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<site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">185164398</site>	<item>
		<title>Practice Connect &#8211; August 2022</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/practice-connect-august-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2022 06:09:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[practice connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82056</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p> Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients. </p>



<div class="wp-block-file"><object class="wp-block-file__embed" data="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf" type="application/pdf" style="width:100%;height:600px" aria-label="Embed of Practice Connect August 2022."></object><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf">Practice Connect August 2022</a><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf" class="wp-block-file__button" download>Download</a></div>



<p></p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82056</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Over 30 and due for a 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose: Should you wait for the new vaccines?</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/over-30-and-due-for-a-4th-covid-19-vaccine-dose-should-you-wait-for-the-new-vaccines/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:16:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Booster shots to covid vaccines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coronavirus (COVID-19)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[covid-19]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Covid-19 Vaccines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vaccine]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82053</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[COVID-19 cases remain high in Australia and a surge in cases of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants described as ‘masters at&#160;evading&#160;immunity’ are expected to worsen in coming months. At the same time flu and other respiratory viruses have been surging. How protective are our current vaccines against BA.4/5?Each new subvariant of Omicron has been better [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>COVID-19 cases remain high in Australia and a surge in cases of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants described as ‘masters at&nbsp;evading&nbsp;immunity’ are expected to worsen in coming months. At the same time flu and other respiratory viruses have been surging.</p>



<p>How protective are our current vaccines against BA.4/5?<br>Each new subvariant of Omicron has been better able to evade immunity from vaccination than its predecessor. Although current vaccines based on the Wuhan strain still provide good protection against serious illness and death with BA.4/5, they are&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.26.493517">unlikely</a>&nbsp;to provide much, if any, protection against infection or symptomatic disease.</p>



<p>Who is eligible for a fourth dose?</p>



<p>People should get another COVID-19 booster dose. If they had their initial booster dose 3 months ago and are:</p>



<ul><li>50 years or older</li><li>a resident of an aged care or disability care facility</li><li>severely immunocompromised</li><li>Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and aged 50 years and older</li><li>16 years or older with a medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 illness</li><li>16 years or older with a disability</li></ul>



<p>A fourth dose is also available to people aged 30 to 49 years old if they choose.</p>



<p>People who had COVID-19 after their first booster should wait at least 3 months before having a winter dose.</p>



<p>Should the over 30’s get the vaccine now or wait for new vaccines?</p>



<p>At the time of writing only 35.6% of the eligible population 30+ (11,518,173 people) have only received the fourth vaccine dose. Only 71.3% of eligible population have received their third vaccine dose, which means around 5 million Australians are significantly under-immunised.</p>



<p>Most experts feel that even with BA 5 waning at the time of writing, it’s best to be immunised when you’re eligible.&nbsp; It’s not at all clear whether a ‘variant’ vaccine which includes BA1/2 and BA 5 will equip you for the next variant any better than the existing vaccine.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82053</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Growing Pains are Poorly Understood</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/growing-pains-are-poorly-understood/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:07:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childrens health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[growing pains]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82049</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Growing pains usually affect children between the ages of three and five, and then again in the pre-teen years, though for some children they can continue into adolescence. You may have felt them yourself or observed them in your child if you’re a parent &#8211; usually they’re experienced as aches and pains in the legs, [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Growing pains usually affect children between the ages of three and five, and then again in the pre-teen years, though for some children they can continue into adolescence. You may have felt them yourself or observed them in your child if you’re a parent &#8211; usually they’re experienced as aches and pains in the legs, often around the calf and thigh. Frequently they’re worse in the evening and can come and go over weeks and months – which makes it difficult to pin down what’s causing them.</p>



<p>The symptoms of growing pains include:</p>



<ul><li>Muscular aches and pains are felt in both legs – typically in the calf, behind the knee and in the front of the thigh.</li><li>Moving the legs does not make the pain better or worse, which shows that the joints are not affected.</li><li>The pain comes and goes, occurring perhaps every night for a week or so, or a few times a week, or only occasionally.</li><li>The onset of pain is around the late afternoon or evening.</li><li>The pain is worse during the night, particularly when the child is supposed to be going to sleep.</li><li>The pain may be severe enough to wake the child from sleep.</li><li>The pain is gone by morning.</li><li>The pain doesn&#8217;t cause a limp or make it hard to run and play normally.</li><li>Occasionally, the muscles of the arms may be affected as well.</li><li>The child may also complain of headaches.</li></ul>



<p>As the name suggests, you might think that this pain is caused by a growing body – things like bones getting bigger during a growth spurt. But in fact, bones grow very slowly, and their growth doesn’t typically cause pain. In a recent review of 145 studies, researchers from Sydney considered the <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/150/2/e2021052578/188581/Defining-Growing-Pains-A-Scoping-Review">evidence</a> around growing pains and what we understand about them scientifically.</p>



<p>They found that while up to a third of children will be diagnosed with ‘growing pains’ at some point, how the diagnosis gets made is somewhat arbitrary. Because we don’t fully understand its causes, the label of growing pains is given only after other conditions are ruled out &#8211; things like infections, flat feet or even juvenile arthritis. The researchers warn doctors against jumping to conclusions about a diagnosis of growing pains given how little we still understand about it. Australian health authorities recommend heat treatments (like warm baths and heat packs), paracetamol and simple reassurance from parents that the pain should go away by the next day.</p>



<p><strong>References</strong></p>



<p>Department of Health, Victoria: Growing pains. Retrieved 3/8/2022</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82049</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Exercise Can’t Make Up for a Poor Diet</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/exercise-cant-make-up-for-a-poor-diet/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:58:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exercise]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82044</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The belief that you can exercise or out-run a bad diet&#160;partially stems from conventional calories-in-calories-out thinking. It’s no secret that some of the most fundamental things you can do for your health are to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. What’s been less clear is how much of each is required, and whether one [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The belief that you can exercise or out-run a bad diet&nbsp;partially stems from conventional calories-in-calories-out thinking.</p>



<p>It’s no secret that some of the most fundamental things you can do for your health are to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. What’s been less clear is how much of each is required, and whether one can make up for a lack of the other. There have been a few studies in the past that showed vigorous exercise balances out the negative effects of excess eating. But a new study by University of Sydney researchers suggests otherwise, finding that in the long term, diet and exercise independently affect health and mortality. One cannot make up for the other.</p>



<p>In this study, people reported their physical activity (broken down into vigorous and moderate exercise) and diet quality (based on their intake of fresh produce, fish and meat), as well as other factors that could influence their health such as smoking status, alcohol consumption, sex, level of education, employment and pre-existing hypertension or diabetes. They were followed up for about 11 years.</p>



<p>From nearly 350,000 participants, 2650 deaths were linked to cardiovascular disease and about 4500 deaths were linked to cancers associated with diet, weight and exercise. High levels of exercise were linked to lower cardiovascular disease mortality, while diet seemed to have a less important role in preventing heart disease. But having a healthy diet was linked to lower rates of mortality associated with various cancers.</p>



<p>This new research has shown that while diet and exercise both play an important role in your long-term health outcomes, they seem to offer protection in different areas, with a good diet having stronger links with lower cancer mortality, and regular and vigorous exercise being linked to reduced all-cause and cardiovascular disease death rates. Sadly, for some, it doesn’t appear that extra exercise can make up for a diet of takeaway and fried foods when it comes to your long-term health and longevity.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82044</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is Drinking Coffee Safe During Pregnancy?</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/is-drinking-coffee-safe-during-pregnancy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:54:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pregnancy]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82039</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A new study from researchers in Queensland and overseas suggests that low-level caffeine consumption is safe for mums-to-be. Australia’s health guidelines suggest women are safe to drink one or two cups of coffee a day while pregnant (about 200 milligrams of caffeine) while the World Health Organisation’s guidelines are slightly higher (300 milligrams a day). [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>A <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyac121/6605011">new study</a> from researchers in Queensland and overseas suggests that low-level caffeine consumption is safe for mums-to-be.</p>



<p>Australia’s health guidelines suggest women are safe to drink one or two cups of coffee a day while pregnant (about 200 milligrams of caffeine) while the World Health Organisation’s guidelines are slightly higher (300 milligrams a day).</p>



<p>In this latest work, the researchers took the interesting approach of analysing the genes of pregnant women as a proxy for their coffee-drinking behaviours. The idea was that our genome predisposes us to varying levels of caffeine consumption.&nbsp; With a certain strand of genes you might consume three cups a day, while with another you might not enjoy drinking coffee at all.</p>



<p>The researchers worked out eight different genetic profiles having varying associations with caffeine consumption and looked at the outcomes of pregnancy for each of them including miscarriage, stillbirth and pre-term birth.</p>



<p>Overall, the researchers found no evidence of a link between coffee consumption and poorer pregnancy outcomes. That’s in line with other large studies that have been done in this area.</p>



<p>The authors suggest that historical studies that did seem to show a link, might have been confounded by coffee-drinkers having poorer diets or other behaviours that might be more common in coffee-drinkers such as smoking or alcohol consumption.</p>



<p>This study adds weight to the recommendations from health bodies in Australia and internationally that drinking low levels of caffeine during pregnancy doesn’t lead to bad outcomes for mum or her baby.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82039</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Mediterranean Diet and Depression in Young Men</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/the-mediterranean-diet-and-depression-in-young-men/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:41:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82035</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be tumultuous. Young men in particular, can be at risk because they typically don’t seek help for mental health issues like depression. This is also a time when young people begin to become more independent, which often includes preparing and cooking their own meals. Could this be leveraged [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be tumultuous. Young men in particular, can be at risk because they typically don’t seek help for mental health issues like depression. This is also a time when young people begin to become more independent, which often includes preparing and cooking their own meals. Could this be leveraged to help boost young men’s protection against depression? This question has been investigated by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney in a recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqac106/6571247">study</a>.</p>



<p>Around 75 young men between the ages of 18 and 24 who had recently been diagnosed with depression were randomised into two groups. The control group, got a simplified version of therapy where they were able to chat about their life and interests with a researcher. The other group were allocated to meet with a nutritionist regularly who helped them eat a Mediterranean diet.</p>



