Health Report
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A sense of sweetness
We're going to test your sense of sweetness, so get yourself a lolly before the show.
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Children and vegetables
How do you get your children to eat vegetables?
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Omega-3 fatty acid supplements and cognitive decline
The role of omega-3 in preventing cognitive decline in older people has been questioned.
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Mathematical prediction model for lung cancer patients
Researchers from the Netherlands suggest that mathematical prediction models are better than doctors at predicting the outcomes and responses of lung cancer patients to treatment.
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Risk factors for prostate cancer
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that men with prostate cancer are more likely to die from other causes and prostate management should emphasize healthy lifestyle changes.
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Oesophageal cancer linked to human papillomavirus
Australian research suggests a strong link between oesophageal cancer and the same virus that causes cervical cancer.
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Coronary bypass surgery
Canadian researchers have investigated the value of operating on a beating heart during bypass surgery (off-pump), or undertaking the procedure on-pump (on a non-beating heart).
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Cognitive impairment in patients with atrial fibrillation
Researchers at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne are calling for changes in the assessment of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Their research highlights the need for high-risk patients to be screened for mild cognitive impairment.
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New recommendations for mothers and babies bedsharing
Researchers from Murdoch University's School of Health Professions are urging health organisations to reconsider their attitudes to mothers and babies bedsharing.
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Gun Control in the United States
Each year more than 30,000 people are killed by guns in the US. Professor David Hemenway from the Harvard Public School of Health and others suggest that lessons can be learned from past public health successes to curb gun violence. As one example they point to the methods used by the US government to dramatically reduce smoking rates.
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Counterfeit drugs
This is a terrifying story about counterfeit drugs. Hear about drugs which are supposed to fight malaria and which are just paracetamol and Viagra, contraceptives which only contain an antibiotic and drugs with only a fraction of the right dose.
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Major new review of medical research in Australia
The final report of Strategic Review of Health and Medical Research (HMR) in Australia has been released. Three members of the panel who worked on this review take part in a studio discussion to talk about their work.
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New website for chronic musculoskeletal pain sufferers
On April 11 WA Health is launching a new website which is aimed at anyone who has conditions such as low back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Researchers investigated the effectiveness of magnetic resonance imaging in the care of patients with back problems like sciatica and lumbar-disk herniation.
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Cognitive functional therapy for low back pain
Australian and Norwegian researchers investigated the efficacy of cognitive functional therapy in patients with non-specific low back pain, compared with traditional manual therapy and exercise.
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Prevention of non-communicable diseases
Dr Douglas Bettcher is in charge of non-communicable disease prevention at the World Health Organisation. He's in Australia this week and spoke with Norman Swan about diseases that can be prevented by changing life styles.
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Health care reforms in the UK
This is the second in a series of health care reforms in other countries. This week we're looking at the English National Health Service.
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The effect of the Greek financial crisis on health
The financial crisis in Greece and other Southern European countries has a significant impact on people's health in those places. So far the people in Greece seem to suffer more severely than others.
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The effect of diet and watching TV on human fertility
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health investigated the effect of diet on human fertility. They also suggest that watching too much television has a detrimental effect on men's fertility.
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Health care reform in the US
This is the first in a series of health reform in other countries. Today: A look at health care reform in the United States.
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High pharmaceutical prices in Australia
A report called 'Australia's bad drug deal - High pharmaceutical prices' has just been released. We talk to Dr Stephen Duckett from the Grattan Institute, who is one of the authors of this report.
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The bionic eye project
Bionic Vision Australia researchers are working to develop a bionic eye that can restore sight to people whose vision is impaired due to retinitis pigmentosa. They are also aiming to develop the technology further, so that in future it will be suitable for people with other conditions such as macular degeneration.
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Age-related macular degeneration - promising research
Age-related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness. There is no cure at the moment for this condition; however, researchers are looking at ways of slowing the disease and in some cases even curing it, using stem cell technology.
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John Snow and the cholera epidemic in London
John Snow was an English physician in the 19th century. He is considered to be one of the fathers of modern epidemiology due to the fact that his work traced the source of a cholera outbreak in Soho, England, in 1854.
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Bisphenol A (bpa)
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used in the lining of some food and beverage packaging. It is used to protect from contamination and to extend shelf life. This chemical is also used in non-food related products. There are concerns that BPA may cause multiple health problems. At the recent American Association for the Advancement of Science Congress in Boston, some people questioned whether BPA is really as risky as many have said.
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Heart attacks, stroke and post-traumatic stress
People who develop post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, following a heart attack are twice as likely to have another within one to three years compared with those who do not develop PTSD.
