Health & Wellbeing

Give a little bit

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 68 | Give a little bit

There are plenty of corporate types getting onto philanthropic boards, and professor F. Warren McFarlan from the Harvard Business School had some good advice at a business lunch organised by JBWere in Melbourne yesterday.

Jog to a longer life

24 May 2012 | Jill Margo

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Jog to a longer life

A long-term study in Denmark has found that if you want to increase your lifespan you should take a slow to moderate jog on a regular basis.

Eye to eye treatment

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Eye to eye treatment

There has been debate about two drugs used to treat an eye disease that affects central vision, AMD.

A champion double

24 May 2012 | Jill Margo

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | A champion double

One of the ongoing questions in sports science is what moulds a talented athlete into a champion? The traditional view is that the drivers of elite performance are complex but basically result from both training and genes.

Catching cancer

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Catching cancer

One in every six cancers in the world appears to be caused by infections.

Seeing things as they are

24 May 2012 |

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Seeing things as they are

Vipassana is an ancient Indian meditation technique. It means seeing things as they really are and it is an empowering technique which, when mastered, helps to lessen suffering and increase calm.

Extreme meditation: the silent treatment

24 May 2012 | Ed Davis

PRINT: 24 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | The incredible lightness of unplugging

Over the past decade, Ed Davis has meditated every day for half an hour. Recently, he attempted an extreme form of meditation – nine days of total silence. He wasn’t confident he would get through it, or what it would yield.

Future Fund tobacco stocks rise to $225m

23 May 2012 | Jacob Greber

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Tobacco lift for Fund

The Future Fund’s tobacco stocks have surged in value by more than 53 per cent since the start of last year, prompting Greens senator Richard Di Natale to fume that the government is “profiteering” from lung cancer sufferers.

Rebel with a very different cause

23 May 2012 | Geoff Kitney

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Rebel with a very different cause

Kevin Rudd yesterday faced the media for the first time in Parliament House in Canberra since his failed leadership bid in February – but it was a face of a different kind that the media saw.

Thomson’s tears help, in theory

23 May 2012 | Alan Stokes

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Shed tears for fears: big boys do cry

Stokes | If Craig Thomson’s crying helped him find his humanity in the glare of publicity, it may also have helped him appear genuine, thus attracting empathisers.

Why your boss is not your shrink

22 May 2012 | Robert Spillane

PRINT: 23 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Remember your boss is not your shrink

Managers do engage in a bit of counselling but it’s heavy on empathy and quite pragmatic.

Technology briefs

22 May 2012 |

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | The technology of

In further evidence that science fiction is slowly becoming science fact, a 58-year-old woman paralysed in 1996 by a stroke was able sip coffee from a flask using a robotic arm controlled by her brain.

AMP seeks pal for aged care opportunity

22 May 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Anthony Macdonald

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 22 | AMP seeks pal for aged care

AMP Capital Investors has been quietly sounding out possible investment partners for its flagship healthcare asset, Domain Principal Group.

Final pieces fall into place for ING exit

22 May 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Anthony Macdonald

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 22 | Final pieces fall into place for ING exit

The sale of ING Real Estate Community Living Group’s remaining US assets – valued on the parent’s books at about $164 million and comprising six prime senior living sites in Long Island, New York – is expected to be announced today.

eHealth to save $11bn for budget

22 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | eHealth to save $11 billion

The Federal Government has claimed its troubled electronic health programs will save more than $11 billion over the next 15 years as its guns for a budget surplus.

The economics of DNA

22 May 2012 | Deirdre Macken

PRINT: 22 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Define yourself: the economics of DNA

Macken | Some time soon you won’t have to explain your risk profile to the financial planner, you’ll just hand over a copy of your DNA.

RPA fund-raiser

21 May 2012 |

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 52 | RPA fund-raiser

The Royal Prince Alfred-based medical research centre, the Centenary Institute, held its third annual fund-raising bash at the Sydney offices of PwC.

Swisse has been taking its vitamins

21 May 2012 | Paul McIntyre

PRINT: 21 May 2012 | PAGE 43 | Swisse has been taking its vitamins

There are not too many Australian chief executives who could fathom investing 30 per cent of their company’s sales into marketing before taking out major sponsorship deals with high-profile Australian TV, sports and entertainment properties.

All baby boomers should get hepatitis C test: US

19 May 2012 |

All baby boomers should be tested at least once for the liver-destroying hepatitis C virus, according to proposed guidelines from US health officials released on Friday.

