Everyday Medicine with Dr Luke

Over the past decade there has been an emergence of literature pointing to potential clinical benefits for a range of disease states through the adoption of slow breathing techniques. The popularity worldwide of the Wim Hof method adopted from eastern techniques has done much to pique interest.  Notably the belief and practice of controlling one’s breath to both restore and enhance health is not n...

The first fleet comprised of 11 ships and 1420 people arrived in Australia’s Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip in January 1788 after an 8-month journey from Portsmouth. On the voyage there were 48 deaths and 28 births but no recorded serious illnesses such as smallpox or tuberculosis. The colonists subsequently resettled in port Phillip Bay and quickly had to learn to adapt to...

The first fleet comprised of 11 ships and 1420 people arrived in Australia’s Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip in January 1788 after an 8-month journey from Portsmouth. On the voyage there were 48 deaths and 28 births but no recorded serious illnesses such as smallpox or tuberculosis. The colonists subsequently resettled in port Phillip Bay and quickly had to learn to adapt to...

Emotional intelligence (EI) also known as EQ, is the ability to perceive, understand and manage emotions in positive ways to communicate effectively, empathise with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict as well as to relieve stress. Emotional intelligence helps build stronger relationships, achieve personal career goals, and interact more positively at work. It gives us an ability to joi...

We are dedicating this podcast to the memory of Professor Lawrie Powell, both a gentleman, mentor and giant in the field of hepatology and whose very significant contributions to our understanding of hemochromatosis laid down a firm foundation of knowledge and insight for everyone practicing internal medicine. It is upon his shoulders that much further research in the field of hemochromatosis and...

The corner stone of cardiovascular disease prevention is the identification of high-risk asymptomatic individuals. In this regard coronary artery calcium is a highly specific marker of atherosclerosis and can be quantified using non contrast CT scanning which provides an accurate measure of atherosclerotic burden. Coronary artery disease is the single leading cause of disease morbidity and mortali...

Interventional radiology is an innovative and rapidly growing medical profession that enables radiologists to blend clinical interaction, procedural work, and imaging. It stands as an exciting domain within modern medicine, offering precise, targeted treatments for complex diseases and conditions throughout the body. Interventional radiologists seamlessly integrate various specialty interests, inc...

Headache is an extremely common symptom, and collectively, headache disorders rank among the most prevalent nervous system disorders. Approximately 95% of the general population have experienced a headache at some point in their lives, with a one-year prevalence rate of about one in every two adults. Headache accounts for up to 1 in 10 general practitioner consultations, remains a frequent reason...

The World Health Organisation estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is anticipated to result in approximately 250,000 additional deaths annually. These fatalities may arise from issues such as malnutrition, and heat stress, as well as diseases like malaria and infectious diarrhoea. The impact of a planet warming at a recorded rate of 0.08 degrees centigrade per decade since 1880, ac...

Hypermobile joints were noted by Hippocrates as long ago as 400 BCE and are common, occurring in about 10-25 % of the population. In a minority of patients’ pain and injury results suggest that the clinical findings may reflect a condition referred to as hypermobility spectrum disorder, a polygenic connective tissue syndrome affecting between 1:500 to 1:600 people. This syndrome involves extreme j...

Acid-Base theory is often considered a difficult subject. As long ago as 1962, Creese et al wrote in the Lancet … “There is a bewildering variety of pseudoscientific jargon in medical writing on this subject “My suspicion is that some degree of confusion and thus avoidance of the subject continues to this day. Hopefully, this podcast conversation will resonate with some of our listeners and smooth...

Acid-Base theory is often considered a difficult subject. As long ago as 1962, Creese et al wrote in the Lancet … “There is a bewildering variety of pseudoscientific jargon in medical writing on this subject “My suspicion is that some degree of confusion and thus avoidance of the subject continues to this day. Hopefully, this podcast conversation will resonate with some of our listeners and smooth...