<p>There’s been a lot of recent evidence showing positive health outcomes for those who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern, which is typically rich in vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and olive oil; low in processed foods and red meat; and has a cuisine which cooks at moderate heat with bioactive rich mixtures such as extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, tomato and other red and orange vegetables. In some groups, it’s been shown to have an effect on depression scores which is what researchers were hoping to see in this study.</p>



<p>After 12 weeks, the researchers found that both groups lowered their rates of depression, but the effect was stronger in the group following the Mediterranean diet. The mean depression score change was 20.6 versus 6.2 in the general therapy group. Almost 40 per cent of the young men in the Mediterranean diet group saw their depression score fall to between zero and 10 (which means low or minimal depression). No-one in the other group had a final score below 10 at the end of the study period.</p>



<p>Getting people to stick to diets is tricky, so it’s not clear whether these changes can be maintained long-term. And it’s also hard to tease out how much of an effect could be due to the Mediterranean diet in particular, versus reductions in poor diet generally – that is, was the Mediterranean diet responsible for reduced rates of depression, or was it just that it replaced and removed junk food from the diet? But this study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting a clear link between food and mood and that a Mediterranean diet might be one piece of the puzzle in helping to protect against depression in young people. The reason may be in microbiome oil directly from the absorption of these bioactive compounds.</p>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/news/the-health-benefits-of-a-mediterranean-diet/#:~:text=Considered%20one%20of%20the%20world's,is%20low%20in%20red%20meat.">other research</a> from Italy, the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet extends to other areas such as longevity, cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease, heart attack, overall cancer incidence, neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and diabetes.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For further information about the Mediterranean diet including tips and a sample meal plan visit</p>



<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan#eating-out">https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan#eating-out</a> </p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82035</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Practice Connect &#8211; July 2022</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/practice-connect-july-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2022 04:29:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[practice connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80948</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p> Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients. </p>



<div class="wp-block-file"><object class="wp-block-file__embed" data="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Practice-Connect-PDF-July-2022_.pdf" type="application/pdf" style="width:100%;height:600px" aria-label="Embed of Practice Connect July 2022."></object><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Practice-Connect-PDF-July-2022_.pdf">Practice Connect July 2022</a><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Practice-Connect-PDF-July-2022_.pdf" class="wp-block-file__button" download>Download</a></div>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80948</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>COVID-19 Vaccine Push</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/covid-19-vaccine-push/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:46:01 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Booster Shots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coronavirus (COVID-19)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Covid-19 vaccine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vaccine]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80945</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Australia was one of the leading countries when COVID-19 vaccines were first offered with more than 95 per cent of eligible Australians over 16 years of age having had two doses of a vaccine. However, with COVID-19 cases rising around Australia and flu cases surging, we are not performing as well on our third and [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Australia was one of the leading countries when COVID-19 vaccines were first offered with more than 95 per cent of eligible Australians over 16 years of age having had two doses of a vaccine.</p>



<p>However, with COVID-19 cases rising around Australia and flu cases surging, we are not performing as well on our third and fourth dose boosters.</p>



<p>GPs are being asked by the government for their help to get Australian’s vaccinated.</p>



<p>This comes at a time when authorities are trying to understand the impact of BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants in terms of their transmissibility including how much they evade previous immunity from infections or vaccinations leading to re- infections. </p>



<p>There are almost 6 million Australians who are eligible for a third COVID-19 vaccine dose who have not yet had it.</p>



<p>At the time of writing, 95 per cent of aged care residents have had their third dose however only 65.7% have received four or more doses.</p>



<p>The booster numbers aren’t where they need to be for other vulnerable populations:</p>



<ul><li>54% of eligible Indigenous people have received three or more doses</li></ul>



<ul><li>75% of NDIS participants and 90% of NDIS residents have received three or more doses</li></ul>



<ul><li>59.1% of people aged 65+ who have received four or more doses</li></ul>



<h4>Additional booster now recommended</h4>



<p>An additional booster, or fourth dose, is recommended for people at increased risk of severe illness, to be given 3 months after their first booster dose.</p>



<p>This additional booster will be a fifth dose for people who are severely immunocompromised, have an underlying medical condition or disability.</p>



<p>Learn more.&nbsp; &nbsp; Then put this link to the learn more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/getting-your-vaccination/booster-doses">https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/getting-your-vaccination/booster-doses</a></p>



<h4 id="h-new-covid-vaccines"><strong>New COVID vaccines</strong></h4>



<p>The United States Food and Drug Administration and the European equivalent, The European Medicines Agency, is looking at applications to approve new variant vaccines. These vaccines are being developed by Moderna and Pfizer targeting the Omicron variant. They’re bivalent vaccines, so they have a small piece of the original strain in them as well as the new Omicron strain. According to the Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler “the clinical data is looking very good and regulators are now dealing with those applications before them. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia has an application before it and will be reviewing it over coming weeks”.</p>



<h4><strong>Under-five paediatric vaccine</strong></h4>



<p>The under-five paediatric vaccine by Moderna and Pfizer has been considered in America. They have been approved and are currently being rolled out in the US. &nbsp;</p>



<p>The Moderna paediatric vaccine is also before the TGA in Australia. If its approved by the TGA, it will then go to the vaccine advisory group ATAGI to consider the degree to which it should be rolled out here in Australia.</p>



<p>Minister Butler recently announced that Pfizer has also been granted provisional approval to submit an application for its paediatric vaccine to the TGA. &nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>References</strong></p>



<p>Federal Department of Health: Vaccination numbers and statistics. Retrieved 4/7/2022</p>



<p>Federal Department of Health: Minister Mark Butler Media Conference.&nbsp; Retrieved 4/7/2022</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80945</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Holding on to Hope: The Race to Solve Dementia</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/holding-on-to-hope-the-race-to-solve-dementia/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:42:28 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dementia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80942</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Dementia is one of the biggest and most baffling health challenges facing Australians. “It’s the number one fear that older people have. More than any other disease … more than anything else.” said Professor Henry Brodaty of UNSW.&#160; There are few things more confronting than the thought we might lose our memories because they define [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<h4>Dementia is one of the biggest and most baffling health challenges facing Australians.</h4>



<p><em>“It’s the number one fear that older people have. More than any other disease … more than anything else.” </em>said Professor Henry Brodaty of UNSW.&nbsp;</p>



<p>There are few things more confronting than the thought we might lose our memories because they define us for ourselves and dementia is the thief that will take them from us.</p>



<p>Half a million Australians live with dementia and for the past two decades scientists have been working on drug treatments they hope will combat the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease.</p>



<p>In a recent and powerful episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/holding-on-to-hope/13927038" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ABC TV’s Four Corners programme</a>, Dr Norman Swan investigated this long and controversial search for an effective treatment based on the theory that the accumulation of a substance in the brain called amyloid is the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Dr Swan examined whether the science is taking us in the right direction but also focussed on the growing knowledge that while we wait for a drug that works, there’s still a lot we can do to keep our brains in good shape.</p>



<p><em>“If we can give people another five years of quality life, that’s going to make a massive difference to people around the world. It’s going to make a massive difference to healthcare systems around the world as well.” &nbsp;s</em>aid one cognitive neurologist on the program.&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>&nbsp;“The drugs that we’re using should delay the onset of any cognitive impairment if the trial is successful,” s</em>aid Australian neuropathologist Professor Colin Masters.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>But the scientific community is divided because it’s not at all clear that removing amyloid will slow the decline in thinking and memory. Dr Swan talks to world experts who worry that if this is the case, these drugs &#8211; which are in clinical trials around the world &#8211; could be doing more harm than good.</p>



<p><em>“I would not prescribe it for myself or anybody else in my family because of this lack of benefit and substantial risk of side effects,”</em> claimed US Neurologist Professor Joel Perlmutter who sat on a US Food and Drug Administration advisory committee which looked at the evidence on one of these medications, aducanumab. &nbsp;</p>



<p>The controversial debate has increased frustration amongst dementia patients and advocates who worry that too much hope has been placed in just one treatment option. &nbsp;</p>



<p>Dr Swan’s investigation also looked at the evidence that lifestyle choices may help delay the onset of the disease while the world waits for a cure.</p>



<p><strong>Watch <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/holding-on-to-hope/13927038">ABC TV’s Four Corners programme</a> here</strong></p>



<p><strong>Useful resources and support services</strong></p>



<p>Dementia Australia: <a href="http://www.dementia.org.au/">www.dementia.org.au</a></p>



<p>My Aged Care: <a href="http://www.myagedcare.gov.au/">www.myagedcare.gov.au</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80942</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Childhood Health Linked to Midlife Cognition Function</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/childhood-health-linked-to-midlife-cognition-function/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:38:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childrens health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cognitive function]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80939</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[We often hear about how critical someone’s early years are to their health in later life, and a lengthy study from researchers at Monash University has added more weight to this claim. Back in the 80s, thousands of school children aged between seven and fifteen had their fitness assessed &#8211; things like their cardiorespiratory capacity, [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>We often hear about how critical someone’s early years are to their health in later life, and a lengthy study from researchers at Monash University has added more weight to this claim.</p>



<p>Back in the 80s, thousands of school children aged between seven and fifteen had their fitness assessed &#8211; things like their cardiorespiratory capacity, muscular power and muscular endurance, along with their waist-to-hip ratio (as a marker of overweight or obesity).</p>



<p>These children are now middle-aged adults, and a portion of the original cohort were followed up in 2017 and 2019 to see how they were faring. In particular, the researchers were interested in the brain health of the study participants and gave them a series of computer-based cognitive function tests, measuring things like their reaction time and visual memory.</p>



<p>More than one thousand adults between the ages of 39 and 50 were tested.</p>



<p>The researchers found there was a clear association between childhood fitness and better cognitive health in midlife. The children who were in the fittest group &#8211; scoring highly on cardio health, muscular power and endurance, were the same adults who tended to get the best brain training scores. Children who scored poorly on the different fitness tests did worse on the brain tests decades down the track. It seemed different forms of fitness were important &#8211; both muscular health and cardio capacity had an influence on midlife brain health. What’s more, these findings were independent of factors that might confound the results such as smoking, education and alcohol use.</p>
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		<title>Practice Connect &#8211; August 2022</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/practice-connect-august-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2022 06:09:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[practice connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82056</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p> Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients. </p>



