HEALTH & WELLBEING

Anti-smoking drug causes higher risk of heart attacks

An international study found that Pzifer's anti-smoking drug Chantix, sold in Australia as Champix, is linked to a 72 percent greater risk of hospitalization due to a cardiovascular event like heart attack of arrhythmia. Pfizer immediately refuted the study which was released this Monday and defended to the drug's benefits to smokers.

Drinking diet soda can still make you fat

Waistline watchers beware: drinking diet soda won't help you lose weight. According to data presented to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions diet soda may actually contribute to weight gain and Type 2 diabetes.
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Yoga for heartburn

Heartburn or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) means acid indigestion. This occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close properly and the stomach contents reflux or return into the esophagus.

Botox could not only cure wrinkles but Asthma as well

Asthma patients can now find relief for their condition and have a wrinkle-free voice box at the same time. Australian doctors are trying a radical new treatment for patients with severe asthma by injecting botox into the larynx in an effort to relax the muscle spasms that cause difficulties in breathing.

The search for Australia's best sandwich continues

The Australasian Sandwich Association continues its search for Australia's best sandwich maker, with Matt Wilkinson of Pope Joan in Brunswick East, Melbourne, crowned the winner of the Southern Final of the Great Australian Sandwichship.

Cloned food? Not everyone has the same opinion

Not all consumers share the same attitudes toward animal cloning, but the latest research from Professor Sean Fox of Kansas State University, a professor of agricultural economics, shows that Americans may be more accepting of consuming cloned animal products than Europeans.

Angina cream will help snakebite victims

Researchers from the University of Newcastle have found that applying a cream used to treat angina could increase the survival chances of snakebite victims. Glyceryl trinitrate a compound commonly found in the cream slows the venom toxins by 50 percent before it could enter the bloodstream.

Senate passes palm oil labelling bill

The Senate has passed an amendment to the Food Act requiring that products containing palm oil be explicitly labelled, rather than described as 'vegetable oil'.

Men Need to be Made Aware of Osteoporosis, too!

A Geelong-based researcher has found that, while there have been significant advances in the treatment and prevention of fractures from osteoporosis in Australian women, the same is not true of men.

What women should know about breast implants

U.S. Food and Drug Administration released an updated safety data on silicone gel-filled breast implants, including preliminary data culled from studies conducted by two breast implant manufacturers (Allergan and Mentor) as a condition of their November 2006 approval. Included in the recently released report are summary and analysis of adverse events received over the years by the FDA, and a comprehensive review and analysis of recent scientific publications that discuss the safety and effective...

Australian drug flu vaccine draws criticism

The Melbourne based drug manufacturer CSL has been accused by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for not doing enough to investigate why its flu vaccine caused fever and convulsions in children.

Trichiasis: Ingrown Eyelashes

Such inward growth of eyelashes tend to irritate the cornea or conjunctiva, thereby scarring the cornea and may lead to vision loss.

Trichiasis: Ingrown Eyelashes

Such inward growth of eyelashes tend to irritate the cornea or conjunctiva, thereby scarring the cornea and may lead to vision loss.

Smoking during pregnancy could lead to heart risks for infants

A recent study from the University of Sydney shows that mothers who expose their unborn child to smoking increases the chances of an eventual heart attack and strokes by 20%. This is caused by a decrease in the amount of good cholesterol, high- density lipoprotein (HDL), which protects against heart disease.

Piezoelectric thin films could lead to an everlasting battery

It seems like a far-fetched dream this time but we could soon have an everlasting battery in our electronics. In a recent study by researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne, piezoelectric thin films are able to turn mechanical pressure into electricity. The study is published in the June issue of Advanced Functional Materials.

Battle for Beauty: Botox or Dysport

Botox's stranglehold on the 'de-wrinkling' market may have found a match. A new randomized study published online in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, has found that Botox's competitor Dysport is better at treating crow's feet.

Stem Cell Breakthrough: Pigs could grow human organs

At the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics, Professor Hiromitsu Nakauchi, director of the center for stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at the University of Tokyo in Japan, led the new stem cell research breakthrough. Professor Nakauchi called the new technique as blastocyst complementation.

Taiwan food contamination reaches Australia

Food Standards Australia New Zealand has announced the withdrawl of one product from Australian shelves, an asparagus juice, having been identified as one of the products made with plasticiser-contaminated emulsifiers in Taiwan.

Fat substitutes linked to weight gain in rats

Synthetic fat substitutes used in low-calorie potato chips and other foods, such as olestra, could backfire and contribute to weight gain and obesity, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.

Government adds 13 new drugs to be subsidized

13 new drugs will be subsidized by the government starting September 1, including a late-stage bowel cancer drug, Erbitux. Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon has replied to a campaign by some of Australia's health industry that the government is delaying decisions on a range of drugs recommended for subsidies under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Can smoking fight obesity?

U.S. scientists have discovered factors that make smokers thinner than non-smokers. The findings, said the Agence France Presse in a report proved that nicotine can serve as an ‘appetite suppressant in the brain’ that will prevent users from gaining weight.

Postnatal (Standing) Aqua Stretches

Aqua yoga makes use of deep breathing in relaxed stretches that are easier and safer in water than on land. Your ligaments are still soft and should not be overstretched for at least four months after giving birth.

Exercising with Migraine

Common psychological triggers include stress, depression and anger. Altitude, humidity and sun exposure are common environmental triggers. Physical triggers can range from lack of sleep to premenstrual hormonal fluctuations to certain foods, such as red wines, hot dogs, citrus fruits, cheeses and foods containing caffeine.

Exercising with Migraine

Common psychological triggers include stress, depression and anger. Altitude, humidity and sun exposure are common environmental triggers. Physical triggers can range from lack of sleep to premenstrual hormonal fluctuations to certain foods, such as red wines, hot dogs, citrus fruits, cheeses and foods containing caffeine.

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