Search

‘Not available in your region’: what is a VPN and how can I use one safely?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>“This video is not available in your location”. It’s a message familiar to many people trying to watch global content online. But beneath this frustration lies a deeper question – how do we navigate digital borders safely and ethically?</p> <p>As our digital lives expand, so too does our desire for access. Maybe you want to see the latest streaming shows before they arrive in your country. Maybe you’re a sports fan wanting to watch live broadcasts of international events. Or perhaps you need to log into your company’s secure intranet while at home or overseas.</p> <p>Enter the virtual private network (VPN) – a technology that’s become as essential as antivirus software for many. With many commercial and free VPN providers on the market, interest in these services <a href="https://www.comparitech.com/vpn/vpn-statistics/">has grown in recent years</a>.</p> <h2>How does a VPN work?</h2> <p>A <a href="https://computingaustralia.com.au/5-minute-helpdesk-what-is-a-vpn-and-why-should-i-use-one/">VPN</a> is like a secure tunnel between your device and the internet. When you use a VPN, your <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/online-tools-and-features/encryption">internal traffic is scrambled into unreadable data</a> and routed through a remote server, which also masks your real IP address.</p> <p>Think of it like this: instead of sending a postcard with your return address, you send it in an envelope to a trusted friend overseas who mails it on your behalf. To anyone looking at the envelope, it looks like the message came from your friend and not you.</p> <p>This technique shields your identity, protects your data from snoopers, and tricks websites into thinking you are browsing from another location.</p> <p>While often marketed as <a href="https://www.le-vpn.com/australia-cyber-privacy-vpn/">tools for online privacy</a>, VPNs have grown popular for another reason: access.</p> <p>Many people use VPNs to access geo-blocked content, secure their internet activity, work remotely – <a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/protect-yourself/staying-secure-online/security-tips-remote-working">especially when handling sensitive data</a> – and protect against online tracking and targeted advertising.</p> <h2>VPNs are legal, if a bit grey</h2> <p>VPN services are offered by dozens of providers globally. Companies such as NordVPN, ProtonVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark offer paid subscriptions with strong security guarantees. Free VPNs also exist but come with caveats (more on this in a moment).</p> <p>In <a href="https://us.norton.com/blog/privacy/are-vpns-legal">most countries</a>, including <a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/protect-yourself/staying-secure-online/connecting-to-public-wi-fi">Australia</a>, using a VPN is completely legal.</p> <p>However, what makes it murky is what one might use it <em>for</em>. While using a VPN is legal, engaging in illegal activities while using one remains prohibited.</p> <p>Streaming services like Netflix or Disney+ license content by region. Using a VPN to access a foreign catalogue may violate their terms of service and potentially be grounds for account suspension.</p> <p>Australian law does not criminalise accessing geo-blocked content via VPN, but the copyright act does prohibit circumventing “technological protection measures” in certain cases.</p> <p>The grey area lies in enforcement. Technically, copyright law does ban getting around certain protections. However, the <a href="https://www.copyright.org.au/browse/book/ACC-Geoblocking%2C-VPNs-%26-Copyright-INFO127">latest advice does not mention</a> any cases where regular users have been taken to court for this kind of behaviour.</p> <p>So far, enforcement has mostly targeted websites and platforms that host or enable large-scale copyright infringement; not everyday viewers who want to watch a show a bit early.</p> <h2>Beware of ‘free’ VPNs</h2> <p>Not all VPNs are created equal. While premium services invest in strong encryption and privacy protections, free VPNs often make money by collecting user data – <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/electronics-and-technology/internet/connecting-to-the-internet/buying-guides/vpn-services">the very thing you may be trying to avoid</a>.</p> <p>Risks of unsafe VPNs include data leaks, injection of ads or trackers into your browsing, and malware and spyware, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-25/viruses-spyware-found-in-alarming-number-of-android-vpn-apps/8210796">especially in free mobile apps</a> that claim to provide a VPN service.</p> <p>Using a poorly designed or dishonest VPN is like hiring a bodyguard who sells your location. It might give the impression of safety, but you may actually be more vulnerable than before.</p> <h2>Okay, so how do I choose a VPN?</h2> <p>With so many VPNs available, both free and paid, it can be hard to know which one to trust. If you are considering a VPN, here are five things to look for.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.expressvpn.com/what-is-vpn/policy-towards-logs">No-log policy</a>.</strong> A trustworthy VPN should have a strict no-log policy, meaning it does not store any records of your internet activity, connection time or IP address. This ensures even if the VPN provider is hacked, subpoenaed or pressured by a government, they have nothing to hand over.</p> <p><strong>Strong encryption standards.</strong> Encryption is what makes your data unreadable to anyone snooping on your connection, such as hackers on public WiFi or your internet provider. A somewhat technical thing to look out for is <a href="https://www.kiteworks.com/risk-compliance-glossary/aes-256-encryption/">AES 256-bit encryption</a> – it’s extremely secure and is used by banks and governments.</p> <p><strong>Independent audits.</strong> Reliable VPN services <a href="https://vpncentral.com/nordvpn-reaffirms-no-log-claims-with-fifth-deloitte-audit/">voluntarily undergo third-party audits</a> to verify their privacy claims and the security of their infrastructure.</p> <p><strong>Kill switch.</strong> A kill switch is a critical safety feature that automatically blocks internet traffic if the VPN connection drops. This prevents your real IP address and data from being exposed, even momentarily.</p> <p><strong>Jurisdiction.</strong> VPNs are subject to the laws of the country they are based in. The countries in the <a href="https://cyberinsider.com/5-eyes-9-eyes-14-eyes/">Five Eyes intelligence alliance</a> (Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand) may legally compel providers to hand over user data. If a VPN service has a strict no-log policy and does not collect information about what you do online, then even under legal pressure, there is nothing to hand over. So, you are safe.</p> <p>In an era of growing surveillance, cybercrime and corporate data collection, VPNs are essential tools for reclaiming your online privacy and data.</p> <p>But like any tool, the effectiveness (and ethics) of VPNs depend on how you use them. Next time you fire up your VPN, ask yourself – am I just dodging a digital border, or actively protecting my online freedom?<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/256559/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/meena-jha-542776">Meena Jha</a>, Head Technology and Pedagogy Cluster CML-NET, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-available-in-your-region-what-is-a-vpn-and-how-can-i-use-one-safely-256559">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Technology

"Star power": Dancing with the Stars salaries leaked

<p>Break out the sequins and brace for the paso doble – <em>Dancing With The Stars</em> is back for its 22nd season on Sunday June 15, and while the celebrity cast is polishing their foxtrots and fake tans, the real drama has already begun… in their bank accounts.</p> <p>Twelve familiar Aussie faces will take to the floor in a blur of feathers, fringe and footwork, all in the name of charity (and, let’s be honest, a shot at the gloriously glittery Mirror Ball Trophy). But thanks to a <a href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/entertainment/reality-tv/dancing-with-the-stars-australia-2025-salaries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cheeky little leak by <em>Woman's Day</em></a>, we now know what else they’re dancing for: a surprisingly tiered pay system that splits the cast into three star-powered salary brackets.</p> <p>According to an “insider” who clearly missed the memo about NDAs, <em>Woman’s Day</em> has revealed that the 2025 cast is being paid based on a heady mix of legacy status, Logie nominations and possibly how many times Sonia Kruger has said their name on TV.</p> <p>Sitting pretty at the top of the pyramid (and we imagine, in the nicest rehearsal rooms) are national treasures Rebecca Gibney, Osher Günsberg and Shaun Micallef, each reportedly waltzing away with a cool $100,000. Between them, they’ve got decades of TV experience, Gold Logie nods and more charm than a Bunnings sausage sizzle.</p> <p>In the mid-range tier – the cha-cha-<em>ching</em>, if you will – are Olympic gold medallist Susie O’Neill, AFL great Trent Cotchin and 7NEWS stalwart Michael Usher, each allegedly earning $47,000. Not quite six figures, but still a pretty decent reward for risking public humiliation in Lycra.</p> <p>And finally, rounding out the glitterati is the budget-conscious brigade, earning a still-respectable $27,000: radio personality Brittany Hockley, influencer Mia Fevola, boxer Harry Garside, comic Felicity Ward, <em>Home and Away</em> heartthrob Kyle Shilling and 7NEWS’ Karina Carvalho. If enthusiasm and willingness to wear rhinestones were currencies, they'd all be millionaires.</p> <p>This tiered approach marks a departure from the great equal-pay kumbaya of 2023, when every one of the 14 celebrity contestants – including Matt Preston and Paulini – reportedly took home “just under $50,000”. Democracy in action... or perhaps just a simpler year for Channel 7’s payroll department.</p> <p><em>Dancing With The Stars</em> premieres Sunday, June 15, with sparkly stalwart Sonia Kruger and fresh-faced co-host Dr Chris Brown returning to oversee the glittery chaos. Expect tears, twirls and at least one dramatic tumble — hopefully not from the top earners.</p> <p><em>Image: Channel 7</em></p>

