Category Archives: Health

Vape stores opening near Australian schools to ‘recruit new generation to nicotine’, Mark Butler says

Posted on by

Companies skirting regulations by labelling e-cigarettes as ‘nicotine-free’ despite them containing the drug

The federal health minister, Mark Butler, has criticised the proliferation of vape stores, which continue to open despite reforms that will mean only pharmacies can import and sell the products in future.

“We know these vaping stores are increasingly opening in a very deliberate way just down the road from schools, because they realise that is their target consumers,” Butler told Guardian Australia.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Climate action must respond to extreme weather driving health crisis, says WHO

Posted on by

Melting ice caps and rising sea levels are urgent but people care more about the floods, wildfires and droughts that are here now, New York summit hears

Floods, wildfires, drought and the onslaught of extreme weather are driving a global health crisis that must be put at the centre of climate action, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.

“The climate crisis is a health crisis; it drives extreme weather and is taking lives around the world,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, said. “Melting ice caps and rising sea levels are, of course, crucial issues, but for most people they are distant threats in both time and place. The threats of our changing climate are right here and right now.”

Continue reading...

People born by egg or sperm donor in UK will be able to find out biological origins

Posted on by

Changes to anonymity law mean people can apply to discover donor’s name, date of birth and address

Dozens of young adults born via sperm or egg donation will be able to find out their biological origins in the coming weeks, with the first just days away from being able to apply to find out more information about their donor, health officials have said.

Changes to the donor anonymity law will mean that most donor-conceived young adults born after a certain date will be able to discover the people whose donations led to their conception.

Continue reading...

UK government launches campaign to tackle loneliness at universities

Posted on by

Campaigners criticise ‘tokenistic’ initiative started after polling showed almost all students experience bouts of loneliness

Millions of teenagers across Britain will arrive at university for the first time on Monday as freshers’ week begins.

Almost all will experience bouts of loneliness with nearly half being worried they will be judged if they admit to it, according to a sample of 1,000 students, collected by YouGov for the government.

Spend time helping other people, such as volunteering with student groups or by offering a regular conversation to someone feeling isolated

Keep in touch with friends and family over the phone

Arrange something fun to do with your current friends

Join a club or society at university to connect with others who have similar interests

Do things you enjoy, such as playing sport, reading or listening to music

Be open to everyone, as university is a great place to meet people from all different backgrounds

Remember some people only share the good things happening to them on social media so try and avoid comparison

Talk to someone you trust about how you feel

Get in touch with the university’s student services about the welfare and support it can provide

Remember that others may be feeling similar, so you are not alone

Continue reading...

‘Forever chemical’ exposure linked to higher cancer odds in women

Posted on by

New research finds evidence that exposure to PFAS and phenols increases odds of certain ‘hormonally driven’ cancers for women

Women exposed to several widely used chemicals appear to face increased odds for ovarian and other certain types of cancers, including a doubling of odds for melanoma, according to new research funded by the US government.

Using data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a team of academic researchers found evidence that women diagnosed with some “hormonally driven” cancers had exposures to certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are used in thousands of household and industrial products, including in stain- and heat-resistant items.

Continue reading...

NSW promises more nurses to field growing number of sexual assault cases

Posted on by

The state government will pledge almost $53m over four years to fund dozens of new positions

Dozens of sexual assault nurse examiners will be hired in New South Wales in a bid to deal with the increasing number of sexual assault presentations, amid a statewide shortage of trained medical professionals.

The state government will pledge almost $53m over four years to fund the positions when it hands down its first budget on Tuesday, having already scrapped the public sector wage cap in a bid to bolster health services.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus shares relief after benign tumours removed from ovary

Posted on by

Swimming great describes ‘scary time’ after chance discovery during MRI scan for hip injury

Australian swimming champion Ariarne Titmus has had surgery to remove benign tumours from an ovary.

The women’s 400 metres freestyle world record holder discovered the tumours by chance when having an MRI scan on a sore hip.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Hope for thousands as NHS approves drug for acute migraine

Posted on by

First and only Nice-recommended medicine could ‘alleviate misery’ of condition in England and Wales

NHS health advisers have approved the first treatment for acute migraine in a decision that promises to bring relief to about 13,000 people.

The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has recommended a drug called rimegepant, also known as Vydura, which is made by Pfizer.

Continue reading...

Two in five inpatients in England report health decline while on NHS waiting list

Posted on by

New CQC report also finds growing number of patients think there are too few nurses to care for them

Two in five people admitted to hospital for planned care in England last year had their health worsen while they were on the NHS waiting list, a major survey reveals.

The finding emerged in a new report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that also found that growing numbers of patients think there are too few nurses on duty to care for them.

39% of patients would like to have been admitted sooner.

Almost one in five (18%) felt they waited “far too long” to get a bed once they had been admitted – a big rise on the 8% who said that in 2020.

Only 52% thought there were always enough nurses on duty.

Discharge was often unsatisfactory for patients, with only 48% given enough notice about when they would leave and only 45% told how their post-hospital care would happen.

Hospital care was less good than before Covid struck in 2020, patients said.

Continue reading...

