News Articles
Anti-cholesterol drug shows promise
Date of Posting: 16-03-2015
An experimental drug has shown promise for high-cholesterol patients who are not able to manage their condition with diet, exercise and current drugs. People taking an experimental drug called Repatha (evolocumab) for high cholesterol were half as Read More...
Aortic valve replacement beats no surgery
Date of Posting: 16-03-2015
Researchers believe the frail elderly with a common heart condition can now be treated with a minimally-invasive procedure rather than open heart surgery. A minimally-invasive procedure to replace the aortic valve without doing open heart surgery Read More...
Qld plans opt-in child vaccination laws
Date of Posting: 13-03-2015
Queensland's government wants to give childcare centres the power to ban children from their premises, but is not planning a blanket ban. Queensland's government is planning new child vaccination laws, but the opposition wants evidence the Read More...
Teen cannabis use 'affects memory'
Date of Posting: 13-03-2015
A new study has found that teenagers who heavily smoke cannabis has a misshapen part of their brain which could affect memory. Teenagers who smoke a lot of cannabis may suffer brain damage and experience long-term memory loss as young adults, a st Read More...
Date of Posting: 12-03-2015
Intensive lifestyle and health interventions on memory and thinking can help older people at higher risk of dementia. Healthy eating, exercise, brain-training and health management can slow down mental decline in older people, according to a Finni Read More...
Stop prescription drug abuse: Ledger's dad
Date of Posting: 12-03-2015
Prescription drugs should be monitored in real time to stop overdose tragedies, Heath Ledger's father says. Heath Ledger's father hopes prescription drug monitoring systems will help prevent more tragedies such as his son's death.[subs Read More...
Sugar industry influenced cavity research
Date of Posting: 11-03-2015
The US sugar industry conspired to push research away from decreasing sugar consumption to ways of mitigating its effects on teeth, researchers say. The sugar industry convinced US government scientists decades ago to research ways of preventing c Read More...
Qld govt 'lowering the bar' on health: LNP
Date of Posting: 11-03-2015
The Queensland government will scrap Australia's first elective surgery wait time guarantee and allocate $30 million to address current wait list blowouts. The Queensland government will tinker with a flawed elective surgery system, but the op Read More...
Print-at-home glucose tests for diabetics
Date of Posting: 11-03-2015
Australian researchers have printed out saliva-based glucose tests for diabetics that in two to three years might replace finger-prick blood tests. A new saliva-based glucose test created by Australian researchers using a common printer could mean Read More...
Meat-free diet 'reduces bowel risk'
Date of Posting: 10-03-2015
Scientists have found that, compared with meat-eaters, vegetarians had a 22 per cent reduced risk of bowel cancer. Cutting meat out of the diet reduces the risk of bowel cancer, especially if you eat fish as well as vegetables, a study has shown.[ Read More...
Call for probe over Europe C-section rates
Date of Posting: 10-03-2015
A European study has found around a quarter of births in the UK are by C-section, compared to a low of 14.8 per cent in Iceland and 52 per cent in Cyprus. Wide variations in the rate of caesarean sections carried out in Europe have raised concerns Read More...
Date of Posting: 06-03-2015
Australian women are concerned about their hormone treatment after a UK study linking it to a higher risk of ovarian cancer. New British research linking hormone replacement therapy to ovarian cancer has caused Australian women to become concerned Read More...
Men more narcissistic than women: study
Date of Posting: 06-03-2015
Across ages and generations, a new American study has confirmed - men are generally more narcissistic than women. Men tend to be more narcissistic than women and therefore more likely to exploit others.[subscribe] That's according to the fi Read More...
Liberia's last Ebola patient discharged
Date of Posting: 06-03-2015
Beatrice Yordoldo has been discharged from an Ebola treatment unit in Monrovia as Liberia's last confirmed Ebola patient. Liberia has discharged its last confirmed Ebola patient, as it reported for the first time in nine months it had gone a f Read More...
Second salmonella outbreak at Qld centre
Date of Posting: 06-03-2015
Brisbane's conference and exhibition centre, which hosted the G20 summit of world leaders last year, has been linked to a second salmonella outbreak. The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre has been linked to a second outbreak of salmone Read More...
Gout may lessen Alzheimer's risk: study
Date of Posting: 05-03-2015
The same uric acid that can crystallise to cause gout may protect against Alzheimer's disease, medical researchers say. People who suffer from gout can take comfort in one thing: they may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, rese Read More...
Heart disease linked to teenage stress
Date of Posting: 05-03-2015
A new medical study has found a link between how a person deals with stress and heart disease. The worse a person deals with stress when young, the more likely they will develop heart disease later in life, a study suggests.[subscribe] Research Read More...
Spider venom holds key to pain relief
Date of Posting: 05-03-2015
Spider venom may hold the key to an effective painkiller because it contains an ingredient that can block pain signals between nerves and the brain. Spider venom may contain a long-sought secret ingredient for an effective, long-term painkiller, A Read More...
WHO declares war on hidden sugars
Date of Posting: 05-03-2015
In a bid to combat obesity, the World Health Organisation is pushing for a big drop in the consumption of "hidden" sugar in food and drinks. The World Health Organisation has urged a dramatic drop in the consumption of sugar, "hidde Read More...
Brain cancer drug shows promise
Date of Posting: 04-03-2015
A study of a new drug developed by Australian biotech Novogen shows it could play a vital role in fighting brain cancer. SYDNEY, AAP - A drug developed by an Australian biotech is showing promise in destroying stubborn brain cancer cells in childr Read More...