Ventus extends IPO offer

18 May 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Anthony Macdonald

Ventus Medical has extended its initial public offer after failing to raise $40 million by this week’s deadline.

Vic govt scraps $500m e-health project

18 May 2012 |

Victoria's $500 million e-health system, aimed at creating electronic patient records and prescriptions, has been dumped and will be replaced with a patchwork approach.

Nikkei drops sharply, weighed down by troubled Spanish banks

18 May 2012 |

Japan's Nikkei share average dropped sharply on Friday morning with securities hammered by fears of contagion from Spain's ailing bank system and a strong yen pushed down exporters.

Canberra insider

18 May 2012 | Verona Burgess

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 |

It’s time to look at areas of employment where the Australian Public Service [APS] has difficulties, and we’re not talking about high-end accountants or economists. The budget has provided $1.8 million over the next three years for the Australian Public Service Commission to continue programs aimed at addressing recruitment and retention of indigenous Australians in the APS.

Views differ on same-sex marriage reform

18 May 2012 | Alex Boxsell

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Separate views on marriage exposed

A review of same-sex marriage by legal groups has balanced the need to remove discrimination from the law with the possibility of obstacles in the constitution.

Roxon takes a tough package Washington

18 May 2012 | Alex Boxsell

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | ROXON takes a tough package TO WASHINGTON

Federal Attorney-General Nicola Roxon was in Washington DC this week to speak about the government’s cigarette plain-packaging laws.

Unleash your creativity

18 May 2012 |

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 11 | GETTING IT ON

Woodcarving in Greece, food illustration and photography in Andalucia, salsa dancing in Havana.

Liberated and loveless

18 May 2012 | Hephzibah Anderson

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | Liberated but loveless

In April 400 years ago, an unwed man and woman stood before magistrates in Westminster. They’d had sex together, it was alleged. He denied it; she, having given birth to a bastard child, confessed.

Parenting by numbers

18 May 2012 | Mya Frazier

PRINT: 18 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Parenting by numbers

The day their son was born, Monica Rogati and her husband began obsessively plotting his life via thousands of bits of data they punched into the smartphone app Baby Connect.

Unleash your creativity

17 May 2012 |

Woodcarving in Greece, food illustration and photography in Andalucia, salsa dancing in Havana.

It all depends on home ownership

17 May 2012 | Fleur Anderson

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Everything depends on owning a home

Anderson | Fed up with the ongoing repairs and maintenance involved with owning a home? Well, don’t get rid of your real estate just yet.

Japan confronts a nuclear void

17 May 2012 | Greg Earl

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Japan confronts a nuclear void

A battle over nuclear and renewable energy will determine Japan’s future but has also broader global implications.

Deeper UK welfare cuts on agenda

17 May 2012 | Robert Winnett

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Deeper UK welfare cuts on agenda

British Prime Minister David Cameron is considering ordering billions of pounds in extra welfare cuts proposed in a confidential Downing Street policy paper.

Dental innovator David Penn extracts $100m deal

17 May 2012 | Carrie LaFrenz

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Dental innovator extracts $100m deal

Sydney dentist and medical appliance innovator David Penn has sold a majority stake in his Southern Cross Dental Laboratories to private equity player Ironbridge Capital in a deal worth nearly $100 million.

Two sets of experts, two opposite opinions

17 May 2012 |

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Two sets of experts, two diametrically opposed opinions

The extent of disagreement about statins was recently highlighted in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It asked two sets of experts whether an otherwise healthy middle aged man with elevated cholesterol should be taking a daily statin.

Needle damage

17 May 2012 |

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Needle damage

While some inks may contain carcinogens, there is no evidence skin cancer is more likely to appear on tattoos, according to a study in the Lancet Oncology.

Nursing for prostate

17 May 2012 |

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Nursing for prostate

Australia’s first National Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing Service has just been launched by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

Dementia is a journey

17 May 2012 |

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Dementia is a journey

Contrary to the belief that older adults with dementia eventually move to nursing homes and die there, a new study has shown many live and die in community settings, at least in America.

DVD breakthrough

17 May 2012 |

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | DVD breakthrough

A new collection of 12 DVDs covers all aspects of prostate cancer from choosing treatment to managing the mind during the cancer journey.

Putting statin use into perspective

17 May 2012 | Jill Margo

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Putting statin use into perspective

Like many other mildly overweight men of 50, this cardiologist’s cholesterol is a little elevated, so he knows there is a high chance he would benefit. But what’s holding him back are the potential side-effects of these drugs, known as statins.

