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Sydney Morning Herald

"Virtual reality games may help stroke victims recover: study"

Sydney Morning Herald

26 Feb 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

Playing on a virtual reality gaming system may help stroke patients improve their motor function, according to a small study presented Thursday at a conference of the American Stroke Association.
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The Age

"Radical ovarian cancer treatment offers hope"

The Age

24 Feb 2010

Rating: (1½ stars)

EARLY results from a new cancer treatment pioneered in Melbourne show that advanced ovarian cancer can be fought to a standstill - an against-the-odds result that could point to a radical new way of beating other cancers.
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NineMSN

"Paracetamol may prevent diseases"

NineMSN

23 Feb 2010

Rating: (2½ stars)

It's been easing headaches for generations, and now Australian scientists say the humble paracetamol tablet could also be used to prevent a range of diseases.
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"Aspirin a breast cancer lifesaver"

Adelaide Now

18 Feb 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

WOMEN with breast cancer who take aspirin at least twice a week can more than double their chance of surviving, researchers in a 30-year project say.
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The Australian

"Nasal spray can relieve autism symptoms"

The Australian

15 Feb 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

SCIENTISTS have found that some symptoms of autism can be alleviated by a nasal spray containing oxytocin, the "bonding" hormone.
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The Courier Mail

"Tai chi moves may benefit those with type 2 diabetes"

The Courier Mail

12 Feb 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

AN ancient form of Chinese exercise may hold hope for staving off a modern illness - type 2 diabetes, according to a university researcher.
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Sydney Morning Herald

"Study backs gastric bands for obese teens"

Sydney Morning Herald

11 Feb 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

THE benefits of losing weight during the teenage years are so great that severely obese adolescents should be offered stomach-restricting surgery, according to the results of Australian research.
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NineMSN

"Science unearths diabetes 'Holy Grail'"

NineMSN

06 Feb 2010

Rating: (1 stars)

The development of an "artificial pancreas" has been hailed as a significant breakthrough in diabetes management but it could take another five years to reach diabetics.
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NineMSN

"Fish oil 'might prevent schizophrenia'"

NineMSN

04 Feb 2010

Rating: (5 stars)

Fish oil pills may be able to save some young people with signs of mental illness from descending into schizophrenia, according to a preliminary but first-of-its-kind study conducted in Austria.
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ABC Health and Wellbeing

"Fish oil may stave off schizophrenia"

ABC Health and Wellbeing

02 Feb 2010

Rating: (5 stars)

Doctors now know how to tell whether a young person is at risk of developing schizophrenia but what they're not so sure about is the best form of treatment.
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NineMSN

"MS pills show promise and risk: studies"

NineMSN

21 Jan 2010

Rating: (4½ stars)

Tests of the first two oral drugs developed for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) show that both cut the frequency of relapses and may slow progression of the disease, but with side effects that could pose a tough decision for patients.
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NineMSN

"Doctors give woman a new windpipe"

NineMSN

15 Jan 2010

Rating: (3 stars)

For more than a quarter of a century, Linda De Croock lived with constant pain from a car accident that smashed her windpipe.
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The West Australian

"Blood pressure drug 'combats' dementia"

The West Australian

13 Jan 2010

Rating: (3½ stars)

A widely prescribed drug to tackle high blood pressure and heart disease also appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, according to a US study.
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Herald Sun

"Hope for new skin-disorder drug"

Herald Sun

22 Dec 2009

Rating: (1½ stars)

A RADICAL new drug used to treat patients suffering painful sensitivity to sunlight could prevent skin cancer or be copied by the tanning industry.
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Today Tonight

"The golden tan implant"

Today Tonight

21 Dec 2009

Rating: (0 stars)

There are many who find summer difficult, because they're too fair to enjoy the beach or pool. But a new Aussie drug could soon end all that.
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Daily Telegraph

"Drug implant blocks skin cancer"

Daily Telegraph

19 Dec 2009

Rating: (1½ stars)

A DRUG implant that protects against skin cancer has been given the go-ahead by health chiefs in the UK.
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Sydney Morning Herald

"Scientists find wasted blood that's worth bottling"

Sydney Morning Herald

11 Dec 2009

Rating: (2 stars)

A MASSIVE dose of HDL ''good'' cholesterol injected into patients after a heart attack can quickly break down fatty deposits in the arteries and might prevent subsequent attacks, Australian scientists have said after early tests of a new therapy derived...
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recent articles

news

Media Doctor study of health reporting published in PLoS ONE

14 Apr 2009

New research on the reporting of medical treatments is published in the latest edition of the...
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what media doctor is

Media Doctor is a website dedicated to improving the accuracy of media reports about new medical treatments.

Media Doctor reviews current news items about medical treatments, assesses their quality using a standardised rating scale and presents reviews of good and bad examples of reports on this website. It is anticipated that these independent and objective critiques will improve journalistic practices in reporting new medications and treatments in Australia.

Read more about our site >>

what media doctor is not

Media Doctor does not provide medical advice, and does not assess the quality of the evidence on which the stories are based; instead we concentrate on the articles themselves. For more information on the treatments featured on this site, visit our links page.

who is media doctor?

The team behind Media Doctor consists of a group of academics and clinicians from the Newcastle Institute of Public Health, who have an interest in promoting better and more accurate reporting in the area of medical treatments.

Read more about our team >>

upcoming articles

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    Sunday Telegraph

  • "Multivitamins may cut lung cancer risk by 16 per cent"

    Daily Telegraph

  • "Coffee lowers risk of hospital trip for heartbeats"

    Sydney Morning Herald

  • "Can vitamin injections help you heal after surgical procedures?"

    Daily Telegraph

  • "Actress Anna Friel used Laser to stay young"

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  • "Why fat makes you sick"

    Sydney Morning Herald

  • "Gene test claims to find best diet"

    NineMSN

  • "Gene test for best diet"

    Sydney Morning Herald

  • "Painkillers linked to male hearing loss"

    ABC News Online

  • "Melbourne couples taking part in trials of male contraceptive jab"

    Herald Sun

  • "Male pill trials under way"

    Daily Telegraph

  • "New concussion test"

    Daily Telegraph

  • "Mobile mental health"

    Herald Sun

  • "Quick fertility test reads biological clock"

    Sunday Telegraph