December, 2007

Health workers strike in Victoria
Source: ABC News               Posted on: December 20, 2007
Many health services in Victoria are unavailable today because thousands of workers walked off the job to campaign for better conditions. They're defying Industrial Relations Commission orders that they return to work....Click here for more.

Busting Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe 
Source: Forbes               Posted on: December 20, 2007
Somewhere in the back of your mind is the idea that you should drink at least eight glasses of water a day to stay healthy. You may have nodded in agreement when someone mentioned scientific studies showing that, on average, we use just 10 percent of our brain....Click here for more.

Kids suffer 'terrifying rates' of STDs
Source: News.com.au               Posted on: December 18, 2007
NEW figures that show alarming rates of STD infection among children and Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory are "terrifying", says the Australian Medical Association (AMA)....Click here for more.

NSW govt commits $2m more to bush health 
Source: The AGE               Posted on: December 18, 2007
Drought-stressed NSW farmers will have better access to mental health services after the state government committed $2.1 million for more staff. The money will be spent on employing two extra mental health workers and extending the appointments of six others over 18 months....Click here for more.

Genetic test info added to epilepsy drugs, U.S. says
Source: Reuters               Posted on: December 13, 2007
A genetic test can tell if patients of Asian ancestry are more likely to develop a life-threatening skin reaction to certain drugs that treat epilepsy and other conditions, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday....Click here for more.

Abbott took eye off ball on child obesity: Roxon 
Source: ABC News               Posted on: December 11, 2007
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon has told a national summit in Sydney on childhood obesity that the Howard Government did not provide enough leadership on the issue. Ms Roxon says the blame game between the state and federal governments over hospitals and other acute areas in health, meant preventative strategies were not the priority....Click here for more.

November, 2007

Asbestos campaigner Bernie Banton passes 
Source: ABC News               Posted on: November 27, 2007
The man at the centre of the protracted battle for compensation from James Hardie, has died at his home in Sydney. AM takes a look back at the life and contribution of asbestos campaigner Bernie Banton....Click here for more.

Many prostate cancer patients receive wrong treatment
Source: News-Medical.net               Posted on: November 26, 2007
Dr. James Talcott of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and co-investigators found that patients with certain pretreatment dysfunctions often receive contraindicated or "mismatched" therapies, which can lead to worse outcomes....Click here for more.

October, 2007

Qld may limit teen cosmetic surgery Source: SMH               Posted on: October 31, 2007 Queensland may become the first state to regulate breast implants, nose jobs, tummy tucks, Botox and solariums for the under-18s....Click here for more.

Auckland company makes diabetes breakthrough 
Source: Stuff.co.nz               Posted on: October 23, 2007
A 1996 trial in Auckland using an earlier version of the therapy was halted over concerns that humans could be infected with pig viruses....Click here for more.

September, 2007

Proton power can work in cancer therapy 
Source: The Australian               Posted on: September 28, 2007
This week the Sydney-based firm Proton Therapy Australia (PTA) applied to the Therapeutic Goods Administration to have the procedure approved in Australia. The move follows a preliminary meeting earlier this month between PTA director Sue Bleasel and....Click here for more.

MSG, The Silent Killer
Source: AHFA               Posted on: September
A silent killer that’s worse than alcohol, nicotine, and drugs is likely lurking in your kitchen cabinets and even your child’s school cafeteria....Click here for more.

Drug Companies Suppress Wider Release of Sicko 
Source: AHFA               Posted on: September
Lionsgate (along with Weinstein Co.), the company distributing Sicko, had planned to release the film in over 1,600 theaters across the United States in June 2007. However, one week prior to the release (the same week that Rachesky made his purchase), the number was reduced to 400 theaters....Click here for more.

July, 2007

New Non-Invasive Weight-Loss Surgery Performed
Source: Science Daily               Posted on: July 24, 2007
In the first operations of their kind in Northeastern USA, a bariatric surgery team at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, New York has performed a unique non-invasive weight loss procedure that uses a new device that reduces the size of a patient’s stomach without the need for any incisions....Click here for more.

Researchers Discover Gene Responsible For Restless Legs Syndrome 
Source: Science Daily               Posted on: July 19, 2007
An international team of researchers has identified the first gene associated with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), a common sleep disorder affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. The work was led by scientists at Emory University and deCODE Genetics, Inc., in Reykjavik, Iceland....Click here for more.

Blame that bad back on your ancestors
Source: Yahoo News               Posted on: July 16, 2007
A spine specialist trying to figure out why people so often have bad backs says he has come up with a new theory about when and how early humans evolved the ability to walk upright....Click here for more.