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Serious health incidents and mental illness
Beyondblue, the national depression and anxiety initiative, has carried out research in the area and produced educational materials for patients and families on lowering the psychological risk from serious medical events.
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Phantosmia
When Gretchen Miller, a producer for Radio National's 360 Documentaries, woke up to a strange smell one night, she thought it was just a nearby bakery making an early morning batch of bread. But then she found out she had a rare disorder known as phantosmia, a phantom smell with no external cause.
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Population genetics
Dr Jim Wilson from the University of Edinburg has studied his relatives in the Orkney Islands using genome wide associations.
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Calculating your genetic risk
Genome wide association studies are an efficient way of finding genes that might be important in the search for causes of common problems and new treatments for them.
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Measuring brain plasticity
Heidi Johansen Berg from the University of Oxford has studied ways of stimulating parts of the brain. Stimulation techniques have been used to 'steer the recovery' of stroke patients as well as to increase the pace of learning for healthy individuals.
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Brain plasticity
Babies' brains are highly plastic, meaning they're constantly adapting as they learn and respond to the world and people around them.
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Babies and a sense of morality?
Research conducted with babies in Canada suggests that infants as young as 4 months old are able to make quite sophisticated moral and perhaps even legal judgements, regarding what is right and wrong and even the allocation of punishment.
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Alcohol use: from adolescence to adulthood
A study has just been released which looks at alcohol use in adolescents and tries to predict what will happen to them as adults.
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Oesophageal cancer and the prediction of risk
The most rapidly rising cancer in wealthy countries such as Australia is a potentially dreadful tumour of the oesophagus - the tube that takes food to your stomach.
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Red wine and the prevention of bowel cancer
Professor Finlay Macrae at The Royal Melbourne Hospital is currently leading a trial that aims to investigate the preventative effects of red wine, containing resveratrol, on the development and progression of bowel cancer.
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Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation is based on centuries of Buddhist meditative techniques. Dr Craig Hassed has co-written a book called Mindfulness for Life.
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How exercise can change your life
A world authority on exercise, Professor Steven Blair from the University of South Carolina, recently visited Australia and he talks about the importance of being fit and how being fit is more likely to save your life than being less fat.
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The Good Doctor
Professor Ron Paterson from the University of Auckland has written a book called The Good Doctor - What Patients Want. Professor Paterson was the Health and Disability Commissioner in New Zealand for around ten years and dealt with many health care complaints during that time.
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Unexplained medical symptoms
A problem affecting up to one in four people going to see a doctor is unexplained symptoms. Professor Michael Sharpe from Oxford University is a world expert in this field and talks about his research in this area.
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The Global Body Part Four: The future of the human race
In this the final in our Global Bodies series Lynne Malcolm and a panel of experts in population, health and environment explore what’s in store for us; our bodies, our lifestyles and our health in the next century. Will the human race even survive into the next millennium?
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The Global Body, Part 3: Developed World City - Los...
Los Angeles has a long history of immigrants settling from all over the world. We explore how some of these inhabitants have adapted biologically to their new environment over time, and what the impact is on their health and bodies.
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The Global Body part two: Developing world city - Manila
Billions of people have migrated to the developing world, driven by political pressure, environmental vulnerability and employment opportunities. What happens to our human bodies when we leave the fields and shorelines and head into the big city?
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Quality of care in current healthcare reform
The establishment of the National Health Performance Authority (NHPA) and Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA) has highlighted the need for joint consideration of quality and efficiency in extending activity based funding in current healthcare reform.
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What has Lionel Messi, football player with FC...
According to Dr Julie Redfern from the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, 'healthcare research can learn from football by describing the important components of interventions and the potential outcomes for clinical practice more comprehensively'.
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Health information on the internet
Searching for reliable health information on the internet can be very frustrating. Elad Yom Tov is a senior researcher at Microsoft Research and he's been trying to find out more about our health search behaviour.
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Behaviour change
Professor Susan Michie, who's at University College London, is an expert in behaviour change and her research is in health psychology and health services. She talks with Lynne Malcolm about her work in this area.
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Bariatric surgery
A study, just published in the Medical Journal of Australia, found that bariatric or weight loss surgery is most common among obese Australians with annual household incomes of $ 70,000, compared with household incomes of less than $ 20,000 per year.
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Pancreatic cancer diagnosis
Pancreatic cancer is a very deadly cancer and early diagnosis is very difficult. Researchers at UCLA in California have found types of bacteria in saliva associated with pancreatic cancer, which may help in diagnosing the disease.
