News Articles
Obesity-related diseases is estimated to rise
Date of Posting: 11-10-2017
Without action on obesity, the economic burden of treating obesity-related diseases is estimated to rise from $US9 billion in 2014 to $US17 billion in 2025. The annual cost of treating obesity-related diseases is estimated to cost Australia $21 bi Read More...
Meningococcal outbreak in NT worsens
Last Updated: 10-10-2017
The 25th case has been confirmed of the deadly meningococcal disease in the Central Australian indigenous communities of Barkly and Katherine. More meningococcal diagnoses have been recorded amid an unprecedented outbreak in Central Australia that Read More...
Death rate from heart disease is 60 per cent higher in rural and regional Australia
Date of Posting: 10-10-2017
New data released by the Heart Foundation shows the death rate from heart disease is 60 per cent higher in rural and regional Australia. Where a person lives, not just how they live, matters when it comes to heart disease.[subscribe] Data has c Read More...
New animation and online changes to simplify registration for new physiotherapists
Last Updated: 10-10-2017
Physiotherapy students graduating in 2017 are being urged to wait until after October 9 before registering with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia, as the Board simplifies and streamlines its online registration process. The Board has also relea Read More...
Survey shows parents struggle to spot depressed child
Date of Posting: 10-10-2017
Frequent crying in children is not normal and could be a sign the child is depressed, says Dr Anthea Rhodes from the Royal Children's Hospital. Primary aged children can suffer depression yet many parents struggle to spot the signs of a mental Read More...
Experts has new guidelines to spot atypical melanomas
Date of Posting: 09-10-2017
Firm, elevated and changing spots on skin are key features of atypical melanomas and should be checked, say experts. Not all melanomas have the typical features doctors and specialists have traditionally looked for and there are other suspicious c Read More...
Victorian Bupa nursing homes are set to stop work in a bid to improve staffing
Date of Posting: 06-10-2017
The "overstretched" nurses and carers at nine Victorian Bupa nursing homes are set to stop work in a bid to improve staffing levels, wages and conditions. Bupa's "overstretched" Victorian aged care workers will stop work in Read More...
Health Check: do we lose gains from exercise as our bodies get used to it?
Last Updated: 06-10-2017
Clint Miller, Deakin University Many of us exercise on a regular basis, and we become comfortable with the same exercise routine. But is your standard routine leading to a plateau in fitness gains? Once the body becomes used to running a fe Read More...
Back pain: the spiralling effects of a problem no one can see
Last Updated: 06-10-2017
Rob Froud, University of Warwick Almost all of us have either had it, or can look forward to getting it in our lifetime. In fact, somewhere between about a tenth to a third of us have back pain right now. So is back pain just something we s Read More...
Most private patients are wasting money on costly rehab after major knee surgery
Last Updated: 06-10-2017
Justine Naylor, UNSW Most private patients who have had knee replacement surgery recover just as well with a cheaper form of rehabilitation than many are currently offered, research published today in the Medical Journal of Australia shows. Read More...
Health workers urged to spot and help victims of slavery
Date of Posting: 06-10-2017
Doctors and other frontline health workers are in a unique position to spot, help and advocate for victims of hidden slavery in New Zealand, experts say. Writing in the latest New Zealand Medical Journal, they say modern forms of slavery – w Read More...
Symposium will explore mental health issues in older people
Date of Posting: 06-10-2017
Creating better mental health outcomes for older people being discharged from hospital could be as easy as a weekly phone call, research has found. The research, conducted by the Bolton Clarke Research Institute, Monash University and two hospital Read More...
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Biomedical engineers developed a stretchy glue that heals wounds in 60 seconds
Date of Posting: 05-10-2017
The MeTro surgical glue is based on a natural human protein and has the potential to save lives because it seals life-threatening wounds in seconds. Australian and American biomedical engineers have developed a stretchy surgical glue that rapidly Read More...
Expert says grief can manifest online too
Date of Posting: 05-10-2017
Australians are reminded the Las Vegas shootings could trigger feelings of grief, particularly for those who've previously experienced a sudden loss. Reacting to the Las Vegas shootings by posting on social media can be a manifestation of grie Read More...
Researchers say blood lead levels are the biggest risk factor for pre-eclampsia
Date of Posting: 05-10-2017
Researchers say blood lead levels are the biggest risk factor for pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy complication that kills 75,000 women globally every year. Australian scientists have found a link between lead poisoning and an increased risk of the preg Read More...
Substandard aged care a result of inadequate staffing levels
Date of Posting: 04-10-2017
Residents in aged care facilities are receiving substandard care due to inadequate staffing levels - a consequence of providers being permitted to self-determine adequate staff numbers, according to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation. Read More...
Study shows Vitamin D cuts asthma attack risk
Date of Posting: 04-10-2017
British researchers have found that asthmatics taking vitamin D supplements have a lower risk of suffering a serious asthma attack. Asthmatics who take vitamin D supplements could halve their chances of winding up in hospital being treated for a s Read More...
Unreliable pregnancy kits off shop shelves
Date of Posting: 04-10-2017
A host of home pregnancy test kits have been removed from sale in Australia after the pharmaceutical regulator found they were unreliable. Batches of do-it-yourself pregnancy test kits have been withdrawn from sale in Australia after they were fou Read More...
Aussie researchers say one hour of exercise a week can help keep depression at bay
Last Updated: 04-10-2017
A single hour of exercise each week can help ward off symptoms of depression, a landmark study led by Australian researchers has found. Just an hour of exercise a week can help ward off depression, a landmark study led by Australia's Black Dog Read More...
New provider to bring better access to hearing services across Australia
Date of Posting: 03-10-2017
A new network of clinics is officially being launched today, offering hearing checks and affordable hearing aids, and promising to increase choice and convenience for customers. Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt AM, said SpecSavers Audiology would Read More...
