This collection brings together stories about health – and how advances in technology, understanding and know-how are keeping more of us well for longer. These improvements include everything from the development of non-invasive techniques to investigate gastric problems through to genetic medicine. Because they frequently involve NZ doctors, scientists and researchers, these stories are often a testament to Kiwi ingenuity.
Simple device could be a game-changer for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers who want to keep moving
Loss of muscle mass and strength is a problem for those with the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis. Sore, swollen joints mean that exercising can be painful, so many sufferers will avoid it, growing weaker and less fit as a result and gradually experiencing a decline in what they are capable of doing.
To maintain their quality of life, people with this debilitating condition need a form of physical activity that improves strength and mobility without aggravating painful joints. Hunter Bennett, a lecturer in exercise and sport science at the University of South Australia, is hoping Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training may provide a solution.
NZ trials look to stop deadly “hidden” pancreatic cancer
A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is especially devastating. Survival rates are poor – at just 12%, it has the lowest rate of all major cancers – and treatment options are limited.
Part of the problem is that pancreatic cancer is rarely caught soon enough. Symptoms include fatigue, unexplained weight loss, new onset diabetes, a change in stools, stomach and/or back pain, and loss of appetite, and these can often be put down to other things.
Shifting the dial on pancreatic cancer is a priority. The Gut Cancer Foundation has committed close to $250,000 to three different trials in New Zealand aimed at improving survival rates and potentially stopping the disease in its tracks.
Life savers: How genetic data will revolutionise your diagnosis and treatment
Using our genetic make-up to guide medical treatment is known as precision medicine. It includes genomics – using an individual’s genetic information to predict susceptibility to disease and decide treatments; pharmacogenomics – determining which drugs you may have a reaction to based on your genetics (see A test helping Kiwis use their genetic data to avoid drug reactions is in the works); and nutrigenomics – understanding nutrient effects on your genetic make-up and tailoring diets to influence health.
Kiwi app for tuning out tinnitus brings hope
One of the most common misconceptions about tinnitus is there is nothing to be done; you just have to live with it. About 207,000 New Zealanders are affected by the condition, which is often described as “ringing in the ears” but can also be experienced as buzzing, hissing, whooshing, clicking, humming, sizzling or shrieking sounds. These can range from just annoying to seriously disabling.
Now, a research team led by the University of Auckland has developed a smartphone app that has been shown in trials to reduce the impact of tinnitus in two-thirds of its users. The app, called MindEar, offers a suite of tools that can be tailored to an individual’s needs.
Advice on back pain is outdated, here’s the new way to treat it
Low back pain is now the leading cause of disability worldwide and the number of people experiencing it is predicted to keep rising. However, there is a move to change the way we treat and manage sore backs: rather than expensive therapies or medication, it is all about empowering us to help our body heal itself.
NZ researchers make major tech breakthrough for diagnosing gut problems
Ongoing nausea, vomiting and stomach pain can be difficult for doctors to fathom. Once the obvious causes like a gut infection or food poisoning have been ruled out, many patients find themselves on what gastrointestinal surgeon Greg O’Grady calls “a diagnostic treadmill”. The process can take years, involving multiple tests and scans and over-exposure to radiation. Some people never pin down exactly what is going on…
Clearly, what was needed was a non-invasive and accurate way to diagnose patients more quickly. To develop such a solution, O’Grady and a team of Auckland researchers joined forces with a US expert in wearable technologies, Armen Gharibans. The result, a medical device called Gastric Alimetry, is now in use in 37 hospitals and clinics in six different countries.
Diabetes care revolution: New tech offers life-changing benefits to thousands of NZers
These are exciting times for diabetes care. Dramatic progress has been made in the past 10 years and it is starting to make a real difference for the more than 320,000 New Zealanders estimated to have the condition.
“It has been a revolution, particularly for type 1 diabetes,” says Ben Wheeler, an endocrinologist at the University of Otago. “What we have available to manage diabetes and get people healthier has really changed.”
Struggling with dry eye disease? A space experiment that might provide a breakthrough
With so much time spent staring at screens these days, dry eye is becoming increasingly common. Otago ophthalmologist Francesc March is literally going to the ends of the Earth in a bid to develop improved treatments for this uncomfortable ocular issue. His research is the first to investigate dry eye in space-like conditions, onboard parabolic flights, which create short periods of weightlessness through precise flight patterns.
Surprising new research on how apps help you to stay healthy
Most of us have some sort of health app on our mobile phone or smartwatch, even if only a step-counter. There are apps to track everything, from mood, fitness, sleep, diet and heart health to self-care habits. Some, like MyFitnessPal, are free while others, such as the weight loss app Noom, require a paid subscription.
But how useful are they? And do they result in us becoming any healthier? That is what researchers at the University of South Australia were interested in finding out. They crunched through all the available evidence, synthesising data from 206,873 people across 47 studies, and discovered that digital health tools – such as apps, websites and text messages – can significantly improve health and wellbeing.