Origins of AIDS virus strains traced
Date of Posting: 04-03-2015
American researchers have finally traced the origins of two AIDS virus strains to gorillas from southwest Cameroon. Two of four strains of the virus that can cause AIDS come from gorillas in southwestern Cameroon, an international team of scientis Read More...
Long-term paracetamol use 'poses risk'
Date of Posting: 04-03-2015
Researchers found chronic users of paracetamol may increase their risk of death, or kidney, intestinal and heart problems. Doctors may be underestimating the risks to patients from long-term use of paracetamol, the world's most popular painkil Read More...
NSW hospital waiting times down: data
Date of Posting: 04-03-2015
Admissions to NSW hospitals are up but emergency waiting times are improving, new data shows. NSW hospital waiting times have dropped despite more patients, new data shows.[subscribe] Some 636,000 people were admitted to emergency departments b Read More...
Preventative HIV drug effective: study
Last Updated: 03-03-2015
Giving anti-viral drugs to sexually active gay men when they are healthy could reduce their chance of becoming infected with HIV by 86 per cent. A game-changing trial has shown that rates of HIV infection can be slashed by treating actively gay me Read More...
Vic hospitals had a week's cash left
Last Updated: 03-03-2015
A report into Victoria's public hospitals has highlighted many are in a precarious financial position. Cash levels at 12 Victorian public hospitals were so low last year they only had enough money to last a week.[subscribe] An Auditor-Gener Read More...
Depression linked to violent crime
Last Updated: 03-03-2015
There is an increased risk of violence in individuals with clinical depression, researchers say. A diagnosis of depression increases the risk of committing violent crime three-fold, research has shown.[subscribe] The study of nearly 50,000 peop Read More...
No brain cancer boom despite more phones
Last Updated: 03-03-2015
Despite the huge numbers of people now using mobile phones, there hasn't been a corresponding increase in brain cancers, researchers say. If mobile phones are supposed to increase the risk of brain tumours, there is no evidence of it in cancer Read More...
Medical cannabis crusader dies
Last Updated: 03-03-2015
Tributes are flooding in for medical marijuana champion Dan Haslam, who lost his battle with bowel cancer this week. The 25-year-old, who died on February 24 in his home town of Tamworth, and his family waged a public campaign to legalise medical Read More...
Co-payment has no support: Frydenberg
Last Updated: 03-03-2015
A senior Liberal frontbencher says there will be significant changes to the government's unpopular GP co-payment. The Abbott government has given the strongest indication yet that it is scrapping its Medicare co-payment plan, with one senior f Read More...
Nuts can reduce death from heart disease
Date of Posting: 02-03-2015
US researchers say eating nuts and peanuts can reduce your risk of death from cardiovascular disease. [subscribe] The next time you reach for a snack, you may want to make it a handful of nuts because research shows they can reduce your risk of d Read More...
Some Aboriginal cancers diagnosed later
Last Updated: 02-03-2015
Aboriginal people are more than twice as likely to have serious head and neck cancers by the time they're diagnosed than non-Aboriginal people, a study shows. [subscribe] Head and neck cancers in Aboriginal people are more than twice as likel Read More...
Boom in synthetic drugs a problem
Date of Posting: 27-02-2015
A medical conference has heard the number of psychoactive substances that can be abused is booming, and causing more drug deaths in Australia. There is a boom in the number of psychoactive substances that can be abused and the problem exists large Read More...
Don't be in the dark about wild mushrooms
Date of Posting: 27-02-2015
NSW Health and the Royal Botanic Gardens have issued a warning following the rise of wild mushroom poisonings in NSW. [subscribe] Ten people have been rushed to NSW emergency rooms with mushroom poisoning already this month, prompting a governmen Read More...
US tobacco giants settle smoking lawsuits
Date of Posting: 26-02-2015
Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds and Lorillard have agreed to pay $US100 million to settle 400 lawsuits seeking damages for injuries caused by smoking. [subscribe] Three major US tobacco companies - Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds and Lorillard - have agree Read More...
Eating peanuts early could prevent allergy
Last Updated: 24-02-2015
Feeding food with peanuts to babies before 11 months of age could prevent allergies, a new study says, backing up Australian research. A study has found that contrary to previous advice, feeding foods containing peanuts to babies before 11 months Read More...
NSW Labor pledges $430m for Westmead
Date of Posting: 23-02-2015
NSW Labor says it will spend $430 million to upgrade Westmead Hospital if it wins government, without leasing poles and wires. [subscribe] The NSW opposition will provide $430 million to redevelop Westmead Hospital if it wins government at the Ma Read More...
Protein link to prostate cancer
Date of Posting: 23-02-2015
The molecule, GPR158, has been linked to a biological process critical to the way prostate cancer stops responding to hormone therapies. [subscribe] Drugs that prevent the development of treatment-resistant prostate cancer may be possible followi Read More...
Teenage brain area linked to exploration
Date of Posting: 23-02-2015
Scientists researching brain activity during exploratory behaviour say it could help identify teenagers most likely to engage in risky behaviours. Pre-teenage girls who like to explore and show interest in new things have brains wired differently Read More...
Pill may save organ patients' lives
Last Updated: 20-02-2015
A new pill could help save the lives of organ transplant patients who are at risk of rejection. Lives could be saved by a new once-daily pill for organ transplant patients, according to a new study.[subscribe] The anti-rejection drug Advagraf w Read More...
Billions needed to fight tropical diseases: WHO
Date of Posting: 19-02-2015
The World Health Organisation has urged countries to invest billions of dollars to tackle 17 neglected tropical diseases - including dengue fever, leprosy and sleeping sickness - which kill 500,000 people globally each year. WHO said about 1.5 bil Read More...