Most of us will leave behind a large ‘digital legacy’ when we die. Here’s how to plan what happens to it

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Imagine you are planning the funeral music for a loved one who has died. You can’t remember their favourite song, so you try to login to their Spotify account. Then you realise the account login is inaccessible, and with it has gone their personal history of Spotify playlists, annual “wrapped” analytics, and liked songs curated to reflect their taste, memories, and identity.</p> <p>We tend to think about inheritance in physical terms: money, property, personal belongings. But the vast volume of digital stuff we accumulate in life and leave behind in death is now just as important – and this “<a href="https://digitallegacyassociation.org">digital legacy</a>” is probably more meaningful.</p> <p>Digital legacies are increasingly complex and evolving. They include now-familiar items such as social media and banking accounts, along with our stored photos, videos and messages. But they also encompass virtual currencies, behavioural tracking data, and even AI-generated avatars.</p> <p>This digital data is not only fundamental to our online identities in life, but to our inheritance in death. So how can we properly plan for what happens to it?</p> <h2>A window into our lives</h2> <p>Digital legacy is commonly classified into two categories: <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/digital-wellbeing/what-happens-to-your-digital-accounts-after-you-die">digital assets and digital presence</a>.</p> <p>Digital assets include items with economic value. For example, domain names, financial accounts, monetised social media, online businesses, virtual currencies, digital goods, and personal digital IP. Access to these is spread across platforms, hidden behind passwords or restricted by privacy laws.</p> <p>Digital presence includes content with no monetary value. However, it may have great personal significance. For example, our photos and videos, social media profiles, email or chat threads, and other content archived in cloud or platform services.</p> <p>There is also data that might not seem like content. It may not even seem to belong to us. This includes analytics data such as health and wellness app tracking data. It also includes behavioural data such as location, search or viewing history collected from platforms such as Google, Netflix and Spotify.</p> <p>This data reveals patterns in our preferences, passions, and daily life that can hold intimate meaning. For example, knowing the music a loved one listened to on the day they died.</p> <p>Digital remains now also include scheduled <a href="https://go-paige.com/memories/">posthumous messages</a> or <a href="https://www.hereafter.ai">AI-generated avatars</a>.</p> <p>All of this raises both practical and ethical questions about identity, privacy, and corporate power over our digital afterlives. Who has the right to access, delete, or transform this data?</p> <h2>Planning for your digital remains</h2> <p>Just as we prepare wills for physical possessions, we need to plan for our digital remains. Without clear instructions, important digital data may be lost and inaccessible to our loved ones.</p> <p>In 2017, I helped develop key recommendations for <a href="https://accan.org.au/files/Grants/Death%20and%20the%20Internet_2017-web.pdf">planning your digital legacy</a>. These include:</p> <ul> <li>creating an inventory of accounts and assets, recording usernames and login information, and if possible, downloading personal content for local storage</li> <li>specifying preferences in writing, noting wishes about what content should be preserved, deleted, or shared – and with whom</li> <li>using password managers to securely store and share access to information and legacy preferences</li> <li>designating a <a href="https://www.tonkinlaw.com/resources/digital-estate-planning-victoria-safeguarding-online-assets/">digital executor</a> who has legal authority to carry out your digital legacy wishes and preferences, ideally with legal advice</li> <li>using legacy features on available platforms, such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/1070665206293088">Facebook’s Legacy Contact</a>, <a href="https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3036546?hl=en">Google’s Inactive Account Manager</a>, or <a href="https://digital-legacy.apple.com">Apple’s Digital Legacy</a>.</li> </ul> <h2>What if your loved one left no plan?</h2> <p>These steps may sound uncontroversial. But digital wills remain uncommon. And without them, managing someone’s digital legacy can be fraught with legal and technical barriers.</p> <p>Platform terms of service and privacy rules often prevent access by anyone other than the account holder. They can also require official documentation such as a death certificate before granting limited access to download or close an account.</p> <p>In such instances, gaining access will probably only be possible through imperfect workarounds, such as searching online for traces of someone’s digital life, attempting to use account recovery tools, or scouring personal documents for login information.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WmQH27MNLz8?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>The need for better standards</h2> <p>Current platform policies have clear limitations for handling digital legacies. For example, policies are inconsistent. They are also typically limited to memorialising or deleting accounts.</p> <p>With no unified framework, service providers often prioritise data privacy over family access. Current tools prioritise visible content such as profiles or posts. However, they exclude less visible yet equally valuable (and often more meaningful) behavioural data such as listening habits.</p> <p>Problems can also arise when data is removed from its original platform. For example, photos from Facebook can lose their social and relational meaning without their associated comment threads, reactions, or interactivity.</p> <p>Meanwhile, emerging uses of posthumous data, especially AI-generated avatars, raise urgent issues about digital personhood, ownership, and possible harms. These “digital remains” may be stored indefinitely on commercial servers without standard protocols for curation or user rights.</p> <p>The result is a growing tension between personal ownership and corporate control. This makes digital legacy not only a matter of individual concern but one of digital governance.</p> <p><a href="https://www.archivists.org.au/community/representation/standards-australias-committee-it-21-records-management-and-archives">Standards Australia</a> and the <a href="https://dcj.nsw.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases-archive/2022/reform-to-allow-data-access-after-death.html">New South Wales Law Reform Commission</a> have recognised this. Both organisations are seeking <a href="https://lawreform.nsw.gov.au/documents/Current-projects/Digital%20assets/Preliminary%20submissions/PDI10.pdf">consultation</a> to develop frameworks that address inconsistencies in platform standards and user access.</p> <p>Managing our digital legacies demands more than practical foresight. It compels critical reflection on the infrastructures and values that shape our online afterlives.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/257121/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bjorn-nansen-102356">Bjorn Nansen</a>, Associate Professor, School of Computing and Information Systems, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/most-of-us-will-leave-behind-a-large-digital-legacy-when-we-die-heres-how-to-plan-what-happens-to-it-257121">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Pexels / Mart Production</em></p> </div>

