How much?! Seeing private specialists often costs more than you bargained for

Mar 15, 2016 22:57 pm UTC| Health

Around half of Australians have private health insurance. Most of us know that if we need to see a private specialist, we may face some out-of-pocket fees between what the doctor charges and the rebate we receive from...

Antibiotics for colds, x-rays for bronchitis, internal exams with pap tests – the latest list of tests to question

Mar 15, 2016 22:54 pm UTC| Health

The problem of questionable treatment and tests which may provide little or no benefit, yet may cause harm, is ubiquitous across all areas of health care. Harm doesnt just come in the form of side-effects or further...

'Poisoning heredity': If we're not careful, epigenetics may bring back eugenic thinking

Mar 15, 2016 15:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Epigenetics, the study of how environmental factors and lifestyle choices influence our genes, has flourished to become one of the most groundbreaking areas of science over the past decade. Studies have shown that, among...

Could humans hibernate?

Mar 15, 2016 15:20 pm UTC| Health

On cold, dark days it is tempting to imagine shutting yourself away until the warmer weather returns. Many animals do just that by entering a state known as torpor, which reduces their bodily functions to a minimum and...

'Acceptable risk' is a better way to think about radiation exposure in Fukushima

Mar 15, 2016 11:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

On March 11, 2011, the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan experienced multiple nuclear reactor meltdowns as a consequence of an earthquake and a subsequent tsunami. The meltdowns resulted in the release of radioactivity into...

Explainer: what is Dravet syndrome and how can it be managed?

Mar 15, 2016 04:37 am UTC| Health

A little baby suffering a seizure is an incredibly distressing event for a family. Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in children and it takes the form of recurring seizures. But epilepsy is not a single...

Epigenetics: Can stress really change your genes?

Mar 14, 2016 23:41 pm UTC| Health

The Dutch famine of 1944 was a terrible time for many in the Netherlands with around 4.5m people affected and reliant on soup kitchens after food supplies were stopped from getting into the area by German blockades. As...