<div class="wp-block-file"><object class="wp-block-file__embed" data="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf" type="application/pdf" style="width:100%;height:600px" aria-label="Embed of Practice Connect August 2022."></object><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf">Practice Connect August 2022</a><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf" class="wp-block-file__button" download>Download</a></div>



<p></p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82056</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Over 30 and due for a 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose: Should you wait for the new vaccines?</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/over-30-and-due-for-a-4th-covid-19-vaccine-dose-should-you-wait-for-the-new-vaccines/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:16:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Booster shots to covid vaccines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coronavirus (COVID-19)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[covid-19]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Covid-19 Vaccines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vaccine]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82053</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[COVID-19 cases remain high in Australia and a surge in cases of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants described as ‘masters at&#160;evading&#160;immunity’ are expected to worsen in coming months. At the same time flu and other respiratory viruses have been surging. How protective are our current vaccines against BA.4/5?Each new subvariant of Omicron has been better [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>COVID-19 cases remain high in Australia and a surge in cases of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants described as ‘masters at&nbsp;evading&nbsp;immunity’ are expected to worsen in coming months. At the same time flu and other respiratory viruses have been surging.</p>



<p>How protective are our current vaccines against BA.4/5?<br>Each new subvariant of Omicron has been better able to evade immunity from vaccination than its predecessor. Although current vaccines based on the Wuhan strain still provide good protection against serious illness and death with BA.4/5, they are&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.26.493517">unlikely</a>&nbsp;to provide much, if any, protection against infection or symptomatic disease.</p>



<p>Who is eligible for a fourth dose?</p>



<p>People should get another COVID-19 booster dose. If they had their initial booster dose 3 months ago and are:</p>



<ul><li>50 years or older</li><li>a resident of an aged care or disability care facility</li><li>severely immunocompromised</li><li>Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and aged 50 years and older</li><li>16 years or older with a medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 illness</li><li>16 years or older with a disability</li></ul>



<p>A fourth dose is also available to people aged 30 to 49 years old if they choose.</p>



<p>People who had COVID-19 after their first booster should wait at least 3 months before having a winter dose.</p>



<p>Should the over 30’s get the vaccine now or wait for new vaccines?</p>



<p>At the time of writing only 35.6% of the eligible population 30+ (11,518,173 people) have only received the fourth vaccine dose. Only 71.3% of eligible population have received their third vaccine dose, which means around 5 million Australians are significantly under-immunised.</p>



<p>Most experts feel that even with BA 5 waning at the time of writing, it’s best to be immunised when you’re eligible.&nbsp; It’s not at all clear whether a ‘variant’ vaccine which includes BA1/2 and BA 5 will equip you for the next variant any better than the existing vaccine.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82053</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Growing Pains are Poorly Understood</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/growing-pains-are-poorly-understood/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:07:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childrens health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[growing pains]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82049</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Growing pains usually affect children between the ages of three and five, and then again in the pre-teen years, though for some children they can continue into adolescence. You may have felt them yourself or observed them in your child if you’re a parent &#8211; usually they’re experienced as aches and pains in the legs, [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Growing pains usually affect children between the ages of three and five, and then again in the pre-teen years, though for some children they can continue into adolescence. You may have felt them yourself or observed them in your child if you’re a parent &#8211; usually they’re experienced as aches and pains in the legs, often around the calf and thigh. Frequently they’re worse in the evening and can come and go over weeks and months – which makes it difficult to pin down what’s causing them.</p>



<p>The symptoms of growing pains include:</p>



<ul><li>Muscular aches and pains are felt in both legs – typically in the calf, behind the knee and in the front of the thigh.</li><li>Moving the legs does not make the pain better or worse, which shows that the joints are not affected.</li><li>The pain comes and goes, occurring perhaps every night for a week or so, or a few times a week, or only occasionally.</li><li>The onset of pain is around the late afternoon or evening.</li><li>The pain is worse during the night, particularly when the child is supposed to be going to sleep.</li><li>The pain may be severe enough to wake the child from sleep.</li><li>The pain is gone by morning.</li><li>The pain doesn&#8217;t cause a limp or make it hard to run and play normally.</li><li>Occasionally, the muscles of the arms may be affected as well.</li><li>The child may also complain of headaches.</li></ul>



<p>As the name suggests, you might think that this pain is caused by a growing body – things like bones getting bigger during a growth spurt. But in fact, bones grow very slowly, and their growth doesn’t typically cause pain. In a recent review of 145 studies, researchers from Sydney considered the <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/150/2/e2021052578/188581/Defining-Growing-Pains-A-Scoping-Review">evidence</a> around growing pains and what we understand about them scientifically.</p>



<p>They found that while up to a third of children will be diagnosed with ‘growing pains’ at some point, how the diagnosis gets made is somewhat arbitrary. Because we don’t fully understand its causes, the label of growing pains is given only after other conditions are ruled out &#8211; things like infections, flat feet or even juvenile arthritis. The researchers warn doctors against jumping to conclusions about a diagnosis of growing pains given how little we still understand about it. Australian health authorities recommend heat treatments (like warm baths and heat packs), paracetamol and simple reassurance from parents that the pain should go away by the next day.</p>



<p><strong>References</strong></p>



<p>Department of Health, Victoria: Growing pains. Retrieved 3/8/2022</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82049</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Exercise Can’t Make Up for a Poor Diet</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/exercise-cant-make-up-for-a-poor-diet/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:58:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exercise]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82044</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The belief that you can exercise or out-run a bad diet&#160;partially stems from conventional calories-in-calories-out thinking. It’s no secret that some of the most fundamental things you can do for your health are to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. What’s been less clear is how much of each is required, and whether one [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The belief that you can exercise or out-run a bad diet&nbsp;partially stems from conventional calories-in-calories-out thinking.</p>



<p>It’s no secret that some of the most fundamental things you can do for your health are to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. What’s been less clear is how much of each is required, and whether one can make up for a lack of the other. There have been a few studies in the past that showed vigorous exercise balances out the negative effects of excess eating. But a new study by University of Sydney researchers suggests otherwise, finding that in the long term, diet and exercise independently affect health and mortality. One cannot make up for the other.</p>



<p>In this study, people reported their physical activity (broken down into vigorous and moderate exercise) and diet quality (based on their intake of fresh produce, fish and meat), as well as other factors that could influence their health such as smoking status, alcohol consumption, sex, level of education, employment and pre-existing hypertension or diabetes. They were followed up for about 11 years.</p>



<p>From nearly 350,000 participants, 2650 deaths were linked to cardiovascular disease and about 4500 deaths were linked to cancers associated with diet, weight and exercise. High levels of exercise were linked to lower cardiovascular disease mortality, while diet seemed to have a less important role in preventing heart disease. But having a healthy diet was linked to lower rates of mortality associated with various cancers.</p>



<p>This new research has shown that while diet and exercise both play an important role in your long-term health outcomes, they seem to offer protection in different areas, with a good diet having stronger links with lower cancer mortality, and regular and vigorous exercise being linked to reduced all-cause and cardiovascular disease death rates. Sadly, for some, it doesn’t appear that extra exercise can make up for a diet of takeaway and fried foods when it comes to your long-term health and longevity.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82044</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is Drinking Coffee Safe During Pregnancy?</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/is-drinking-coffee-safe-during-pregnancy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:54:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pregnancy]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82039</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A new study from researchers in Queensland and overseas suggests that low-level caffeine consumption is safe for mums-to-be. Australia’s health guidelines suggest women are safe to drink one or two cups of coffee a day while pregnant (about 200 milligrams of caffeine) while the World Health Organisation’s guidelines are slightly higher (300 milligrams a day). [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>A <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyac121/6605011">new study</a> from researchers in Queensland and overseas suggests that low-level caffeine consumption is safe for mums-to-be.</p>



<p>Australia’s health guidelines suggest women are safe to drink one or two cups of coffee a day while pregnant (about 200 milligrams of caffeine) while the World Health Organisation’s guidelines are slightly higher (300 milligrams a day).</p>



<p>In this latest work, the researchers took the interesting approach of analysing the genes of pregnant women as a proxy for their coffee-drinking behaviours. The idea was that our genome predisposes us to varying levels of caffeine consumption.&nbsp; With a certain strand of genes you might consume three cups a day, while with another you might not enjoy drinking coffee at all.</p>



<p>The researchers worked out eight different genetic profiles having varying associations with caffeine consumption and looked at the outcomes of pregnancy for each of them including miscarriage, stillbirth and pre-term birth.</p>



<p>Overall, the researchers found no evidence of a link between coffee consumption and poorer pregnancy outcomes. That’s in line with other large studies that have been done in this area.</p>



<p>The authors suggest that historical studies that did seem to show a link, might have been confounded by coffee-drinkers having poorer diets or other behaviours that might be more common in coffee-drinkers such as smoking or alcohol consumption.</p>



<p>This study adds weight to the recommendations from health bodies in Australia and internationally that drinking low levels of caffeine during pregnancy doesn’t lead to bad outcomes for mum or her baby.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82039</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Mediterranean Diet and Depression in Young Men</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/the-mediterranean-diet-and-depression-in-young-men/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:41:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82035</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be tumultuous. Young men in particular, can be at risk because they typically don’t seek help for mental health issues like depression. This is also a time when young people begin to become more independent, which often includes preparing and cooking their own meals. Could this be leveraged [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be tumultuous. Young men in particular, can be at risk because they typically don’t seek help for mental health issues like depression. This is also a time when young people begin to become more independent, which often includes preparing and cooking their own meals. Could this be leveraged to help boost young men’s protection against depression? This question has been investigated by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney in a recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqac106/6571247">study</a>.</p>



<p>Around 75 young men between the ages of 18 and 24 who had recently been diagnosed with depression were randomised into two groups. The control group, got a simplified version of therapy where they were able to chat about their life and interests with a researcher. The other group were allocated to meet with a nutritionist regularly who helped them eat a Mediterranean diet.</p>