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Grapefruit-medication interactions increasing
Canadian researchers suggest that the number of prescription drugs that can have serious adverse effects from interactions with grapefruit are increasing.
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Response to last week's interview about the high costs...
A comment that responds to last week's Health Report item about the high costs for generic medicines in Australia.
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Chemotherapy before breast cancer surgery
According to studies at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, chemotherapy is as effective before breast cancer surgery as after.
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Costs of pharmaceuticals in New Zealand
PHARMAC, the New Zealand Medicine Funding Organisation, has the reputation of getting some of the world's lowest prices for pharmaceuticals.
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The high costs of pharmaceuticals in Australia
Australia is the third most expensive country in the world for pharmaceuticals and we pay up to 40% more for generics than the UK, which amounts to an annual excess of between 1.5 and 3 billion dollars of taxpayers' money.
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Health Funding
An Australian study just published looked at ways of identifying existing health care services (excluding pharmaceuticals) that offer little or no benefit compared to their cost.
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Epidural treatment for sciatica pain
A recent review looked at published studies to find out how effective epidural corticosteroid injections are for reducing pain and disability from sciatica.
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Corticosteroids treatment for sore throat
A review, just published, has assessed the clinical benefit and safety of corticosteroids treatment for sore throats in adults and children.
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Chronic pain treatment
Health care professionals from Perth suggest ways of treating people with chronic pain.
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Models of health care
20th century models of health care will not deliver the care we need in the 21st century, particularly in places like China, India and Africa.
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New findings in schizophrenia
A study in schizophrenia has made some new findings which may radically change treatments for this condition.
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Cholesterol Levels
Researchers have made a discovery that could get cholesterol levels down to amazingly low levels.
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When is medical treatment futile?
Many doctors want to lift the lid on a phenomenon they say is worsening the suffering of many dying Australians. It's called 'limited benefit' or 'futile medical treatment', where patients with a poor prognosis are given aggressive drug therapy or surgery.
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Health care for chronic disease
The United Health Chronic Disease Initiative is a program with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute that has created 11 centres in low and middle income countries working to counter chronic disease (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and common cancers).
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Alcohol Tax Reform
The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) commissioned a report to look into the damage of binge drinking and the benefits and costs of taxing alcohol rationally.
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Body mass index and the risk of hospitalisation
The Sax Institute, in collaboration with other health organisations, managed the 45 and Up Study in New South Wales. The researchers found that above normal body mass index increases the risk of hospitalisation.
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Bacteria in the mouth
Our mouths are filled with bacteria that are responsible for the decaying of teeth and periodontal disease. Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles have investigated this problem.
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The Hygiene hypothesis and its implications for home...
A new report released in the UK from the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene dismantles the myth of the hygiene hypothesis, that the rise in allergies and asthma in recent years has happened because we're living in sterile homes and are overdoing hygiene.
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Cranberry Juice and cystitis
Cranberry extract and cranberry juice are very popular in the prevention of cystitis and have even been used to treat urinary infections. A review published recently in the Cochrane Library found that cranberry juice is unlikely to prevent cystitis.
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Health Checks
According to a review published by the Cochrane Collaboration, carrying out general health checks does not reduce deaths overall or from diseases like cancer and heart disease.
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Neck injury diagnosis
A study published last week suggests a more accurate screening tool for diagnosing serious neck injuries.
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Spinal surgery outcomes in people on workers'...
A recent Australian study looked at spinal surgery for low back pain in people on workers' compensation.
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Hip and knee replacements
The majority of hip and knee replacements in Australia are done in the private sector. A study at the University of New South Wales suggests that private patients are less happy than public ones after the procedure.
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Menopausal symptoms and black cohosh
The herb black cohosh is often used to help manage menpausal hot flushes. Researchers investigated the effectiveness of black cohosh.
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Polypill-based care
Dr Vanessa Selak from the University of Auckland and colleagues are comparing polypill-based care with usual care among people at high risk of cardiovascular disease. They're investigating if it's better to combine a number of different pills into one so-called polypill.
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Tobacco Control in New Zealand
New Zealand aims to make the country smoke free by the year 2025. The question remains whether this will be possible without prohibition.
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Salt content in processed foods
According to research from the George Institute in Sydney the salt content of Australian processed foods is rising inexorably and the impact could be up to 2,000 people dying prematurely each year.
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Understanding the causes of Alzheimer's disease
Researchers at UCLA have identified protein changes in early-onset Alzheimer's. Understanding the biological changes that occur years before symptoms appear may give clues about the causes of the disease and offer potential targets for drugs that will stop it from progressing.
