HEALTH & WELLBEING

Medlab is all set to give cannabis Australia human trials a boost as it has launched a $5.36 million equity raising. The cash will be mainly used for accelerating a medicinal cannabis human trial program at a leading Australian oncology research hospital.

An Australian study has revealed that women who smoke during pregnancy are at a risk of having boys with low sperm production in their adulthood.

In yet another startling Zika development, the first case of female-to-male sexual transmission of Zika virus has been announced in New York City. Experts now exploring female-to-female sexual transmission possibility.

MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, is classified as a Schedule-1 drug, which has a high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. However, two researchers have urged for rigorous scientific analysis of the drug’s effects.

New clinical study has shown that e-cigarettes may lead to significant reductions in exposure to harmful chemicals found in tobacco-cigarettes. This in turn helps in cutting the risks of tobacco-related illnesses that are thought to be caused by smoking real cigarettes. Smokers, who shift to smoking only e-cigarette, may find the effects quite similar to complete smoking cessation.

Marijuana legalisation may have had a positive impact with a reduction in prescription drug use among the disabled and the elderly, a new US study has revealed. Savings from reduced prescription drug use in areas where cannabis is legal was approximately US$165.2 million (AU$217 million) over the full year.

Experts at Adelaide’s Flinders University have made an Alzheimer’s breakthrough that may result in world’s first dementia vaccine. Developed by Australian and US scientists, this vaccine may not only prevent but also reverse early stages of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.

Sufferers of temporary hearing damage may find it difficult to recover if they consume caffeine daily. Highly-caffeinated drinks may cause persistent hearing impairment after noise exposure.

A breakthrough cancer therapy has destroyed drug-resistant superbugs. The experimental drug killed not only the superbugs but also a range of deadly viruses from Ebola to HIV.

“My Kitchen Rules” judge Pete Evans recently cooked up a controversy on social media due to his comments about sunscreen. His remarks have angered cancer research experts as Evans, during a Q&A session on Facebook, said that sunscreen is full of poisonous chemicals.

UK researchers have found that cannabis smokers who put tobacco in their joints are more likely to get addicted. Likewise, those who do not mix tobacco are far more likely to quit, if they want. Thus, it is way better to smoke marijuana on its own to reduce harm.

Queensland researchers have made a breakthrough in better understanding a deadly bacterium prevalent in Northern Australia that can kill within 24 hours by causing melioidosis.

Scientists have found a link between women’s unexplained infertility and a mysterious virus that is transmitted via kissing. HHV-6A virus multiplies in salivary glands and can be transferred via kissing and sex.

A new report has suggested that patients suffering from common coughs, colds, sore throats and earaches won’t be put at greater risk of contracting serious infections, such as bacterial meningitis, if doctors stop prescribing antibiotics. A UK study of four million patients for over a decade has revealed the need for doctors to stop overprescribing antibiotics.

NSW government has procured a cannabis-based medicine, oral drug Epidiolex from United Kingdom, that can treat 40 child patients with severe epilepsy. It has announced that NSW children with the worst cases of drug-resistant epilepsy will be Australia’s first to gain access to medicinal cannabis.

British scientists have come up with a new fibre milkshake that can switch off cravings for fast food, cakes and chocolates. The powder that is taken as a shake contains the fibre inulin-propionate ester and is based on a molecule produced by gut bacteria. This switches off that part of the brain responsible for high calorie cravings.

Australians are among the world’s fattest, a new report has revealed. The report on Australia’s health also shows that people Down Under suffer from alarmingly high blood pressure, diabetes and are dying by suicide in record numbers.

University of Canberra researchers will be collaborating with a pharmaceutical company to test the effectiveness of medical marijuana in treating melanoma.

Leukaemia drug Dasatinib treats ovarian clear cell carcinoma by targeting a faulty gene found in ovarian cancer tumours.

A substance in marijuana may treat the brain-damaging effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Salk Institute scientists found out that cannabis compounds may promote cellular removal of the toxin amyloid beta associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Queensland Health has issued a measles alert after a Victorian woman who travelled Brisbane earlier this week tested positive for the extremely-infectious disease.

South Australia is implementing a new smoking ban that would prevent people from lighting up in alfresco dining venues. The ban from Friday would apply to all clubs, pubs, fast-food outlets, cafes and restaurants.

An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report has revealed that the 2009 mandate by Federal Government to add folic acid and iodine to all breads except organic breads is a major success. The drastic step has successfully battled two major health issues, severe birth defects (spina bifida) caused by a lack of folic acid and re-emergence of iodine deficiency.

The body’s lymphatic system may allow breast cancer cells to spread faster if a sufferer is stressed. New Australian research has shown chronic stress accelerates the spread of cancer in mice.

Dr. Michel Desjardins from the University of Montreal and Dr. Heidi McBride from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (MNI) at McGill University led a team of scientists who discovered two genes associated with Parkinson’s disease. The genes are key regulators of the immune system.

Scientists from Queen Mary University of London have made a breakthrough in understanding how cancer cells spread around the body and form tumours. The study says that a cancer cell’s ability to survive as it spreads may well be the weapon to fight the disease. As per the scientists, cancerous cells depend on an unusual survival mechanism to spread around the body. Thus, how cancer spreads and survives could well be the key to curing it.

Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) applied NASA technology in a breast cancer study on microbes. This has set the stage to further analyse the role of microbes in causing or preventing breast cancer. Researchers from Western University in Ontario also found a link between breast cancer and “bad” bacteria.

A new study has predicted that climate change will put New Yorkers at the risk of overheating. The study has predicted thousands of heat deaths by 2080. If no steps are taken to reduce emissions and adapt to warming, as many as 3,331 people may die every year in New York alone by 2080. By that time, the number of hot days is going to triple, and that would cause heat deaths due to respiratory conditions, heart problems, dehydration and heat exhaustion.

A team of scientists that included researchers from The University of Western Australia (UWA) have developed a blood test that can identify women at risk of having premature births, but not displaying symptoms as early as 18 weeks into their pregnancy. The breakthrough blood test builds on previous work by scientists who developed a similar test for women hospitalised with early contractions.