News Articles
Test may identify returning breast cancer
Date of Posting: 25-09-2015
In a significant development, researchers now believe they will be able to detect breast cancers likely to recur after treatment. A test may be in sight that can identify breast cancers most likely to return after treatment.[subscribe] Scientis Read More...
Taiwan suffers deadliest dengue outbreak in history
Last Updated: 25-09-2015
Taiwan is suffering its deadliest ever outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever with a record high of 42 deaths. Taiwan is suffering its deadliest ever outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever with a record high of 42 deaths, double the number that Read More...
Electrodes help paraplegic man walk again
Last Updated: 24-09-2015
Neurosurgeons have transmitted signals from a paraplegic man's brain to electrodes around his knees, allowing him to walk without using robotic limbs. A man confined to a wheelchair five years ago is able to walk again after scientists reconne Read More...
Breastfeeding doesn't improve IQ: study
Last Updated: 24-09-2015
A British study has found no reliable association between breastfeeding and higher IQ at age two. Breastfeeding does little to improve a child's intelligence, despite the widespread belief that "breast is best" for IQ, research has s Read More...
Longer wait needed before miscarry diagnosis
Last Updated: 24-09-2015
There is a risk healthy pregnancies could be ended because not enough time has passed between scans, experts say. Doctors should wait longer before diagnosing early miscarriage to avoid the risk of terminating healthy babies, UK experts have said. Read More...
Antibiotic alternative found for C. diff
Date of Posting: 24-09-2015
A drug that is being investigated for the treatment of arthritis and cancer, may also be able to treat a stubborn bacterial infection, a study suggests. A stubborn bacterial infection often acquired in hospitals and which can be deadly may have a Read More...
Warning over prescription painkillers
Date of Posting: 23-09-2015
Prescribed painkillers can have serious side effects if not taken as directed, says expert after overdose by footballers. Prescribed painkillers like oxycodone can be dangerous if not taken as directed, warns an expert.[subscribe] South Sydney Read More...
Dirty theatres, IT woes at Perth hospital
Last Updated: 23-09-2015
Operating theatres at Perth's new Fiona Stanley are sometimes left uncleaned, a parliamentary inquiry has been told. A parliamentary inquiry has heard of ongoing woes at Perth's new Fiona Stanley Hospital including unsanitary operating the Read More...
Physiotherapist misdiagnosis non-existent in emergency departments, according to new research
Last Updated: 23-09-2015
New research released by the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has found that physiotherapists have displayed a 0% misdiagnosis rate in emergency departments across Australia. Released in conjunction with World Physiotherapy Day, taking p Read More...
Sex does not trigger heart attacks
Last Updated: 22-09-2015
A German study has found no evidence that sex can trigger a heart attack, even in people who have already suffered one. For those who want to grow old disgracefully, it could be good news.[subscribe] A study has found no evidence that sex can t Read More...
Qld Mum lobbies for Champix drug warning
Date of Posting: 21-09-2015
A mother has gathered almost 50,000 signatures calling on the federal government to mandate health warning labels on the anti-smoking drug, Champix. A Gold Coast mother whose son took his own life while taking the anti-smoking pills Champix is lob Read More...
Common coeliac test 'unreliable'
Date of Posting: 21-09-2015
Coeliac disease can only be definitevely diagnosed by a small bowel biopsy, says doctors warning against in-pharmacy tests In-pharmacy tests for coeliac disease are unreliable, say doctors.[subscribe] "Coeliac disease is a notoriously diff Read More...
Cancer survivor has 'miracle' baby
Last Updated: 17-09-2015
An Australian woman left infertile after cancer treatment has given birth to a 'miracle' daughter after an ovarian tissue graft and IVF. Baby Evie belongs to one of the most exclusive clubs in the world.[subscribe] Her Victorian mother, Read More...
Safety of antidepressant misreported: study
Date of Posting: 17-09-2015
A study claiming an antidepressant was safe for adolescents did not disclose data showing a link to suicidal or self-harming behaviours: new analysis An antidepressant was misrepresented as safe for adolescents, says new Australian-led research wh Read More...
Virtual nurse visits help young female cancer survivors
Date of Posting: 17-09-2015
Brisbane-based nurse Janine Porter-Steele will work face-to-face with young female cancer survivors across the country and she won't need to leave the office. QUT has developed and is now trialling the Younger Women's Wellness after Cancer Read More...
Lack of vitamin D speeds up mental decline
Date of Posting: 16-09-2015
Researchers have found that low levels of vitamin D doubled or even tripled the rate of cognitive decline in 382 men and women over the age of 60. Lack of vitamin D greatly accelerates the loss of mental ability that comes with age, a study has sh Read More...
Antibacterial soap not as effective as thought
Date of Posting: 16-09-2015
A new study has found there is "no significant difference" between the bactericidal effects of plain soap and antibacterial soap. Antibacterial hand soaps containing the chemical triclosan are not much better at killing germs than regula Read More...
Date of Posting: 14-09-2015
A new report card on Australia's sexual health is a mixed bag, with HIV infections stable but gonorrhoea and syphilis on the rise. The number of Australians contracting HIV has stabilised but about a thousand people a year are still returning Read More...
Push for Govt subsidies on new Hep C treatments
Date of Posting: 14-09-2015
The federal government is under pressure to immediately subsidise new Hep C treatments or risk the deaths of thousands more sufferers. Thousands more Australians could die from liver disease unless the government starts subsidising new Hepatitis C Read More...
Cancer survivors need to talk about sex
Last Updated: 11-09-2015
A cancer diagnosis takes a heavy toll on survivors' sex lives but there is something couples can do. Cancer survivors should be talking about sex if they want to get their intimate lives back on track.[subscribe] New research shows that the Read More...