Ban on single-use vapes in UK may ‘flood market with illegal products’

Posted on by

Ministers said to be planning to legislate against the devices because of concerns about children’s health

Leading doctors and councils have welcomed reports that ministers are preparing to ban single-use vapes in the UK, but others have expressed fears a ban could lead to a “flood” of illegal products on the market.

The reports of plans to stop the sale of disposable e-cigarettes come as fears grow about their environment impact and the health risks they pose to the large number of teenagers taking up vaping.

Continue reading...

The owner of Bunnings and Kmart is now in the prescriptions business, raising fears over patient data

Posted on by

Doctors and pharmacists concerned that Wesfarmers’ acquisition of InstantScripts could end the notion that ‘health data is sacrosanct’

The integration of a controversial online doctor service alongside Bunnings, Kmart and hundreds of pharmacies in the Wesfarmers portfolio has raised concerns among medical practitioners about potential risks to patient data security.

InstantScripts sprang to prominence during the pandemic, offering an alternative to the GP by generating prescriptions via an online form that was then remotely checked by a doctor. The business covers 300 low-risk drugs that patients can either pick up from a pharmacist or get delivered directly to their home.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

FDA approves new Covid boosters as cases rise around US

Posted on by

Moderna and Pfizer shots approved with vaccinations potentially beginning as soon as this week

The US has approved a series of Covid-19 booster vaccines amid rising cases of coronavirus around the country, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Monday.

The FDA said it had approved Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which can be administered even to people who never previously received a Covid-19 vaccination.

Continue reading...

Better nutrition can cut risk of TB deaths by 60%, Indian study finds

Posted on by

Large-scale field trials that provided healthy food packages to sufferers and their families showed radical reductions in fatalities

Infectious, deadly and long associated with poverty, tuberculosis causes weight loss, while poor diets increase the likelihood of developing the disease. Now, a study in India has found that improved nutrition can cut the risk of death by 60% and reduce the chances of infection within families by about 40%.

India has the highest burden of TB and TB deaths globally and has launched an ambitious plan to reduce incidence and death rates by 80% and 90% respectively by 2025.

Continue reading...

Some MPs came close to suicide, says ex-Tory minister Rory Stewart

Posted on by

Former leadership contender says life of politician puts ‘almost unsustainable’ strain on mental health

The former Conservative minister Rory Stewart has said some fellow MPs came very close to killing themselves when he was in the Commons, and the life of a politician placed an “almost unsustainable” strain on people.

Stewart, who was international development secretary and stood to be Tory leader before leaving the Commons in 2019, said other former colleagues experienced “total breakdowns in public”.

Continue reading...

Queensland man in 60s dies from snake bite after removing animal from friend’s leg

Posted on by

Ambulance service uncertain of the species that bit the man but says symptoms point to a brown snake

A man in his 60s has died from a snake bite in central Queensland, after helping to remove a snake which had coiled around his friend’s leg.

Two men were treated by the Queensland Ambulance Service in Koumala, a town 60km south of Mackay, shortly after 6.30pm on Saturday evening.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

NHS website records 552% surge in heat exhaustion queries

Posted on by

Figures from NHS England reveal people seeking heat-related health advice as temperatures surpass 32C

Hot weather has led to a 552% increase in people seeking heat exhaustion advice from the NHS website this week, figures show.

There were 32,130 visits to the health advice page on heat exhaustion and heatstroke from Sunday to Thursday this week, according to figures released by NHS England, which runs the NHS website.

Consume plenty of cold drinks, especially when exercising.

Take cool baths or showers.

Wear light-coloured, loose clothing.

Sprinkle water over skin or clothes.

Avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm.

Avoid excess alcohol.

Avoid extreme exercise.

Continue reading...

NHS to begin autumn Covid jabs next week as new variant spreads

Posted on by

Pirola variant has prompted concern among scientists because of high number of mutations it carries

Care home residents and people who are housebound will be offered Covid vaccines from Monday, with over-65s and other vulnerable groups to be called for their jabs from the week after.

The NHS will kick off its autumn programme of Covid vaccines from next week, having moved the date forward by a month in response to the spread of a new variant nicknamed Pirola.

Continue reading...

Florida supreme court to hear abortion case that could drastically limit access

Posted on by

If state’s highest court upholds the 15-week ban, a separate, stricter law would take effect prohibiting abortion after six weeks

The Florida supreme court on Friday will hear arguments in a case that could drastically limit abortion access in the south-eastern United States.

Abortion providers in Florida filed a lawsuit to block the state’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Continue reading...

Mexican activists hail abortion ruling but warn of lack of access to care

Posted on by

Campaigners say many facilities and medical workers are likely to deny access since procedure is banned in many local jurisdictions

Human rights activists in Mexico have welcomed a historic ruling by the country’s supreme court that decriminalized abortion, but warned that the historic decision will not automatically make terminations accessible for all Mexican women.

Wednesday’s unanimous decision stripped away federal criminal penalties related to abortions – but not the many local laws banning the procedure, which remain on the books in 20 of Mexico’s 32 states.

Continue reading...

Women in England urged to help shape reproductive health policy

Posted on by

Government seeks views on periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and menopause for health strategy

Women in England are being urged to help shape reproductive health policy by sharing their experiences of a range of issues.

The government’s launch of the survey comes more than a year after ministers first promised to seek women’s views on issues including periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and the menopause, as part of its women’s health strategy.

Continue reading...