<p>There’s been a lot of recent evidence showing positive health outcomes for those who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern, which is typically rich in vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and olive oil; low in processed foods and red meat; and has a cuisine which cooks at moderate heat with bioactive rich mixtures such as extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, tomato and other red and orange vegetables. In some groups, it’s been shown to have an effect on depression scores which is what researchers were hoping to see in this study.</p>



<p>After 12 weeks, the researchers found that both groups lowered their rates of depression, but the effect was stronger in the group following the Mediterranean diet. The mean depression score change was 20.6 versus 6.2 in the general therapy group. Almost 40 per cent of the young men in the Mediterranean diet group saw their depression score fall to between zero and 10 (which means low or minimal depression). No-one in the other group had a final score below 10 at the end of the study period.</p>



<p>Getting people to stick to diets is tricky, so it’s not clear whether these changes can be maintained long-term. And it’s also hard to tease out how much of an effect could be due to the Mediterranean diet in particular, versus reductions in poor diet generally – that is, was the Mediterranean diet responsible for reduced rates of depression, or was it just that it replaced and removed junk food from the diet? But this study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting a clear link between food and mood and that a Mediterranean diet might be one piece of the puzzle in helping to protect against depression in young people. The reason may be in microbiome oil directly from the absorption of these bioactive compounds.</p>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/news/the-health-benefits-of-a-mediterranean-diet/#:~:text=Considered%20one%20of%20the%20world's,is%20low%20in%20red%20meat.">other research</a> from Italy, the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet extends to other areas such as longevity, cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease, heart attack, overall cancer incidence, neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and diabetes.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For further information about the Mediterranean diet including tips and a sample meal plan visit</p>



<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan#eating-out">https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan#eating-out</a> </p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82035</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Practice Connect &#8211; July 2022</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/practice-connect-july-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2022 04:29:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[practice connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80948</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p> Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients. </p>



<div class="wp-block-file"><object class="wp-block-file__embed" data="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Practice-Connect-PDF-July-2022_.pdf" type="application/pdf" style="width:100%;height:600px" aria-label="Embed of Practice Connect July 2022."></object><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Practice-Connect-PDF-July-2022_.pdf">Practice Connect July 2022</a><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Practice-Connect-PDF-July-2022_.pdf" class="wp-block-file__button" download>Download</a></div>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80948</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>COVID-19 Vaccine Push</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/covid-19-vaccine-push/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:46:01 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Booster Shots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coronavirus (COVID-19)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Covid-19 vaccine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vaccine]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80945</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Australia was one of the leading countries when COVID-19 vaccines were first offered with more than 95 per cent of eligible Australians over 16 years of age having had two doses of a vaccine. However, with COVID-19 cases rising around Australia and flu cases surging, we are not performing as well on our third and [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Australia was one of the leading countries when COVID-19 vaccines were first offered with more than 95 per cent of eligible Australians over 16 years of age having had two doses of a vaccine.</p>



<p>However, with COVID-19 cases rising around Australia and flu cases surging, we are not performing as well on our third and fourth dose boosters.</p>



<p>GPs are being asked by the government for their help to get Australian’s vaccinated.</p>



<p>This comes at a time when authorities are trying to understand the impact of BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants in terms of their transmissibility including how much they evade previous immunity from infections or vaccinations leading to re- infections. </p>



<p>There are almost 6 million Australians who are eligible for a third COVID-19 vaccine dose who have not yet had it.</p>



<p>At the time of writing, 95 per cent of aged care residents have had their third dose however only 65.7% have received four or more doses.</p>



<p>The booster numbers aren’t where they need to be for other vulnerable populations:</p>



<ul><li>54% of eligible Indigenous people have received three or more doses</li></ul>



<ul><li>75% of NDIS participants and 90% of NDIS residents have received three or more doses</li></ul>



<ul><li>59.1% of people aged 65+ who have received four or more doses</li></ul>



<h4>Additional booster now recommended</h4>



<p>An additional booster, or fourth dose, is recommended for people at increased risk of severe illness, to be given 3 months after their first booster dose.</p>



<p>This additional booster will be a fifth dose for people who are severely immunocompromised, have an underlying medical condition or disability.</p>



<p>Learn more.&nbsp; &nbsp; Then put this link to the learn more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/getting-your-vaccination/booster-doses">https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/getting-your-vaccination/booster-doses</a></p>



<h4 id="h-new-covid-vaccines"><strong>New COVID vaccines</strong></h4>



<p>The United States Food and Drug Administration and the European equivalent, The European Medicines Agency, is looking at applications to approve new variant vaccines. These vaccines are being developed by Moderna and Pfizer targeting the Omicron variant. They’re bivalent vaccines, so they have a small piece of the original strain in them as well as the new Omicron strain. According to the Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler “the clinical data is looking very good and regulators are now dealing with those applications before them. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia has an application before it and will be reviewing it over coming weeks”.</p>



<h4><strong>Under-five paediatric vaccine</strong></h4>



<p>The under-five paediatric vaccine by Moderna and Pfizer has been considered in America. They have been approved and are currently being rolled out in the US. &nbsp;</p>



<p>The Moderna paediatric vaccine is also before the TGA in Australia. If its approved by the TGA, it will then go to the vaccine advisory group ATAGI to consider the degree to which it should be rolled out here in Australia.</p>



<p>Minister Butler recently announced that Pfizer has also been granted provisional approval to submit an application for its paediatric vaccine to the TGA. &nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>References</strong></p>



<p>Federal Department of Health: Vaccination numbers and statistics. Retrieved 4/7/2022</p>



<p>Federal Department of Health: Minister Mark Butler Media Conference.&nbsp; Retrieved 4/7/2022</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80945</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Holding on to Hope: The Race to Solve Dementia</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/holding-on-to-hope-the-race-to-solve-dementia/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:42:28 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dementia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80942</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Dementia is one of the biggest and most baffling health challenges facing Australians. “It’s the number one fear that older people have. More than any other disease … more than anything else.” said Professor Henry Brodaty of UNSW.&#160; There are few things more confronting than the thought we might lose our memories because they define [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<h4>Dementia is one of the biggest and most baffling health challenges facing Australians.</h4>



<p><em>“It’s the number one fear that older people have. More than any other disease … more than anything else.” </em>said Professor Henry Brodaty of UNSW.&nbsp;</p>



<p>There are few things more confronting than the thought we might lose our memories because they define us for ourselves and dementia is the thief that will take them from us.</p>



<p>Half a million Australians live with dementia and for the past two decades scientists have been working on drug treatments they hope will combat the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease.</p>



<p>In a recent and powerful episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/holding-on-to-hope/13927038" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ABC TV’s Four Corners programme</a>, Dr Norman Swan investigated this long and controversial search for an effective treatment based on the theory that the accumulation of a substance in the brain called amyloid is the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Dr Swan examined whether the science is taking us in the right direction but also focussed on the growing knowledge that while we wait for a drug that works, there’s still a lot we can do to keep our brains in good shape.</p>



<p><em>“If we can give people another five years of quality life, that’s going to make a massive difference to people around the world. It’s going to make a massive difference to healthcare systems around the world as well.” &nbsp;s</em>aid one cognitive neurologist on the program.&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>&nbsp;“The drugs that we’re using should delay the onset of any cognitive impairment if the trial is successful,” s</em>aid Australian neuropathologist Professor Colin Masters.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>But the scientific community is divided because it’s not at all clear that removing amyloid will slow the decline in thinking and memory. Dr Swan talks to world experts who worry that if this is the case, these drugs &#8211; which are in clinical trials around the world &#8211; could be doing more harm than good.</p>



<p><em>“I would not prescribe it for myself or anybody else in my family because of this lack of benefit and substantial risk of side effects,”</em> claimed US Neurologist Professor Joel Perlmutter who sat on a US Food and Drug Administration advisory committee which looked at the evidence on one of these medications, aducanumab. &nbsp;</p>



<p>The controversial debate has increased frustration amongst dementia patients and advocates who worry that too much hope has been placed in just one treatment option. &nbsp;</p>



<p>Dr Swan’s investigation also looked at the evidence that lifestyle choices may help delay the onset of the disease while the world waits for a cure.</p>



<p><strong>Watch <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/holding-on-to-hope/13927038">ABC TV’s Four Corners programme</a> here</strong></p>



<p><strong>Useful resources and support services</strong></p>



<p>Dementia Australia: <a href="http://www.dementia.org.au/">www.dementia.org.au</a></p>



<p>My Aged Care: <a href="http://www.myagedcare.gov.au/">www.myagedcare.gov.au</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80942</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Childhood Health Linked to Midlife Cognition Function</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/childhood-health-linked-to-midlife-cognition-function/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:38:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childrens health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cognitive function]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80939</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[We often hear about how critical someone’s early years are to their health in later life, and a lengthy study from researchers at Monash University has added more weight to this claim. Back in the 80s, thousands of school children aged between seven and fifteen had their fitness assessed &#8211; things like their cardiorespiratory capacity, [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>We often hear about how critical someone’s early years are to their health in later life, and a lengthy study from researchers at Monash University has added more weight to this claim.</p>



<p>Back in the 80s, thousands of school children aged between seven and fifteen had their fitness assessed &#8211; things like their cardiorespiratory capacity, muscular power and muscular endurance, along with their waist-to-hip ratio (as a marker of overweight or obesity).</p>



<p>These children are now middle-aged adults, and a portion of the original cohort were followed up in 2017 and 2019 to see how they were faring. In particular, the researchers were interested in the brain health of the study participants and gave them a series of computer-based cognitive function tests, measuring things like their reaction time and visual memory.</p>



<p>More than one thousand adults between the ages of 39 and 50 were tested.</p>



<p>The researchers found there was a clear association between childhood fitness and better cognitive health in midlife. The children who were in the fittest group &#8211; scoring highly on cardio health, muscular power and endurance, were the same adults who tended to get the best brain training scores. Children who scored poorly on the different fitness tests did worse on the brain tests decades down the track. It seemed different forms of fitness were important &#8211; both muscular health and cardio capacity had an influence on midlife brain health. What’s more, these findings were independent of factors that might confound the results such as smoking, education and alcohol use.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Practice Connect &#8211; August 2022</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/practice-connect-august-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2022 06:09:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[practice connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82056</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p> Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients. </p>



