A report into five suspected suicides of St John Ambulance volunteers and paramedics found that it was 'a complex mix of issues', not solely their exposure to critical incidents that contributed to their deaths. [ + ]

For many people, the first sign of pain sees them reaching for the medicine cabinet. Among the drugs that so often line these shelves are a class of medications known as ‘Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs’ or NSAIDS. Naproxen, Ibuprofen and Diclofenac are three common members of the NSAID family. Used to treat inflammation and other ailments such as migraines or period pain, these drugs have become a common fix for the pain problem. Inflammation is part of the body’s innate intelligence, a method by which damage is repaired. But when this gets painful, it can be difficult for some people to let the body heal itself unaided. For many people, this is where these drugs come in. Often they do their job, helping to dull the pain, but this can come at a cost. Side effects include: raised liver enzymes, diarrhoea, headaches, dizziness, salt and fluid retention and high blood pressure among others [1]. [ + ]

Hope is on the horizon for Australians suffering from glaucoma as medical researchers investigate the use of gene therapy to inform new personalised treatments for the disease. [ + ]

Take a minute to watch this inspiring and uplifting video celebrating women's aspirations and dreams. [ + ]

Working long hours—particularly 46 hours per week or more—may increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events such as heart attack, reports a study in the March Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). [ + ]

There’s abundant advice out there on what you should or shouldn’t eat, drink, swallow, or stand next to, to avoid cancer. But it’s often lacking in evidence and the jumble of messages can be confusing. [ + ]

Experts in toxicology have warned that wastewater is the canary in the coal mine. University of Queensland scientists from The National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox) worked with Professor Wayne Hall of the Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research to confirm that methamphetamine residue found in the wastewater of a Queensland city has multiplied five times since 2009. [ + ]

What is medication non-adherence and why does it matter? Medication non-adherence is the extent to which a patient’s behaviour matches agreed recommendations from the prescriber1. In chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), roughly 1 in every 2 prescribed medications are not taken as recommended with many people completely stopping their medications prematurely. 2,3,4 [ + ]

What are the most addictive drugs? According to Eric Bowman, from the University of St Andrews, while the question seems simple, the answer depends on whom you ask. From the points of view different researchers, the potential for a drug to be addictive can be judged in terms of the harm it causes, the street value of the drug, the extent to which the drug activates the brain’s dopamine system, how pleasurable people report the drug to be, the degree to which the drug causes withdrawal symptoms, and how easily a person trying the drug will become hooked. [ + ]

This is a great example of how clear communication is so important. Sometimes what we say and what our patients hear are two different things. [ + ]

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Health Minister Sussan Ley announced private health insurance premiums will increase by an average of 5.6% from April. This amounts to the average family paying about $300 more a year for an average policy. [ + ]

Working 12+ hour shifts is linked to a heightened risk of burnout, job dissatisfaction, and intention to leave among hospital nurses in 12 European countries, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open. [ + ]

New tests and drugs have impacted health care for many decades. But according to Tim Usherwood, from University of Sydney, we’re now seeing the emergence of completely different kinds of technologies that will radically alter how health care is both accessed and delivered. [ + ]

If you care for someone with a rare disease, you are not alone. There are over 6000 rare diseases. For most, there is no cure. For many, there is no independence. [ + ]