Sonic to buy Healthscope pathology assets

16 May 2012 | Carrie LaFrenz

PRINT: 17 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Sonic shrugs off Healthscope competition chills

Sonic Healthcare will acquire some of Healthscope’s Australian pathology assets for $100 million, confirming a report in Wednesday’s The Australian Financial Review.

Dentists open wide on funding debate

16 May 2012 | Zac Kerr

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 59 | Dentists open wide on funding debate

Few would disagree that a healthy populace is perhaps our most important policy priority. This includes dental health. However the Australian Dental Association and its private dentist members as described by Emma Connors (“Greens to chew over dental care plan”, May 15) clearly judge moves towards more universal public dental funding as a gravy train they do not want to miss.

Obama’s same-sex view politically driven

16 May 2012 | Peter Baker

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Obama’s same-sex view political

Most Americans suspect that President Obama was motivated by politics, not policy, when he declared his support for same-sex marriage, according to a new poll released on Monday, suggesting the impact of his decision was undercut by the unplanned way it became public.

Age variations make planning tricky

16 May 2012 | John Wasiliev

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Age variations make planning tricky

With considerations such as super from various sources, non-super investments and possible Centrelink entitlements, effective retirement income planning can be a complicated exercise, especially where there is a big age gap between a couple.

Dentists bare their teeth over audits

16 May 2012 | Emma Connors

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Dentists bare their teeth over Medicare rebate audits

Finding the money for a new, Medicare-like dental scheme is going to be hard enough. Removing the bad taste left by the present arrangements is an added complication.

Something fishy about avocado

16 May 2012 | Alan Stokes

PRINT: 16 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | There’s something fishy about avocado

Stokes | Whoever decided “avocado” and “sushi” belonged together should be sliced thinly and drizzled with lemon juice.

Capital squeeze on mutual health funds

15 May 2012 | Sally Rose

Actuary Peter Carroll says a rise in ministerial intervention via the Private Health Insurance Administration Council into the pricing of insurance premiums risks driving down the standard of coverage.

Scotland battles ‘drink yourself to death’ culture

15 May 2012 |

Scottish ministers have taken a tougher line than anticipated on alcohol abuse by fixing their planned minimum price for alcohol at £0.50 a unit, pushing up the cost of cheap vodka by nearly 50 per cent.

Sit too much? Don’t stand for it

15 May 2012 | Deirdre Macken

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Sitting too much? Don’t stand for it

Macken | Now that we know chairs are killing us, it’s time to change our relationship with them. We can begin by standing up.

Teleradiology comes into focus

15 May 2012 | Emma Connors

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Teleradiology comes into focus

It’s Monday morning in an office block in Sydney’s financial district and Charles Lott is studying an X-ray of an ankle. The X-ray was taken in the emergency department of Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Greens to chew over dental care plans

15 May 2012 | Emma Connors

PRINT: 15 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Greens to chew over dental care plans

The government will next week begin negotiations with the Greens to introduce a Medicare like system that will pay private dentists to provide dental care for those on lower incomes.

Aged care services don’t meet needs

14 May 2012 | Paul Gregersen

PRINT: 14 May 2012 | PAGE 55 | Aged care services don’t meet needs

The Financial Review’s budget overview (May 9) featured a table summarising Australia’s “Pain and Gain”. I think this chart may have inadvertently listed the aged care “gain” of $3.7 billion on the wrong side of the table.

Labor-union ties a worry for voters

14 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 14 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Labor-union ties a worry for voters

More than four in 10 voters believe the relationship between the ALP and the trade union is “too close”, according to a Nielsen poll in The Australian Financial Review.

The words of a childhood survivor

12 May 2012 | Alan Stokes

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | In the words of a

Stokes | “Read this story, my friends, for you’ll find at the end that a suitable moral lies there . . .”

Premiums, gap costs all add up

12 May 2012 | Debra Cleveland

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Premiums, gap costs all add up

Family using private health

Means testing to hit home

12 May 2012 | Bina Brown

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Means testing to hit home

The budget helps those with school-aged children, but families may pay more for medical expenses and insurance.

University, mental health budget gaps disappoint

12 May 2012 | Debra Cleveland

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Never put all his eggs in one basket

Glen Brook, 62, has never believed in keeping all his retirement savings in super.

Police check credit union records

12 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 12 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | Requests to credit union

SGE Credit Union received three requests from police for information on specific accounts, but has denied being raided as part of investigations into the Health Services Union.

Text friends

11 May 2012 | Peter Goldsworthy

PRINT: PAGE 11 | Text friends

People have always formed social groups, only the technology has changed.

