HEALTH

According to a recent study conducted by Australian scientists -published in the Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention journal, the drugs used in the treatment of asthma by thousands of men may be increasing the risk of developing prostate cancer.

A review of 88 studies on allergens since 2001 has found that allergy shots or allergen immunotherapy can reduce asthma symptoms or attacks.

South Australia's nurses and midwives warned on Monday that they may still go on strike if negotiations with the state government over pay raise, staffing and workload fail.

Girls in the U.S. may be continuing to hit puberty at earlier ages, according to new research.

Exercising in your 40's, 50's and 60's is like saving for your retirement, experts say.

President Barack Obama reached out on Saturday to retired Americans, an important group of voters, touting a report that showed healthcare reform had brightened prospects for the Medicare hospital trust fund.

People over 50 with HIV are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage disease than younger adults, according to a British study.

Childcare centres in NSW will increase their fees to as high as $33 per 3-year-old child per day or reduce childcare places if the government requires them to hire more and better qualified staff.

Remote monitoring of heart patients has reduced the number of deaths and hospitalisation from chronic heart failure, according to studies on telephone and wireless monitoring published in the Cochrane Systematic Review.

The University of Queensland's Parenting and Family Support Centre is offering a free less-intensive parenting program for Brisbane parents with autistic children.

According to a Cochrane review, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) -also known as antidepressants - can't be recommended for treating autism in children or adults.

According to health officials, an increase in the number of Australian teen pregnancies has fuelled controversy over whether schools should offer condoms and for what ages are they appropriate.

According to study author Graham K. Kerr, PhD, of Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, falls are a significant problem for people with Parkinson's as they can lead to injuries and decreased mobility, which can cause increasing weakness, loss of independence and increased use of nursing facilities.

The recent breakthrough finding that proves humans share similar gene pool with sea sponges - which existed more than 600 millions ago - has triggered a change in a the long-held views of the scientific communities that the first animals were nothing but simple ball of cells.

Chronic heart failure patients equipped with the access to remote monitoring, through the use of telephone support or telemonitoring technology experienced reduced death and hospitalization rates, and may be getting benefits in terms of quality of life and health care costs, says international team of scientists.

The first of its kind in Australasia, a machine that checks for circulating tumor cells, called the CellSearch has been announced as a significant breakthrough in the treatment for advanced prostate cancer in Australian men.

Following adverse health reactions among children earlier this year due to the use of a flu vaccine manufactured by CSL Biotherapies, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has told doctors to avoid using the vaccine.

The H1N1 swine flu virus underwent a mutation and used a new trick to spread efficiently in people, another signal to help experts predict whether a flu virus can cause a pandemic, researchers said Friday.

A daily vitamin D supplement may help young men enjoy more sick-free days during cold and flu season, a small study suggests.

Two studies published on Thursday show new ways to fix damaged hearts, one by turning structural heart cells into beating cells and another by restoring a primordial ability to regenerate lost tissue.

The Fatigue Calculator, which calculates sleep hours to establish one's fatigue level, will become available on mobile handsets and touch-screen kiosks.

Australia is in the top 10 OECD countries with the highest rate of type 1 diabetes among children, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

The Australian government will provide $85 million in funds for use in preventing childbirth deaths in Pacific island countries in the next four years.

Alzheimers Australia warned on Friday that nearly a million Australians will have dementia by 2050 and more than a quarter of them will be without care unless the government increases the number of carers and nursing homes for the aged.

Want to maximize the placebo effect? A good way to do this, according to a new study, is to tell someone they have a decent chance of getting the real treatment instead of a fake pill, but keep them guessing.

All eight men who had unprotected anal sex with a HIV-positive man, Stuart James McDonald, 43 tested positive for HIV in 2005, the South Australian Supreme Court led by justice Margaret Nyland has heard.

A team of scientists from the Children's Medical Research Institute are working hard to unravel the structure of a protein present in 85 per cent of all cancers, in order to design a breakthrough drug to destroy cancer cells.

According to Dietitians Association of Australia, majority of new mothers are unaware of the health benefits of breastfeeding - not only does it improve health and IQ of their babies, it also reduces their own risk of developing cancer and heart disease.

A recent survey reveals Australians experience a great fear of losing mental independence as they get older.