Medical

Aortic stenosis is present in about 3% of the population over 65 years and unfortunately up to 50% of people who develop severe aortic stenosis symptoms will not survive two years unless they have a valve replacement. Unfortunately, there is evidence that only two-thirds of patients with an established diagnosis of AS actually receive treatment, so we play a key role in the timely diagnosis and referral of our patients with suspected AS…..

Despite improvements in pharmacologic treatments, many patients with Heart Failure (HF) have severe and persistent symptoms and their prognosis remains poor. Patients with HF experience repeated hospitalisations and account for almost one in 50 deaths, equating to one person dying of HF every three hours. Several medical and device-related therapeutic interventions have been shown to improve survival, decrease hospitalisation and improve symptoms and quality of life. Listen to learn more…..

More than 190 million people globally have chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), and with increasing levels of obesity in the community, and an ageing population, venous disease is expected to place an increasing burden on the Australian healthcare system in the future. In the past decade there has been a move to minimally invasive techniques that provide, not only symptom relief, but improved quality of life and slow the disease progression, listen to learn more.   10 minute listen

When we talk about women’s health, bone health is not top of mind for many patients or physicians. Most of us don’t consider the importance of bone health until something goes wrong. Osteoporosis, like other chronic diseases, needs long-term treatment over a lifetime in most cases. The challenge remains in how to prioritise and not miss this “silent” disease, before a fracture occurs. In this interview we discuss the GPs’ role in identifying patients with risk factors for osteoporosis, diagnosing using DXA and initiating treatment to ideally prevent the first fracture, and certainly help to prevent the second.

At the start of 2021, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists released their updated clinical practice guidelines for mood disorders. This is the first update since 2015 and comes at a point of rapid change in the provision of mental health services. In this interview we talk about the changes to the guidelines and practical tips on implementing them in general practice.

GPs treating people living with schizophrenia often report encountering patients with adverse effects from long-term use of antipsychotics, such as weight gain, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia and lethargy. However it can be difficult for GPs to gain experience and confidence in changing antipsychotic medications, so in this interview we speak with a GP about their experience in this area.

Between the ages of 40 and 80 years, our total muscle mass is estimated to decline by 25% to 30%. Skeletal muscle plays a critically important role as a regulator of energy and protein metabolism throughout the body. As a result, age-related loss of muscle mass and strength can dramatically increase morbidity and mortality of otherwise survivable illness in older people. In this interview we talk about maintaining muscle mass in older adults.

Osteoporosis and sarcopenia are two of the most prevalent chronic conditions in older persons and they share overlapping risk factors and also pathogenesis. When they occur together, they are known as osteosarcopenia. People with osteosarcopenia have an increased risk of falls, fractures and hospitalisations, and also a greatly reduced quality of life. In this interview we discus tools for assessing risk and appropriate management of the condition.

Type 2 Diabetes can have long term, damaging consequences on patients’ lives. Management of the disease can be a balancing act for patients and their carers, who may be confused about the information available to them. Dietary management of their disease is the recommended approach in the first instance, but what options are available for patients who may be struggling to comply?

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) play an important role in reducing airway inflammation, controlling symptoms and reducing risks like exacerbations and declining lung function. It is assumed that giving more of a lower potency ICS compared to a higher potency ICS achieves similar outcomes in asthma patients, but is this assumption actually correct?