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MEDIA RELEASE: Apr 20, 2010 03:00 PM

The remarkable effects of fat loss on the immune system

Garvan scientists have shown for the first time that even modest weight loss reverses many of the damaging changes often seen in the immune cells of obese people, particularly those with Type 2 diabetes.

MEDIA RELEASE: Mar 09, 2010 05:00 PM

Surprising findings about Hepatitis C and insulin resistance...

In studying the insulin resistance of 29 people with Hepatitis C, Australian researchers have confirmed that they have high insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. However, almost all insulin resistance occurs in mu...

MEDIA RELEASE: Jan 11, 2010 06:00 PM

How a single molecule gives our immune systems their memory

By studying the blood cells of people with an immunodeficiency disorder, scientists at Garvan have been able to identify the molecular mechanisms that lead to the production of antibodies in human B cells. This has wider...

MEDIA RELEASE: Jan 06, 2010 08:00 PM

Setting the record straight on weight loss

It’s time to set the record straight. The only reliable way to lose weight is to eat less or exercise more. Preferably both. So why bother to state the obvious? Because a body of scientific literature has arisen over rec...

MEDIA RELEASE: Dec 23, 2009 02:00 AM

We now know that the brain controls the formation of bone

New findings show that bone formation, far from being a straightforward mechanical process dependent on body weight, is delicately orchestrated by the brain, which sends and receives signals through the body’s neural and...

MEDIA RELEASE: Oct 29, 2009 07:00 PM

New findings connect diet and intestinal bacteria with healt...

Insoluble dietary fibre, or roughage, not only keeps you regular, there is evidence to suggest it also plays a vital role in keeping many diseases at bay. Published tomorrow in Nature, breakthrough research by a Garvan t...

MEDIA RELEASE: Sep 28, 2009 04:00 PM

The free radical that triggers insulin resistance and Type 2...

Garvan scientists have found that overeating may stimulate the conversion of the oxygen in the air we breathe into toxic free radicals, leading to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. Until now, no-one has identified ...

MEDIA RELEASE: Sep 08, 2009 07:00 PM

How coconut oil could help reduce the symptoms of Type 2 dia...

A new study in animals demonstrates that a diet rich in coconut oil protects against ‘insulin resistance’ in muscle and fat. It also avoids the accumulation of body fat caused by other high fat diets of similar calorie ...

MEDIA RELEASE: Jul 28, 2009 08:00 PM

Why measuring absolute risk of fracture could save many brok...

Garvan scientists stress the importance of measuring a person's absolute risk of fracture when determining their treatment options. Other factors currently determine whether or not the Australian Government will pay for ...

MEDIA RELEASE: Jul 02, 2009 08:00 PM

Summarising a fractured debate about meat, fish, eggs, veget...

Until now, medical opinion about the impact of vegetarian diets on bone health has been based on anecdotal evidence and a range of contradictory findings that sometimes rely on studies too small to be biologically releva...

MEDIA RELEASE: May 11, 2009 05:00 PM

When to get your bone density measured - that is the questio...

A new Garvan study provides doctors with guidelines on when to repeat bone mineral density (BMD) tests for their patients. For a serious condition like osteoporosis, affecting millions, it is important to establish clea...

MEDIA RELEASE: Apr 30, 2009 06:00 PM

Low Vitamin D causes problems for acutely ill patients

A group of endocrinologists, who are also Garvan researchers, have observed that very sick patients tend to have very low levels of Vitamin D. The sicker they are, the lower the levels. These findings are published tod...

MEDIA RELEASE: Apr 16, 2009 07:00 PM

Vegan Buddhist nuns have same bone density as non-vegetarian...

A study comparing the bone health of 105 post-menopausal vegan Buddhist nuns and 105 non-vegetarian women, matched in every other physical respect, has produced a surprising result. Their bone density was identical.

MEDIA RELEASE: Feb 27, 2009 11:00 PM

How yeast is helping us to understand Parkinson's disease

Teams of scientists from Australia and the United States have used yeast and mammalian cells to discover a connection between genetic and environmental causes of Parkinson’s disease. The findings were published online th...

MEDIA RELEASE: Nov 24, 2008 06:00 PM

Why women should eat less, move more and consider wearing tr...

Weight and appetite experts from around the world met at a conference in Bangkok earlier this year to discuss sex differences in obesity. One line of discussion looked at factors leading to women’s weight gain during men...

MEDIA RELEASE: May 14, 2008 04:00 PM

Study shows that prostate cancer increases the risk of bone ...

As unlikely as it sounds, scientists at Garvan have shown that there is a link between prostate cancer and a higher risk of bone fracture. Their study suggests that men with prostate cancer face a 50% higher risk of frac...

MEDIA RELEASE: Mar 23, 2008 09:00 AM

A tonne of bitter melon produces sweet results for diabetes

Teams from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica pulped roughly a tonne of fresh bitter melon and extracted four very promising bioactive components that explain why it is ...

MEDIA RELEASE: Mar 11, 2008 01:00 AM

Low levels of PYY hormone a very early indicator of Type 2 d...

Garvan scientists have published findings showing that low levels of the hormone PYY could be used as a predictor for the development of Type 2 diabetes. Clinical studies have shown that people with a family history of T...

MEDIA RELEASE: Mar 07, 2008 02:05 PM

Web-based tool to predict risk of bone fracture

Scientists from Garvan have developed a fracture risk calculator using data, accumulated over 17 years, from the internationally recognised Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study. A paper describing the tool and its metho...

MEDIA RELEASE: Jan 16, 2008 07:00 AM

Low testosterone in men doubles their risk of bone fracture

Garvan researchers have shown that low levels of testosterone in men double their risk of bone fracture, all other risk factors being equal. This is a significant finding given that 30% of the 110,000 osteoporotic fractu...

Jul 30, 2007 02:00 PM

Have we uncovered a new form of Lupus?

Findings published in the July edition of the prestigious Journal of Experimental Medicine may offer new hope to people suffering from a previously unsuspected form of lupus. The research, undertaken by Garvan's Professo...