<div class="wp-block-file"><object class="wp-block-file__embed" data="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf" type="application/pdf" style="width:100%;height:600px" aria-label="Embed of Practice Connect August 2022."></object><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf">Practice Connect August 2022</a><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf" class="wp-block-file__button" download>Download</a></div>



<p></p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82056</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Over 30 and due for a 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose: Should you wait for the new vaccines?</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/over-30-and-due-for-a-4th-covid-19-vaccine-dose-should-you-wait-for-the-new-vaccines/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:16:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Booster shots to covid vaccines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coronavirus (COVID-19)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[covid-19]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Covid-19 Vaccines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vaccine]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82053</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[COVID-19 cases remain high in Australia and a surge in cases of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants described as ‘masters at&#160;evading&#160;immunity’ are expected to worsen in coming months. At the same time flu and other respiratory viruses have been surging. How protective are our current vaccines against BA.4/5?Each new subvariant of Omicron has been better [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>COVID-19 cases remain high in Australia and a surge in cases of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants described as ‘masters at&nbsp;evading&nbsp;immunity’ are expected to worsen in coming months. At the same time flu and other respiratory viruses have been surging.</p>



<p>How protective are our current vaccines against BA.4/5?<br>Each new subvariant of Omicron has been better able to evade immunity from vaccination than its predecessor. Although current vaccines based on the Wuhan strain still provide good protection against serious illness and death with BA.4/5, they are&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.26.493517">unlikely</a>&nbsp;to provide much, if any, protection against infection or symptomatic disease.</p>



<p>Who is eligible for a fourth dose?</p>



<p>People should get another COVID-19 booster dose. If they had their initial booster dose 3 months ago and are:</p>



<ul><li>50 years or older</li><li>a resident of an aged care or disability care facility</li><li>severely immunocompromised</li><li>Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and aged 50 years and older</li><li>16 years or older with a medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 illness</li><li>16 years or older with a disability</li></ul>



<p>A fourth dose is also available to people aged 30 to 49 years old if they choose.</p>



<p>People who had COVID-19 after their first booster should wait at least 3 months before having a winter dose.</p>



<p>Should the over 30’s get the vaccine now or wait for new vaccines?</p>



<p>At the time of writing only 35.6% of the eligible population 30+ (11,518,173 people) have only received the fourth vaccine dose. Only 71.3% of eligible population have received their third vaccine dose, which means around 5 million Australians are significantly under-immunised.</p>



<p>Most experts feel that even with BA 5 waning at the time of writing, it’s best to be immunised when you’re eligible.&nbsp; It’s not at all clear whether a ‘variant’ vaccine which includes BA1/2 and BA 5 will equip you for the next variant any better than the existing vaccine.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82053</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Growing Pains are Poorly Understood</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/growing-pains-are-poorly-understood/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:07:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childrens health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[growing pains]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82049</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Growing pains usually affect children between the ages of three and five, and then again in the pre-teen years, though for some children they can continue into adolescence. You may have felt them yourself or observed them in your child if you’re a parent &#8211; usually they’re experienced as aches and pains in the legs, [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Growing pains usually affect children between the ages of three and five, and then again in the pre-teen years, though for some children they can continue into adolescence. You may have felt them yourself or observed them in your child if you’re a parent &#8211; usually they’re experienced as aches and pains in the legs, often around the calf and thigh. Frequently they’re worse in the evening and can come and go over weeks and months – which makes it difficult to pin down what’s causing them.</p>



<p>The symptoms of growing pains include:</p>



<ul><li>Muscular aches and pains are felt in both legs – typically in the calf, behind the knee and in the front of the thigh.</li><li>Moving the legs does not make the pain better or worse, which shows that the joints are not affected.</li><li>The pain comes and goes, occurring perhaps every night for a week or so, or a few times a week, or only occasionally.</li><li>The onset of pain is around the late afternoon or evening.</li><li>The pain is worse during the night, particularly when the child is supposed to be going to sleep.</li><li>The pain may be severe enough to wake the child from sleep.</li><li>The pain is gone by morning.</li><li>The pain doesn&#8217;t cause a limp or make it hard to run and play normally.</li><li>Occasionally, the muscles of the arms may be affected as well.</li><li>The child may also complain of headaches.</li></ul>



<p>As the name suggests, you might think that this pain is caused by a growing body – things like bones getting bigger during a growth spurt. But in fact, bones grow very slowly, and their growth doesn’t typically cause pain. In a recent review of 145 studies, researchers from Sydney considered the <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/150/2/e2021052578/188581/Defining-Growing-Pains-A-Scoping-Review">evidence</a> around growing pains and what we understand about them scientifically.</p>



<p>They found that while up to a third of children will be diagnosed with ‘growing pains’ at some point, how the diagnosis gets made is somewhat arbitrary. Because we don’t fully understand its causes, the label of growing pains is given only after other conditions are ruled out &#8211; things like infections, flat feet or even juvenile arthritis. The researchers warn doctors against jumping to conclusions about a diagnosis of growing pains given how little we still understand about it. Australian health authorities recommend heat treatments (like warm baths and heat packs), paracetamol and simple reassurance from parents that the pain should go away by the next day.</p>



<p><strong>References</strong></p>



<p>Department of Health, Victoria: Growing pains. Retrieved 3/8/2022</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82049</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Exercise Can’t Make Up for a Poor Diet</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/exercise-cant-make-up-for-a-poor-diet/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:58:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exercise]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82044</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The belief that you can exercise or out-run a bad diet&#160;partially stems from conventional calories-in-calories-out thinking. It’s no secret that some of the most fundamental things you can do for your health are to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. What’s been less clear is how much of each is required, and whether one [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The belief that you can exercise or out-run a bad diet&nbsp;partially stems from conventional calories-in-calories-out thinking.</p>



<p>It’s no secret that some of the most fundamental things you can do for your health are to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. What’s been less clear is how much of each is required, and whether one can make up for a lack of the other. There have been a few studies in the past that showed vigorous exercise balances out the negative effects of excess eating. But a new study by University of Sydney researchers suggests otherwise, finding that in the long term, diet and exercise independently affect health and mortality. One cannot make up for the other.</p>



<p>In this study, people reported their physical activity (broken down into vigorous and moderate exercise) and diet quality (based on their intake of fresh produce, fish and meat), as well as other factors that could influence their health such as smoking status, alcohol consumption, sex, level of education, employment and pre-existing hypertension or diabetes. They were followed up for about 11 years.</p>



<p>From nearly 350,000 participants, 2650 deaths were linked to cardiovascular disease and about 4500 deaths were linked to cancers associated with diet, weight and exercise. High levels of exercise were linked to lower cardiovascular disease mortality, while diet seemed to have a less important role in preventing heart disease. But having a healthy diet was linked to lower rates of mortality associated with various cancers.</p>



<p>This new research has shown that while diet and exercise both play an important role in your long-term health outcomes, they seem to offer protection in different areas, with a good diet having stronger links with lower cancer mortality, and regular and vigorous exercise being linked to reduced all-cause and cardiovascular disease death rates. Sadly, for some, it doesn’t appear that extra exercise can make up for a diet of takeaway and fried foods when it comes to your long-term health and longevity.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82044</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is Drinking Coffee Safe During Pregnancy?</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/is-drinking-coffee-safe-during-pregnancy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:54:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pregnancy]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82039</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A new study from researchers in Queensland and overseas suggests that low-level caffeine consumption is safe for mums-to-be. Australia’s health guidelines suggest women are safe to drink one or two cups of coffee a day while pregnant (about 200 milligrams of caffeine) while the World Health Organisation’s guidelines are slightly higher (300 milligrams a day). [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>A <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyac121/6605011">new study</a> from researchers in Queensland and overseas suggests that low-level caffeine consumption is safe for mums-to-be.</p>



<p>Australia’s health guidelines suggest women are safe to drink one or two cups of coffee a day while pregnant (about 200 milligrams of caffeine) while the World Health Organisation’s guidelines are slightly higher (300 milligrams a day).</p>



<p>In this latest work, the researchers took the interesting approach of analysing the genes of pregnant women as a proxy for their coffee-drinking behaviours. The idea was that our genome predisposes us to varying levels of caffeine consumption.&nbsp; With a certain strand of genes you might consume three cups a day, while with another you might not enjoy drinking coffee at all.</p>



<p>The researchers worked out eight different genetic profiles having varying associations with caffeine consumption and looked at the outcomes of pregnancy for each of them including miscarriage, stillbirth and pre-term birth.</p>



<p>Overall, the researchers found no evidence of a link between coffee consumption and poorer pregnancy outcomes. That’s in line with other large studies that have been done in this area.</p>



<p>The authors suggest that historical studies that did seem to show a link, might have been confounded by coffee-drinkers having poorer diets or other behaviours that might be more common in coffee-drinkers such as smoking or alcohol consumption.</p>



<p>This study adds weight to the recommendations from health bodies in Australia and internationally that drinking low levels of caffeine during pregnancy doesn’t lead to bad outcomes for mum or her baby.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82039</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Mediterranean Diet and Depression in Young Men</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/the-mediterranean-diet-and-depression-in-young-men/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:41:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82035</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be tumultuous. Young men in particular, can be at risk because they typically don’t seek help for mental health issues like depression. This is also a time when young people begin to become more independent, which often includes preparing and cooking their own meals. Could this be leveraged [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be tumultuous. Young men in particular, can be at risk because they typically don’t seek help for mental health issues like depression. This is also a time when young people begin to become more independent, which often includes preparing and cooking their own meals. Could this be leveraged to help boost young men’s protection against depression? This question has been investigated by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney in a recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqac106/6571247">study</a>.</p>



<p>Around 75 young men between the ages of 18 and 24 who had recently been diagnosed with depression were randomised into two groups. The control group, got a simplified version of therapy where they were able to chat about their life and interests with a researcher. The other group were allocated to meet with a nutritionist regularly who helped them eat a Mediterranean diet.</p>



