At the turn of the 20th Century, the average life expectancy of an Australian male was around 55.2 years, while the Australian woman could expect to live for an average of 58.8 years. Over the past 100 years, our life expectancy has increased dramatically. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), in the past 20…

Cancers were the largest contributor to years of life lost in 2010 (35 per cent), according to a new report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Cancer Council Australia is arguing more should be done to help curb the “unprecedented” levels of premature mortality through prevention, treatment, research and both patient…

Manufacturing issues with reformulated influenza vaccines will impede this year’s National Seasonal Influenza Immunisation Program. The Federal Department of Health has announced an inadequate supply of certain influenza vaccine brands will delay the conventional March 15 program roll-out. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation to formulate the 2015 Southern Hemisphere seasonal influenza vaccine with two…

Famously known as the ‘month of love’, February is certainly a time to pay attention to your heart. Heart Research Australia (HRA) agrees. Sadly, heart disease remains the world’s leading cause of death, with AIHW statistics showing coronary heart disease is the leading underlying cause of death for both men and women in Australia. By…

Historically, eating disorders have been considered the domain of women and girls. However, this concept appears to be somewhat outdated, with the growing diagnosis of men living with these life-threatening illnesses. While anorexia nervosa has received significant attention since the ‘70s, the focus has mostly been on young girls and to date, the disorder has…