The Health News – 5 September 2016

Overview:
•  The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health was started back in 1996 to ensure the country’s health policy was based on hard data. It followed 58,000 women across the country and the generations and is one of the biggest studies of its kind globally. The study is expanding to include the health of the children from the original young cohort — all 16,000 of them.

• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned several key chemicals in antibacterial hand soap, warning of health risks and saying they were not more effective than ordinary soap. The FDA move took aim at 19 ingredients including the two most common, triclosan and triclocarban, which are widely included in liquid and bar antibacterial soaps despite fears they damage the immune system.

• Aboriginal health worker Kristika Kumar is training to run the New York marathon in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of exercise to help close the health gap in her community. The 25-year-old was inspired to take up running after observing the impact of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and kidney failure on the people of Wreck Bay, about 38 kilometres south of Nowra, on the south coast of NSW.

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the  5th of September 2016. Read by Rebecca Foster. Health News

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-04/womens-health-study-running-20-years-expands-to-children/7812492

The biggest study into the health of Australian women has clocked up 20 years — and is set to expand to research their children’s well-being.

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health was started back in 1996 to ensure the country’s health policy was based on hard data.

It followed 58,000 women across the country and the generations and is one of the biggest studies of its kind globally.

More than 700 researchers worldwide are using the data and 660 research projects have relied on the information to look at everything from reproductive health to domestic violence, obesity, breastfeeding and pre-determinates for serious illness.

Study director Professor Gita Mishra said it provided information for health researchers, and guides health policy on a myriad of issues.

The study is expanding to include the health of the children from the original young cohort — all 16,000 of them.

“We are hoping to see how the health of the children affects our cohort members, which are their mothers and also the health of the cohort members and how that affects the health of the children,” Professor Mishra said.

And that development will see this project without rival anywhere in the world.

The project is run by researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of Newcastle.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-03/us-fda-bans-chemicals-in-anti-bacterial-hand-soap/7812182

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned several key chemicals in antibacterial hand soap, warning of health risks and saying they were not more effective than ordinary soap.

The FDA move took aim at 19 ingredients including the two most common, triclosan and triclocarban, which are widely included in liquid and bar antibacterial soaps despite fears they damage the immune system.

“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s drugs division, said.

“In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”

The ban does not include hand disinfectant products used in hospitals and other medical centres…

Manufacturers have a year to comply with the ban, and some are already working to remove the ingredients in question from their products, the FDA said.

The Environmental Working Group hailed the bans as progress.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-03/aboriginal-health-worker-running-marathon-to-close-health-gap/7811924

Aboriginal health worker Kristika Kumar is training to run the New York marathon in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of exercise to help close the health gap in her community.

The 25-year-old was inspired to take up running after observing the impact of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and kidney failure on the people of Wreck Bay, about 38 kilometres south of Nowra, on the south coast of NSW.

Earlier this year, Ms Kumar won a place on the Indigenous Marathon Project.

This year, there are 12 young men and women from Indigenous communities around the country involved.