<p>There’s been a lot of recent evidence showing positive health outcomes for those who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern, which is typically rich in vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and olive oil; low in processed foods and red meat; and has a cuisine which cooks at moderate heat with bioactive rich mixtures such as extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, tomato and other red and orange vegetables. In some groups, it’s been shown to have an effect on depression scores which is what researchers were hoping to see in this study.</p>



<p>After 12 weeks, the researchers found that both groups lowered their rates of depression, but the effect was stronger in the group following the Mediterranean diet. The mean depression score change was 20.6 versus 6.2 in the general therapy group. Almost 40 per cent of the young men in the Mediterranean diet group saw their depression score fall to between zero and 10 (which means low or minimal depression). No-one in the other group had a final score below 10 at the end of the study period.</p>



<p>Getting people to stick to diets is tricky, so it’s not clear whether these changes can be maintained long-term. And it’s also hard to tease out how much of an effect could be due to the Mediterranean diet in particular, versus reductions in poor diet generally – that is, was the Mediterranean diet responsible for reduced rates of depression, or was it just that it replaced and removed junk food from the diet? But this study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting a clear link between food and mood and that a Mediterranean diet might be one piece of the puzzle in helping to protect against depression in young people. The reason may be in microbiome oil directly from the absorption of these bioactive compounds.</p>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/news/the-health-benefits-of-a-mediterranean-diet/#:~:text=Considered%20one%20of%20the%20world's,is%20low%20in%20red%20meat.">other research</a> from Italy, the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet extends to other areas such as longevity, cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease, heart attack, overall cancer incidence, neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and diabetes.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For further information about the Mediterranean diet including tips and a sample meal plan visit</p>



<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan#eating-out">https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan#eating-out</a> </p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82035</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Practice Connect &#8211; July 2022</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/practice-connect-july-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2022 04:29:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[practice connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80948</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p> Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients. </p>



<div class="wp-block-file"><object class="wp-block-file__embed" data="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Practice-Connect-PDF-July-2022_.pdf" type="application/pdf" style="width:100%;height:600px" aria-label="Embed of Practice Connect July 2022."></object><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Practice-Connect-PDF-July-2022_.pdf">Practice Connect July 2022</a><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Practice-Connect-PDF-July-2022_.pdf" class="wp-block-file__button" download>Download</a></div>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80948</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>COVID-19 Vaccine Push</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/covid-19-vaccine-push/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:46:01 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Booster Shots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coronavirus (COVID-19)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Covid-19 vaccine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vaccine]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80945</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Australia was one of the leading countries when COVID-19 vaccines were first offered with more than 95 per cent of eligible Australians over 16 years of age having had two doses of a vaccine. However, with COVID-19 cases rising around Australia and flu cases surging, we are not performing as well on our third and [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Australia was one of the leading countries when COVID-19 vaccines were first offered with more than 95 per cent of eligible Australians over 16 years of age having had two doses of a vaccine.</p>



<p>However, with COVID-19 cases rising around Australia and flu cases surging, we are not performing as well on our third and fourth dose boosters.</p>



<p>GPs are being asked by the government for their help to get Australian’s vaccinated.</p>



<p>This comes at a time when authorities are trying to understand the impact of BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants in terms of their transmissibility including how much they evade previous immunity from infections or vaccinations leading to re- infections. </p>



<p>There are almost 6 million Australians who are eligible for a third COVID-19 vaccine dose who have not yet had it.</p>



<p>At the time of writing, 95 per cent of aged care residents have had their third dose however only 65.7% have received four or more doses.</p>



<p>The booster numbers aren’t where they need to be for other vulnerable populations:</p>



<ul><li>54% of eligible Indigenous people have received three or more doses</li></ul>



<ul><li>75% of NDIS participants and 90% of NDIS residents have received three or more doses</li></ul>



<ul><li>59.1% of people aged 65+ who have received four or more doses</li></ul>



<h4>Additional booster now recommended</h4>



<p>An additional booster, or fourth dose, is recommended for people at increased risk of severe illness, to be given 3 months after their first booster dose.</p>



<p>This additional booster will be a fifth dose for people who are severely immunocompromised, have an underlying medical condition or disability.</p>



<p>Learn more.&nbsp; &nbsp; Then put this link to the learn more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/getting-your-vaccination/booster-doses">https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/getting-your-vaccination/booster-doses</a></p>



<h4 id="h-new-covid-vaccines"><strong>New COVID vaccines</strong></h4>



<p>The United States Food and Drug Administration and the European equivalent, The European Medicines Agency, is looking at applications to approve new variant vaccines. These vaccines are being developed by Moderna and Pfizer targeting the Omicron variant. They’re bivalent vaccines, so they have a small piece of the original strain in them as well as the new Omicron strain. According to the Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler “the clinical data is looking very good and regulators are now dealing with those applications before them. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia has an application before it and will be reviewing it over coming weeks”.</p>



<h4><strong>Under-five paediatric vaccine</strong></h4>



<p>The under-five paediatric vaccine by Moderna and Pfizer has been considered in America. They have been approved and are currently being rolled out in the US. &nbsp;</p>



<p>The Moderna paediatric vaccine is also before the TGA in Australia. If its approved by the TGA, it will then go to the vaccine advisory group ATAGI to consider the degree to which it should be rolled out here in Australia.</p>



<p>Minister Butler recently announced that Pfizer has also been granted provisional approval to submit an application for its paediatric vaccine to the TGA. &nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>References</strong></p>



<p>Federal Department of Health: Vaccination numbers and statistics. Retrieved 4/7/2022</p>



<p>Federal Department of Health: Minister Mark Butler Media Conference.&nbsp; Retrieved 4/7/2022</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80945</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Holding on to Hope: The Race to Solve Dementia</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/holding-on-to-hope-the-race-to-solve-dementia/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:42:28 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dementia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80942</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Dementia is one of the biggest and most baffling health challenges facing Australians. “It’s the number one fear that older people have. More than any other disease … more than anything else.” said Professor Henry Brodaty of UNSW.&#160; There are few things more confronting than the thought we might lose our memories because they define [&#8230;]]]></description>
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<h4>Dementia is one of the biggest and most baffling health challenges facing Australians.</h4>



<p><em>“It’s the number one fear that older people have. More than any other disease … more than anything else.” </em>said Professor Henry Brodaty of UNSW.&nbsp;</p>



<p>There are few things more confronting than the thought we might lose our memories because they define us for ourselves and dementia is the thief that will take them from us.</p>



<p>Half a million Australians live with dementia and for the past two decades scientists have been working on drug treatments they hope will combat the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease.</p>



<p>In a recent and powerful episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/holding-on-to-hope/13927038" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ABC TV’s Four Corners programme</a>, Dr Norman Swan investigated this long and controversial search for an effective treatment based on the theory that the accumulation of a substance in the brain called amyloid is the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Dr Swan examined whether the science is taking us in the right direction but also focussed on the growing knowledge that while we wait for a drug that works, there’s still a lot we can do to keep our brains in good shape.</p>



<p><em>“If we can give people another five years of quality life, that’s going to make a massive difference to people around the world. It’s going to make a massive difference to healthcare systems around the world as well.” &nbsp;s</em>aid one cognitive neurologist on the program.&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>&nbsp;“The drugs that we’re using should delay the onset of any cognitive impairment if the trial is successful,” s</em>aid Australian neuropathologist Professor Colin Masters.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>But the scientific community is divided because it’s not at all clear that removing amyloid will slow the decline in thinking and memory. Dr Swan talks to world experts who worry that if this is the case, these drugs &#8211; which are in clinical trials around the world &#8211; could be doing more harm than good.</p>



<p><em>“I would not prescribe it for myself or anybody else in my family because of this lack of benefit and substantial risk of side effects,”</em> claimed US Neurologist Professor Joel Perlmutter who sat on a US Food and Drug Administration advisory committee which looked at the evidence on one of these medications, aducanumab. &nbsp;</p>



<p>The controversial debate has increased frustration amongst dementia patients and advocates who worry that too much hope has been placed in just one treatment option. &nbsp;</p>



<p>Dr Swan’s investigation also looked at the evidence that lifestyle choices may help delay the onset of the disease while the world waits for a cure.</p>



<p><strong>Watch <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/holding-on-to-hope/13927038">ABC TV’s Four Corners programme</a> here</strong></p>



<p><strong>Useful resources and support services</strong></p>



<p>Dementia Australia: <a href="http://www.dementia.org.au/">www.dementia.org.au</a></p>



<p>My Aged Care: <a href="http://www.myagedcare.gov.au/">www.myagedcare.gov.au</a></p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80942</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Childhood Health Linked to Midlife Cognition Function</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/childhood-health-linked-to-midlife-cognition-function/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:38:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childrens health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cognitive function]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80939</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[We often hear about how critical someone’s early years are to their health in later life, and a lengthy study from researchers at Monash University has added more weight to this claim. Back in the 80s, thousands of school children aged between seven and fifteen had their fitness assessed &#8211; things like their cardiorespiratory capacity, [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>We often hear about how critical someone’s early years are to their health in later life, and a lengthy study from researchers at Monash University has added more weight to this claim.</p>



<p>Back in the 80s, thousands of school children aged between seven and fifteen had their fitness assessed &#8211; things like their cardiorespiratory capacity, muscular power and muscular endurance, along with their waist-to-hip ratio (as a marker of overweight or obesity).</p>



<p>These children are now middle-aged adults, and a portion of the original cohort were followed up in 2017 and 2019 to see how they were faring. In particular, the researchers were interested in the brain health of the study participants and gave them a series of computer-based cognitive function tests, measuring things like their reaction time and visual memory.</p>



<p>More than one thousand adults between the ages of 39 and 50 were tested.</p>



<p>The researchers found there was a clear association between childhood fitness and better cognitive health in midlife. The children who were in the fittest group &#8211; scoring highly on cardio health, muscular power and endurance, were the same adults who tended to get the best brain training scores. Children who scored poorly on the different fitness tests did worse on the brain tests decades down the track. It seemed different forms of fitness were important &#8211; both muscular health and cardio capacity had an influence on midlife brain health. What’s more, these findings were independent of factors that might confound the results such as smoking, education and alcohol use.</p>
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<site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">185164398</site>	<item>
		<title>Practice Connect &#8211; August 2022</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/practice-connect-august-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Aug 2022 06:09:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[practice connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82056</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p> Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients. </p>



