Australia - health news articles
Yeast to identify drugs for Alzheimer's diseaseCSIRO scientists have developed a new system to screen for compounds that can inhibit one of the processes that takes place during the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Teens don't care about skin cancer messagesTeens continue to put themselves at unnecessary risk of skin cancer by spending excessive time in the sun and forgetting to protect themselves, according to new Cancer Council research.
Australian public hospitals need $3 billion - AMAAustralian Medical Association (AMA) President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said the public hospital system was ‘flat lining' and the COAG meeting next week may be its last hope for resuscitation.
Live cell therapy clinical trial in New Zealand for diabeticsLiving Cell Technologies Limited (ASX: LCT; OTCQX: LVCLY) announced that New Zealand Health Minister, the Honorable David Cunliffe, has approved an application from the company to conduct in New Zealand a Phase I/IIa clinical trial of DiabeCell®, LCT's lead product candidate for the treatment of insulin dependent (Type 1) diabetes.
Parents believe their children are in average weight rangeMore than four in 10 parents with underweight and overweight children mistakenly believe their children are in the average weight range, according to University of Melbourne research.
Breast stem cell fate is regulated by notchA normal developmental protein that sometimes goes awry has been implicated in breast cancer. This discovery indicates the mechanism by which inappropriate expression of the Notch pathway may contribute to breast cancer.
People with mental illness smoke moreAustralians with mental illness smoke at four times the rate of the general population, says a new study from the University of Melbourne.
Too much volunteering unhealthyDoing volunteer work is good for your well being, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing – with those volunteering more than 15 hours a week showing a sharp decrease in their satisfaction with life and emotional health, according to an academic from The Australian National University.
Decade of change in general practice in AustraliaIt's not only the patients in GP surgeries who are getting older, according to two new reports released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian General Practice Statistics and Classification Centre, an AIHW collaborating unit located at the University of Sydney.
Lazy brain - a shrinking brainPeople who have been more mentally active over their lives have a larger hippocampus – which relates to memory – and critically that it shrinks at half the rate of those who have lower mental activity.
Men and women needs different dietsGender plays a major role in determining which diet is better suited to promoting longer life or reproductive success, revealed by researchers from the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney and Massey University.
Type 1 diabetes rising in Australian childrenThe incidence of new cases of Type 1 diabetes in children is rising at around 3% a year, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Invest in a future without dementia, Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's Australia released a report 'Australian Dementia Research' that recommends annual funding for dementia research be increased three-fold to $36 million in response to the growing economic and social impact of the dementia epidemic.
Brain maps to assist disease diagnosis, brain surgeryResearchers from the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne are developing new technology to create individualised brain maps that will revolutionise diagnosis of disease like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease, and enhance the accuracy of brain surgery.
Oestrogen makes male organ resistant to HIVTopical oestrogen applied to the human penis could stop the spread of HIV, revealed by Australian researchers at the University of Melbourne.
New melanoma gene close to be identifiedThe researchers are close to discovering a new gene that could help explain variation in melanoma risk. They have identified a region on chromosome 20 (20q11.22) that influences a person's risk of developing melanoma.
Parents use cough medicines on under 2s despite the warningsMore than 40% of parents have used cough medicine for children younger than two – even though it is not recommended, nor proven effective for children in this age group, an Australia-first study has found.
Way to increase metabolism for weight lossScientists from Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute have discovered a way to aid weight loss and reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes by manipulating fat cells to increase the body's metabolism. As well as metabolising fat, fat cells help regulate blood pressure and blood volume through the renin-angiotensin system.
Breast cancer drug Tykerb to be subsidisedWomen suffering from a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer will have access to a new drug lapatinib (Tykerb) on the PBS that will improve quality of life and prolong some lives, reported by Australian Department of Health and Ageing.
Bitter melon for type 2 diabetes patientsScientists have uncovered the therapeutic properties of bitter melon, a vegetable and traditional Chinese medicine, that make it a powerful treatment for Type 2 diabetes.
Cigarettes to be sold in plain cardboard packsCigarettes should be sold in plain, dull cardboard packs, with nothing but the health warning and the brand name allowed, researchers at the School of Public Health have argued.
Lowering cholesterol reduces heart attack and stroke riskNew research by the Nutrition and Lifestyle team at The George Institute has indicated that even small reductions in cholesterol can substantially reduce heart attacks and strokes. This occurs across a broad range of individuals, irrespective of age, sex or initial cholesterol level.
Melanoma skin cancer rising in VictoriaNew figures from The Cancer Council Victoria show that the number of Victorians affected by melanoma is at the highest level ever. Latest figures from the Victorian Cancer Registry show that in 2005, melanoma overtook lung cancer and is now the fourth most common cause of cancer in Victorians.
Sexual performance holds key to men's healthThe Australian male pride in sexual performance may help the fight against increasing obesity. This will be one of the messages from internationally regarded expert on obesity, men's health and ageing Professor Gary Wittert at the University of Adelaide's free Public Seminar Series.
High GI diets lead to common lifestyle diseasesIn the world's first study of its kind, University of Sydney researchers have found conclusive evidence that diets with a high GI (Glycemic Index) leads to a higher risk of common lifestyle diseases.
Skin prick tests identify asthma risk for toddlers with eczemaToddlers with eczema who have a positive skin prick test for allergy have almost triple the risk of developing asthma than those with a negative test, says an Australian study.
Clot busting treatment effective if given in 6 hours after a strokeThe study, co-ordinated by the Royal Melbourne Hospital and conducted by the Australasian Stroke Trialists Network including the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) Stroke Research Group demonstrates that clot busting (thrombolysis) treatment can be effective when administered up to six hours after a stroke.
Bowel cancer rising in Australia, reports AIHWA new Australian report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) presents a mixed bag on favourable and unfavourable trends in chronic diseases over time. The report, Indicators for chronic disease and their determinants, 2008, focuses on the 12 chronic conditions that represent a large burden of disease in Australia.
Health reform in Australia, ANF expressed concernsIn responding to the Australian government's announcement of the make-up of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission, the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) expressed concerns regarding the future direction of health reform in Australia.
Herpes virus link to complications in pregnancyViral infection with high blood pressure during pregnancy may lead to pre-term birth, revealed by researchers at Adelaide's Women's & Children's Hospital and the University of Adelaide.
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