The surprising ways that coffee can interfere with medication

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>For many of us, the day doesn’t start until we’ve had our first cup of coffee. It’s comforting, energising, and one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. But while your morning brew might feel harmless, it can interact with certain medicines in ways that reduce their effectiveness – or increase the risk of side-effects.</p> <p>From common cold tablets to antidepressants, caffeine’s impact on the body goes far beyond a quick energy boost. Tea also contains caffeine but not in the same concentrations as coffee, and doesn’t seem to affect people in the same way. Here’s what you should know about how coffee can interfere with your medications – and how to stay safe.</p> <h2>1. Cold and flu medicines</h2> <p>Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it speeds up the central nervous system. Pseudoephedrine, a decongestant found in cold and flu remedies such as Sudafed, is <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682619.html">also a stimulant</a>. When taken together, the effects can be amplified – potentially leading to jitters or restlessness, headaches, fast heart rate and insomnia.</p> <p>Many cold medications already contain added caffeine, increasing these risks further. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/10/5146">Some studies</a> also suggest that combining caffeine with pseudoephedrine can raise blood sugar and body temperature – particularly important for people with diabetes.</p> <p>Stimulant effects are also a concern when combining caffeine with ADHD medications such as amphetamines, or with <a href="https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/news/coffee-and-asthma/">asthma drugs</a> such as theophylline, which shares a similar chemical structure to caffeine. Using them together may increase the risk of side-effects such as a rapid heartbeat and sleep disruption.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9eL16Exry48?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>2. Thyroid medication</h2> <p>Levothyroxine, the standard treatment for an underactive thyroid, is highly sensitive to timing – and your morning coffee can get in the way. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2020/7909703">Studies show</a> that drinking coffee too soon after taking levothyroxine can reduce its absorption by up to 50%.</p> <p>Caffeine speeds up gut motility (the movement of food and waste through the digestive tract), giving the drug <a href="https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(16)00200-8/abstract">less time to be absorbed</a> – and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8002057/#:%7E:text=Several%20studies%20on%20patients%20with,Benvenga%20et%20al.">may also bind</a> to it in the stomach, making it harder for the body to take in. These effects reduce the drug’s bioavailability, meaning less of it reaches your bloodstream where it’s needed. This interaction <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2022/drinking-coffee-does-not-hinder-the-absorption-of-liquid-thyroid-medication">is more common</a> with tablet forms of levothyroxine, and less likely with liquid formulations.</p> <p>If absorption is impaired, <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/underactive-thyroid-hypothyroidism/">symptoms of hypothyroidism</a> – including fatigue, weight gain and constipation – can return, even if you’re taking your medicine correctly.</p> <p>The same timing rule applies to a class of osteoporosis medications called <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a601011.html#precautions">bisphosphonates</a>, including alendronate and risedronate, which also require an empty stomach and around 30-60 minutes before food or drink is taken.</p> <h2>3. Antidepressants and antipsychotics</h2> <p>The interaction between caffeine and mental health medications can be more complex.</p> <p><a href="https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/medicines-and-psychiatry/ssri-antidepressants/overview/">Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors</a> (SSRIs), such as sertraline and citalopram, are a type of antidepressant medication <a href="https://purehost.bath.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/225886346/Lalji_McGrogan_and_Bailey_JADR_2021.pdf">widely used</a> to treat depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2020/7909703">Lab studies</a> suggest caffeine can bind to these drugs in the stomach, reducing absorption and potentially making them less effective.</p> <p>Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), such as amitriptyline and imipramine, are a class of older antidepressants that work by affecting the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. They were among the first antidepressants developed and are <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/medicines-and-psychiatry/antidepressants/overview/#:%7E:text=Tricyclic%20antidepressants%20(TCAs),to%20treat%20chronic%20nerve%20pain.">less commonly used</a> today, compared with newer antidepressants such as SSRIs, due to their potential for more side-effects and higher risk of overdose.</p> <p>TCAs are broken down by the liver enzyme <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2020/7909703">CYP1A2</a>, which also metabolises caffeine. The competition between the two can slow drug breakdown, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2020/7909703">increasing side-effects</a>, or delay caffeine clearance, making you feel jittery or wired longer than usual.</p> <p>Clozapine, an antipsychotic, is also processed by CYP1A2. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2020/7909703">One study showed</a> that drinking two-to-three cups of coffee could increase blood levels of clozapine by up to 97%, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a691001.html#side-effects">potentially increasing risks</a> such as drowsiness, confusion, or more serious complications.</p> <h2>4. Painkillers</h2> <p>Some over-the-counter painkillers, such as those containing aspirin or paracetamol, include added caffeine. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00003088-200039020-00004">Coffee can speed up</a> how quickly these drugs are absorbed by accelerating how fast the stomach empties and making the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2020/7909703">stomach more acidic</a>, which improves absorption for some medications such as aspirin.</p> <p>While this may help painkillers work faster, it could also raise the risk of side-effects like stomach irritation or bleeding, especially when combined with other sources of caffeine. Though no serious cases have been reported, caution is still advised.</p> <h2>5. Heart medications</h2> <p>Caffeine can temporarily raise blood pressure and heart rate, typically lasting three-to-four hours after consumption. For people taking blood pressure medication or drugs that control irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias), this <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8101832/#:%7E:text=Table%20I.&text=The%20next%20stage%20of%20hypertension,response%20to%20calcium%20channel%20blockers.&text=The%20potential%20for%20caffeine%20to,Table%20II%20summarizes%20these%20recommendations.">may counteract</a> the intended effects of the medication.</p> <p>This doesn’t mean people with heart conditions must avoid coffee altogether – but they should monitor how it affects their symptoms, and consider limiting intake or switching to decaf if needed.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r-YwCCNDOy0?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>What can you do?</h2> <p>Coffee may be part of your daily routine, but it’s also a potent chemical compound that can influence how your body processes medicine. Here’s how to make sure it doesn’t interfere.</p> <p>Take levothyroxine or bisphosphonates on an empty stomach with water, and wait 30-60 minutes before drinking coffee or eating breakfast.</p> <p>Be cautious with cold and flu remedies, asthma treatments and ADHD medications, as caffeine can amplify side-effects.</p> <p>If you’re on antidepressants, antipsychotics, or blood pressure drugs, discuss your caffeine habits with your doctor.</p> <p>Consider reducing intake or choosing a decaffeinated option if you experience side-effects like restlessness, insomnia or heart palpitations.</p> <p>Everyone metabolises caffeine differently – some people feel fine after three cups, while others get side-effects after just one. Pay attention to how your body responds and talk to your pharmacist or GP if anything feels off.</p> <p>If you’re ever unsure whether your medicine and your coffee are a good match, ask your pharmacist or doctor. A short conversation might save you weeks of side-effects or reduced treatment effectiveness – and help you enjoy your brew with peace of mind.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/256919/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dipa-kamdar-1485027">Dipa Kamdar</a>, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kingston-university-949">Kingston University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/coffee-can-interfere-with-your-medication-heres-what-you-need-to-know-256919">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Pexels / Jonathan Borba</em></p> </div>

Body

Why do some people need less sleep than others?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Have you ever noticed how some people bounce out of bed after just a few hours of sleep, while others can barely function without a solid eight hours?</p> <p>Take Margaret Thatcher, for example. The former British prime minister was known for sleeping <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22084671">just four hours a night</a>. She worked late, rose early, and seemed to thrive on little sleep.</p> <p>But for most of us, that kind of sleep schedule would be disastrous. We’d be groggy, unfocused, and reaching for sugary snacks and caffeinated drinks by mid-morning.</p> <p>So why do some people seem to need less sleep than others? It’s a question that’s fascinated scientists for years. Here’s what we know so far.</p> <h2>Natural short sleepers</h2> <p>There is a small group of people who don’t need much sleep. We call them <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6879540/">natural short sleepers</a>. They can function perfectly well on just four to six hours of sleep each night, often for their entire lives.</p> <p>Generally they <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/44/Supplement_2/A154/6260529">don’t feel tired</a>, they don’t nap, and they don’t suffer the usual negative consequences of sleep deprivation. Scientists call this the natural short sleep phenotype – a biological trait that allows people to get all the benefits of sleep in less time.</p> <p>In 2010 researchers discovered genetic mutations that help explain this phenomenon. Natural short sleepers carry rare variants <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2884988/">in certain genes</a>, which seem to make their sleep more efficient.</p> <p>More recently, a <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/epub/10.1073/pnas.2500356122">2025 study</a> assessed a woman in her 70s with one of these rare mutations. Despite sleeping just six hours a night for most of her life, she remained physically healthy, mentally sharp, and led a full, active life. Her body, it seems, was simply wired to need less sleep.</p> <p>We’re still learning about how common these genetic mutations are and why they occur.</p> <h2>Not everyone who sleeps less is a natural short sleeper</h2> <p>But here’s the catch: most people who think they’re natural short sleepers aren’t. They’re just chronically sleep-deprived. Often, their short sleep is due to long work hours, social commitments, or a belief sleeping less is a sign of strength or productivity.</p> <p>In today’s hustle culture, it’s common to hear people boast about getting by on only a few hours of sleep. But for the average person, that’s not sustainable.</p> <p>The effects of short sleep build up over time, creating what’s known as a “sleep debt”. This <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763417301641">can lead to</a> poor concentration, mood swings, micro-sleeps (brief lapses into sleep), reduced performance and even <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1389945716301381">long-term health risks</a>. For example, short sleep has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke).</p> <h2>The weekend catch-up dilemma</h2> <p>To make up for lost sleep during the week, many people try to “catch up” on weekends.</p> <p>This can help repay some of the sleep debt that has accumulated in the short term. Research <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721823001663?via%3Dihub">suggests</a> getting one to two extra hours of sleep on the weekend or taking naps when possible may help reduce the negative effects of short sleep.</p> <p>However, it’s not a perfect fix. Weekend catch-up sleep and naps may not fully resolve sleep debt. The topic remains one of ongoing scientific debate.</p> <p>A recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/47/11/zsae135/7696120">large study</a> suggested weekend catch-up sleep may not offset the cardiovascular risks associated with chronic short sleep.</p> <p>What’s more, large swings in sleep timing can disrupt your body’s <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-03171-4">internal clock</a>, and sleeping in too much on weekends may make it harder to fall asleep on Sunday night, which can mean starting the working week less rested.</p> <p>Increasing evidence indicates <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/47/1/zsad253/7280269">repeated cycles of irregular sleep</a> may have an important influence on general health and the risk of early death, potentially even more so than how long we sleep for.</p> <p>Ultimately, while moderate catch-up sleep might offer some benefits, it’s no substitute for consistent, high-quality sleep throughout the week. That said, maintaining such regularity can be particularly challenging for people with non-traditional schedules, such as shift workers.</p> <h2>So, was Thatcher a true natural short sleeper?</h2> <p>It’s hard to say. Some reports suggest <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/aug/27/from-aristotle-to-einstein-a-brief-history-of-power-nappers">she napped during the day</a> in the back of a car between meetings. That could mean she was simply sleep-deprived and compensating for an accumulated sleep debt when she could.</p> <p>Separate to whether someone is a natural short sleeper, there are a range of other reasons people may need more or less sleep than others. Factors <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/how-much-sleep-do-you-really-need">such as age</a> and underlying health conditions can significantly influence sleep requirements.</p> <p>For example, older adults often experience changes in their circadian rhythms and are more likely to suffer from fragmented sleep due to conditions <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00702-019-02067-z">such as arthritis</a> or <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11886-023-01939-x">cardiovascular disease</a>.</p> <p>Sleep needs vary from person to person, and while a lucky few can thrive on less, most of us need <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/how-much-sleep-do-you-really-need">seven to nine hours</a> a night to feel and function our best. If you’re regularly skimping on sleep and relying on weekends to catch up, it might be time to rethink your routine. After all, sleep isn’t a luxury – it’s a biological necessity.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/256342/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelly-sansom-2390567">Kelly Sansom</a>, Research Associate, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University; Research Associate, Centre for Healthy Ageing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/murdoch-university-746">Murdoch University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-eastwood-2316718">Peter Eastwood</a>, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/murdoch-university-746">Murdoch University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-people-need-less-sleep-than-others-a-gene-variation-could-have-something-to-do-with-it-256342">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: </em></p> </div>