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Predictor of Alzheimer's disease
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles have looked at ways of identifying people who are still healthy but may be at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
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Health Expenditure Australia 2010-11
The Health Expenditure Australia 2010-11 report has just been released by the Australian Institute of Health & Welfare.
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Unravelling intellectual disability and autism
Emeritus Professor of Medical Genetics Gillian Turner from Newcastle, New South Wales, has just published a book called Y the X? This book shows how the major causes of intellectual handicap have been discovered of the last fifty years.
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Fragile X syndrome and autism
The changes in the brains of Fragile X and autistic people are thought to significantly overlap. Professor Peter Kind, who is Professor of Developmental Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh, talks about his research in this area.
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Cell death discovery suggests new ways to protect female...
Melbourne researchers are offering hope to women whose fertility may be compromised by side effects of cancer therapy or premature menopause.
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Comparing skilled care with drugs for dementia patients...
Teaching care-givers skilled techniques may be more beneficial than prescribing drugs for the care of dementia patients with behavioural problems in the home.
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Computer use part of the story in delaying dementia
Computer use may assist in delaying onset of dementia.
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Questions over benefits of medications for mild...
Trials of approximately 9,000 patients have found no proven difference in mortality, stroke or coronary heart disease for patients taking medication for mild hypertension.
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Association between Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation...
Fish oil fails to live up to its promises at least in relation to heart attacks and strokes.
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Artificial pancreas
One of the chronic illnesses in children is type 1, or insulin-dependent diabetes. Researchers are trying to develop what's called an artificial pancreas to automate the control of blood sugar in these children.
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Paediatric training of GP registrars
A recent study found that pressures on general practice from the ageing population may result in trainee GPs not seeing enough children, which can leave them underskilled in diagnosing and dealing with childhood problems.
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Cancer surgery
According to a study just released by the Cancer Institute NSW the risk of dying after certain kinds of cancer surgery can double depending on which hospital people go to for their operation.
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Cancer of Unknown Primary
People with a Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) have been diagnosed with some form of metastatic cancer, but the primary cancer cannot be located. This is a repeat program which was first broadcast on 9 July, 2012.
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The Good Doctor
Professor Ron Paterson from the University of Auckland has written a book called The Good Doctor - What Patients Want. Professor Paterson was the Health and Disability Commissioner in New Zealand for around ten years and dealt with many health care complaints during that time.
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Unexplained medical symptoms
A problem affecting up to one in four people going to see a doctor is unexplained symptoms. Professor Michael Sharpe from Oxford University is a world expert in this field and talks about his research in this area.
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Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation is based on centuries of Buddhist meditative techniques. Dr Craig Hassed has co-written a book called Mindfulness for Life.
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How exercise can change your life
A world authority on exercise, Professor Steven Blair from the University of South Carolina, recently visited Australia and he talks about the importance of being fit and how being fit is more likely to save your life than being less fat.
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Panzi Hospital in the Congo
The Panzi Hospital is in Bukavu, the capital of the Sud-Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It specialises in treating victims of violence, the large majority of whom have been sexually abused. Dr Denis Mukwege is its Director and is the recipient of the UN 2008 Human Rights Award. Dr Deborah Rhodes from the Mayo Clinic talks about her involvement with the Panzi Hospital.
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Breast imaging technology
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, have studied a new gamma camera for breast imaging. This device can detect small cancers in dense breast tissue and therefore may be better suited than mammography in screening and evaluating high-risk women.
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Breast tenderness, hormone therapy and the risk of...
Researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA have investigated a possible link between breast tenderness, hormone therapy and breast cancer.
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Timor-Leste National Parasite Survey
The University of Sydney and the Timor-Leste Health Fund have been closely working together in assisting the Timor-Leste Government to commence the Timor-Leste Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Program and they have now completed the Timor-Leste National Parasite Survey.
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Chronic pain may be all in your head
Often when people have similar injuries, some end up with chronic pain and others recover. A new study from Northwestern University in Chicago shows that chronic pain develops the more two sections of the brain, related to emotional and motivational behaviour, talk to each other. The more they communicate, the greater the chance that a patient will develop chronic pain.
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One-to-one midwifery care reduces C-sections and...
The Royal Women's Hospital and La Trobe University in Melbourne have conducted the world's largest clinical trial of one-to-one midwifery care.
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Gene expression data
Close to one million gene-expression data sets are now publicly accessible. This can help researchers to identify disease trends and identify new drug targets.
