Hitting the brain gym

The benefits of physical exercise are well known in staying healthy in later life, but enjoying crosswords, sudoku and chess can also help to lower the risk of dementia.

The heavy toll of dementia

Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia and the number of people living with it is continuing to increase, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Behind the scenes with the Chief Health Officers

Day to day media coverage of the Coronavirus epidemic misses the nuances of the role of State Chief Health Officer beyond reading out case numbers. This is what we found when we spoke to them.

On the frontline against COVID-19

Although vaccination rates are increasing, the greatest strain on the health service is yet to come and in this article two doctors explain how COVID-19 patients are treated in intensive care.

Advancing genomics-driven precision medicine

Researchers have a new lens by which to understand how genes impact disease.

What does the future of medicine look like?

Artificial intelligence in ICUs and detecting cancer clones that may be resistant to treatment ahead of time could be the future of medicine.

Putting patient care at the heart of cancer trials

Researchers from the University of South Australia are putting cancer patients front and centre of a new study to find out what works well (and what needs improvement) in clinical trials in Australia.

Health in our own hands

Despite the current COVID pandemic, the overall health of Australians continues to improve, but a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows further gains could be achieved by changes in lifestyle.

Harnessing research for better health

The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences is conducting a project to improve healthcare for Australians by better enabling research to be conducted within the health system.

Physical activity is critical for children’s quality of life

Increasing the daily level of physical activity could be the easiest ‘win’ for parents to improve their child’s wellbeing, benefiting adolescents and children from low-income families most.

Fire alarm – The dangers of wood heaters

There are few things better than cosying up next to a wood fire in winter, but Aussie researchers are calling for better public health education and policy after a study found excess deaths associated with our woody winter warmers.

Fitness apps help keep us moving

While they might appear to be a gimmick to some, fitness apps and devices do encourage some people to keep exercising, particularly during protracted COVID lockdowns.