Body

New Madeleine McCann search underway

<p>Portuguese police have launched a new search operation in the Algarve region for clues in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann. The operation, taking place between June 2 and June 6 in the Municipality of Lagos, follows a formal request from German prosecutors in Braunschweig, according to Portugal’s Judicial Police (PJ).</p> <p>In a statement released Monday, the PJ confirmed it is executing a European Investigation Order on behalf of German authorities, who have identified German citizen Christian Brueckner as the prime suspect in the case.</p> <p>Brueckner, currently imprisoned in Germany for unrelated crimes, has not been charged in connection with McCann’s disappearance and continues to deny any involvement.</p> <p>The latest search effort is centred on an area between Praia da Luz – where McCann vanished in May 2007 while on holiday with her family – and a property previously inhabited by Brueckner at the time of her disappearance. According to reports from CNN Portugal and Germany's <em>Bild</em> newspaper, authorities are focusing on uncovering potential evidence, including traces of McCann’s remains.</p> <p>All material collected during the search will be transferred to Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the PJ said.</p> <p>Braunschweig prosecutors confirmed to Reuters that “criminal procedural measures” related to the McCann case are being carried out in Portugal with the involvement of both the BKA and Portuguese law enforcement. However, they declined to provide further details.</p> <p>The UK’s Metropolitan Police, which has long been involved in the investigation, stated they are aware of the latest developments but are not actively participating in the current search. “We continue to support our international colleagues where necessary,” the force said in a statement.</p> <p>German authorities declared in 2020 that they believe Madeleine McCann is dead and suspect Brueckner to be responsible. The 47-year-old, a convicted child abuser and drug trafficker, is serving a prison sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in the same Algarve region.</p> <p>The last significant search related to the case occurred in May 2023 at an inland reservoir in southern Portugal, but it yielded no new evidence.</p> <p>Eighteen years after her disappearance, the case of Madeleine McCann continues to captivate and confound investigators across Europe.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Legal

What is mantle cell lymphoma? Magda Szubanski’s ‘rare and fast-moving’ cancer explained

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/wehi-walter-and-eliza-hall-institute-of-medical-research-822"> </a></em>Beloved Australian actor Magda Szubanski has revealed she’s been diagnosed with a “very rare, very aggressive, very serious” blood cancer called mantle cell lymphoma.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/magda_szubanski/reel/DKOM_tZSuO2/">post on social media</a>, Szubanski said she would be starting treatment in a few weeks for the stage 4 cancer, which she called “one of the nasty ones, unfortunately”.</p> <p>So, what is mantle cell lymphoma? And how is it treated?</p> <h2>What is mantle cell lymphoma?</h2> <p>There are more than 100 subtypes of blood cancers, but they are commonly divided into one of two groups. These are <a href="https://medschool.ucla.edu/news-article/leukemia-vs-lymphoma-what-is-the-difference">based on</a> where they originate: leukaemias develop in the bone marrow, and lymphomas develop in the lymphatic system.</p> <p>Lymphomas develop from white blood cells (lymphocytes), which circulate in the blood and lymphatic system and help fight infection.</p> <p>You may not have heard of the <a href="https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/what-is-cancer/lymphatic-system">lymphatic system</a>, but it plays a key role in your immune response.</p> <p>The lymphatic circulatory system is responsible for transporting fluids (lymph) around your body. <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/lymph#:%7E:text=Listen%20to%20pronunciation,the%20body%20in%20lymph%20vessels.">Lymph</a> comes from blood plasma, and helps remove waste from your tissues.</p> <p>As part of the lymphatic system, tissues like the spleen and thymus help produce many of the immune cells you use to fight infections.</p> <p>These cells are then housed in specialised organs called lymph nodes – small pea-sized glands located throughout your body.</p> <p>Lymph nodes are kind of like the “war room” of your <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279395/">immune</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279396/">system</a>.</p> <p>Your body contains hundreds of lymph nodes, and each contains millions of lymphocytes. These include the T and B cells – the main fighting cells in adaptive immunity.</p> <p>If B cells in an area of the lymph node known as the “<a href="https://www.lymphoma.org.au/types-of-lymphoma/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/aggressive-fast-growing-b-cell-nhl/mantle-cell-lymphoma-mcl/">mantle zone</a>” become cancerous, it is called mantle cell lymphoma.</p> <h2>How rare is it?</h2> <p>In 2020, <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-data-in-australia/contents/blood-cancer-incidence-and-survival-by-histology-e">there were 330 cases</a> of mantle cell lymphoma diagnosed in Australia, accounting for a small fraction (5%) of lymphoma cases.</p> <p>Overall, lymphomas account for around <a href="https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/cancer-types/lymphoma/lymphoma-australia-statistics">one in twenty</a> new cancer diagnoses. This makes mantle cell lymphoma quite rare.</p> <p>Mantle cell lymphoma is about <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-data-in-australia/contents/blood-cancer-incidence-and-survival-by-histology-e">three times more common in men than in women</a>, and mostly affects people over the age of 60.</p> <h2>Is there a cure?</h2> <p>Unfortunately, mantle cell lymphoma is largely <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajh.26523">considered incurable</a> with the therapies currently available.</p> <p>Like many cancers, mantle cell lymphoma can vary in how quickly it develops and its severity.</p> <p>As Szubanski’s cancer has been described as “fast-moving” and is already stage 4, it appears that it is a more serious case.</p> <p>Stage 4 is the most advanced stage – meaning the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-does-cancer-spread-to-other-parts-of-the-body-219616">cancer has spread</a> (metastasised) to other tissues.</p> <p>Treatment at this stage can be more complicated than when the cancer is caught earlier. But treatment can still help people go on to live for many years.</p> <h2>What does treatment involve?</h2> <p>In her social media post, Szubanski said she will be receiving “one of the best treatments available (the Nordic protocol)”.</p> <p>This is one of the most common treatments for an aggressive lymphoma.</p> <p>The main component is “R-CHOP” – a <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/r-chop">combination therapy</a>. It involves a mixture of different drugs, including chemotherapy, to attack the cancer from multiple angles at the same time.</p> <p>Different strengths of the drugs can be used (the maximum strength is sometimes called R-maxi-CHOP).</p> <p>A stem cell transplantation may also be included in the regimen.</p> <p>How effective this treatment is will depend on many different factors, including the type and stage of the lymphoma.</p> <p>The aim is to kill as many cancer cells as possible, and therefore extend a patient’s life for as long as possible.</p> <p>Therapy also focuses on providing a high quality-of-life for patients.</p> <h2>How is it diagnosed?</h2> <p>Szubanski’s mantle cell lymphoma was detected during a breast cancer screen where, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/magda_szubanski/reel/DKOM_tZSuO2/">she says</a>, “they found my lymph nodes were up”.</p> <p>Imaging techniques, such as a mammogram or MRI, may detect tell-tale signs of lymphoma, such as swollen lymph nodes.</p> <p>However a biopsy – <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/biopsy/art-20043922">a small sample of tissue from the affected area</a> – would then be required to confirm the presence of cancer cells and identify what type.</p> <p>Blood cancer symptoms can be vague, but it’s good to know what to look for.</p> <p>As well as swollen lymph nodes, <a href="https://www.leukaemia.org.au/blood-cancer/blood-cancer-signs-and-symptoms/">symptoms of lymphoma</a> include nausea, tiredness, loss of appetite, fevers, gastrointestinal issues, unexplained weight loss, and night sweats.</p> <p>If you have any concerns, you should consult a doctor.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/257821/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-eddie-la-marca-1503690">John (Eddie) La Marca</a>, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/wehi-walter-and-eliza-hall-institute-of-medical-research-822">WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) </a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sarah-diepstraten-1495268">Sarah Diepstraten</a>, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/wehi-walter-and-eliza-hall-institute-of-medical-research-822">WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) </a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-mantle-cell-lymphoma-magda-szubanskis-rare-and-fast-moving-cancer-explained-257821">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: ABC / Instagram</em></p> </div>