Progesterone does not prevent preterm birth or complications: study
Date of Posting: 03-10-2017
An increasingly popular hormonal “treatment” for pregnant women with a history of preterm birth does not work, a major new international study shows. A total of 789 women from 39 Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian maternity hospital Read More...
Expectant dads also experience morning sickness
Date of Posting: 03-10-2017
Australian researchers have found that morning sickness suffered by many women during pregnancy can also increase anxiety levels for dads-to-be. Morning sickness is not only debilitating for many pregnant women, but can also make expectant dads mo Read More...
Meningococcal outbreak may spread to the Top End
Date of Posting: 02-10-2017
A meningococcal outbreak mainly affecting Aboriginal children from Central Australian communities could spread to the Top End, NT health experts say. Northern Territory health authorities have mounted a large-scale immunisation campaign in an atte Read More...
Measles outbreak in Victoria has gotten worse
Date of Posting: 02-10-2017
The measles outbreak in Victoria has gotten worse, with another four cases confirmed in the state. A Melbourne office building is at the centre of a measles outbreak, with four more confirmed cases in Victoria.[subscribe] Up to 11 people have n Read More...
Thunderstorm asthma warning system in Victoria
Date of Posting: 02-10-2017
A thunderstorm asthma warning system is up and running in Victoria after nine people died in a freak event last year. A Victorian nurse fighting to save lives during a freak thunderstorm asthma event as she struggled with her own symptoms has back Read More...
Experts say late caesareans linked to preterm births
Date of Posting: 28-09-2017
Women who had a caesarean when fully dilated should have their cervix closely monitored during subsequent pregnancies, say experts. Emergency caesarean sections performed when a woman is fully dilated during labour may raise the risk of premature Read More...
New technique to aid bladder cancer diagnosis
Date of Posting: 28-09-2017
A new and innovative automated computer technique has been developed by researchers that is able to significantly aid in the diagnosis of bladder cancer. The technique—which allows suspect lesion images to be quickly and effectively analysed Read More...
New codes of conduct for nurses and midwives published
Date of Posting: 28-09-2017
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) has published the new Code of conduct for nurses and Code of conduct for midwives (the codes). The codes will take effect for all nurses and midwives in Australia on 1 March 2018. The codes set o Read More...
Mental illness rates high for methamphetamine and ecstasy users
Date of Posting: 28-09-2017
Ice use has in part been blamed for a rise in the number of methamphetamine and ecstasy drug users with a mental illness. Higher rates of ice use in Australia is partly driving a rise in the number of methamphetamine drug users diagnosed with a me Read More...
Renewed calls for alcohol sponsorship of sport to be banned
Date of Posting: 27-09-2017
There are renewed calls for alcohol sponsorship of sport to be banned ahead of the AFL and NRL grand finals. Analysis shows one-third of complaints made to the Alcohol Review Board (AARB) over the past five years were sport-related, prompting rene Read More...
Private patients treated in public hospitals is lose-lose: APHA
Date of Posting: 26-09-2017
The public hospital system’s continued rorting of private health insurance forces privately insured patients to pay higher premiums and those without insurance to sit on waiting lists for longer, a lose-lose for the health system, says Australi Read More...
Healthcare workers want greater say on technology investment
Date of Posting: 26-09-2017
A rising population and rapidly ageing demographic are combining to place significant challenges on the delivery of healthcare services to Australians that only digital transformation can address. More than a million people already provide firstli Read More...
Mums should teach daughters how to spot breast cancer
Last Updated: 26-09-2017
The second McGrath Breast Health Index shows women who first learnt about breast awareness from their mother were more likely to check their breasts. Encouraging mothers to talk to their daughters about their breasts could be the key to improving Read More...
Researchers say first 1,000 days is crucial to child's development
Date of Posting: 25-09-2017
A report by researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute highlights the importance the first 1,000 days has on a child's development and health. Disadvantage can be passed down through the generations at a cellular level and th Read More...
Medical experts are calling for a re-think of x-rays procedure's use in children
Date of Posting: 25-09-2017
Medical experts are calling for a re-think about the over-use of X-rays on infants with common respiratory ailments. Concerns have been raised too many unnecessary X-rays are being used on infants with common respiratory conditions like bronchioli Read More...
Doctors say WA maternity hospital needs ICU
Date of Posting: 22-09-2017
Australian Medical Association (WA) president Omar Khorshid says it's unacceptable the state's biggest maternity hospital doesn't have an ICU or CT scanner. Doctors are concerned Western Australia's biggest maternity hospital still Read More...
Leading mental health groups launch SSM campaign
Date of Posting: 21-09-2017
Mental health groups claim a 'yes' vote for marriage equality could avert as many as 3000 youth suicide attempts ever year among the LGBTIQ community. Leading mental health groups have joined forces to warn of the serious impact the same s Read More...
Study shows a healthy diet prevents birth of big babies
Date of Posting: 21-09-2017
Research shows women with gestational diabetes who control it with a healthy diet without insulin are at no greater risk of giving birth to a big baby. A healthy diet alone can control gestational diabetes and doesn't put the mother at greater Read More...
Sperm quality is significantly compromised by obesity
Date of Posting: 20-09-2017
New research linking obesity to poor sperm quality highlights a greater need to address weight loss among men before couples fertility treatment. Sperm quality is significantly compromised by obesity and men need to reduce their weight and eat mor Read More...
Taking a break from from dieting may improve weight loss
Date of Posting: 20-09-2017
Continuous dieting slows metabolism and can actually hempen weight loss, say experts. Australian researchers found people who took a two weeks on, two weeks off approach to weight loss shed more kilos.[subscribe] They also kept it off for longe Read More...
