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Health Hot Spots
Dr John provides information on topics of current concern and ensures that you have access to the information to make informed decisions regarding your health and wellbeing.
Arthritis - Coping with Chronic Pain
Listen to an extended broadcast from Dr John Darcy's Health Matters where he discusses concerns about the prolonged use of pain medication with Australia's National Prescribing Service. Dr John stresses the need to be informed and gives tips on how to speak with your health professional. He gives tips on coping with chronic pain and lets you know about two new Fact Sheets from the NPS.
The Arthritis Facts Sheets can be ordered for free by calling toll free in Australia on 1300 888 763 or you can download them from the NPS website at http://www.nps.org.au.
Listen to Dr John ...
For more information on how to cope with Arthritis contact Arthritis Australia by calling free on 1800 011 041 or on the web at http://www.arthritisaustralia.com.au.
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The Value of Cervical Cancer Vaccine in Young Women
Dr John responds to concerns about the safety of the Cervical Cancer Vaccine for young women. His advice is not to be put off by reports of side effects as the benefits really are life saving.
Listen to Dr John ...
For more information on the national HPV Vaccination program click here.
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Chubby Kids and Blood Cholesterol
Australia, like the USA has an ever increasing number of overweight children and that old saying that tubby kids mean tubby adults and fat oldies is true.
In the States they are now suggesting that if your toddlers are overweight, that they should have their bad and good cholesterol measured. If, once they are 8 or older, the LDL or bad cholesterol is up, they should be considered for a course of cholesterol lowering medicine called Statins.
The truth is that nasty changes start happening in the arteries from the earliest days so there is some sense in this, even though the long term safety (over a lifetime) has not been measured with Statins and if you are female and in the reproductive stage of life, they may have an unhappy effect of the growing foetus.
What happens now in Australia is that if there is a strong family history of cardiovascular disease, like heart attack or stroke, your doctor will be especially alert if you turn up to the clinic. If you family history is bad; say your Dad or Mum died early of or simply had , a heart attack, if your diet is poor and that has spread to your children and they are overweight, your doctor should be alert to these risk factors and provide a strong recommendation about reducing the weight and improving the diet.
Your family history is so important and that’s why I always suggest you stick to the same practice you have been at before so that the history is there for all to see.
Things which we all know too well but which are hard to change include cutting heart-unhealthy saturated fat out of the diet, enjoying health fresh veggies and fruit, eating grains both at breakfast and as bread with the seeds on it as well as in it, enjoying lean red meat and fish 2 to 3 times a week.
Oh and don’t let me forget exercise.
We haven’t got to the American stage yet but we do need more research to see if the US approach is the way to go!
Source: Editorial MJA Vol 190 Number 3 , 2nd February 2009
Baylor College of Medicine in the US has BMI calculators for Children. |
Tips for Keeping Our Kids Healthy
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