Body

From tragedy to joy: Channel 9 star shares baby news

<p>In a beautiful announcement that has touched hearts across the country, 9News Perth presenter Tracy Vo has shared the joyful news that she and husband Liam Connolly are expecting a baby girl – their rainbow baby – due on October 7.</p> <p>The couple’s exciting news comes just months after they experienced the devastating loss of their son, James, when Vo was five months pregnant in 2024. Now, the couple is embracing hope and healing with the anticipation of a new chapter in their lives.</p> <p>“We had some extra baggage during our Vietnam adventure,” Vo shared on Instagram, accompanied by a radiant photo. “Our rainbow baby is due in Spring 🌈 We can’t wait to meet our baby girl and Sophia is excited to be a big sister. We know our boy James is looking after his little sister already 🤍.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKQjHGYTHqE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKQjHGYTHqE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tracy Vo (@tracy_vo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The due date carries a special significance – October 7 marks Tracy and Liam’s second wedding anniversary. “We were like, ‘Oh, well, it’s meant to be!’” she <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/parenting/irena-gilbert-pregnancy-after-loss-no-one-tells-you-experience-rainbow-baby-anxiety-regret/6a00d6cd-32a8-47fd-82ff-9c414a1bfe47" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told 9News</a>.</p> <p>Vo, 41, opened up about the complex emotions that come with expecting after loss, describing their journey as “cautiously excited”. She and Liam waited until 21 weeks to share the news with loved ones, choosing to keep it close as they processed both hope and anxiety.</p> <p>“I think as the months go on it becomes more real and a step closer to having our little girl in our arms,” she said. “We’re just counting down those weeks.”</p> <p>Tracy says the experience has brought her and Liam even closer, strengthening their marriage through shared grief, healing and unwavering support.</p> <p>“I’m very grateful that Liam was a huge support,” she said. “We also had a great support network as well – our family, our friends.”</p> <p>The couple gently shared the happy news with Connolly’s six-year-old daughter, Sophia, by giving her a teddy bear that revealed the baby’s gender. Now eagerly preparing to be a big sister, Sophia is joining the family in their excitement.</p> <p>As for pregnancy cravings? “Cookies and ice cream,” Tracy revealed. “And then oranges. I’m just loving oranges. I could just eat oranges all day!”</p> <p>Vo hopes their story brings comfort and encouragement to others who have experienced pregnancy loss. Since sharing her journey, she has received messages from people with similar stories – all bound by strength.</p> <p>“Hopefully it just spreads the hope and the love for people out there,” Vo said.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

What’s the difference between ageing and frailty?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Ageing is a normal part of the life course. It doesn’t matter how many green smoothies you drink, or how many “anti-ageing” skin care products you use, you can’t stop the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2685272/">ageing process</a>.</p> <p>But while we’re all getting older, not everyone who ages will necessarily become frail. Ageing and frailty are closely related, but they’re not the same thing.</p> <p>Let’s break down the difference between the two.</p> <h2>What is ageing?</h2> <p>On a biological level, ageing is the result of the build-up of <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health">cellular and molecular damage</a> in the body over time.</p> <p>The ageing process causes a gradual decline in physical and mental function, a higher risk of disease, and eventual (and unavoidable) death.</p> <p>Still, some people think they can cheat the system, <a href="https://fortune.com/well/article/bryan-johnson-live-longer-unrecognizable-anti-aging-procedure/">spending millions</a> trying to stay young forever. While we may be able to reduce the <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-these-three-popular-anti-ageing-skincare-ingredients-work-heres-what-the-evidence-says-182200">appearance of ageing</a>, ultimately there’s <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44324-024-00040-3">no magic pill</a> to <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2685272/">increase our longevity</a>.</p> <p>Around one in six Australians are over the age of 65 (<a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australians/contents/demographic-profile">16% of the total population</a>). Yet <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03601277.2024.2402056">as individuals</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/fear-of-ageing-is-really-a-fear-of-the-unknown-and-modern-society-is-making-things-worse-220925">a society</a> many of us still have a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/we-ve-been-constructed-to-think-a-certain-way-the-psychology-of-ageing-20231213-p5er6a.html">fear of ageing</a>.</p> <p>But what is it about ageing we are so afraid of? When it comes down to it, many people are probably less afraid of ageing, and more afraid of becoming frail.</p> <h2>What is frailty?</h2> <p><a href="https://www.afn.org.au/what-is-frailty/">Frailty</a> is defined as a state of vulnerability characterised by a loss of reserve across multiple parts of the body.</p> <p>Frailty is generally characterised by <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/frailty-declared-a-medical-condition">several physical symptoms</a>, such as weakness, slow walking speed, exhaustion, unintentional weight loss, and low activity level.</p> <p>Lower bone density and osteoporosis (a condition where the bones become weak and brittle) are also <a href="https://josr-online.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13018-024-04875-w">associated with frailty</a>, increasing the risk of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1279770723020250">falls and fractures</a>.</p> <p>Notably, someone who is frail is less able to “bounce back” (or recover) after a stressor event compared to someone who is not frail. A stressor event could be, for example, having a fall, getting a urinary infection, or even being admitted to hospital.</p> <p>Frailty is more common in older people. But in some cases, frailty can affect younger people too. For example, people with advanced chronic diseases, such as <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurjcn/article/22/4/345/6775229">heart failure</a>, can <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja15.00801">develop frailty</a> much younger.</p> <p>Frailty is dynamic. While it can get worse over time, in some cases <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037851221830478X">frailty can also be reversed</a> or even prevented through health and lifestyle changes.</p> <p>For example, we know physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle can <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)31786-6/abstract">significantly increase a person’s risk</a> of becoming frail. On the flip side, evidence shows doing more exercise can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36746389/">reduce frailty in older adults</a>.</p> <p>There are other lifestyle modifications we can make too. And the earlier we make these changes, the better.</p> <h2>Preventing frailty</h2> <p>Here are some <a href="https://youtu.be/41cMkvsaOOM">key things</a> you can do to <a href="https://www.self.com/story/how-to-avoid-frailty-old-age">help prevent frailty</a>:</p> <p><strong>1. Get moving</strong></p> <p>Exercise more, including resistance training (such as squats and lunges, or grab some stretchy resistance bands). Many of these sorts of exercises can be done at home. YouTube has some <a href="https://youtu.be/XDQo4wslr7I?si=FAoyHLDZgSG5AN1r">great resources</a>.</p> <p>You might also consider joining a gym, or asking your GP about seeing an accredited exercise physiologist or physiotherapist. Medicare <a href="https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=10953&qt=item">subsidies may be available</a> for these specialists.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians/for-older-australians-65-years-and-over">physical activity guidelines</a> for older Australians recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days or preferably every day.</p> <p>The guidelines also highlight the importance of incorporating different types of activities (such as resistance, balance or flexibility exercises) and reducing the time you spend sitting down.</p> <p><strong>2. Stay socially active</strong></p> <p>Social isolation and loneliness can <a href="https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article-abstract/64/10/gnae114/7734069">contribute to the progression of frailty</a>. Reach out to friends and family for support or contact local community groups that you may be able to join. This might include your local Zumba class or bridge club.</p> <p><strong>3. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to regularly check your medications</strong></p> <p>“Polypharmacy” (when someone is prescribed <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/healthcare-variation/fourth-atlas-2021/medicines-use-older-people/61-polypharmacy-75-years-and-over">five or more medications</a>) is associated with an increased <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6005607/">risk of frailty</a>. The presence of frailty can also interfere with how the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047637419300387">body absorbs medicines</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/home-medicines-review">Home medicine reviews</a> are available for older adults with a <a href="https://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=item&q=900">chronic medical condition or a complex medication regimen</a>. These reviews aims to help people get the most benefit from their medicines and reduce their risk of <a href="https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-04/fourth_atlas_2021_-_6.2_medications_management_reviews_75_years_and_over_0.pdf">experiencing adverse effects</a>.</p> <p>Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your current medications.</p> <p><strong>4. Eat a protein-rich diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables</strong></p> <p><a href="https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/61/6/589/589472?login=true#9578331">Low nutrient intake</a> can negatively impact physical function and may increase your risk of becoming frail. There’s some evidence to suggest eating more protein may <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/49/1/32/5618813">delay the onset of frailty</a>.</p> <p>A food-first approach is best when looking to increase the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7598653/#:%7E:text=Many%20studies%20have%20described%20an,are%20necessary%20to%20prevent%20frailty.">protein in your diet</a>. Protein is found in <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/protein#protein-foods">foods such as</a> lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, legumes and nuts.</p> <p>Adults over 50 should aim to eat <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values/nutrients/protein">64 grams of protein</a> per day for men and 46g per day for women. Adults over 70 should aim for 81g per day for men and 57g per day for women.</p> <p>Ask your GP for a referral to a dietitian who can provide advice on a dietary regime that is best for you.</p> <p>Supplements may be recommended if you are struggling to meet your protein needs from diet alone.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/247450/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/julee-mcdonagh-1525476">Julee McDonagh</a>, Senior Research Fellow of Frailty Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caleb-ferguson-72">Caleb Ferguson</a>, Professor of Nursing and Director of Health Innovations, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-ageing-and-frailty-one-is-inevitable-the-other-is-not-247450">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Mikhail Nikov / Pexels</em></p> </div>

