Science Media Centre

People over 75 who take aspirin every day to prevent heart problems have a higher than expected risk of intestinal bleeding, say UK researchers. They argue that anyone over 75 taking aspirin daily should be prescribed proton-pump inhibitors at the same time to counter this risk. The 10-year-long study, published today in The Lancet, showed […]

New research confirms and clarifies the link between high doses of commonly prescribed painkillers and adverse cardiovascular events such as heart attacks. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NASIDs) —  such as diclofenac and ibuprofen — have been the cornerstone in managing pain in people with inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, and are some of the most commonly […]

Worldwide incidence of traumatic brain injury could be six times higher than previous estimates, according to new research based on a New Zealand sample. The BIONIC (Brain Injury Outcomes New Zealand In the Community) study examined multiple overlapping sources of information (eg, public hospitals, family doctors, rehabilitation centres, coroner/autopsy records, rest homes, ambulance services, and […]

Leading medical journal The Lancet has published a special series of articles focusing on adolescent health, including an international comparison of health and mortality data which highlights New Zealand’s poor ranking in youth suicide and death statistics. The 45th Session of the United Nations Commission on Population Development, which has an adolescent health theme takes […]

The publication of hospital data showing a dramatic rise in infectious disease admissions, particularity among Maori, Pacific Islanders and those in lower socioeconomic groups, has drawn the attention of the New Zealand media. The figures were published in the Lancet by associate professor  Michael Baker and his colleagues from the University of Otago, Wellington. The […]

New research has revealed New Zealand has one of the highest rates of diabetes among developed countries, drawing attention to the causes and prevention of the disease. The study, published in the Lancet, examined 2008 data on rates of diabetes globally and found that among wealthy countries New Zealand ranked in the top five in […]

Today the Lancet published its comprehensive article series on stillbirth, drawing attention to the understated global prevalence of the phenomenon. One baby out of every 130 who reach the midpoint of pregnancy in New Zealand and Australia will be stillborn. Unexplained stillbirth is ten times more common that cot death (SIDS), and yet the issue […]

A review article published in the Lancet this week put forward health priorities aimed at tackling some of the worlds biggest killers – heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory disease. A team of nearly 100 international health experts, led by New Zealander Professor Robert Beaglehole, called on heads of state and governments to […]

A review article published in the Lancet today puts forward health priorities aimed at tackling some of the worlds biggest killers – heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory disease. A team of nearly 100 international health experts, led by New Zealander Professor Robert Beaglehole, are calling on heads of state and governments to […]

British medical science journal The Lancet has done a write-up on the rapidly expanding Science Media Centre network, detailing the increasingly international nature of the SMC, which began in Britain almost a decade ago. SMCs opened in Japan and Canada last year and a centre is scheduled to launch in Denmark in 2011. Collaboration between […]