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Depression and self-harm among older patients
Researchers in Western Australia investigated whether educating general practitioners in this area reduces the prevalence of depression and self-harm behaviour in older patients.
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Diagnosing skin cancer
Researchers overseas and in Western Australia were assessing whether adding a novel computerised diagnostic tool, the MoleMate system, to current best practice results in more appropriate referrals of suspicious skin lesions.
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19th International AIDS conference
The 19th International AIDS Conference has just begun in Washington DC. For many years now, this congress has had the feeling of a dug in battle against a hugely difficult problem. However, there is a sense of excitement this year as more people than ever are being treated with effective medications in developing nations. However some research from Australia evaluates the situation among intravenous drug users in Tanzania as a time bomb.
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Vitamin D dosage for bone fracture prevention
The only well-proven uses of vitamin D supplements are for taking with calcium to prevent fractures as a result of falls, particularly in the elderly. From a recent paper in the New England Journal of Medicine we discuss what is the best dose.
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Inaccurate Vitamin D testing
The increasing list of conditions that low vitamin D is associated with has created a huge growth in vitamin D testing. But a presentation to a recent conference in the United States suggested that two of the newer tests for vitamin D are potentially inaccurate. We hear about these potential inaccuracies and we get an Australian perspective.
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Retirement of the Executive Director of SANE Australia
Barbara Hocking OAM has been the Executive Director of SANE Australia since1995 and has played a major role in establishing SANE, an independent organisation which works to better the life of people affected by mental illness. She will be retiring from that position next month.
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CareTrack Study - the standard of health care in...
The CareTrack Study was published in the Medical Journal of Australia today. It found that while there was excellence in some areas of Australian health care, there were shortfalls in the treatment for some common conditions and also disparities in the standards of care provided by different medical practices.
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Cancer of Unknown Primary
People with a Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) have been diagnosed with some form of metastatic cancer, but the primary cancer cannot be located.
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Quick sprints can cut abdominal fat in men
Researchers from the University of New South Wales suggest that one hour of interval sprinting per week, instead of relying on several hours of jogging a week aiming for a similar result, can cut dangerous abdominal fat in men
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Trans fats in food in Australia
Australian nutrition researchers from Melbourne have called for better labelling of trans fats in the Australian food supply.
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Are all calories equal?
A new study challenges the belief that 'a calorie is a calorie'. The study finds that diets that reduce the surge in blood sugar after a meal may be better than a low-fat diet for those aiming for lasting weight loss.
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Yoga and women undergoing breast cancer treatment
One of the world's leading cancer centres, the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, has a large program into complementary therapies and they have some fascinating results in the use of yoga in women undergoing breast cancer treatment.
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Ginseng and cancer fatigue
Fatigue is experienced by over 90% of people with cancer. Researchers in the US have done a randomised trial of ginseng and found significant improvements.
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Rewriting ovarian cancer rules
Research undertaken by researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne has major implications and might be instrumental in rewriting international ovarian cancer guidelines.
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Ageing not linked to drop in testosterone levels
It's commonly believed that men's testosterone levels drop as they age, but Australian research suggests that's not true.
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Aerobic exercise and dementia
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, suggest that any exercise that gets the heart pumping may reduce the risk of dementia and slow the condition's progression once it starts.
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Choosing Wisely
Nine leading medical specialty societies in the US have identified specific tests or procedures that, according to them, are commonly used but not always necessary.
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Addiction and the brain
New brain imaging techniques show some remarkable findings about people with drug problems and their siblings.
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Suggested treatment for sexual difficulties and research...
Dr Lori Brotto, Associate Professor of Gynaecology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, suggests using mindfulness meditation to treat sexual difficulties like pain, lack of interest or as a result of cancer treatment. Dr Brotto has also studied people who are asexual and has come up with some unexpected findings.
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Hendra virus
Hendra virus is spread by fruit bats. An Australian researcher working at the University of Cambridge has been catching tiny bats across Africa and has come up with findings that could help understand the Australian outbreaks better.
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Migraine research
Migraine is a common disorder affecting a large number of people worldwide. Researchers at the UCLA Department of Neurology have extensively researched this condition with the aim of bringing new therapies to people suffering from migraine.
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Food labelling
Does the labelling of food products make a difference to what people purchase? There has been a debate about the so-called traffic light system, which is supposed to help customers make healthier choices when grocery shopping.
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Calcium supplements and increased risk for heart attacks
Recently published research suggests that calcium supplements might increase the risk of having a heart attack.
