin University has found an antibiotic used mostly to treat acne can help people with major depression. An antibiotic used mostly to treat acne has been found to improve the quality of life for people w Read More...
Northern Territory combats youth Avgas sniffing
Date of Posting: 06-07-2017
More than 150 kids from the NT's remote north-east Arnhem Land who have been sniffing toxic aviation fuel have elevated blood lead levels, health officials say. The Northern Territory government has established a special body to address the sc Read More...
One-third of SIDS deaths linked to elevated levels of serotonin
Date of Posting: 06-07-2017
One-third of SIDS deaths appear to be linked to elevated levels of serotonin, according to a new US study. A significant and potentially life-saving step forward in SIDS research has been made by scientists in the US.[subscribe] A study publish Read More...
Protein to control breast cancer progression identified
Date of Posting: 06-07-2017
Switching off a protein produced in breast cancer cells can stop cancer progression, researchers from The University of Queensland have found. Dr Iman Azimi from UQ School of Pharmacy and Mater Research Institute said, when breast cancer cel Read More...
Working together to reduce infection in extreme weather events
Date of Posting: 06-07-2017
Researchers have called for health professionals and climate forecasters to work more closely together ahead of extreme weather events and gradual climate change to help prevent the spread of infections. Lead researcher Dr Aparna Lal from The Aust Read More...
Australian hospitals have reduced their antibiotic use
Date of Posting: 06-07-2017
Antibiotic use in Australian hospitals has taken a dip, with medical experts saying the move will help in the fight against superbugs. The amount of antibiotics given to hospital patients to treat infections or reduce the risk of them developing f Read More...
Obese children at greater risk of heart attack and stroke
Date of Posting: 05-07-2017
High blood pressure in overweight children has been linked to a stiffening of their arteries, placing them at greater risk of heart attack and stroke later. Heart attacks could be decades in the making, with a new study linking high blood pressure Read More...
Common medication to treat heartburn and reflux linked to early death
Date of Posting: 04-07-2017
Researchers say it may be time to curb the use of proton pump inhibitors to treat acid reflux, with research linking the drug to an increased risk of death. Concern has been raised over the frequent prescription of a common medication to treat hea Read More...
Child psychiatry expert calls to review antipsychotic use in kids
Date of Posting: 04-07-2017
An expert in child psychiatry says no child under the age of six should be prescribed an antipsychotic and would like to see a review of these medications. There are concerns antipsychotic drugs are being overprescribed to children purely as a way Read More...
Scientists to embark on groundbreaking concussion study
Date of Posting: 04-07-2017
A groundbreaking study into concussion has been launched by scientists at The University of Queensland – and you could possibly play a part. The first of its kind, the study at UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) aims to recruit heal Read More...
Leading NZ-Australian child health research institutes join forces
Date of Posting: 04-07-2017
New Zealand and Australia’s leading child health research institutes are joining forces to advance our knowledge of how nutrition interacts with a person’s genetic make-up to shape health and wellbeing. The new collaboration between th Read More...
Occupational therapists to meet in Perth
Date of Posting: 04-07-2017
Occupational therapists from around the world will join their Australian counterparts in Perth forOccupational Therapy Australia’s (OTA) 27th National Conference and Exhibition. Running from 19 to 21 July, the conference’s theme is &ldquo Read More...
New app to help children with disabilities stay active
Last Updated: 03-07-2017
Curtin University researchers have been awarded the 2017 Dr Louisa Alessandri Research Grant to roll out a free app to help Western Australian children with disabilities access leisure activities in their local communities. Lead researcher Profess Read More...
New study has found, placebo effect works for exercise
Date of Posting: 03-07-2017
People find sport or exercise less strenuous if they believe it's doing them good, a new study has found. German researchers from the Department of Sport Science at the University of Freiburg discovered a person's expectations have a major Read More...
A new biologic treatment for a debilitating skin disease
Date of Posting: 03-07-2017
Dermatologists have welcomed the listing of drug Humira on the PBS, a new biologic treatment for a debilitating skin disease. Australians suffering from an extremely painful and debilitating skin disease known as hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) now Read More...
Full breastfeeding in newborns may help with healthy growth through to 20 years
Date of Posting: 30-06-2017
Babies who are fed only breast milk for the first three months of life appear to be much more likely to maintain a healthy weight trajectory, with the benefits possibly lasting through to early adulthood, new research shows. The study, published t Read More...
Infectious diseases experts warn about superbugs in Australia
Date of Posting: 29-06-2017
Australia needs a new co-ordinating body to oversee work to slow the spread of superbugs and antibiotic resistance, infectious diseases experts say. Sandra Hocking knows there is still a chance she could lose her leg to the superbug she picked up Read More...
New drug labelling alert allergy sufferers
Date of Posting: 29-06-2017
Patients are being urged to exercise caution and find out what's in their medicines as new drug labelling rules roll out. People suffering food allergies will get more information about what's in their medicines with drug companies forced Read More...
