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In the news: In the United States, the FDA will now require GLP1 medications to carry package warnings about a rare side effect that causes blindness. The TGA made a similar change here a few months ago, but what is NAION and what do you need to know about it? More results are published for drugs that were created to reduce LP(a), a cholesterol that is a precursor to heart disease and stroke risk, and the results are again not what was hoped. Where to from here? Catholic health care provider Calvary Health's purchase of two NSW Hunter region hospitals means some services will no longer be available, including IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies, voluntary assisted dying, elective terminations of pregnancy, and gender reassignment procedures.  References FDA Requires Safety Labeling Changes for Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) Due to Potential Increased Risk of Rare But Serious Eye ConditionTGA Medicine Safety Update: GLP-1 RAs and rare vision disorderHealth Report: Heart disease prevention drug fails at final hurdleInterleukin-6 Inhibition with Ziltivekimab for Atherosclerotic DiseasePelacarsen and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with High Lipoprotein(a)Calvary Health Care purchase of Newcastle Private Hospital and Hunter Valley Private Hospital

The TGA says 8 out of 12 medical scribe products being used by doctors in Australia may be affecting diagnostic and clinical decisions. These products must now go through the registration process as medical devices. What does that mean for you as a patient as AI powered medical software gains more power in the consulting room? Guest/s Professor Enrico Coiera, Director of the Centre for Health Informatics at the Australian Institute for Health Innovation, Macquarie UniversityReferences TGA - Digital Scribe review outcomes

Despite data showing younger people are drinking less, rates of hospitalisation for alcohol related liver diseases in that cohort are still higher than they were before the pandemic.  What's behind these numbers and what can be done to reduce risk? Guest/s Associate Professor Michael Livingston, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University References Alcohol-related liver disease epidemiology in VictoriaABC News: Severe alcohol-related liver disease common in younger Australians

A comparison of twenty-one different anti-depressant medications showed they were more effective than placebo in adults with major depressive disorder.  But some medications were found to be slightly more beneficial than others. How does that affect prescribing? Guest/s Dr Astha Tomar, President, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of PsychiatristsReferences Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis - The Lancet

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week. You can email us at [email protected]

In the news: The Therapeutic Goods Administration this week approved a daily pill form of weight loss medication Wegovy. What will that mean for how you take it, and those who need access?A Medicare Healthy Kids Check for 3 year-olds is available from November 1. While assessments by GPs are funded through Medicare, it's still unclear how referrals to specialists as a result of these checks will be managed.The mid-term elections in the United States of America has seen a number of newly appointed Democrats with medical qualifications.    References Daily weight-loss tablet Wegovy cleared by TGA for use in AustraliaNew Medicare health check for 3-year-old childrenAustralian Journal of General Practice: A guide to the 3-year-old health check for general practice

A study from the United Kingdom using NHS data compared full and partial knee replacements done with and without robotics to see if the outcomes were better for patients in the period following the procedures. The answer might surprise you. Guest/s Hasan Mohammad, NIHR academic clinical lecturer in trauma and orthopaedics, Queen Mary University London and University of Oxford References Early national comparison of robotic versus conventional knee replacements for arthritis using National Joint Registry data: target trial emulation study

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is a popular procedure in Australia for couples with infertility, but it's also expensive. A new study compares a less invasive method, called intrauterine insemination (IUI) as a first line treatment, against IVF alone. Guest/s Lucy Prentice, Fertility specialist and Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, (Obstetric, Gynaecological & Reproductive Sciences), University of Auckland References NEJM: In Vitro Fertilization or Intrauterine Insemination in Unexplained Infertility

Women in the peri and menopausal transitions can experience pain that’s further complicated by fluctuations in hormone levels.  A new white paper from the International Menopause Society seeks to clarify the understanding and impacts of musculoskeletal pain, migraine and pelvic pain at this time of life. Guest/s Professor Rosella E Nappi, Gynaecologist, Endocrinologist and Sexologist, University of Pavia and President of International Menopause Society References International Menopause Society: Chronic pain at midlifeABC News: Half of middle-aged women live with chronic pain. Here's what we know

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week. You can email us at [email protected]

In the news: The Bundibugyo strain of the ebola virus continues to spread at pace in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has now passed 10,000 cases, becoming the biggest outbreak in that country, and has also spread to Kenya.  The Victorian Coroner's report on the death of actor Richard Norton attributes the use of unapproved peptides prescribed by his treating doctor. The report recommends the TGA do more to restrict access. References Victorian Coroners Court: finding into death without inquest - Richard John NortonABC News: Coroner recommends TGA review peptide restrictions after Australian actor's deathWHO: Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus - Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Nigeria

A study using data from the UK Biobank indicates following the Mediterranean diet as a way to prevent acne. Researchers say avoiding entire food groups like dairy is not a good way to manage the health of your body or your skin. Guest/s Wendy Hall, Professor of Nutritional Sciences and Head of Department of Nutritional Sciences, Kings College London References Associations between diet quality and adult acne: A cross sectional study in the UK Biobank

It’s one of the most difficult cancers to detect and to treat, and patients who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer often have a short life expectancy. A new drug can extend survival times significantly but there are some major barriers to access at the moment. Guest/s Michael Lee, Medical oncologist with specialist in upper gastrointestinal tract cancer, Peter McCallum Cancer Centre

The road to becoming a registered psychologist is getting a refresh, as the government hopes to simplify current study pathways to take care of a workforce problem.  But the current proposal faces opposition from some within the industry who say it will reduce quality of care, and do nothing to solve the biggest problem, which is a shortage of psychologists outside major cities. Guest/s Trevor Steward, Associate Professor at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne Dr Kelly Gough, APS PresidentRachel Phillips, Chair of the Psychology Board of Australia References Redesigning the higher education pathway

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week. You can email us at [email protected]