ALCOHOL ANGER
Australia needs to do more to protect children from exposure to alcohol marketing, says Australian Medical Association head Dr Steve Hambleton.
He wants immediate action following the release of a report by the Australian National Preventive Health Agency that shows young people are being exposed to unprecedented volumes of drinking ads.
The existing regulatory regime is badly flawed because it is voluntary, limited in scope and without meaningful penalties for breaches, says Dr Hambleton.
"Ultimately, it fails to protect young people from continuous exposure to alcohol marketing."
One of the most obvious failings is a loophole that allows alcohol advertising during live sports broadcasts, he says.
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DEMENTIA PREVENTION
The use of omega-3 supplements and the antidepressant sertraline could help prevent the onset of dementia and depression among older people, according a University of Sydney study.
The university's Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) is evaluating the effects of the two substances in preventing degenerative changes in brain matter.
It is one of few projects in the world looking into ways to prevent depression and dementia in older people, says study leader Associate Professor Sharon Naismith.
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CALL FOR MORE TIME
Palliative care nurses need more time to work with terminally ill cancer patients who relapse after bone marrow transplants, according to a Griffith University study.
Nurses in Australia and New Zealand believe doctors often refer patients to palliative care services in the terminal phase, which is not the best time to hold end-of-life discussions.
They feel early palliative care helps patients and families. It gives people more time to think about and discuss options such as ending active treatment, place of death or "not for resuscitation" orders, says Elise Button, who conducted the study.
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HORSE ASTHMA
Horses and the people who look after them are at heightened asthma risk, according to researchers who are studying the extent of the problem in Australia.
The main problems are dust and micro-organisms in the food and bedding.
In the northern hemisphere up to 20 per cent of horses have allergic respiratory disease similar to asthma in humans.
But there is little data about the problem in Australia, say the researchers from the University of Adelaide.
"Currently there is very little reported information about non-infectious respiratory health of horses in Australia," says Associate Professor Samantha Franklin of the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences.
The research will kick off with a survey of South Australian horse owners to find out how common respiratory disorders are among horses and the people who look after them.
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GOOD OLD GARLIC
Old garlic with green shoots is more healthy for the heart than fresher bulbs, according to new research.
US scientists have found that garlic that has sprouted for five days has higher antioxidant activity than fresher, younger bulbs.
"Sprouting may be a useful way to improve the antioxidant potential of garlic," they say in an article in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
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KIDS' MUSCLE STUDY
Sydney doctors are looking for children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuromuscular disease to participate in a foot and ankle exercise study.
The disease causes progressive weakness and deformity of the hands and feet and is linked to frequent ankle sprains from falls.
There is no cure or proven treatments, but the researchers at the Children's Hospital at Westmead hope their program will be beneficial.
Children aged six to 17 are needed for the study.
They will train at home three times a week and have one session a fortnight with a physiotherapist.
Contact amy.sman@health.nsw.gov.au or 02 9845 3004 for more information.