London Olympics special | Day trip

10 May 2012 | John Stensholt

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Bathe in royal style

The royal city of Bath has always been a fashionable place to take the waters.

London Olympics special | Hotel review

10 May 2012 | John Stensholt

PRINT: 11 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Return of Cool Britannia

Stay in the heart of the city’s theatre district, on the Seven Dials road junction, in comfort and style.

Heavy travellers not pulling their weight

10 May 2012 | Christine Negroni

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Heavier travellers today are not pulling their weight

Engineers and scientists have raised questions about whether aircraft seats, tested with crash dummies that reflect the 170-pound rule, are strong enough to protect heavy travellers.

Full marks for Labor getting aged care right

10 May 2012 | Alan Cotterell

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 71 |

I am not pro-Labor, or even pro-left. I’m strongly anti-luddite conservatives and their greedy uncaring supporters. Full marks for Labor for getting their priorities right. Aged care is much more important than paid parental leave. Whether the oldies are able to fund their own retirement or not, they deserve quality of life.

Did you know?

10 May 2012 |

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 70 | Time to take action

Facts on bowel cancer testing.

Sigma reassures on drug price cuts

10 May 2012 | Carrie LaFrenz

PRINT: 09 May 2012 | PAGE 3 | We can offset cuts: Sigma

Sigma Pharmaceuticals chief Mark Hooper has reassured investors the company can reduce costs to help offset government-mandated price cuts to generic drugs.

GPs to pay, says AMA

10 May 2012 | David Ramli

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 24 | GPs to pay, says AMA

Australia’s peak medical body has slammed Labor for cutting millions of dollars off incentive programs and claimed it could push general practitioners to the wall.

Tobacco cuts a smoke-and-mirrors act

10 May 2012 | Lucille Keen

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 22 | Tobacco cuts a smoke-and-mirrors act

Passengers at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport say the federal government’s decision to cut duty-free tobacco sales was a “cash grab”.

Pushing the envelope on bowel cancer

10 May 2012 | Jill Margo

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 70 | Pushing the envelope on bowel cancer

More Australian men will soon be receiving bulky envelopes in the post. Should you be lucky enough to get one, don’t throw it away. It contains something so important it could save your life.

Hands-off approach

10 May 2012 |

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 70 | Hands-off approach

Robotic surgery for prostate cancer is outpacing open surgery for this condition in the US.

Aggression overdone

10 May 2012 |

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 70 | Aggression overdone

A study of male breast cancer suggests its prognosis is not considerably worse than in women, as was thought.

Doctor and the mouse

10 May 2012 |

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 70 | Social medicine

Social media has become a venue for collaboration, interaction, medical communities and support groups. But according to the medical website MedPage Today, conventional medical education hasn’t caught up with it.

Cold but comforting

10 May 2012 |

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 70 | Cold but comforting

Following exercise, some people get delayed onset muscle soreness and a popular treatment involves immersing the sore limbs in cold water below 15C.

Do-it-yourself every two years

10 May 2012 |

PRINT: 10 May 2012 | PAGE 70 | Do-it-yourself every two years

Having spent much of his career treating bowel cancer, Ian Olver professor and CEO of Cancer Council Australia, knows how much anguish can be saved through screening.

2012 Budget speech

09 May 2012 | Wayne Swan

The four years of surpluses I announce tonight are a powerful endorsement of the strength of our economy, resilience of our people, and success of our policies.

WA gets $1 billion

09 May 2012 | CANBERRA CORRESPONDENT

Will receive a further instalment of $1 billion to start, progress and complete a range of projects next financial year. Western Australia has received $3.7 billion from the federal government’s six-year $36 billion nation building program.

Smile if you need a public dentist

09 May 2012 | Emma Connors

People on the waiting list for public dental care are the big winners in health, with a $515.3 million spending boost, but some GPs, a few drug companies and many on higher incomes will lose out.

NDIS costs shared with states

09 May 2012 | Emma Connors

The long-awaited national disability insurance scheme has inched further into view with $1 billion in funding for pilot projects in four locations.

More means testing for aged care recipients

09 May 2012 | Emma Connors

Increased means testing of aged care will help offset the cost of new and extra services for older Australians in the next five years.

Water, pest management and health

09 May 2012 | Joanna Mather

Rural Australia will benefit from spending on water saving measures, biosecurity and grants to support relocating healthcare professionals.

Injecting healthy leadership at Ramsay

09 May 2012 | Carrie LaFrenz

PRINT: 09 May 2012 | PAGE 21 | Injecting healthy leadership

Ramsay Health Care CEO Chris Rex in an innovator whose acquisitions and leadership have placed the company in rude good health.

