Australians turning 50, 55 and 65 years of age between January 2008 and December 2010 will be offered a free ‘one-off’ bowel cancer screening test, in phase 2 of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program which began in July. Bowel cancer is the most common internal cancer in Australia. The screening test is the Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) which
The Heart Foundation has recently recommended all Australian adults without existing heart disease should consume 500 milligrams of marine-source omega-3 oils daily. People with heart disease should double that dose to 1000 milligrams daily. Omega-3 oils are a type of polyunsaturated fat which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. To get
A heart attack and cardiac arrest in a healthy 28 year old man recently has highlighted concerns about the consumption of ‘energy’ drinks. The 7–8 cans the young man consumed were thought to be a possible cause of his life-threatening event. (see reference 1 below) Aggressive marketing has led to a recent increase in the
Whooping cough cases occurred in record numbers across Australia last year and the epidemic is continuing into 2009. Many adults no longer have immunity and need to be vaccinated. Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. It can cause severe coughing spasms with difficulty breathing and can
Zoledronic acid is new treatment for osteoporosis that is used only once a year, and is given through a drip into a vein. It is now available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Osteoporosis is a common condition which causes brittle bones which are prone to breaking easily, for example after a minor bump
The herbal remedy ginkgo biloba is widely used to prevent and treat dementia, but does it work? In a recent study of over 3,000 people 75 years and older with normal mental function, ginkgo was not found to prevent dementia from developing. No benefit from taking it was found after 6 years. (Ref. 1) A
Up to 90% of people with asthma and COPD are not using their puffers correctly, according to the National Asthma Council. A new video is now available online to demonstrate correct step-by-step use for all types of puffers. Incorrect use is especially common in the older age groups and can greatly reduce the effect of your
A recent review of all the available research on the use of thickeners in infant formula has found that they only have a small effect on gastric reflux. This effect may be of ‘questionable clinical significance’. Up to 40% of infants regurgitate after feeding and thickeners such as rice cereal are sometimes added to the milk
Women between 20–40 years should know the normal look and feel of their breasts and report any unusual changes to their GP. This is the advice of the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC) in its recent Cheeky Checkup campaign. About 700 women under 40 are diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia each year.
Australians in their late 20s are most at-risk from mumps and should consider further vaccination, according to an article in this week’s issue of the Medical Journal of Australia. The number of cases of mumps has risen dramatically over the last few years and adults account for more than three quarter of them. People in their twenties
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