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Rehabilitation after a stroke
Last week there was an international conference on rehabilitation, which took place in Melbourne. One of the areas of research that was presented was how people fare after they've received the initial intensive rehabilitation after they've suffered a stroke.
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Prediction of subsequent stroke death in older men
Researchers at the University of Uppsala in Sweden have used a simple drawing test which they suggest can predict the risk of dying after a first stroke among older men.
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Aspirin and cancer
Researchers at the University of Oxford suggest that aspirin may be beneficial in the prevention of cancer and maybe even in cancer treatment.
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Delaying dementia
Scientists at the University of Queensland's Brain Institute are getting closer to developing new therapies for treating dementia.
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The importance of iron intake in teenage years
Researchers have found that iron intake in teen years can impact the brain in later life.
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Cancer and Alzheimer's disease
Researchers have studied participants in the Framingham Heart Study to find out if there is an association between cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
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Discovery of new cells which increase ageing
These are ageing cells which refuse to die and play havoc. Dr Jan van Deursen from the Mayo Clinic talks about research in this area.
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Caloric restrictions and occasional fasting
Researchers at the US National Institute on Aging suggest that restricting calories and occasional fasting can boost resistance to injury and disease.
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Reproductive technologies and the risk of birth defects
A study from the University of Adelaide has identified the risk of birth defects associated with different types of assisted reproductive technology.
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Adolescent health
A special series on adolescent health has just been published in the British medical journal Lancet.
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Benefits of seniors' exercise programs
Canadian researchers show that weight training and muscle strengthening can help thinking ability and memory.
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Treatment of obese monkeys with experimental drug
Researchers have found that obese monkeys lost an average about 11% of their body weight after four weeks of treatment with an experimental drug that selectively destroys the blood supply of fat tissue. This may have implications for the treatment of obesity in humans.
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Excessive liquorice consumption by pregnant women
A study has shown that expectant mothers who eat excessive amounts of liquorice during pregnancy may affect their child's intelligence and behaviour.
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Comparison of revascularization strategies
Researchers in the US have compared the effectiveness of coronary-artery bypass surgery with percutaneous coronary intervention (stenting or balloon angioplasty).
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The effectiveness of flaxseed to treat menopausal...
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, have investigated how effective flaxseed is in treating menopausal symptoms.
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Menopausal symptoms
Hormone replacement therapy for women suffering from symptoms of menopause has risks for breast cancer. However, it has now been suggested that women do have options when it comes to hormones.
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Cancer of the ovary
Ovarian cancer is one of the nastiest cancers around. Researchers in Canada are looking at ways to prevent this type of cancer.
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Melanoma vaccine
For a long time cancer researchers have believed that you can use vaccines to treat tumours by setting the immune system on them. Researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, are working on a melanoma vaccine.
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Passive smoking
Research from the world famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has shown that passive smoking is much more harmful than the tobacco industry and some others have suggested.
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Causes of cancer
Just what are the major causes of cancer? Should we have been focussing on smoking, alcohol and obesity, when the real causes are things like pesticides and other pollutants?
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The Global Body Part Four: The future of the human race
In the last of the Global Body series Lynne Malcolm is joined by a panel of experts to discuss the future of the health of the human body. This four-part series is a co-production with the BBC.
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The Global Body part one: Rural developing world (Sri...
In the Global Body series we explore how the human race has adapted to changes in their environment, economy and social structures; how health is affected by new environments and lifestyles; and what might happen to the human race in the future. In part one of the series we go to fishing and farming communities in Sri Lanka, to see whether people living in this part of the rural, developing world are the healthiest examples of the human race. For some, a continuing rural existence is a...
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Patient opinion website
Last week saw the launch of Patient Opinion Australia, a website which promotes dialogue between patients and their health service.
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Standing
Dr James Levine, a movement and obesity expert from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, suggests that too much sitting hurts our health and we should do more tasks while standing. According to him we burn three times as many calories while standing compared to sitting.
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Prolonged sitting
A recently published study found that people who sit for long periods can improve their health by breaking up their sitting with frequent activity breaks.
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Statins
Associate Professor David Sullivan from the Lipid Clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney talks with Norman Swan about the recent warnings about statin medications.
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Predictions for development of mood disorder and...
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are trying to identify predictors for the later development of mood disorders and schizophrenia in those at high risk for familial reasons.
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Transcranial magnetic stimulation
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, suggest that the use of magnetics to stimulate the brain is one option of treating child and adolescent depression.