Body

"Have some decency": Appalling reaction to Magda's health news

<p>Australian comedian and national treasure Magda Szubanski has revealed her battle with a rare and aggressive blood cancer – only to be met with a wave of online vitriol and conspiracy theories, drawing widespread condemnation for the lack of compassion.</p> <p>On Thursday, the 64-year-old star <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/magda-szubanski-shares-devastating-health-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced she had been diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma</a>, a rare form of stage-4 blood cancer. The diagnosis came unexpectedly during a routine breast screening, prompting Szubanski to begin the “Nordic protocol”, which she described as “one of the best treatments available”.</p> <p>In a candid Instagram video, the <em>Kath & Kim</em> actress addressed her followers with honesty and humour. “Hello, my lovelies. The head is shaved in anticipation of it all falling out in a couple of weeks,” she said. “It’s pretty confronting… But new treatments keep coming down the pipeline all the time.”</p> <p>Despite the seriousness of her condition, Szubanski reassured fans that she was in good hands, supported by her loved ones and an exceptional medical team. “To be honest, I’ve been feeling pretty ratsh*t for ages. So I asked for extra bloods and – voila!”</p> <p>However, the warmth of her message was quickly overshadowed by a torrent of cruel remarks and baseless conspiracy theories on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Some users linked her cancer diagnosis to her vocal support for COVID-19 vaccinations during the pandemic, reviving the discredited “turbo cancer” myth – a fringe theory suggesting COVID vaccines cause rapid-onset cancers.</p> <p>“Very sad to hear another experimental vaccine pusher has been diagnosed with something horrible,” one user tweeted. Others echoed similar sentiments, with one post reading, “Zero sympathy,” and another claiming, “It’s good to see that karma still works.”</p> <p>Szubanski was a prominent proponent of vaccination during the pandemic, even donning her beloved character Sharon Strzelecki in a government campaign to encourage Victorians to get the jab. That effort, once celebrated, is now being weaponised by some online as supposed justification for her illness.</p> <p>The backlash sparked swift condemnation from more compassionate voices on the platform. “As if cancer didn’t exist before Covid and vaccinations. You guys are seriously cooked,” wrote one user. Another added, “Classless of you to post this. Why drop to the level?”</p> <p>Many others pointed out the lack of basic human decency in mocking someone for a life-threatening diagnosis. “The posts here are highly disrespectful… Have some decency. BTW, these things can happen to anyone.”</p> <p>Szubanski’s diagnosis has drawn an outpouring of support from fans, friends, and fellow celebrities who praised her courage and vulnerability in going public. As she begins treatment, the beloved entertainer remains focused on her recovery and grateful for the support surrounding her.</p> <p>“I’ll be lying very low while my immune system takes a hammering,” she said. “For now, just know I’m in good hands, good spirits – but I reserve my human right to be a cranky old moll.”</p> <p><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Caring

Magda Szubanski shares devastating health news

<p>Beloved actor and comedian Magda Szubanski has revealed she is facing a deeply personal and harrowing health battle, after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer.</p> <p>The 64-year-old star, best known for her iconic roles in <em>Kath & Kim</em>, <em>Babe</em>, and <em>Ride Like a Girl</em>, shared the devastating news in an emotional message posted to social media on Wednesday.</p> <p>"Hello, my lovelies," she began, her trademark warmth shining through despite the gravity of her words. "The head is shaved in anticipation of it all falling out in a couple of weeks."</p> <p>Szubanski went on to reveal that she has been diagnosed with a “very rare, very aggressive lymphoma”, which she described as “one of the nasty ones unfortunately”.</p> <p>The news has rocked fans across the country, many of whom have followed Szubanski's decades-long career and have embraced her not only as a performer, but as a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and mental health awareness.</p> <p>Despite the confronting nature of her diagnosis, Szubanski offered a glimpse of her enduring spirit. “It’s pretty confronting. It is a full-on one,” she said. “But new treatments keep coming down the pipeline all the time … I’ve just got to (laughs). What do you? What are you gonna do?”</p> <p>In the post, she expressed gratitude for the people around her, noting, “The good thing is I’m surrounded by beautiful friends and family and an incredible medical support team. Honestly, we have the best in the world here in Australia.”</p> <p>She also asked fans and well-wishers to keep their distance physically due to her compromised immune system: “Please keep a distance though because I will be very immunocompromised. So as I can’t hug no more.”</p> <p>The actor indicated that more information will be shared in an official statement soon.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKOM_tZSuO2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKOM_tZSuO2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Magda Szubanski (@magda_szubanski)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Szubanski has long been open about her private struggles. In her acclaimed 2014 memoir <em>Reckoning</em>, she candidly wrote about her complex relationship with food, identity, and her sexuality. Her public coming out in 2012 was a landmark moment, one she later described as among the most frightening experiences of her life.</p> <p>Messages of love and support have flooded social media, with fans, fellow actors and public figures rallying around one of Australia’s most cherished cultural voices.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Is it OK to leave device chargers plugged in all the time?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>How many chargers do you own? We’re surrounded by rechargeable electronic devices – mobile phones, laptops, smart watches, headphones, e-bikes and more.</p> <p>You might have a phone charger plugged in next to your bed without ever bothering to switch it off at the wall or unplugging it when not in use. The same might go for a laptop charger by your desk.</p> <p>But is that risky to do? And are there hidden costs associated with leaving chargers plugged in all the time?</p> <h2>What’s inside a charger?</h2> <p>Naturally, not all chargers are the same. Depending on the application and power requirement, their internal structure can range from very simple to complex.</p> <p>However, a typical charger takes in the AC (alternating current) from the wall plug and converts it to a low-voltage DC (direct current) suitable for your device’s battery.</p> <p>To understand the difference between DC and AC, consider the flow of electrons in a wire. In a DC circuit, electrons move in one direction and keep rotating in the circuit. In an AC circuit, electrons doesn’t circulate and only move back and forth.</p> <p>The reason for why we use both types of current goes a long way back, to the time when inventors Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla battled over which type <a href="https://www.history.com/articles/what-was-the-war-of-the-currents">would become the default standard</a>. Today, we are <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/war-currents-ac-vs-dc-power">still stuck between both</a>. Electricity is traditionally generated in AC form, but modern appliances and batteries require the DC form. This is why almost every electrical appliance comes with an AC–DC converter.</p> <p>To do the conversion from AC to DC, a typical charger needs several electrical components such as a transformer, a circuit for doing the actual conversion, filtering elements to enhance the quality of output DC voltage, and control circuitry for regulation and protection.</p> <h2>Chargers consume power even when not charging</h2> <p>“Vampire power” is real. If you leave it plugged in, a charger will continuously draw a small amount of power. Part of this power is used to keep the control and protection circuits running while the rest is lost as heat.</p> <p>When we look at an individual small charger, the vampire power – also known as standby power – is negligible. However, if you add up all the chargers in your home for various devices, over time the wasted energy can be significant. Standby power is not exclusive to chargers, either; other electronic devices such as TVs draw a little bit of standby power, too.</p> <p>Depending on how many things you leave plugged in, over the course of the year it could amount to several kilowatt hours.</p> <p>That said, modern chargers are designed to minimise standby power consumption. These chargers come with smart power management components that keep them in sleep mode until an external device attempts to draw power.</p> <h2>There are other risks, too</h2> <p>Chargers wear out over time when electricity flows through them, particularly when the electricity grid voltage temporarily rises above its rated value. The electricity grid is a chaotic environment and various voltage rise events happen from time to time.</p> <p>Leaving your chargers exposed to these events will shorten their life. This premature ageing shouldn’t be alarming for modern devices, thanks to their improved design and control. But it is particularly concerning for cheap, uncertified chargers. These often lack appropriate levels of protection and can be a fire hazard.</p> <h2>How should I treat my chargers?</h2> <p>Although modern chargers are generally very safe and should be drawing minimal standby power, consider unplugging them anyway – if convenient.</p> <p>If a charger gets warmer than usual, makes noise, or is damaged in any way, it is time for a replacement. And it definitely shouldn’t be left plugged in.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/255016/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/glen-farivar-2373201">Glen Farivar</a>, Lecturer in Power Electronics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-ok-to-leave-device-chargers-plugged-in-all-the-time-an-expert-explains-255016">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: </em><a class="source" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; text-align: center;" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/white-and-black-power-strip-YrdSQ_1gYRE"><em>Kit/Unsplash</em></a></p> </div>

