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Risk factors for suicide over a lifetime — systematic review
A review of previous studies into suicide worldwide by Oxford University and the Karolinska Institutet identifies the effects of individual and environmental risk factors,...
State medical negligence claims and payouts almost quadruple over four years
Claims for medical negligence against the state have almost quadrupled over the past four years, rising to R104.5bn in 2018/19 from R28.6bn in 2014/15,...
Mediterranean, fasting & Paleo diets go head-to-head Down Under
A New Zealand study put the popular Intermittent Fasting, Mediterranean and Paleo diets to a comparative test over a year in a "real world"...
Prosecuting healthcare professionals for culpable homicide – who benefits?
Medical Protection's Graham Howarth, head of medical services (SA) and Tony Behrman, business consultant write:
The recent arrest of colleagues on charges of culpable homicide...
Warning on sustained transmission of 2019-nCoV outbreak – WHO
The World Health Organisation warns of 'possible evidence' of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China spreading, writes MedicalBrief. UK scientists say that official totals...
Insurer's attack medical regulator's 'brutal violation of constitutional rights'
The out-of-the blue decision to end private-sector primary healthcare cover in March 2021 was “a brutal violation” of constitutional rights and, should medical...
Petition to drop 'premature' criminal charges against Beale and Munshi
Almost 50,000 people have signed a petition for authorities to drop the criminal case against paediatric surgeon Professor Peter Beale and anaesthetist Dr Abdulhay...
Wealth adds 8-9 healthy years to life expectancy
The wealthiest men and women can expect to live an additional eight to nine years free from disability compared to people in the poorest...
Arrest warrants for specialists a 'direct threat' to healthcare delivery
Unprecedented arrest warrants for two medical specialists accused of medical negligence continues to cause waves, writes MedicalBrief. The SA Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists...
Medical profession's opposition to NHI Bill grows
The medical profession is becoming more outspoken in its criticisms of the National Health Insurance Bill among growing concerns over large-scale emigration. The SA...
Intermittent fasting may help people live longer
Evidence is accumulating that eating in a 6-hour period and fasting for 18 hours can trigger a metabolic switch from glucose-based to ketone-based energy,...
CMS move to scrap low-cost plans is 'catastrophic and unconstitutional'
The Council for Medical Schemes has stunned the private health care sector with its decision to scrap by March 2021 the pared-down schemes and...
Faster breast cancer radiation treatment as effective as long course
A five-year multi-centre randomised control trial shows similar recurrence rates of breast cancer in patients treated by accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) over the...
TAC applies to join landmark medical negligence case before ConCourt
The activist Treatment Action Campaign has applied to be heard as a friend of the court in a landmark Constitutional Court case on medical...
Deal me in — playing games can protect cognitive skills in old age
People who play non-digital games – such as cards, crosswords and board games – are more likely to stay mentally sharp in later life,...
Parliament delays decision on whether to read NHI submissions
The National Assembly’s Health Committee will only consider how to manage the vast volume of written submissions it has received in response to the...
Landmark study highlights importance of cholesterol monitoring of young adults
Adults as young as 25, not only older people, need to know their “bad cholesterol” (non-HDL) levels so they can change their lifestyle or...
South Africa shines in global overview of HIV/Aids research excellence
A global analysis of four years of HIV/Aids research identifies the US as research leader in the field, followed by the UK and South...
Substantial tax hikes needed to cover NHI – economists
The government would have to hike taxes by an average of 10.8% to fund the National Health Insurance (NHI) to provide the services set...
Even slightly raised levels of troponin linked to increased risk of heart death
Even a small increase in troponin, a protein linked to heart attacks, is associated with an up to tenfold increased risk of death, found...
Global study reveals relatively low cost of SA medicines
In a finding that may surprise many, South Africa ranked among the lowest on the cost of 13 common medicines in a 50-nation study by UK digital healthcare...
Robust study finds stents no better than drugs for many, challenging current practice
Many patients with severe but stable heart disease who routinely undergo stenting would do as well by just taking medications and making lifestyle changes,...
Lawyers to test constitutionality of limiting right to treatment
Lawyers are to appeal a Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) judgment upholding a decision by Helen Joseph Hospital to discontinue life-saving dialysis treatment for an...
Impartiality of 'politicised' NHI hearings called into question
A recent public hearing on the National Health Insurance Bill has been criticised by civil society activists as "an ANC rally ... a sham",...
Implantable bio-artificial kidney achieves pre-clinical milestone
US scientists have successfully implanted a prototype kidney bioreactor containing functional human kidney cells into pigs without significant safety concerns. Separately, a study found...
Probiotics may halve gut problems and infections in very premature babies
Boosting the milk of premature babies with healthy bacteria may have helped half the number of serious gut problems and infections, according to research...
Motsoaledi and Magashule named in CityMed 'hit' case
A senior former Free State Health official claims that former Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule were bribed to facilitate the...
Measles wipes out immune system's memory — 2 studies
Inoculation with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine did not impair children’s overall immunity. Importantly, it also prevented measles from depleting people’s antibody...
Medical cannabis not proven in mental health — research review
Evidence is weak for whether medicinal cannabis treatments can relieve mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and psychosis, and doctors should prescribe them with...
Survey paints bleak picture of practitioner pessimism
As South African health professionals have become more knowledgeable about the National Health Insurance scheme they have become increasingly negative about it, reports MedicalBrief....
NHS calls for blacklisting of homeopathy in UK
National Health Service (NHS) leaders in the UK have gone to war on homeopathy by attempting to have the practice blacklisted amid fears it...
Pro footballers have 3.5x higher risk of neuro-degenerative disease
A landmark study led by the University of Glasgow has revealed the first major insights into lifelong health outcomes in former professional footballers. The...
Bedtime BP meds may cut heart risk by almost half – large randomised study
Blood pressure medication may confer a larger benefit if taken at night, rather than in the morning. A “robust” Spanish study of more than 19,000 patients...
Being a doctor is a mug’s game in SA
Inconsistently applied and poorly managed disciplinary proceedings are putting strain on South Africa’s doctors, argues columnist William Saunderson-Meyer on Politicsweb. The also have to...
HPCSA vs anti-abortion doctor: Defence wants charges dropped
Anti-abortionist Dr Jaques de Vos’s medical career has been stalled for more than two years because of a repeatedly delayed disciplinary action by the...
Semenya row: Study shows testosterone boosts female athletic performance
In a robust new study with dire implications for trans athletes like SA's Caster Semenya, researchers at the Karolinska Institutet and the Swedish School...
Ministers claim courts used to thwart private healthcare oversight
The ministers of Health and Economic Development hit back at Health Market Inquiry findings blaming the government for “inadequate stewardship” of the private sector...
Wits boosts organ donor numbers with new procurement strategy
The Wits Transplant Unit substantially increased organ donor numbers after revising the way they communicate with families and medical staff after a potential donor...
Omega-3 fish oil supplements linked with lower CVD risk
People who received omega-3 fish oil supplements in randomised clinical trials had significantly lower risks of heart attack and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) events...
Ramaphosa's 'wake-up' to R22bn in health corruption
President Cyril Ramaphosa said he got a “wake-up call” during the recent election campaigning when he discovered how many of the billions of rands...