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Australian health budget for a responsible long term health plan

Australian Medical Association (AMA) Federal Budget Submission 2008-09 provides the Government with suggested health spending priorities to build a sustainable and equitable health system to serve Australians for the long term. – The Australian Medical Association (AMA) Federal Budget Submission 2008-09 provides the Government with suggested health spending priorities to build a sustainable and equitable health system to serve Australians for the long term. The Submission was lodged with Treasury on 18 January in keeping with the Treasurer’s deadline.

Australian Govt should allow GPs to order MRI scans for patients

Australian Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) recently advised that the incoming Government has put the GP MRI initiative on hold pending a review. – The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has written to Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, urging her to implement the previous Government’s policy to allow GPs to order Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans for their patients. Prior to last year’s election, it was announced that GPs would be able to directly refer patients for a Medicare-funded MRI scan of the knee or, where Multiple Sclerosis is suspected, of the brain.

Caffeine during pregnancy increases miscarriage risk

If you are pregnant and need caffeine to get you going, try keeping it to one cup or less a day. Avoiding it may be even better. – High doses of daily caffeine during pregnancy ? whether from coffee, tea, caffeinated soda or hot chocolate ? cause an increased risk of miscarriage, according a new study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. The study controlled, for the first time, pregnancy-related symptoms of nausea, vomiting and caffeine aversion that tended to interfere with the determination of caffeine’s true effect on miscarriage risk.

Aspirin resistance increases heart attack, stroke risk

Increased risk of heart attack or stroke for patients who are resistant to aspirin — Aspirin ‘resistance’ and risk of cardiovascular morbidity : Systematic review and meta-analysis – Being resistant to aspirin makes patients four times more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke or even die from a pre-existing heart condition, according to a study published in British Medical Journal, UK. The study relates to patients who are prescribed aspirin long term as a way of preventing clots from forming in the blood.

BMA supports UK organ donation report

The British Medical Association (BMA) will be happy to work with the UK’s Task Force to raise awareness about organ donation. – Commenting on the initial report released by the Organ Donation Task Force, the Chairman of the British Medical Association’s Medical Ethics Committee (MEC), Dr Tony Calland, applauded the report’s recommendations to improve current systems for organ donation.

Chromosomal abnormalities play substantial role in autism

Chromosomal abnormalities play substantial role in autism, revealed in a study. Noting this change would help early diagnosis for autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – a kind of developmental disorder. – Genome-wide scans of families affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have revealed new evidence that previously unknown chromosomal abnormalities have a substantial role in the prevalent developmental disorder, according to a report published online Jan. 17th in the American Journal of Human Genetics, a publication of Cell Press.

Immune system can help heal patients with heart failure

The ability to change or modulate the patient?s immune response has now been shown to be attainable as well as successful in treating certain stages of heart failure. – Modifying the immune system of a patient with heart failure reduces the patient’s risk of death and the need for hospitalization, according to research published in recent edition of The Lancet.

Consumer Healthcare supports FDA over OTC cough and cold medicines withdrawal

FDA Bulletin on Kids’ Oral, Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Reaffirms Industry’s October 2007 Voluntary Withdrawal; Agency announcement reinforces need for increased communication with consumers. – On behalf of the leading makers of over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) offered its support for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision against the use of oral OTC cough and cold medicines in children under the age of two.

Combined hormone therapy increases lobular breast cancer risk

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center leads first study designed to evaluate the association between combined HRT use and the risk of lobular breast cancers. – Postmenopausal women who take combined estrogen/progestin hormone-replacement therapy for three years or more face a fourfold increased risk of developing various forms of lobular breast cancer, according to new findings by researchers.

Newly discovered virus linked to skin cancer

A new strategy to hunt for human viruses described in this week?s issue of the journal Science by the husband-and-wife team who found the cause of Kaposi’s sarcoma has revealed a previously unknown virus strongly associated with another rare but deadly skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma. – Researchers using sequencing technique discovered a new cancer virus Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) causing Kaposi’s sarcoma, is associated with another rare but deadly skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma.