Health

Record numbers of patients are swamping emergency departments across NSW, with critically ill patients needing treatment within 10 minutes waiting for more than an hour at a major Sydney hospital. The rising numbers, well above population growth levels, show no sign of slowing as the state enters the winter flu …

More than 80 per cent of people with quadriplegic spinal injuries have sleep apnoea, but despite its significant effect on their lives, many don’t know they have it, Melbourne researchers have found. The researchers from The Institute for Breathing and Sleep (IBAS) at Austin Health and The University of Melbourne …

A new study1  shows taking an antidepressant or an opioid more than doubles the risk of a fall that may lead to a fracture of the hip. In Australia an estimated 30 per cent of people aged over 65 years living in the community and 50 per cent of aged-care facility …

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has congratulated opposition MP Chris Bowen on his appointment as Shadow Health Minister. Guild Acting National President Trent Twomey says Mr Bowen’s extensive political experience will be invaluable in the health portfolio. “The Pharmacy Guild has long had a strong working relationship with Mr Bowen …

A new report in the British Dental Journal (BDJ) has concluded that a range of harmful attributes surround charcoal toothpaste use. Manufacturers of toothpaste containing charcoal typically claim it whitens teeth and removes stains, but the BDJ report found some products were harmful to teeth. With the Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) …

Opioid analgesics were associated with a 30 per cent increase in the risk of pneumonia in persons with Alzheimer’s disease, a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland showed. The study showed the risk was most pronounced in the first two months of opioid use, with the highest risk …

The Australian government is providing $5 million for ground-breaking research into the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of eating disorders. Around one million Australians live with an eating disorder. They are extremely complex illnesses and have one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric condition. The two projects funded …

Can I take my complementary medicine with my other medicines? This and other top questions asked of the national Medicines Line service about complementary medicines have been revealed at the Choosing Wisely 2019 National Meeting in Melbourne this week. Medicines Line is a free information service offered by NPS MedicineWise, …

UNSW engineers have shown that ‘micro submarines’ powered by nano-motors could navigate the human body to provide targeted drug delivery to diseased organs without the need for external stimulus. Cancers in the human body may one day be treated by these tiny, self-propelled ‘micro-submarines’ delivering medicine to affected organs after …

The health of many prisoners who have been unemployed or homeless before being incarcerated improves in jail, according to a new report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The report, ‘The health of Australia’s prisoners 2018’, includes information gathered from people through the use of questionnaires over …