Technology

Chilling new details emerge after Qld mother's alleged murder

<p>The Queensland mother who has been charged with the alleged murder of her three-year-old daughter posted a series of disturbing and emotional messages to social media just days earlier that hinted at inner turmoil and a spiritual battle.</p> <p>Lauren Flanigan, 32, was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/qld-mother-charged-with-murder-of-toddler-daughter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taken into custody on Monday night</a> after police were called to a property in Moore Park Beach, near Bundaberg. Flanigan was present at the scene and arrested shortly after. A knife, believed by authorities to be the murder weapon, was found and seized. She was formally charged with murder on Tuesday.</p> <p>In the days leading up to the incident, Flanigan’s social media presence had taken on a concerning tone. Through a series of emotionally charged posts, she spoke of trauma, spirituality and defiance against "the system".</p> <p>In her final post, published just a day before her daughter's death, Flanigan wrote:</p> <p>“REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. Not what the system told you. Not what your trauma whispered. Not the lies of fear. You are ROYALTY. You are CHOSEN. You are HOLY. You are a WARRIOR OF LIGHT.”</p> <p>She continued: “Train like it’s war – because it is. Discipline is deliverance. Refine your algorithm. Refine your soul. God is calling His army out of hiding. This is kingdom rising… No more delays. No more compromise. Tag your generals. It’s time to RISE.”</p> <p>Another post reflected on her role as a mother and her desire for a more meaningful life:</p> <p>“Time to watch my babies grow. Time to breathe. Time to live. Time to love,” she wrote. “I have given my life to serve. I have a beautiful little family who remind me of love daily.”</p> <p>Flanigan, who was known to be an active member of Bundaberg’s Alive Church, often shared religious and inspirational messages online. She frequently posted photos of her children, once calling them her “divine babies”, and reflected on spiritual metaphors during walks on the beach.</p> <p>One lengthy post, accompanied by a video of waves washing over seashells, read: “As I walked along the beach today… I began to notice the shells scattered along the shoreline. Each one completely unique… Some cracked. Some whole… And then I realised… We are like these shells.”</p> <p>The alleged murder has shocked the quiet regional community and sparked widespread sorrow and disbelief. Neighbours and community members are grappling with the tragedy, as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding Sophia’s death.</p> <p>Flanigan remains in custody and is expected to appear in court later this week. Police have confirmed that mental health will be a key focus of their ongoing inquiries.</p> <p><em><strong>Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).</strong></em></p> <p><em>Images: Facebook / Instagram</em></p>

Caring

TGA approves new drug for Alzheimer’s

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>This week, Australia’s <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/artg/420194">Therapeutic Goods Administration</a> (TGA) approved a drug called donanemab for people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <p>Donanemab has previously been approved in a number of other countries, including <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/fda-approves-treatment-adults-alzheimers-disease">the United States</a>.</p> <p>So what is donanemab, and who will be able to access it in Australia?</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A drug that is given once a month to slow the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease has been approved by the TGA, but will only be available for a select few who can afford it privately. <a href="https://t.co/sJqR3IKhAB">https://t.co/sJqR3IKhAB</a></p> <p>— ABC News (@abcnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/abcnews/status/1925378845135274425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <h2>How does donanemab work?</h2> <p>There are more than 100 different causes <a href="https://www.alzint.org/about/dementia-facts-figures/types-of-dementia/">of dementia</a>, but Alzheimer’s disease alone accounts for about 70% of these, making it <a href="https://www.alzint.org/about/dementia-facts-figures/types-of-dementia/alzheimers-disease/">the most common form</a> of dementia.</p> <p>The disease is believed to be caused by the accumulation in the brain of two abnormal proteins, amyloid and tau. The first is thought to be particularly important, and the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/alzheimers-drug-donanemab-has-been-hailed-as-a-turning-point-for-treatment-but-what-does-it-mean-for-people-with-the-disease-209970">amyloid hypothesis</a>” – which suggests amyloid is the key cause of Alzheimer’s disease – has driven research for many years.</p> <p>Donanemab is a “monoclonal antibody” treatment. Antibodies are proteins the immune system produces that bind to harmful foreign “invaders” in the body, or targets. A monoclonal antibody has one specific target. In the case of donanemab it’s the amyloid protein. Donanemab binds to amyloid protein deposits (plaques) in the brain and allows our bodies to remove them.</p> <p>Donanemab is given monthly, via intravenous infusion.</p> <h2>What does the evidence say?</h2> <p>Australia’s approval of donanemab comes as a result of a <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10352931/">clinical trial</a> involving 1,736 people published in 2023.</p> <p>This trial showed donanemab resulted in a significant slowing of disease progression in a group of patients who had either early Alzheimer’s disease, or mild cognitive impairment with signs of Alzheimer’s pathology. Before entering the trial, all patients had the presence of amyloid protein detected via <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/pet-scan">PET scanning</a>.</p> <p>Participants were randomised, and half received donanemab, while the other half received a placebo, over 18 months.</p> <p>For those who received the active drug, their Alzheimer’s disease progressed 35% more slowly over 18 months compared to those who were given the placebo. The researchers ascertained this using the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4806404/">Integrated Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale</a>, which measures cognition and function.</p> <p>Those who received donanemab also demonstrated large reductions in the levels of amyloid in the brain (as measured by PET scans). The majority, by the end of the trial, were considered to be below the threshold that would normally indicate the presence of Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <p>These results certainly seem to vindicate the amyloid hypothesis, which had been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33049114/">called into question</a> by the results of multiple <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/eli-lillys-alzheimers-drug-trial-fails-to-achieve-goals-1479902563">failed previous studies</a>. They represent a major advance in our understanding of the disease.</p> <p>That said, patients in the study did not <em>improve</em> in terms of cognition or function. They continued to decline, albeit at a significantly slower rate than those who were not treated.</p> <p>The actual clinical significance has been <a href="https://academic.oup.com/braincomms/article/6/6/fcae435/7915707">a topic of debate</a>. Some experts have questioned whether the meaningfulness of this result to the patient is worth the potential risks.</p> <h2>Is the drug safe?</h2> <p>Some 24% of trial participants receiving the drug experienced brain swelling. The rates rose to 40.6% in those possessing two copies of a gene called ApoE4.</p> <p>Although three-quarters of people who developed brain swelling experienced no symptoms from this, there were three deaths in the treatment group during the study related to donanemab, likely a result of brain swelling.</p> <p>These risks <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2274580725000949">require regular monitoring</a> with MRI scans while the drug is being given.</p> <p>Some 26.8% of those who received donanemab also experienced small bleeds into the brain (microhaemorrhages) compared to 12.5% of those taking the placebo.</p> <h2>Cost is a barrier</h2> <p>Reports indicate donanemab could cost anywhere between <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-22/alzheimers-drug-donanemab-tga-approval-dementia/105319856">A$40,000 and $80,000</a> each year in Australia. This puts it beyond the reach of many who might benefit from it.</p> <p>Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of donanemab, has made an application for the drug to be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, with a decision pending perhaps within <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-22/alzheimers-drug-donanemab-tga-approval-dementia/105319856">a couple of months</a>. While this would make the drug substantially more affordable for patients, it will represent a large cost to taxpayers.</p> <p>The cost of the drug is in addition to costs associated with the monitoring required to ensure its safety and efficacy (such as doctor visits, MRIs and PET scans).</p> <h2>Who will be able to access it?</h2> <p>This drug is only of benefit for people with early Alzheimer’s-type dementia, so not everybody with Alzheimer’s disease will get access to it.</p> <p>Almost 80% of people who were screened to participate <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10352931/">in the trial</a> were found unsuitable to proceed.</p> <p>The terms of the <a href="https://www.ebs.tga.gov.au/servlet/xmlmillr6?dbid=ebs/PublicHTML/pdfStore.nsf&docid=420194&agid=%28PrintDetailsPublic%29&actionid=1">TGA approval</a> specify potential patients will first need to be found to have specific levels of amyloid protein in their brains. This would be ascertained either by PET scanning or by lumbar puncture sampling of spinal fluid.</p> <p>Also, patients with two copies of the ApoE4 gene have been ruled unsuitable to receive the drug. The TGA has judged the risk/benefit profile for this group to be unfavourable. This genetic profile accounts for only 2% of the general population, but <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/study-defines-major-genetic-form-alzheimer-s-disease">15% of people with Alzheimer’s disease</a>.</p> <h2>Improving diagnosis and tempering expectations</h2> <p>It’s estimated more than <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dementia/dementia-in-aus/contents/population-health-impacts-of-dementia/prevalence-of-dementia">400,000 Australians</a> have dementia. But only <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dementia/ndap-indicators-dashboard/contents/action-4/measure-4-5-time-from-symptom-onset-to-diagnosis">13% of people</a> with dementia currently receive a diagnosis within a year of developing symptoms.</p> <p>Given those with very early disease stand to benefit most from this treatment, we need to expand our dementia diagnostic services significantly.</p> <p>Finally, expectations need to be tempered about what this drug can reasonably achieve. It’s important to be mindful this is not a cure.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/257321/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steve-macfarlane-4722">Steve Macfarlane</a>, Head of Clinical Services, Dementia Support Australia, & Associate Professor of Psychiatry, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-tga-has-approved-donanemab-for-alzheimers-disease-how-does-this-drug-work-and-who-will-be-able-to-access-it-257321">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Caring