Acute Rheumatic fever (ARF) is a multisystem disease caused by an immunological response to Group A streptococcal infection leading to Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and is responsible for 250,000 deaths per year worldwide, predominantly in young people. It is estimated that 15 million people across the globe have evidence of Rheumatic heart disease. In Australia, the estimated incidence is reflect...

Recently, I had the privilege of being introduced to Dr. David Stewart, Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa and a medical oncologist. He was kind enough to forward a copy of his excellent book, "A Short Primer on Why Cancer Still Sucks," in which he reviews various aspects of cancer medicine and raises important questions about the incidence of malignancies, treatment strat...

Recently a team from the Monash Department of Diabetes published in the Nature Journal ‘ Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy ‘ how their research could lead to the regeneration of insulin in pancreatic stem cells. As their findings could potentially benefit the 130,000 Type I diabetics in Australia and 30 per cent of Type II diabetics who are insulin dependent it received significant media at...

Leukemias are malignant progressive disease in which the bone marrow and other blood-forming organs produce increased numbers of immature or abnormal leucocytes. This is thought to occur after somatically acquired genetic mutations lead to dysregulation and clonal expansion of progenitor cells. Whilst most leukemias involve white blood cells, occasionally other cells are the primary leukemia cells...

Leukemias are malignant progressive disease in which the bone marrow and other blood-forming organs produce increased numbers of immature or abnormal leucocytes. This is thought to occur after somatically acquired genetic mutations lead to dysregulation and clonal expansion of progenitor cells. Whilst most leukemias involve white blood cells, occasionally other cells are the primary leukemia cells...

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition including difficulty maintaining attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. ADHD often begins in childhood and can persist into adulthood and reflects an ongoing pattern of behaviour that results in poor concentration and control of impulses and interferes with functioning and or development. It may contribute to low self-est...

Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise that aims to strengthen muscles while improving postural alignment and flexibility. It can be practised with or without equipment and the movements reinforce slow precise actions and breath control. The exercises strengthen and stabilise the core which is the body's foundation allowing one to move efficiently while improving posture flexibility and mobi...

Lipids are essential for cell function and healthy metabolism however clinical analysis of a patient’s lipid profile also addresses one of the fundamental drivers of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease responsible for 25 % of all deaths in Australia. Modification of abnormal serum lipid levels by lifestyle and pharmacologic intervention aims to achieve healthy coronary circulation reducing new...

Lipids are essential for cell function and healthy metabolism however clinical analysis of a patient’s lipid profile also addresses one of the fundamental drivers of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease responsible for 25 % of all deaths in Australia. Modification of abnormal serum lipid levels by lifestyle and pharmacologic intervention aims to achieve a healthy coronary circulation reducing ne...

Lipids are essential for cell function and healthy metabolism however clinical analysis of a patient’s lipid profile also addresses one of the fundamental drivers of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease responsible for 25 % of all deaths in Australia. Modification of abnormal serum lipid levels by lifestyle and pharmacologic intervention aims to achieve a healthy coronary circulation reducing ne...

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome-POTS is not rare, yet it is hard to find any references to the syndrome in medical textbooks. It is a form of dysautonomia that by some estimates may impact as many as one in 100, more commonly demonstrated in women between the ages of 13 and 50 years; men also may be affected. Classically defined as a form of orthostatic intolerance characterised by exces...

Simulation based medical education uses simulation aides to replicate clinical scenarios with the aim of enhancing patient safety by improving medical care and competence and reducing medical errors. Although relatively new to medicine, simulation has been used for a long time in other professions, such aviation. Increasingly, medical simulation is being recognized as a very important training met...

The concept of autism continues to evolve with our current approach to diagnosis and management differing significantly from 1908 when the word first appeared to describe a subset of patients with schizophrenia who were withdrawn and self-absorbed. Child psychiatrist Leo Kanner was credited with the first correct description in 1943, reporting eleven highly intelligent children who displayed “a po...