News of Angelina Jolie’s preventative double mastectomy shocked the world, but to some women, it just makes sense. Like the actress whose mother died of cancer at age 56, these three young Australian women know what it’s like for cancer to interrupt their lives at a young age even though they may never develop it. […]

The head of anti-smoking authority Quit Victoria has echoed calls to breath-test pregnant women to check if they are smoking after Britain’s healthcare body successfully introduced the scheme. Carbon monoxide breath tests, enforced by Britain’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, are proposed to be administered by midwives at antenatal appointments. The new measures […]

Would you serve a pregnant woman alcohol? If not, you’d be acting illegally and could be sued, as Triana O’Keefe discovered recently. Working in a bar I am often confronted with situations of which I’m going to describe as less than ideal. To be honest the job description should have read ‘Local bar seeks tender […]

Veteran ABC journalist Mark Colvin is known for his storytelling and eye for a good yarn, and even he says the tale of his kidney transplant is something “you wouldn’t read about”. In late 2011, the radio journalist had been on dialysis for some time and was told a kidney transplant was just about the […]

The New Year always inspires women to shed the few extra kilos gained over Christmas, but health professionals are warning that not all diets are safe. The Dietitians Association of Australia has called on 230 members to vote on the three worst diets. The Lemon Detox Diet was rated the worst, followed by the Acid […]

New mums have been warned about the dangers of post-natal depression for years, but new research suggests they are just as susceptible to another mental illness: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. A Northwestern University study found that 11 per cent of new mothers develop OCD, as many as those affected by post-natal depression. Researchers from the Chicago […]

Throughout the cold and flu season it’s important to consider the immune system. While many people elect to have cold and flu shots, you can take a healthier, more natural approach and eat immune-building and rejuvenating foods. Foods rich in antioxidants and zinc combined into hearty casseroles and soups will nurture and protect you against […]

Just like today, weight loss regimes were big business in the 1960s. From downing all the booze you could drink to guzzling shots of oil before every meal, here are some of the craziest retro dieting tips. All the alcohol you can drink: One of the best-selling diet books of all time was the The […]

A devastating killer influenza outbreak is heading to Australia where it will claim lives, doctors have warned. The deadly H3N2 “super flu” wrought havoc in the US in December and January, killing 20 children and causing vaccine shortages across the country. The virus is expected to arrive in Australia within weeks and Australian Medical Association […]

A new study suggests that fainting may run in the family and, for some, just one gene may be the cause of this phenomenon. Researchers from the University of Melbourne and Austin Health reviewed medical records of 44 families with a history of fainting. This included six families who have a large number of affected […]