Williamson still active in HSU affairs

09 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

Besieged president of the Health Services Union Michael Williamson is supporting a group of union officials and employees to run in future internal elections, according to internal emails.

Stephen Walters, JPMorgan

08 May 2012 |

The wishlist and the reality of the budget differ widely on some scores but less so on others.

Just splitting heirs

08 May 2012 |

PRINT: 08 May 2012 | PAGE 52 | A case of splitting heirs . . .

The child welfare not-for-profit organisation, Barnados Australia, is holding its annual Mother of the Year Awards at Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel on Thursday night.

In danger of mothering too much

08 May 2012 | Deirdre Macken

PRINT: 08 May 2012 | PAGE 51 | In danger of mothering too much

Macken | We reserve one day of the year to treat mothers well but every other day we treat them like the servants they aspire to be.

Wealth firms in impact zone

08 May 2012 | Bianca Hartge-Hazelman

PRINT: 08 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Wealth firms in impact zone

A number of companies are expected to come under pressure as a result of the federal government’s commitment to fiscal tightening in the budget.

Battle for medical research funds always raging

07 May 2012 | James Chessell

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 23 | Battle for funds always raging

Australia has a proud history of medical research but when funding cuts are on the agenda the sector knows it has to protect its work from the scalpel.

Terry White takes small-format path

07 May 2012 | Carrie LaFrenz

PRINT: 13 April 2012 | PAGE 3 | Terry White takes small-format path

Terry White Chemists is the latest retailer to move into smaller format stores, as the pharmacist looks to boost its presence in neighbourhoods where it is hard to find space for bigger shops.

Obama ducks social security time-bomb

07 May 2012 | Ben Potter

PRINT: 07 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Obama ducks social security time-bomb

Barack Obama would rather not remind America’s voters that Medicare and Social Security are on a road to ruin.

Budget includes $500m dentistry package

06 May 2012 |

The federal government is putting aside more than $500 million to cut public dental waiting lists.

Plenty of room to penalise inertia

05 May 2012 | Deirdre Macken

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Plenty of room to penalise inertia

If the government wants empty-nesters to move out of their huge houses, it needs to make it unattractive to stay.

Healthcare faces pain from budget cuts

05 May 2012 | Jane Searle

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 23 | Healthcare faces pain from budget cuts

A contractionary budget is expected to hurt or stymie growth in several sectors, despite the relief of a further 0.75 percentage points in rate cuts expected from the Reserve Bank this year.

Disability blows hole in budget

05 May 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 05 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Disability blows hole in budget

The federal budget will reveal a $1.5 billion blowout in the cost of the disability support pension, despite reforms in recent years that have cut the number of people being granted it by more than 20 per cent and produced the first signs the burgeoning cost of the welfare measure might be brought under control.

World briefs

04 May 2012 |

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 41 | World briefs

International travellers face disruption at airports and ports across Britain next week after unions representing border guards announced a one-day strike.

National briefs

04 May 2012 |

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 16 |

Canberra Airport has dropped a Supreme Court of NSW challenge to the proposed housing development at South Tralee, 10 kilometres from the airport.

Directors should heed High Court decision

04 May 2012 | The Australian Financial Review

PRINT: 04 May 2012 | PAGE 50 | Directors should heed court decision

Editorial | The High Court’s decision in the long-running James Hardie case has underlined the basic point, if any further emphasis was needed, that non-executive directors are not there just to make up the numbers.

Patent lapse a bitter pill for shrinking Pfizer

03 May 2012 | Katie Thomas

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 4 | Patent lapse a bitter pill for fizzling Pfizer

For years, drug companies have known that their days of plenty were numbered, that the moment would arrive when the best-selling drugs that had driven two decades worth of profits would lose their patent protection and succumb to competition from generic alternatives. Without new blockbusters to replace them, profits would tumble.

Bloody minded no more

03 May 2012 |

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Bloody minded no more

Blood is a precious resource, but it is not only conservation that is driving modern “blood management” for people having surgery.

Sex and the prostate

03 May 2012 |

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Hormones don’t end it

If they remain well, about 50 per cent of Australian men who are sexually active before their hormone treatment for prostate cancer will recover their sexual function afterwards.

Beef up for brain cells

03 May 2012 |

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Beef up for brain cells

If you are in the waiting room for memory loss, weight training may help to keep you brain in better shape for a little longer.