Aussie men at higher risk of cancer death
Last Updated: 10-09-2015
The rate of US men dying from prostate cancer has fallen by 50 per cent in 17 years, compared with 25 per cent in Australia, research shows. Australian men have a higher chance of dying from prostate cancer than Americans and Canadians, a new stud Read More...
Vic prostate cancer research gets boost
Last Updated: 10-09-2015
The Victorian government has announced $1.6 million for prostate cancer research projects. Prostate cancer research funding has been given a boost as Victoria pushes to stop men dying young.[subscribe] Health Minister Jill Hennessy announced $1 Read More...
Seize the Day-Laughter in Oncology
Last Updated: 10-09-2015
I was interviewed for a research position coordinating a randomised controlled trial (RCT) in the oncology department of a leading metropolitan hospital. During the job interview the Chief Investigators, one of whom headed up the department, wanted t Read More...
Alzheimer's 'seeds' might be transferred through injection
Last Updated: 10-09-2015
Scientists are urging research into the risk of "accidental" medical transmission of Alzheimer's, after a study revealed several possible cases. People injected with hormones extracted from cadaver brains in a long-abandoned procedur Read More...
Traumatised servicemen helped by dogs
Last Updated: 10-09-2015
Traumatised former servicemen are being helped by dogs who comfort them, retrieve their medication and even turn on the lights. A dog turns on a light and a traumatised digger can now walk into the room.[subscribe] Another dog does the laundry, Read More...
New implant to track metastasis
Last Updated: 09-09-2015
Scientists are experimenting with an implant that can track the spread of cancer cells in the bloodstream, speeding up diagnosis and life-saving treatment. Scientists in the United States say they have created a tiny implant which, in mice for now Read More...
Aged care residents still need intimacy
Date of Posting: 09-09-2015
Aged care residents and their visitors need privacy, says the loving wife of a man living with dementia. Anne Fairhall and her husband of 50 years have always been an affectionate and loving couple.[subscribe] But when his dementia meant he had Read More...
Sleep duration makes little difference to children's health
Date of Posting: 09-09-2015
Short sleep duration is not linked to poor health in children, says new Australian research. Child sleep problems just got more complicated.[subscribe] Short sleep duration has long been associated with poorer health and wellbeing for kids and Read More...
Breastfeeding leads to higher IQ, earnings
Last Updated: 08-09-2015
A Brazilian study has found that people who were breastfed are more intelligent as adults and can earn more for a living. People breastfed as infants have higher intelligence scores in adulthood, and higher earnings.[subscribe] And, critically, Read More...
Scientists work on first viral 'antibiotic'
Date of Posting: 08-09-2015
Antibiotics have no effect on viruses but scientists hope to change that in the next decade after identifying a gene that can defend the body against flu. A newly discovered gene that defends the body against flu could lead scientists to the first Read More...
World anti-venom stockpile running out
Date of Posting: 08-09-2015
A leading charity has warned that the world's existing stockpiles of the anti-venom Fav-Afrique will expire in June. Doctors Without Borders says the world will run out of one of the most effective treatments for snakebites next year, risking Read More...
Poor pre-hospital care costs $300M
Date of Posting: 07-09-2015
Poor pre-hospital treatment is estimated to cost Australia $300 million annually, a new study shows. Older Australians with chronic conditions are in hospital because they didn't get the proper medical care.[subscribe] About a quarter of th Read More...
New blood test detects biological age
Date of Posting: 07-09-2015
A blood test has been developed which reveals a wide range of ageing processes in normal 60 year olds, and will help manage diseases in older age. A blood test for healthy ageing has been developed that could identify people who are growing old to Read More...
National campaign needed to reduce falls
Date of Posting: 07-09-2015
A national approach and more resources are needed to reduce falls, in much the same way as the campaign to cut road deaths, an expert says. One in three older Australians fall each year, with hospital admissions more than doubling those for traffi Read More...
Medical concierge lends patients and older people a helping hand
Last Updated: 07-09-2015
Helping patients is no new feat for Marg Sacre. But instead of nursing them back to good health, the retired nurse with more than 40 years’ experience is helping patients, and older people living in the community, to navigate the nation&rsqu Read More...
Dementia - Caring for the Carers
Date of Posting: 04-09-2015
A new guide for dementia patient carers launched in Brisbane is a useful tool for those looking after afflicted loved ones, a former carer says. Thirty-six years after Vince O'Rourke asked his wife Margaret to marry him, she turned to him with Read More...
Exeprts say wet wipes spread germs
Date of Posting: 04-09-2015
Wet wipes may be convenient, but they don't have the best reputation - and now experts have found they could be spreading germs too. Whether you're scrubbing off make-up, freshening up your hands or giving those kitchen or bathroom surface Read More...
Date of Posting: 02-09-2015
Obesity could be linked to high salt intake, says new research, but experts warn that the main cause of weight gain is consuming too many calories. A high salt intake may be linked to obesity, regardless of how many calories are consumed, experts Read More...
NSW hospitals overwhelmed with patients
Date of Posting: 02-09-2015
Hospitals across NSW and specifically in Sydney's west are under extreme with an influx of patients. NSW emergency departments are overwhelmed by an influx of patients with doctors saying there's not enough hospital beds.[subscribe] The Read More...
Overweight at 50 may speed up Alzheimer's
Date of Posting: 02-09-2015
Every unit of BMI a middle-aged person is overweight could speed up the onset of Alzheimer's in old age by 6.5 months, a study says. Being overweight at the age of 50 may speed the onset of Alzheimer's disease in old age, according to a st Read More...
