Indigenous people less likely to be waitlisted for a kidney transplant
A study has found while eight per cent of non-Indigenous dialysis patients were waitlisted, just two per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients were.
In most cases it was because of an incomplete work‐up, because they were awaiting transplant assessment or because their eligibility had not yet been assessed.
Guest/s
Professor Jacqui Hughes, a kidney specialist at Flinders University and one of the leaders of the National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce
Professor Jacqui Hughes, a kidney specialist at Flinders University and one of the leaders of the National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce
Professor Stephen McDonald, a specialist in the epidemiology of kidney disease at The University of Adelaide
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ABC News
34 minutes ago
- ABC News
Eight babies have been born via a new IVF technique called mitochondrial donation. What is it?
Researchers in the United Kingdom have announced the successful birth of eight babies after a clinical trial of an IVF technique known as mitochondrial donation. The pioneering technique — which some in the media have dubbed "three-person IVF" — has been developed to prevent the sometimes fatal and incurable mitochondrial (mito) disease. Researchers hope clinical trials using this technique could be held in Australia within years. Here's how it works. Mitochondria are parts of a cell that break down food and turn it into energy. They're found in almost every cell of the human body. When they don't work properly, they can drain the body of energy, which can result in a rare condition called mitochondrial disease. Mild cases cause problems like weak muscles, diabetes, deafness, vision loss, and heart disease, but at its worst, children can die before birth or soon after from widespread organ failure. In Australia, about 60 babies born each year will develop a serious or fatal case of mitochondrial disease, and only mothers can pass it on to their children. As there is no cure, scientists have focused on IVF technologies to reduce the likelihood of mothers passing this genome onto their children. This is where "pronuclear transfer", or mitochondrial donation, comes in. It involves a technique where a woman's disease-causing mitochondria are replaced with those from another woman's egg. An egg with disease-causing mitochondrial DNA is fertilised with sperm via IVF. The resulting "pronucleus" — which contains the couple's genetic material — is removed from the egg and then transferred to the donor egg. This donor egg has healthy mitochondria and has already had its genetic material removed. The resulting embryo inherits the parent's DNA, but the mitochondrial DNA comes from the donor egg. This process greatly reduces the baby's chance of developing mitochondrial disease. 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"That's a really important part of this whole process." But he said the research was "remarkable" so far. "[We have] eight babies born to families who would've normally had very ill children," Professor Carroll said. Swinburne University bioethicist Evie Kendal also said this technology was different to the process which could lead to gene-edited or "designer babies". "Mitochondrial donation is only really targeting those specific mitochondrial diseases that are impacted by mutations in that mitochondrial DNA," she said. "So it's not something that we could manipulate to change the traits of offspring, and most genetic conditions are of course related to mutations in the nuclear DNA." Some in the media have dubbed the technique "three-person IVF", because it uses two eggs and sperm to make a baby. But Professor Carroll said this wasn't technically correct. Instead, he said it should be thought about as a couple and an egg donor. 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News.com.au
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These products are hand-picked by our team to help make shopping easier. We may receive payments from third parties for sharing this content and when you purchase through links in this article. Product prices and offer details are not assured, and should be confirmed independently with the retailer. Learn more When it comes to getting the perfect night's sleep there's one factor that can make or break it: Temperature. If your bed is too hot you'll easily find yourself frustrated in sweaty sheets. Too cold and you'll suffer through a night of broken sleep. While your bedding can make a difference, a good base is key. Enter Koala's Polar+ Mattress *. Dubbed Koala 's 'coolest mattress ever' it features trademarked PolarBands technology that helps to remove body heat and keep hot sleepers cool. As someone who has struggled with night sweats since giving birth, I was excited to put the Polar+ Mattress to the test. But as I soon learnt to call this simply a cooling mattress would be reductive — the Polar+ comes also with two firmness options, plus a winter side of the topper to keep you cosy when the temperature drops. Read on for my honest review. WHAT IS THE KOALA POLAR+ MATTRESS? The Koala Polar+ has all the features of the Koala Plus mattress but with two extras the company claims will keep you up to five degrees cooler. Found in the top layer of the Polar+ mattress, PolarBands work to conduct body heat away from you. CoolThread fabric, a blend of cooling yarn, helps wick away sweat and feel comfortably cool on your skin. The Polar+ comes with a zippable seasonal topper which has a summer or winter side. You can choose between two flippable levels of firmness: firm or medium firm. It also has all the features Koala are known for in their mattresses — an eight centimetre Kloudcell layer and five-zone support core zero disturbance technology designed to keep bed movement to a minimum. KOALA POLAR+ MATTRESS: FIRST IMPRESSIONS The Polar+ was delivered to my apartment door in three boxes. First impressions were that it was much heavier and bigger than my current mattress, the Koala SE. But despite it being bulkier it was still easy enough to get unboxed and on my bed frame, although it doesn't hurt to have another person to help. Next I waited a few hours for the mattress to expand. While Koala says it can take up to 72 hours for the mattress to fully expand and for the foam to firm up, I found it was perfect to sleep on that night after unboxing it at 2pm that day. DOES IT KEEP YOU COOL? I tested this mattress in June-July, so I can't attest (yet) to how well it keeps you cool during summer. However the Polar+ has helped me regulate my body temperature and sleep more soundly as a result. I don't wake up feeling overheated anymore, but nor do I feel like I am too cold. Instead the mattress offers a level of breathability that I've never experienced with a mattress before, it's a true game changer. My husband also remarked that his sleep has improved drastically. Not too hot, not too cold, it's the Goldilocks of mattresses. WHAT'S IT LIKE TO SLEEP ON? It's always hard to believe that Koala's mattresses don't have springs because they're so supportive and the Polar+ is no different. I prefer a softer mattress and opted for the medium firm setting and while it's firmer than other mattresses from a box I've tried, it still has that dreamy, cloud-like support. This mattress helps me sleep like a baby and I can't recommend it enough.
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3 hours ago
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‘Get vaccinated': Hospitals under pressure as elective surgeries remain on hold
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