C takes pressure off

03 May 2012 |

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | C takes pressure off

Over the short term, it appears vitamin C supplementation may be able to lower blood pressure by a small but significant amount. This is the conclusion following an analysis of 29 previous trials on the issues.

Chicks and their bags

03 May 2012 |

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 68 | Chicks and their bags

Those ladies in South Australia sure have some strange ideas about what constitutes girl power.

Towns in need of a country practice

03 May 2012 | Emma Connors

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 2 | Rural towns in need of a country practice

Connors | The small town of Bulahdelah on the NSW mid-north coast is a favoured stop for holiday makers. Just don’t get sick there.

Prostate cancer villain unmasked

03 May 2012 | Jill Margo

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 1 | Hidden for years, the villain is unmasked

For decades it has been missed because it masquerades as pre-cancer. Now its cover has been removed and this novel form of prostate cancer has been exposed as a real malignancy.

Cholesterol drugs in budget firing line

03 May 2012 | Emma Connors

PRINT: 03 May 2012 | PAGE 5 | Cholesterol drugs in firing line

Subsidies for cholesterol-lowering drugs used by more than a million Australians are expected to be cut in the budget, as is a safety net that caps peoples’ medical costs.

JB Hi-Fi’s future growth up for debate

02 May 2012 | Sarah Thompson and Stephen Shore

Analysts are divided over whether JB Hi-Fi will return to profit growth next financial year or whether the discounting that has hit margins will persist.

Facebook calls on members to flag organ donor status

02 May 2012 |

Tired of the long wait for a new kidney, Michael Shelling, a 50-year-old video game marketing consultant based in San Diego, decided to take a more active role in the search.

Hologic buys Gen-Probe for $US3.72bn

01 May 2012 |

The medical equipment maker Hologic said it would buy Gen-Probe in an all-cash deal valued at $US3.72 billion in order to boost its diagnostics products and services business.

The technology of space mining and power lifting

01 May 2012 | Paul Smith

PRINT: 01 May 2012 | PAGE 30 | The technology of

In two ideas straight out of science fiction, robots have been developed that could mine outer space and make lifting a breeze.

Sorry tale revealed in HSU finance details

01 May 2012 | Mark Skulley

PRINT: 01 May 2012 | PAGE 7 | Sorry tale revealed in details

The most telling points in the report on the finances of the Health Services Union’s East branch are almost delivered as asides.

Disability scheme fast-tracked

30 April 2012 | Marcus Priest

PRINT: 30 April 2012 | PAGE 5 | Disability

Updated | Funding for the initial stage of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in four locations around Australia will be brought forward a year and included in next week’s federal budget.

Miners battling depression and anxiety

30 April 2012 |

Thousands of Australian miners suffer from mental health problems and a "macho mining culture" stops them from getting help, a new study has found.

Firm hires psychologist to foster stars

30 April 2012 | Agnes King

PRINT: 30 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Firm hires psychologist to foster stars

Accountancy business William Buck has appointed long-time recruitment expert Bob Christian to help it in hiring and developing so-called rainmakers, to help expansion.

Time to restore faith in super

30 April 2012 | Sally Patten

PRINT: 30 April 2012 | PAGE 21 | Time to restore faith in super

Retirees already have to bear market and longevity risks in retirement savings, and they do not need their confidence in the super system eroded any further.

If life’s tough, blame your name

28 April 2012 | Deirdre Macken

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | When life gives you lemons, blame your name

Macken | Let’s apologise in advance to Jaxon and Tayla. Your name and, in particular, the spelling of it, will mark your journey through life.

Not a smart move

28 April 2012 | Philip Hunter

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Not a smart move

The trend for IQ levels to always rise has slowed or even reversed in some developed countries. Should we be worried and if so, what should we do?

Your guide to new aged-care rules

28 April 2012 | Sally Patten

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | your guide to new aged-Care rules

The minute Julia Gillard started talking about moving further down the track to a “user-pays” aged-care system, self-funded retirees should have reached for their worry beads.

Costing home help

28 April 2012 | John Wasiliev

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Costing home help

Of the 1 million Australians who use an aged care service, around 800,000 are home-based, and the range of subsidies for this care is about to be modified.

Dodging danger on the doorstep in a few easy steps

28 April 2012 |

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Dodging danger on the doorstep in a few easy steps

Few people want to move out of their home as they age. Simple modifications can make it possible to maintain independence for longer, without making the property look like a nursing home.

Good aged care comes with a good attitude

28 April 2012 | Louise Biti

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Change attitude for better care

Aged care is undergoing its biggest reform in 15 years – in essence, it’s all about how much it costs and who pays, which is why seeking financial advice is important.