<div class="wp-block-file"><object class="wp-block-file__embed" data="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf" type="application/pdf" style="width:100%;height:600px" aria-label="Embed of Practice Connect August 2022."></object><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf">Practice Connect August 2022</a><a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Practice-Connect-PDF-August-2022.pdf" class="wp-block-file__button" download>Download</a></div>



<p></p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82056</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Over 30 and due for a 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose: Should you wait for the new vaccines?</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/over-30-and-due-for-a-4th-covid-19-vaccine-dose-should-you-wait-for-the-new-vaccines/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:16:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Booster shots to covid vaccines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coronavirus (COVID-19)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[covid-19]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Covid-19 Vaccines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vaccine]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82053</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[COVID-19 cases remain high in Australia and a surge in cases of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants described as ‘masters at&#160;evading&#160;immunity’ are expected to worsen in coming months. At the same time flu and other respiratory viruses have been surging. How protective are our current vaccines against BA.4/5?Each new subvariant of Omicron has been better [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>COVID-19 cases remain high in Australia and a surge in cases of the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants described as ‘masters at&nbsp;evading&nbsp;immunity’ are expected to worsen in coming months. At the same time flu and other respiratory viruses have been surging.</p>



<p>How protective are our current vaccines against BA.4/5?<br>Each new subvariant of Omicron has been better able to evade immunity from vaccination than its predecessor. Although current vaccines based on the Wuhan strain still provide good protection against serious illness and death with BA.4/5, they are&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.26.493517">unlikely</a>&nbsp;to provide much, if any, protection against infection or symptomatic disease.</p>



<p>Who is eligible for a fourth dose?</p>



<p>People should get another COVID-19 booster dose. If they had their initial booster dose 3 months ago and are:</p>



<ul><li>50 years or older</li><li>a resident of an aged care or disability care facility</li><li>severely immunocompromised</li><li>Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and aged 50 years and older</li><li>16 years or older with a medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 illness</li><li>16 years or older with a disability</li></ul>



<p>A fourth dose is also available to people aged 30 to 49 years old if they choose.</p>



<p>People who had COVID-19 after their first booster should wait at least 3 months before having a winter dose.</p>



<p>Should the over 30’s get the vaccine now or wait for new vaccines?</p>



<p>At the time of writing only 35.6% of the eligible population 30+ (11,518,173 people) have only received the fourth vaccine dose. Only 71.3% of eligible population have received their third vaccine dose, which means around 5 million Australians are significantly under-immunised.</p>



<p>Most experts feel that even with BA 5 waning at the time of writing, it’s best to be immunised when you’re eligible.&nbsp; It’s not at all clear whether a ‘variant’ vaccine which includes BA1/2 and BA 5 will equip you for the next variant any better than the existing vaccine.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82053</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Growing Pains are Poorly Understood</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/growing-pains-are-poorly-understood/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:07:30 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childrens health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[growing pains]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82049</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Growing pains usually affect children between the ages of three and five, and then again in the pre-teen years, though for some children they can continue into adolescence. You may have felt them yourself or observed them in your child if you’re a parent &#8211; usually they’re experienced as aches and pains in the legs, [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Growing pains usually affect children between the ages of three and five, and then again in the pre-teen years, though for some children they can continue into adolescence. You may have felt them yourself or observed them in your child if you’re a parent &#8211; usually they’re experienced as aches and pains in the legs, often around the calf and thigh. Frequently they’re worse in the evening and can come and go over weeks and months – which makes it difficult to pin down what’s causing them.</p>



<p>The symptoms of growing pains include:</p>



<ul><li>Muscular aches and pains are felt in both legs – typically in the calf, behind the knee and in the front of the thigh.</li><li>Moving the legs does not make the pain better or worse, which shows that the joints are not affected.</li><li>The pain comes and goes, occurring perhaps every night for a week or so, or a few times a week, or only occasionally.</li><li>The onset of pain is around the late afternoon or evening.</li><li>The pain is worse during the night, particularly when the child is supposed to be going to sleep.</li><li>The pain may be severe enough to wake the child from sleep.</li><li>The pain is gone by morning.</li><li>The pain doesn&#8217;t cause a limp or make it hard to run and play normally.</li><li>Occasionally, the muscles of the arms may be affected as well.</li><li>The child may also complain of headaches.</li></ul>



<p>As the name suggests, you might think that this pain is caused by a growing body – things like bones getting bigger during a growth spurt. But in fact, bones grow very slowly, and their growth doesn’t typically cause pain. In a recent review of 145 studies, researchers from Sydney considered the <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/150/2/e2021052578/188581/Defining-Growing-Pains-A-Scoping-Review">evidence</a> around growing pains and what we understand about them scientifically.</p>



<p>They found that while up to a third of children will be diagnosed with ‘growing pains’ at some point, how the diagnosis gets made is somewhat arbitrary. Because we don’t fully understand its causes, the label of growing pains is given only after other conditions are ruled out &#8211; things like infections, flat feet or even juvenile arthritis. The researchers warn doctors against jumping to conclusions about a diagnosis of growing pains given how little we still understand about it. Australian health authorities recommend heat treatments (like warm baths and heat packs), paracetamol and simple reassurance from parents that the pain should go away by the next day.</p>



<p><strong>References</strong></p>



<p>Department of Health, Victoria: Growing pains. Retrieved 3/8/2022</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82049</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Exercise Can’t Make Up for a Poor Diet</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/exercise-cant-make-up-for-a-poor-diet/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:58:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[exercise]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82044</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The belief that you can exercise or out-run a bad diet&#160;partially stems from conventional calories-in-calories-out thinking. It’s no secret that some of the most fundamental things you can do for your health are to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. What’s been less clear is how much of each is required, and whether one [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The belief that you can exercise or out-run a bad diet&nbsp;partially stems from conventional calories-in-calories-out thinking.</p>



<p>It’s no secret that some of the most fundamental things you can do for your health are to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. What’s been less clear is how much of each is required, and whether one can make up for a lack of the other. There have been a few studies in the past that showed vigorous exercise balances out the negative effects of excess eating. But a new study by University of Sydney researchers suggests otherwise, finding that in the long term, diet and exercise independently affect health and mortality. One cannot make up for the other.</p>



<p>In this study, people reported their physical activity (broken down into vigorous and moderate exercise) and diet quality (based on their intake of fresh produce, fish and meat), as well as other factors that could influence their health such as smoking status, alcohol consumption, sex, level of education, employment and pre-existing hypertension or diabetes. They were followed up for about 11 years.</p>



<p>From nearly 350,000 participants, 2650 deaths were linked to cardiovascular disease and about 4500 deaths were linked to cancers associated with diet, weight and exercise. High levels of exercise were linked to lower cardiovascular disease mortality, while diet seemed to have a less important role in preventing heart disease. But having a healthy diet was linked to lower rates of mortality associated with various cancers.</p>



<p>This new research has shown that while diet and exercise both play an important role in your long-term health outcomes, they seem to offer protection in different areas, with a good diet having stronger links with lower cancer mortality, and regular and vigorous exercise being linked to reduced all-cause and cardiovascular disease death rates. Sadly, for some, it doesn’t appear that extra exercise can make up for a diet of takeaway and fried foods when it comes to your long-term health and longevity.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82044</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is Drinking Coffee Safe During Pregnancy?</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/is-drinking-coffee-safe-during-pregnancy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:54:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pregnancy]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82039</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A new study from researchers in Queensland and overseas suggests that low-level caffeine consumption is safe for mums-to-be. Australia’s health guidelines suggest women are safe to drink one or two cups of coffee a day while pregnant (about 200 milligrams of caffeine) while the World Health Organisation’s guidelines are slightly higher (300 milligrams a day). [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>A <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyac121/6605011">new study</a> from researchers in Queensland and overseas suggests that low-level caffeine consumption is safe for mums-to-be.</p>



<p>Australia’s health guidelines suggest women are safe to drink one or two cups of coffee a day while pregnant (about 200 milligrams of caffeine) while the World Health Organisation’s guidelines are slightly higher (300 milligrams a day).</p>



<p>In this latest work, the researchers took the interesting approach of analysing the genes of pregnant women as a proxy for their coffee-drinking behaviours. The idea was that our genome predisposes us to varying levels of caffeine consumption.&nbsp; With a certain strand of genes you might consume three cups a day, while with another you might not enjoy drinking coffee at all.</p>



<p>The researchers worked out eight different genetic profiles having varying associations with caffeine consumption and looked at the outcomes of pregnancy for each of them including miscarriage, stillbirth and pre-term birth.</p>



<p>Overall, the researchers found no evidence of a link between coffee consumption and poorer pregnancy outcomes. That’s in line with other large studies that have been done in this area.</p>



<p>The authors suggest that historical studies that did seem to show a link, might have been confounded by coffee-drinkers having poorer diets or other behaviours that might be more common in coffee-drinkers such as smoking or alcohol consumption.</p>



<p>This study adds weight to the recommendations from health bodies in Australia and internationally that drinking low levels of caffeine during pregnancy doesn’t lead to bad outcomes for mum or her baby.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82039</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Mediterranean Diet and Depression in Young Men</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/the-mediterranean-diet-and-depression-in-young-men/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:41:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=82035</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be tumultuous. Young men in particular, can be at risk because they typically don’t seek help for mental health issues like depression. This is also a time when young people begin to become more independent, which often includes preparing and cooking their own meals. Could this be leveraged [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>The transition from adolescence to adulthood can be tumultuous. Young men in particular, can be at risk because they typically don’t seek help for mental health issues like depression. This is also a time when young people begin to become more independent, which often includes preparing and cooking their own meals. Could this be leveraged to help boost young men’s protection against depression? This question has been investigated by researchers from the University of Technology Sydney in a recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqac106/6571247">study</a>.</p>



<p>Around 75 young men between the ages of 18 and 24 who had recently been diagnosed with depression were randomised into two groups. The control group, got a simplified version of therapy where they were able to chat about their life and interests with a researcher. The other group were allocated to meet with a nutritionist regularly who helped them eat a Mediterranean diet.</p>



