The Preventative Health Journal - Australia & New Zealand

Salt reduction targets agreed | News

The Reformulation Working Group of the Rudd Government’s Food and Health Dialogue has secured the agreement of leading manufacturers and retailers to salt level reduction targets across a variety of bread and breakfast cereals.

Weight-loss proves effective cure for sleep apnoea | Features

For obese men, dramatic weight loss can be an effective way to improve moderate to severe sleep apnoea, according to scientists at Karolinska Institutet.

Obesity – are drugs the answer? | News

Australia is losing the battle against obesity and more attention must be given to the role of drugs in managing weight loss, according to leading obesity researchers from the University of New South Wales.

Heart shows the head how it’s done | News

Methods used for analysing a person’s risk of cardiovascular diseases are shedding new light on assessing and modifying a person’s risk of depression, according to a study from The Australian National
University.

Men need to get tough about their health | Features

Health professionals, researchers and educators gathered in Newcastle recently as part of the National Men’s Health Gathering 2009 to raise awareness about failings in men’s health and how they need to be addressed, urgently.

New side effects found in statins | Features

They have been hailed as wonder drugs — lowering cholesterol and helping heart patients recover their health — but side effects of some statin therapies may be loss of muscle mass and premature fatigue, especially in older people, the largest patient group taking them.

Call for cardiovascular health checks | News

Four leading health charities have called for the implementation of a national program of regular cardiovascular health checks, saying it could prevent thousands of premature deaths and ease pressure on hospitals by better identifying people at high risk of developing disease and ensuring they received the needed treatment and on-going care.

Men need to change lifestyle to live longer over 50 | Features

Middle aged men who smoke, have high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels can expect a 10–15 year shorter life expectancy from age 50 compared with men without these risk factors.

Nutrition experts welcome Preventative Health Taskforce report | News

Australia’s peak nutrition body has welcomed the release of the Government’s National Preventative Health Taskforce report – ‘Australia: The Healthiest Country by 2020’, which outlines a series of proposals to improve the health of Australians.

New trial supports community nursing | News

With almost half the adult population obese or overweight and even more making unhealthy lifestyle choices involving alcohol and tobacco, Australia is facing a crisis of premature death and rising health costs, a fact highlighted this week in the federal government’s National Primary Health Care Strategy.

Nuts good for heart, eyes and gut | News

Scientific research has found that eating a handful of nuts each day can halve your risk of developing heart disease, lower blood cholesterol, help control weight and act as a preventative measure against Type 2 diabetes.

Help GPs spend more time preventing illness | News

The Medicare rebate system should be reformed to enable General Practitioners to spend more time helping patients to avoid preventable health problems, the AMA has said.

Hey man, take charge of your health | News

AMA Queensland is urging all Queensland men to take greater care of their health and so reduce their chance of developing potentially preventable disease.

Time for action on Australia’s growing weight problem | News

The nation’s largest independent disease prevention groups have called for immediate and serious action to control Australia’s growing weight problem following the release of new data showing 62% of Australians adults are now overweight or obese.

Declining cardiovascular death rate at risk | News

Death rates from cardiovascular disease – in decline since the late 1960s – could rise again in the years ahead as risk factors such as obesity and type-2 diabetes escalate and others such as physical inactivity, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, continue at unacceptably high levels, the Heart Foundation National CEO, Dr Lyn Roberts has warned

The Preventative Health Taskforce will revolutionise healthcare | Features

Check out our exclusive interview with Rob Moodie, the chair of the Australian Preventative Health Taskforce, about Kevin Rudd’s bold ambition to make Australia the most healthiest nation in the world by 2020.

Cardiovascular disease is still a huge problem | News

Statistics released recently by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), again highlight the devastating impact of cardiovascular disease on the Australian population. Cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer, responsible for 34% of all deaths in Australia.

Food industry welcomes government’s preventative health agenda | News

The Australian food and beverage industry has welcomed the federal government’s announcement outlining details of its preventative health agenda.

Taking health to heart at work | News

Wellness programmes at the workplace are quickly becoming a necessity for businesses looking to maximise efficiencies and optimise the productivity, and health, of their employees.

Australians getting older, not wiser | News

Australians are getting older, heavier and less active, putting themselves at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the Heart Foundation, which this week marks its 50th anniversary as Australia’s leading voice on heart health.

An Experience of the French Health System | Blogs

I retired to live in France in April 2008 just after my 58th birthday. We had taken over an old house with a large garden and I was physically working much harder than in my previous office job. After about 6 months I began to feel chest pains after an hour or two of exertion. The pain would go away after a short rest but then reappear almost at once if I restarted work. We had already registered with a local GP and I was …

National action plan needed to reduce cardiovascular disease | News

The Heart Foundation and National Stroke Foundation today called for a national action plan to tackle cardiovascular disease (CVD), Australia’s biggest killer (34% of all deaths) and - the nation’s most expensive disease group to treat, as clearly shown by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report.

Spring is good for your health | Features

Spring is the season in which we can feel most inspired and purposeful. On the other hand, we can often fall into the patterns, which bring up feelings of anger, frustration and lack of direction in life.

Studies prove the benefits of nuts | Features

There is now a number of extensive evidence from a number of large population studies that nut consumption is protective against CVD.

Eating nuts is good for your heart | Features

There is a significant amount of research around now which highlights the importance of eating nuts regularly for heart health.