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Suicidal thoughts and behaviour with antidepressant drugs
The US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning for antidepressants and suicidal thoughts and behaviour in children and young adults. In response to this researchers did a re-analysis of the drugs fluoxetine and venlafaxine.
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Pharmaceuticals in the environment
An enormous range of pharmaceuticals, from painkillers to chemotherapy drugs, is entering our rivers and waterways via wastewater. The concentrations are tiny, but drug pollution has had unexpected and at times devastating impacts on plants and animals. Ecotoxicologists and health experts alike are calling for a concerted effort to better understand how pharmaceuticals behave in the natural environment.
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Vitamin B12 supplementation
A neurologist from the University of Western Ontario in Canada argues the case for vitamin B12 supplementation for the brain and heart.
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Autism and the immune system
There has been controversy about whether the immune system is involved in autism. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are investigating this question.
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Exercise may prevent depression
Research suggests that people who are more active in their leisure time are less likely to get depressed.
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Resting heart rate
Researchers in Norway assessed the association of long-term changes in resting heart rate with the risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease.
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Treatment of systolic high blood pressure (hypertension)
Research has shown the importance of treating systolic (the top figure when measuring blood pressure) hypertension early.
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Myths about sleep
Australians have often been told that they are a sleep deprived nation. Recent research suggests that these assumptions are not correct.
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The value of mammography breast cancer screening
Some research questions the value of mammography breast cancer screening because of a controversial finding in early mammogram-detected breast cancer. The abnormality is called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
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Breast cancer and sexual wellbeing
Sexual wellbeing is often not discussed when women are diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing treatment. The Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) developed a booklet called Breast Cancer and Sexual Wellbeing, which sets out to help women and health care professionals. Similar problems with sexual wellbeing can also affect people with other types of cancer.
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Bladder cancer
Bladder cancer is the one cancer in Australia where outcomes are getting worse. This is largely due to people ignoring early warning symptoms.
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Bird flu threat
Scientists in Europe and the US have created a highly transmissible form of the potentially deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. Laurie Garrett, a senior fellow for global health on the Council on Foreign Relations, talks about the implications of this research.
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Deep brain stimulation surgery
This brain surgery is used for illnesses such as depression and severe obsessive compulsive disorder. It has also been used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, according to researchers only 10 to 15% of Parkinson's patients are appropriate candidates for this treatment.
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Ovarian cancer genome
An international research project, with the participation of two Australian scientists, has mapped genetic mutations in the most common form of ovarian cancer. This gives hope for the development of new, targeted treatments.
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Ovarian cancer education campaigns
According to Australian researchers public campaigns that focus on symptoms which are usually associated with ovarian cancer need a re-think.
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Screening for ovarian cancer
Researchers in the US have investigated the effect of screening on ovarian cancer mortality.
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IVF 'vanishing twin' linked with birth defects
Research from the University of Adelaide has shown that the loss of a twin during early pregnancy explains the increased risk of birth defects in multiple IVF pregnancies.
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Aspirin use for IVF
A systematic review published in the Cochrane Library did not find evidence to support the routine use of aspirin in women being treated for IVF.
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IVF predictor and long term health issues a pregnancy...
Researchers in the UK have produced a statistical model which can predict the potential success of IVF treatment. They have also looked at the impact a pregnancy can have on the long term health of women and their babies.
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Yawning gulf: napping feature
This feature, by Thea O'Connor and Ray Moynihan from Northern New South Wales, tells us that there's a huge gap between the scientific proof that napping is beneficial and social uptake. Most people are still reluctant to take a nap during their busy day.
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Mystery illness - ovarian teratoma associated...
A mysterious and often life threatening disease affects the lives of mostly young women. These patients often end up in psychiatric hospitals misdiagnosed or in intensive care units with bizarre behaviour and metabolic meltdown. It's been discovered that these patients had a benign tumour in the ovary called teratoma. A teratoma can contain teeth, hair and most significantly for the women suffering from this condition, brain tissue. The body sees this tumour like a foreign type of tissue and...
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New scanning technology for detecting atherosclerotic...
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York have investigated new and more effective ways to detect atherosclerotic plaques.
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Stem cell technology
Stem cell researchers at the University of Glasgow are working on the heart muscle, arteries and blood, to avoid the need to rely so heavily on people donating blood.
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New discovery of adult stem cells
Researchers a the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney have discovered new adult stem cells in the heart, which could help people who have suffered a heart attack or heart failure.
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The effect of hip and knee replacement surgery on...
Overweight people with arthritis are often limited in their mobility and ability to exercise. A study from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York has found that patients often experience a significant weight loss after undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery. Some people also experience stiff knees after they had knee replacement surgery.