Australians urged to educate themselves on early signs of meningococcal disease
Date of Posting: 28-06-2017
Many parents aren't aware of the symptoms of meningococcal disease, with a survey revealing some have mistaken the deadly bacterial infection for sunburn. Australians are being urged to educate themselves on the early signs of the potentially Read More...
Yoga can help relieve those aches and pains but it can also lead to an injury
Date of Posting: 28-06-2017
Yoga may not be as 'safe' as first thought, with a study finding it can cause musculoskeletal pain just like any other exercise. Yoga can help relieve those aches and pains but it can also lead to an injury, researchers warn.[subscribe] Read More...
Calls for cartoon characters to be removed from 'junk food' packaging
Date of Posting: 27-06-2017
A survey of 186 packaged foods using cartoons to attract kids has found half are classified unhealthy because they either contain too much sugar, fat or salt. More than half of supermarket products marketed at kids are unhealthy, according to a ne Read More...
National bowel cancer screening program could save lives
Date of Posting: 27-06-2017
Participating in the national bowel cancer home screening program is the best decision a person can make to prevent dying from bowel cancer. More than 80,000 lives would be saved by 2040 if participation in the national bowel cancer screening prog Read More...
New approach tackles Australia's growing musculoskeletal and pain epidemics
Date of Posting: 27-06-2017
A new approach to managing chronic pain and musculoskeletal conditions – including arthritis, osteoporosis and back problems – aims to lead the way in curbing the long-term and debilitating human, social and economic impact of t Read More...
New research shows female sleep apnoea sufferers are going under the radar
Date of Posting: 27-06-2017
A new study suggesting that men and women are affected differently by sleep disorders could have a significant impact on the current Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) review in relation to Medicare funding availability for sleep tests. The research co Read More...
Coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol
Last Updated: 26-06-2017
Coconut oil raises cholesterol just like other saturated fats do, warns the American Heart Foundation. The health benefits of coconut oil have been questioned, with US authorities warning it raises cholesterol in the same way as other saturated fa Read More...
Brain training may reduce mental decline in old age
Date of Posting: 26-06-2017
Regular exercise is one of three factors that is likely to reduce the risk of dementia in old age, US experts say. A combination of exercise, controlling blood pressure and some form of brain training may reduce mental decline in old age and reduc Read More...
Prenatal paracetamol use may impact masculinity in womb
Date of Posting: 23-06-2017
Women have been reminded to take caution when using pain relief in pregnancy, with new research suggesting prenatal paracetamol use may impact masculinity. Paracetamol use during pregnancy inhibits the development of 'male behaviour' in mi Read More...
Researchers discover rare disease in Australia
Date of Posting: 22-06-2017
A rare infectious disease thought to be non-existent in the southern hemisphere has been discovered in Australia by researchers from the University of Sydney. Tularemia is a highly infectious and potentially deadly disease caused by the bacterium Read More...
First step towards better care for chronic conditions
Date of Posting: 22-06-2017
People living with multiple chronic conditions will be better able to navigate the health system and manage their own health through a $1 million CareFirst trial funded by North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN). CareFirst will be Read More...
Patient preferences, region linked to bowel cancer survival
Date of Posting: 22-06-2017
Regional, rural and remote bowel cancer patients experience poorer survival rates and less optimal clinical management than those living in metro areas, new research by Cancer Council Queensland and USQ has found. The study, published in BMC Cance Read More...
ANU provides Australia-first doctors' workshop on medicinal cannabis
Date of Posting: 22-06-2017
A drugs expert from The Australian National University (ANU) is running an Australia-first workshop on medicinal cannabis for doctors in Melbourne today. Some patients in Australia can legally take the drug, but it is not approved by the Therapeut Read More...
New solutions for dementia care in the home
Date of Posting: 22-06-2017
A new program coming to South Australia and NSW will focus on improving the wellbeing of people living with dementia at home by giving them and their caregivers more solutions to daily challenges. The COPE (Care of People with Dementia in their En Read More...
Autism expert urges community to consider the benefits children with ASD bring to the classroom
Date of Posting: 22-06-2017
Professor Vicki Bitsika, Director for the national Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorder (CASD) at Bond University said the comments made yesterday by One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson on withdrawing children with autism from mainstream schools, had inf Read More...
Restraint and observation practices at NSW opened for public feedback
Date of Posting: 22-06-2017
A review of seclusion, restraint and observation practices at NSW Health facilities has opened for public feedback, to be followed by community consultations. Public comment is being sought on seclusion, restraint and observation practices at NSW Read More...
Targeting sugary drinks in remote Indigenous communities
Date of Posting: 22-06-2017
A nutrition strategy to reduce the portion size and availability of soft drink has reduced the consumption of sugary drinks in a remote Indigenous community. Outback Stores, which provides retail services to more than 30 remote stores on behalf of Read More...
Who has access of medical cannabis in Australia?
Date of Posting: 22-06-2017
There's a body of evidence around the world that suggests medicinal cannabis, which is now a controlled substance in Australia, can benefit numerous conditions. IS MEDICAL CANNABIS LEGAL IN AUSTRALIA?[subscribe] Yes, medical cannabis is now Read More...