National briefs

28 April 2012 |

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 4 |

Future federal budgets face about $17 billion a year in revenue shortfalls because of structural changes in the economy that have emerged after the global financial crisis, Finance Minister Penny Wong told a PerCapital pre-budget forum in Sydney on Friday.

Abbott keen on radical approach

28 April 2012 | Andrew Clark

PRINT: 28 April 2012 | PAGE 3 | Abbott  keen on radical approach

A future Coalition government led by Tony Abbott is developing as a reform centrepiece a radical controlled market approach for federal funding of big-ticket items of state governments, including education and hospitals.

When a Haitian dog smiles, he’s not happy

27 April 2012 | Mischa Berlinski

PRINT: 27 April 2012 | PAGE 2 | A farewell to Haiti

Like the country’s proverb, Haitian life will always remain opaque to foreigners.

Second crack at ‘in Australia’ popular

26 April 2012 | Sally Rose

PRINT: 23 April 2012 | PAGE 1 |

Last year Treasury released proposed reforms to change the “in Australia” test that governs how local charities conduct themselves overseas. It was met with much concern by the sector.

Grit necessary for talent to shine

26 April 2012 | Steven Schwartz

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Grit necessary for talent to shine

If failure is essential to success then what are the prospects for our graduates? They have grown up in an age when almost no pupil is ever forced to repeat a year.

Let’s make ‘extra years’ good ones

26 April 2012 | Mark Butler

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Let’s make ‘extra years’ good ones

Last year was a watershed year for Australia. For the first time in our history, more Australians now reach retirement age each year than reach working age.

Big Brother stirs

26 April 2012 | Kevin Troy

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 67 | Big Brother stirs

In his opinion piece on the widely supported report on aged-care reform issued by the Productivity Commission (“Aged made to pay more for broken system”, Opinion, April 24) Rohan Mead characterises the government’s response as continuing “to cap supply and constrain innovation” in the face of lack of choice, lack of quality, lack of capital investment, a shrinking work force and rising demand.

Aged-care bill a time bomb

26 April 2012 | Peter Szabo

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 67 | Aged-care bill a time bomb

The Gillard government’s aged-care reform plan is long awaited acknowledgement that older Australians would prefer to stay in their homes for the duration of their retirement rather than move into an aged-care facility.

Obese get less chemo

26 April 2012 |

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Obese get less chemo

People who are obese and have cancer generally do worse than their slimmer peers. One reason may be that they’re not getting enough chemotherapy for their weight.

Oral link chewed over

26 April 2012 |

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Oral link chewed over

For more than a century it’s been thought poor oral hygiene can cause heart disease. Now, after analysing 537 studies, experts have concluded there is no evidence to support this assertion.

Ice nice for nosebleeds

26 April 2012 |

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Ice nice for nosebleeds

There’s a sweet remedy for a bleeding nose – suck a flavoured iceblock.

Men’s gifts help study

26 April 2012 |

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Final gifts help study

Two Melbourne men have made unique philanthropic gestures. Before their death from prostate cancer both volunteered to have additional biopsies of their metastatic bone tumours in the name of research.

Toy factory manufactures cancer hope

26 April 2012 | Jill Margo

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Dogged pair take fight to cancer

On Sydney’s North Shore an extraordinary story of dedication and discovery is unfolding – two scientists have created a piece of “disruptive technology” that appears to shed some new scientific light on cancer treatment.

Unique technique brings pets back from death’s door

26 April 2012 | Jill Margo

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Unique technique brings pets back from death’s door

In August 2009, Matilda, the golden girl of EnGeneIC’s dog research, began having violent seizures and was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour. When her distressed owners, Annalise and Ray Andrews, were offered the chance of enrolling her in an EnGeneIC trial they accepted providing it wouldn’t harm her. Over the ensuing months they watched the scans in disbelief as the tumour vanished and her fits abated.

Kai has a wake-up for sleeping giants

26 April 2012 | Carrie LaFrenz

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 3 | Kai has a wake-up for sleeping giants

Hawaii-based Kai Medical is mulling an Australian float, in a reversal of the trend for Australian healthcare companies to list in the United States in the hope that investors there will better appreciate their businesses.

Asia develops a new sense of entitlement

26 April 2012 | Greg Earl

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Sense of entitlement spreads

Confucian thrift is being challenged by a new demand for government handouts in some newly wealthy Asian countries

Seoul hoists red flag on US beef

26 April 2012 | Sungwoo Park

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 3 | Seoul hoists

South Korea will likely halt customs clearance of US beef after the first case of mad cow disease in six years was found in a dairy cow in central California.

