News Articles
AFL players encourage Australians to sign up as donors
Date of Posting: 14-07-2017
Organ donations in Australia are rising but still very low. Now the AFL has come on board to encourage Australians to sign up as donors. The AFL and all 18 clubs will urge fans to sign up as organ donors in a new campaign to lift donor rates invol Read More...
Australian HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Clinical Guidelines
Last Updated: 13-07-2017
The new ASHM Australian HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Clinical Guidelines have been published in the Journal of Virus Eradication (Journal of Virus Eradication 2017; 3: pp168–184). Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexu Read More...
New research points to treatment breakthrough for viruses
Date of Posting: 13-07-2017
RMIT scientists in Melbourne have led an international collaboration that potentially unlocks better treatment of viral diseases, including the flu and common cold. The results are published today (12 July) in the prestigious scientific and medica Read More...
NZ research shows potential for first gonorrhoea vaccine
Date of Posting: 13-07-2017
New Zealand-led research has shown a link between the meningococcal group B vaccine (MeNZB™) used here between 2004 and 2008 and a reduction in cases of gonorrhoea. The research, led by Dr Helen Petousis-Harris of the University’s Facu Read More...
Medical students more likely to 'go rural' with background and training combination
Date of Posting: 13-07-2017
The combination of a rural background and rural undergraduate training has a multiplier effect on the likelihood of medical graduates practicing outside metropolitan areas, a study has found. University of Queensland-led research found medical gra Read More...
Supporting older people with diabetes to stay independent
Date of Posting: 13-07-2017
A new project to identify community nursing clients with diabetes who are at risk of falls - and train staff to help with prevention strategies - is expected to help people stay independent for longer. The RDNS Institute project, which started thi Read More...
New projects to challenge risky drinking cultures
Date of Posting: 13-07-2017
Health promotion foundation VicHealth will provide almost $1 million in funding to four creative new projects to help reduce risky drinking across Victoria. The projects, funded under VicHealth’s Alcohol Culture Change initiative, will look Read More...
Asthma warning issued as winter sets in
Date of Posting: 13-07-2017
Australians with asthma are being warned to act as the winter cold and flu season kicks in to avoid becoming a statistic. Around 40,000 Australians are hospitalised and 400 die each year from asthma, with a spike in hospital admissions d Read More...
Discovery of brain-like activity in immune system promises better disease treatment
Date of Posting: 13-07-2017
The Australian National University (ANU) has led the discovery of brain-like activity in the immune system that promises better treatments for lymphoma, autoimmune diseases and immunodeficiency disorders, which collectively affect millions of people Read More...
Research shows people who think optimistically will recover faster from illness
Date of Posting: 12-07-2017
Research conducted by the University of Sydney suggests people who think optimistically will recover faster from illness. People who think positively have a better chance of recovering from serious illness than those who don't, research sugges Read More...
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...