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Preterm births
Research from Western Australia reveals that the rate of preterm births in Australia is much higher than in non-western countries such as China. This may give a clue to one of the causes of prematurity.
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Ganfyd - the sick saga of sickness certificates
Professor Max Kamien from the University of Western Australia has been a doctor for 51 years and has written over 20,000 sickness certificates during that time. He thinks that GPs should not be asked to write these certificates and questions whether they need to be written at all.
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Knee reconstruction surgery
Knee surgery is the repair of the anterior cruciate ligament. Questions have been raised about one popular way of replacing this knee ligament.
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Apology for duplicate podcasts
We have just upgraded to a new website, and the move has caused some podcast subscribers to download duplicate mp3s. We apologise for this issue and hope you continue to listen to Radio National podcasts in the future.
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Health coaching
Health coaching has become popular. It's having someone - usually on the end of a phone, encouraging you into healthy behaviours. US organisations thought it could become a $ 10 billion industry.
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The Western Desert Dialysis Project
This project brings dialysis services to remote communities, which enables patients to stay with their families. The project has been nominated for a Human Rights award.
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ADHD drugs and the risk of cardiovascular problems in...
There have been reports in North America that the use of drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increases the risk of serious cardiovascular events. Researchers in the US have investigated this concern.
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The effect of increased doses of saw palmetto fruit...
Researchers in the US have looked at the effect of increased doses of saw palmetto fruit extracts on lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP).
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08:30 Pharmaceuticals in the environment
An enormous range of pharmaceuticals, from painkillers to chemotherapy drugs, is entering our rivers and waterways via wastewater. The concentrations are tiny, but drug pollution has had unexpected and at times devastating impacts on plants and animals. Ecotoxicologists and health experts alike are calling for a concerted effort to better understand how pharmaceuticals behave in the natural environment. This special Health Report program has been prepared by Corinne Podger.
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08:45 Famous people's diseases
Professor Philip Mackowiak from the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, has hosted a series of historical clinico-pathological conferences in Baltimore. He talks about some of history's greatest medical mysteries and what we can learn from them.
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08:30 Social media and health
The Director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media recently visited Australia and talks about how social media has the potential to improve patients' health.
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08:51 Congestive heart failure
Cardiac arrest is one of the commonest reasons for cardiac arrest. Researchers suggest that it may be possible to fix the genes in the heart muscle to get the heart going again.
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08:43 Neurologic recovery after prolonged cardiac arrest...
Prolonged resuscitation efforts to revive patients with cardiac arrest are difficult and often lead to brain damage. A case report recently published by doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, describe a story where a man made a complete neurologic recovery after 96 minutes of cardiac arrest.
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08:37 Polio eradication
The Federal Member for Fraser, Andrew Leigh, has called on the Australian federal government to assist efforts to wipe out the last of polio.
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08:30 Health care costs in Australia
We're constantly being told that health care in Australia is becoming unaffordable. New figures have just been released, showing how much money we're actually spending. Do the numbers support the notion of health costs being out of control?
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08:50 Exercise and bones
A look at the type of exercises which strengthen our bones.
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08:40 Aspirin halves cancer rates in people with...
An international team of researchers, including Australian scientists, has shown that taking a regular low dose of aspirin halves the long-term risk of cancer. The researchers focused on people with Lynch syndrome.
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08:30 The effect of weight loss on hormones
Researchers investigated changes to several hormones after weight loss.
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08:52 Bipolar disorder: treatment and therapies
In the past it's been assumed that talking therapies don't work for bipolar disorder. However, Professor Jan Scott from Newcastle University in the UK, has evidence that certain psychotherapies can and should be used.
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08:38 Electroconvulsive therapy - ECT
This is probably the treatment in medicine with the worst reputation, apart from psychosurgery. However, there have been changes over the years, how ECT is being used.
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08:30 Bipolar disorder: diagnosis
Leading researchers in bipolar disorder and depression have been in Australia for a major conference. Norman Swan talks to Professor Philip Mitchell, Head of the School of Psychiatry at the University of New South Wales, about the condition and the way it's being diagnosed.
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08:52 Treatment of neonatal sepsis
Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of death and severe illness, affecting thousands of babies worldwide. A group of international researchers have investigated the effectiveness of intravenous immune globulin in the treatment of this condition.
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08:46 Insulin levels and breast cancer survival
According to a study from Yale University women treated for breast cancer who have elevated levels of circulating insulin face substantially higher mortality rates than those with lower levels.
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