China suspends some U.S. pork, chicken feet imports  
Source: Reuters               Posted on: July 15, 2007
China's quarantine bureau has suspended imports of frozen chicken and pork parts from top U.S. meat and poultry processors, even as international scrutiny of Chinese food and drug safety grows....Click here for more.

In the pub, few are fuming at smokers' last gasp
Source: Sydney Morning Herald               Posted on: July 2, 2007
You can drink champagne and savour shucked oysters in the funky front bar of the George Hotel in St Kilda, better known as the Melbourne Wine Room, and you can still enjoy a quiet beer in the corner, too. However, for the first time in the pub's 121 years, what punters can't do is smoke.....Click here for more.

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June, 2007

Treatment Found To Reverse Hair Loss 
Source: Science Daily               Posted on: June 13, 2007
Male pattern hair loss is a condition that affects as many as 50 percent of men by the age of fifty, but according to a new study, baldness may soon be a treatable condition....Click here for more.

Male Depression Is Linked to Poor Sibling Relations  
Source: The New York Times               Posted on: June 12, 2007
Men who had poor relationships with siblings during childhood are at significantly greater risk for depression in adulthood than those who got along better, a new study has found....Click here for more.

Getting Pumped May Aid Heart Patients
Source: CBS News               Posted on: June 12, 2007
Aerobic exercise such as walking or bicycling may help heart failure patients, according to a new research review. The new review examines the evidence on the benefits of exercise for heart failure patients....Click here for more.

Smoking might kill your little buddies  
Source: Syndey Morning Herald               Posted on: June 4, 2007
Here's one more reason not to smoke - smoking may damage sperm, passing along genetic damage to a man's children, Canadian researchers report....Click here for more.

Cot death cases on the rise
Source: CBS News               Posted on: June 1, 2007
New statistics have revealed an increase in the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS with Kids says the figures show the number of cases nationally has jumped from 59 in 2004 to 87 in 2005....Click here for more.

Genome Researchers Find New Indicators of Breast Cancer Risk 
Source: The New York Times               Posted on: May 29, 2007
In a long-delayed harvest from the human genome project, researchers say they have found six new sites of variation in the genome that increase the risk of breast cancer....Click here for more.

GPs Can Refer Patients With Chronic Pain To Osteopaths, Australia Source: Herald Sun               Posted on: May 23, 2007 GPs can refer patients to Osteopaths for chronic pain treatment under the Medicare Plus scheme. Patients diagnosed with chronic pain by a GP may receive a $45.85 Medicare Plus rebate for each osteopathic service under the Enhanced Primary Care Plan (EPC)....Click here for more.

Choral Relief 
Source: The Canberra Times               Posted on: May 23, 2007
When choirmaster and former Opera Australia singer Jonathon Welch read about the Montréal Homeless Men's Choir six years ago, he found it an inspiring story....Click here for more.

Calm urged on Gardasil Source: Herald Sun               Posted on: May 22, 2007 Health authorities are investigating reports that dozens of students felt ill after getting the breakthrough vaccine Gardasil. But they deny the cases are directly related to the immunisation....Click here for more.

Iodine to be added to bread to boost IQ 
Source: NineMSN               Posted on: May 18, 2007
Iodised salt will be added to bread under a proposal designed to make Australians smarter. The food regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), is pushing ahead with mandatory plans that force bakers to fortify bread with iodine....Click here for more.

Low Physical Activity Can Improve Fitness Levels For Sedentary, Overweight Postmenopausal Women
Source: Science Daily               Posted on: May 16, 2007
New research indicates that even small amounts of physical activity, approximately 75 minutes a week, can help improve the fitness levels for postmenopausal women who are sedentary and overweight or obese, according to a study in the May 16 issue of JAMA....Click here for more.

Study offers hope of remedy for baldness  
Source: NineMSN               Posted on: May 16, 2007
Mice with deep skin wounds can grow new hair, scientists say in a finding that offers hope for a baldness remedy for humans. The mice regenerated hair at the site of the wound via molecular processes similar to those used in embryonic development, according to the research, published in the journal Nature....Click here for more.

Migraine sufferers 'risk eye disease' Source: NineMSN               Posted on: May 15, 2007 Middle-aged people with a history of migraines and other serious headaches have an increased risk for an eye disease that can lead to blindness, according to a study....Click here for more.

Adolescence determines adult weight  
Source: Herald Sun               Posted on: May 06, 2007
Adolescence is the defining period in the fat fight, with a new study showing 13 per cent of young Australians are extremely overweight and most have piled it on since childhood. Obesity experts called for a policy focus on teenage lifestyle to beat the fat epidemic....Click here for more.