Windsor in hospital funding row

26 April 2012 | Laura Tingle

PRINT: 26 April 2012 | PAGE 18 | Hospital in funds feud

Independent MP Tony Windsor says political interference may have stopped a hospital in his electorate from receiving funding promised to the crossbenchers as part of their deal with Julia Gillard to form a minority government.

I-Med CFO jumps to GWA

24 April 2012 | Shaun Drummond

After a short stint at recently rescued I-Med Networks, Ian Brannan will take on the finance chief job at manufacturer GWA Group in August following the retirement of Warren Saxelby.

Thomson Reuters sells health unit for $US1.25bn

24 April 2012 |

Thomson Reuters Corp said it was selling its Healthcare business to private equity firm Veritas Capital for $US1.25 billion in cash.

Aged forced to pay more for broken system

24 April 2012 | Rohan Mead

PRINT: 24 April 2012 | PAGE 55 | Aged made to pay more for broken system

The true revelation at the Prime Minister’s media conference on aged-care reform last week was of a government approach that has so starved and marginalised a sector, and its sources of revenue, that its participants are left with no alternative but to search for revenue in a morass of bureaucratic red tape.

Stress reaching new levels

24 April 2012 | Paul Kelly

PRINT: 24 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Take action over stress

Unless understanding of stress-related issues translates into effective action in dealing with stressed staff, very little may change.

Science pool expands brain research power

24 April 2012 | Benedict Carey

PRINT: 24 April 2012 | PAGE 1 | Science pool expands brain research power

In the largest collaborative study of the brain to date, scientists using imaging technology at more than 100 centres worldwide have for the first time zeroed in on genes that they agree play a role in intelligence and memory.

Pfizer close to $11bn sale of baby-food unit to Nestlé

24 April 2012 | Drew Armstrong

PRINT: 24 April 2012 | PAGE 2 | Nestlé close to buying Pfizer’s baby-food unit

Pfizer, the world’s largest drug maker, is near an agreement to sell its infant-nutrition business to Nestlé for about $US11 billion.

Asset rich hit hard by aged-care reforms

24 April 2012 | Jason Murphy

PRINT: 24 April 2012 | PAGE 2 | Asset rich hit hard by aged-care reforms

There are winners and losers in most reforms, and the aged-care changes hurt individuals left with substantial sums after selling off their homes.

Cuts to NSW workers’ compo on the cards

24 April 2012 | Michaela Whitbourn

PRINT: 24 April 2012 | PAGE 6 | Cuts to NSW workers’ compo on cards

Business groups have welcomed a review of the NSW workers’ compensation scheme to contain an estimated $4 billion blowout in costs, as unions warn that payments to injured workers will be slashed.

Sitting on the job shortens lifespans, study finds

24 April 2012 | Lucille Keen

PRINT: 24 April 2012 | PAGE 2 | Sitting on the job shortens lifespans

Employees who sit for long periods are more likely to die earlier than those who get up and move around, according to a VicHealth study that finds office workers spend as much as 75 per cent of work time seated.

Nestle to buy Pfizer baby food unit for $11.4bn

PRINT: Capital | 23 April 2012

Swiss food group Nestle is to buy US drugmaker Pfizer's infant nutrition business, beating French rival Danone in the battle for dominance of baby food in emerging markets.

Aged care funding gap may emerge

23 April 2012 | Henry Cutler

PRINT: 23 April 2012 | PAGE 55 | Aged care funding gap may emerge

A key Productivity Commission recommendation to enable more choice between a bond and periodic payment was left out of the government’s aged care reform package. The Aged Care Home Credit Scheme would have allowed residents to access wealth in their home to pay for accommodation and aged care costs.

Life-saving diagnosis

23 April 2012 |

PRINT: 23 April 2012 | PAGE 52 | Life-saving diagnosis

A member of law firm Clayton Utz's events team, Kate Riley, is finishing her last week at work before heading off on maternity leave.

Premier’s vision boosts our biotechnology base

23 April 2012 | Peter Roberts

PRINT: 23 April 2012 | PAGE 51 | Premier’s vision boosts our biotech base

While innovation has become a driving force for government policy in most advanced countries from Europe to the United States, it is still something of an also-ran in Australia.

Bedtime stories for democracy

21 April 2012 | Alan Stokes

PRINT: 21 April 2012 | PAGE 54 | Bedtime stories for democracy

Stokes | Once upon a time, many years ago, some greedy men decided to play a trick on all the good people of Spinland.