<p>There’s been a lot of recent evidence showing positive health outcomes for those who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern, which is typically rich in vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and olive oil; low in processed foods and red meat; and has a cuisine which cooks at moderate heat with bioactive rich mixtures such as extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, tomato and other red and orange vegetables. In some groups, it’s been shown to have an effect on depression scores which is what researchers were hoping to see in this study.</p>



<p>After 12 weeks, the researchers found that both groups lowered their rates of depression, but the effect was stronger in the group following the Mediterranean diet. The mean depression score change was 20.6 versus 6.2 in the general therapy group. Almost 40 per cent of the young men in the Mediterranean diet group saw their depression score fall to between zero and 10 (which means low or minimal depression). No-one in the other group had a final score below 10 at the end of the study period.</p>



<p>Getting people to stick to diets is tricky, so it’s not clear whether these changes can be maintained long-term. And it’s also hard to tease out how much of an effect could be due to the Mediterranean diet in particular, versus reductions in poor diet generally – that is, was the Mediterranean diet responsible for reduced rates of depression, or was it just that it replaced and removed junk food from the diet? But this study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting a clear link between food and mood and that a Mediterranean diet might be one piece of the puzzle in helping to protect against depression in young people. The reason may be in microbiome oil directly from the absorption of these bioactive compounds.</p>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.mydr.com.au/news/the-health-benefits-of-a-mediterranean-diet/#:~:text=Considered%20one%20of%20the%20world's,is%20low%20in%20red%20meat.">other research</a> from Italy, the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet extends to other areas such as longevity, cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease, heart attack, overall cancer incidence, neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and diabetes.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For further information about the Mediterranean diet including tips and a sample meal plan visit</p>



<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan#eating-out">https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan#eating-out</a> </p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">82035</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Practice Connect &#8211; July 2022</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/practice-connect-july-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2022 04:29:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[practice connect]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80948</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p> Welcome to another edition of Practice Connect, where Tonic Media Network provides topical news and information for you and your patients. </p>



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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80948</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>COVID-19 Vaccine Push</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/covid-19-vaccine-push/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:46:01 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Booster Shots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coronavirus (COVID-19)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Covid-19 vaccine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vaccine]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80945</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Australia was one of the leading countries when COVID-19 vaccines were first offered with more than 95 per cent of eligible Australians over 16 years of age having had two doses of a vaccine. However, with COVID-19 cases rising around Australia and flu cases surging, we are not performing as well on our third and [&#8230;]]]></description>
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<p>Australia was one of the leading countries when COVID-19 vaccines were first offered with more than 95 per cent of eligible Australians over 16 years of age having had two doses of a vaccine.</p>



<p>However, with COVID-19 cases rising around Australia and flu cases surging, we are not performing as well on our third and fourth dose boosters.</p>



<p>GPs are being asked by the government for their help to get Australian’s vaccinated.</p>



<p>This comes at a time when authorities are trying to understand the impact of BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants in terms of their transmissibility including how much they evade previous immunity from infections or vaccinations leading to re- infections. </p>



<p>There are almost 6 million Australians who are eligible for a third COVID-19 vaccine dose who have not yet had it.</p>



<p>At the time of writing, 95 per cent of aged care residents have had their third dose however only 65.7% have received four or more doses.</p>



<p>The booster numbers aren’t where they need to be for other vulnerable populations:</p>



<ul><li>54% of eligible Indigenous people have received three or more doses</li></ul>



<ul><li>75% of NDIS participants and 90% of NDIS residents have received three or more doses</li></ul>



<ul><li>59.1% of people aged 65+ who have received four or more doses</li></ul>



<h4>Additional booster now recommended</h4>



<p>An additional booster, or fourth dose, is recommended for people at increased risk of severe illness, to be given 3 months after their first booster dose.</p>



<p>This additional booster will be a fifth dose for people who are severely immunocompromised, have an underlying medical condition or disability.</p>



<p>Learn more.&nbsp; &nbsp; Then put this link to the learn more&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/getting-your-vaccination/booster-doses">https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/getting-your-vaccination/booster-doses</a></p>



<h4 id="h-new-covid-vaccines"><strong>New COVID vaccines</strong></h4>



<p>The United States Food and Drug Administration and the European equivalent, The European Medicines Agency, is looking at applications to approve new variant vaccines. These vaccines are being developed by Moderna and Pfizer targeting the Omicron variant. They’re bivalent vaccines, so they have a small piece of the original strain in them as well as the new Omicron strain. According to the Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler “the clinical data is looking very good and regulators are now dealing with those applications before them. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia has an application before it and will be reviewing it over coming weeks”.</p>



<h4><strong>Under-five paediatric vaccine</strong></h4>



<p>The under-five paediatric vaccine by Moderna and Pfizer has been considered in America. They have been approved and are currently being rolled out in the US. &nbsp;</p>



<p>The Moderna paediatric vaccine is also before the TGA in Australia. If its approved by the TGA, it will then go to the vaccine advisory group ATAGI to consider the degree to which it should be rolled out here in Australia.</p>



<p>Minister Butler recently announced that Pfizer has also been granted provisional approval to submit an application for its paediatric vaccine to the TGA. &nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>References</strong></p>



<p>Federal Department of Health: Vaccination numbers and statistics. Retrieved 4/7/2022</p>



<p>Federal Department of Health: Minister Mark Butler Media Conference.&nbsp; Retrieved 4/7/2022</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80945</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Holding on to Hope: The Race to Solve Dementia</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/holding-on-to-hope-the-race-to-solve-dementia/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:42:28 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dementia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80942</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Dementia is one of the biggest and most baffling health challenges facing Australians. “It’s the number one fear that older people have. More than any other disease … more than anything else.” said Professor Henry Brodaty of UNSW.&#160; There are few things more confronting than the thought we might lose our memories because they define [&#8230;]]]></description>
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<h4>Dementia is one of the biggest and most baffling health challenges facing Australians.</h4>



<p><em>“It’s the number one fear that older people have. More than any other disease … more than anything else.” </em>said Professor Henry Brodaty of UNSW.&nbsp;</p>



<p>There are few things more confronting than the thought we might lose our memories because they define us for ourselves and dementia is the thief that will take them from us.</p>



<p>Half a million Australians live with dementia and for the past two decades scientists have been working on drug treatments they hope will combat the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease.</p>



<p>In a recent and powerful episode of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/holding-on-to-hope/13927038" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ABC TV’s Four Corners programme</a>, Dr Norman Swan investigated this long and controversial search for an effective treatment based on the theory that the accumulation of a substance in the brain called amyloid is the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Dr Swan examined whether the science is taking us in the right direction but also focussed on the growing knowledge that while we wait for a drug that works, there’s still a lot we can do to keep our brains in good shape.</p>



<p><em>“If we can give people another five years of quality life, that’s going to make a massive difference to people around the world. It’s going to make a massive difference to healthcare systems around the world as well.” &nbsp;s</em>aid one cognitive neurologist on the program.&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>&nbsp;“The drugs that we’re using should delay the onset of any cognitive impairment if the trial is successful,” s</em>aid Australian neuropathologist Professor Colin Masters.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>But the scientific community is divided because it’s not at all clear that removing amyloid will slow the decline in thinking and memory. Dr Swan talks to world experts who worry that if this is the case, these drugs &#8211; which are in clinical trials around the world &#8211; could be doing more harm than good.</p>



<p><em>“I would not prescribe it for myself or anybody else in my family because of this lack of benefit and substantial risk of side effects,”</em> claimed US Neurologist Professor Joel Perlmutter who sat on a US Food and Drug Administration advisory committee which looked at the evidence on one of these medications, aducanumab. &nbsp;</p>



<p>The controversial debate has increased frustration amongst dementia patients and advocates who worry that too much hope has been placed in just one treatment option. &nbsp;</p>



<p>Dr Swan’s investigation also looked at the evidence that lifestyle choices may help delay the onset of the disease while the world waits for a cure.</p>



<p><strong>Watch <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/holding-on-to-hope/13927038">ABC TV’s Four Corners programme</a> here</strong></p>



<p><strong>Useful resources and support services</strong></p>



<p>Dementia Australia: <a href="http://www.dementia.org.au/">www.dementia.org.au</a></p>



<p>My Aged Care: <a href="http://www.myagedcare.gov.au/">www.myagedcare.gov.au</a></p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">80942</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Childhood Health Linked to Midlife Cognition Function</title>
		<link>https://www.mydr.com.au/practice-connect/childhood-health-linked-to-midlife-cognition-function/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[myDr]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2022 07:38:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Practice Connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childrens health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cognitive function]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mydr.com.au/?p=80939</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[We often hear about how critical someone’s early years are to their health in later life, and a lengthy study from researchers at Monash University has added more weight to this claim. Back in the 80s, thousands of school children aged between seven and fifteen had their fitness assessed &#8211; things like their cardiorespiratory capacity, [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>We often hear about how critical someone’s early years are to their health in later life, and a lengthy study from researchers at Monash University has added more weight to this claim.</p>



<p>Back in the 80s, thousands of school children aged between seven and fifteen had their fitness assessed &#8211; things like their cardiorespiratory capacity, muscular power and muscular endurance, along with their waist-to-hip ratio (as a marker of overweight or obesity).</p>



<p>These children are now middle-aged adults, and a portion of the original cohort were followed up in 2017 and 2019 to see how they were faring. In particular, the researchers were interested in the brain health of the study participants and gave them a series of computer-based cognitive function tests, measuring things like their reaction time and visual memory.</p>



<p>More than one thousand adults between the ages of 39 and 50 were tested.</p>



<p>The researchers found there was a clear association between childhood fitness and better cognitive health in midlife. The children who were in the fittest group &#8211; scoring highly on cardio health, muscular power and endurance, were the same adults who tended to get the best brain training scores. Children who scored poorly on the different fitness tests did worse on the brain tests decades down the track. It seemed different forms of fitness were important &#8211; both muscular health and cardio capacity had an influence on midlife brain health. What’s more, these findings were independent of factors that might confound the results such as smoking, education and alcohol use.</p>
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