Honey could save diabetics from amputation Source: ABC News               Posted on: May 06, 2007 Spreading honey on a diabetic ulcer could prevent the need to amputate an infected foot, researchers say. A doctor at the University of Wisconsin who helped about half a dozen of her diabetic patients avoid amputation has launched a controlled trial to promote the widespread use of honey therapy....Click here for more.

Spider venom may provide impotence solution  
Source: ABC News               Posted on: May 05, 2007
Scientists are examining the venom of a Brazilian spider as a possible treatment for impotent men. Investigations began in Brazil after reports that men who were bitten by the highly venomous brazilian wandering spider experienced priapism, or prolonged erections....Click here for more.

Research breakthrough helps bone marrow transplant patients Source: ABC News               Posted on: May 04, 2007 Queensland and New South Wales researchers say a simple blood test could mean the difference between life and death for bone marrow transplant recipients. The world-first breakthrough allows doctors to detect and treat transplant complications up to two weeks earlier than before....Click here for more.

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April, 2007

Democrats Demand Howard Apologise for Pan Pharmaceuticals Witch Hunt 
Source: ABC News               Posted on: April, 2007
The Howard Government must now apologise following the acquittal of Pan Pharmaceuticals boss Jim Selim in the New South Wales Supreme Court. The pharmaceuticals giant was forced into administration in May 2003 following the largest pharmaceutical recall in Australias history....Click here for more.

Study recommends all natural Emu oil to reduce appearance of scars from surgery Source: Earthtimes.org               Posted on: April 26, 2007 A first of its kind study out of Albany, New York reported that patients recovering from post-operative breast surgeries show a dramatic improvement in scar healing and appearance after using an emu oil based treatment, Transdermis(TM) Scar Therapy, when compared with the most commonly used over-the-counter treatment....Click here for more.

Alcohol damages women's brains faster than men's: study 
Source: ABC News               Posted on: April 24, 2007
The brain-damaging effects of alcohol strike women more quickly than men, a new study says. Female alcoholics performed worse on a number of tests of neurocognitive function compared with males, Dr Barbara Flannery from RTI International in the US and her colleagues found....Click here for more.

Combined Western-traditional medicine could boost cancer treatment
Source: YahooNews               Posted on: April 22, 2007
Western science and traditional Eastern medicine could be combined to enhance treatment of cancer and other diseases, an oncology professor told a medical forum Sunday....Click here for more.

Researchers learning of defect 'at heart' of migraines 
Source: News-Medical.net               Posted on: April 22, 2007
Researchers of the heart and headaches at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are combining efforts to determine if a common heart defect may be the cause of some forms of migraine headaches....Click here for more.

Skim milk best for pumping up muscle Source: NineMSN               Posted on: April 19, 2007 Weightlifters who drink skim milk after a workout will build about twice as much muscle as those who rely on soy beverages, a new Canadian study suggests....Click here for more.

Inadequate levels of omega-3 essential fatty acids in tinned fish
Source: NineMSN               Posted on: April 13, 2007
Revelations from a survey on Channel 7’s Today Tonight showed that some popular brands of tinned tuna contain significantly less omega-3 fatty acids than is recommended daily for good health....Click here for more.

ADHD drug earns subsidy despite suicidal side effects Source: The Australian               Posted on: April 13, 2007 A controversial treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, despite potential to cause suicidal thoughts and stunt growth....Click here for more.

Physical Activity Reduces Risk Of Hypertension In Young Adults
Source: Science Daily               Posted on: April 12, 2007
Young adults who spend more time participating in physical activity have a reduced risk of developing high blood pressure within the next 15 years, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota....Click here for more.

Global Momentum For Smoke-free Indoor Environments At Tipping Point Source: Science Daily               Posted on: April 12, 2007 In a Perspective in the April 12, 2007 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Association of European Cancer Leagues describe the growing momentum for indoor smoking bans in countries across the globe....Click here for more.

Dark Chocolate proven to reduce blood pressure
Source: Forbes               Posted on: April 9, 2007
Cocoa-rich products such as dark chocolate may help lower high blood pressure, but tea won't do much, according to a new survey of the medical literature by German researchers....Click here for more.

Stress Increases Pregnancy Inflammation for Women Source: Lise Millay Stevens, CAH               Posted on: April 5, 2007 A new study shows that women who report high levels of stress and low social support during pregnancy are more likely to have increased immune system activity, which can trigger inflammatory responses and put them at risk for premature labor and preeclampsia....Click here for more.

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March, 2007

Natural Therapy for Menopause
Source: Psychcentral         Posted on: March 26, 2007
For many women the period of menopause is a time of physical and mental transition. Given the controversy over use of medications, the result of a new study showing that physical activity can improve quality of life and ease symptoms is a welcomed blessing....Click here for more.

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