The Project in peril as Channel Ten plots bold news overhaul

<p>Speculation is mounting over the future of Channel Ten’s flagship current affairs program <em>The Project</em>, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14748609/Brutal-sign-Project-canned-Channel-10.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with reports suggesting</a> the long-running panel show may be on the chopping block amid a broader shakeup at the network.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/the-project-under-review-as-ten-plans-to-announce-new-show/news-story/280ab62724d67c2eed16bb04cafc3e97" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Australian</a>, <em>The Project</em> is “100 per cent” under review as Ten’s current affairs division undergoes scrutiny in response to dwindling ratings. The show, which first aired in 2009, is reportedly struggling to connect with audiences across key demographics.</p> <p>“<em>The Project</em> is a bit too old and irritating for younger viewers online… and a bit too young and irritating for older viewers on television,” the outlet reported, summarising the show’s struggle to appeal to either end of the age spectrum.</p> <p>Recent ratings appear to reflect this disconnect. Over the past week, <em>The Project</em> failed to break into the top ten most-watched programs, with Tuesday night’s episode recording its highest audience at 945,000 viewers. Friday’s episode fared worst, drawing just 626,000 viewers. In contrast, rival bulletins from Seven and Nine consistently drew more than 2 million viewers during the same 6pm timeslot.</p> <p>The program’s declining viewership comes amid broader criticism of its perceived political slant and the fallout from the departures of several high-profile hosts, including Carrie Bickmore, Peter Helliar and Lisa Wilkinson. Despite a relaunch in 2023 featuring Sarah Harris, Sam Taunton, Michael Hing and Waleed Aly, the shakeup has yet to reverse the trend. Michael Hing’s departure earlier this year marked another shift in the panel’s makeup.</p> <p>Adding to the uncertainty, Daily Mail Australia <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14509357/Channel-Ten-cancels-Project.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported earlier this year</a> that Channel Ten executives were eyeing a new "news magazine show" to rival established programs like Nine's <em>60 Minutes</em>, Seven's <em>Spotlight</em>, and the ABC's <em>Four Corners</em>.</p> <p>A “crack team” of producers – referred to internally as the “investigations unit” – is reportedly being assembled to lead this new venture. Dan Sutton, a seasoned Channel Ten reporter, is tipped to serve as the executive producer, with screen testing currently underway for potential reporters.</p> <p>Network Ten confirmed the formation of the investigative unit in a statement to Daily Mail Australia, saying: “Following the continued growth and success of our news brand, 10 News, we are investing in a 10 News investigative unit that will work on long-form investigative stories as part of our news offering across all our platforms.”</p> <p>When pressed about the future of <em>The Project</em>, however, a network spokesperson maintained that there were “no changes” currently planned. "The Project remains an integral part of our content line-up and rest assured, it’s not going anywhere," they reiterated, echoing a similar statement made in July of last year.</p> <p>The show has also been experimenting with new distribution strategies, including the decision earlier this year to upload full episodes to YouTube in a bid to capture younger audiences. Segments from the show continue to be shared widely across social media platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).</p> <p>One glimmer of hope for the embattled program came last Tuesday, when former host Carrie Bickmore made a brief return to the panel to celebrate the tenth anniversary of her charity, Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer. The special appearance helped boost ratings to 945,000 viewers – the highest for the week.</p> <p>Despite the network’s reassurances, the combination of faltering ratings, a changing panel and mounting speculation over a new investigative format suggests that <em>The Project</em> could be heading into uncertain territory.</p> <p>Whether it can reestablish its place in the Australian television landscape – or be quietly phased out – remains to be seen.</p> <p><em>Image: Channel Ten / The Project</em></p>

Could cold sores increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>A <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/5/e093946">new study</a> has found the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which causes cold sores, may be linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <p>This idea is not entirely new. Previous research has suggested there <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.1890330403">may be an association</a> between HSV-1 and Alzheimer’s disease, the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia">most common form of dementia</a>.</p> <p>So what can we make of these new findings? And how strong is this link? Let’s take a look at the evidence.</p> <h2>First, what is HSV-1?</h2> <p>HSV-1 is a neurotropic virus, meaning it can infect nerve cells, which send and receive messages to and from the brain. It’s an extremely common virus. The <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus">World Health Organization estimates</a> nearly two-thirds of the global population aged under 50 carries this virus, often unknowingly.</p> <p>An initial infection can cause mild to severe symptoms including fever, headache and muscle aches, and may manifest as blisters and ulcers around the mouth or lips.</p> <p>After this, HSV-1 typically <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8923070/">lies dormant</a> in the body’s nervous system, sometimes reactivating due to stress or illness. During reactivation, it can cause symptoms such as cold sores, although in many people it doesn’t cause any symptoms.</p> <h2>What did the new research look at?</h2> <p>In a study published this week <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/5/e093946">in BMJ Open</a>, researchers analysed data from hundreds of thousands of people drawn from a large United States health insurance dataset.</p> <p>They conducted a matched “case-control” analysis involving more than 340,000 adults aged 50 and older diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease between 2006 and 2021. Each Alzheimer’s disease patient (a “case”) was matched to a control without a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease based on factors such as age, sex and geographic region, a method designed to reduce statistical bias.</p> <p>The team then examined how many of these people had a prior diagnosis of HSV-1 and whether they had been prescribed antiviral treatment for the infection.</p> <p>Among people with Alzheimer’s disease, 0.44% had a previous HSV-1 diagnosis, compared to 0.24% of controls. This translates to an 80% increased relative risk of Alzheimer’s disease in those diagnosed with HSV-1, however the absolute numbers are small.</p> <p>The researchers also found people who received antiviral treatment for HSV-1 had roughly a 17% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who were untreated.</p> <h2>Not a new hypothesis</h2> <p>This isn’t the first time researchers have speculated about a viral role in Alzheimer’s disease. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.1890330403">Earlier studies</a> have detected <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(96)10149-5/abstract">HSV-1 DNA in postmortem brain tissues</a> from people who had Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <p>Laboratory research has also shown <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2018.06.030">HSV-1 can trigger amyloid-beta plaque accumulation</a> in nerve cells and mouse brains. Amyloid-beta plaques are one of the defining features of Alzheimer’s disease pathology, so this has led to speculation that reactivation of the virus may contribute to brain inflammation or damage.</p> <p>But importantly, previous research and the current study show associations, not proof HSV-1 causes Alzheimer’s disease. These links do not confirm the virus initiates or drives disease progression.</p> <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:f3ph3ymzcnhpchwqiu4u37g2/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpn5axtbvj2i" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreifwdab7rnvdpu6t3vnupdymct77ojzrhjkwxcndc2lo5b4ipjkvee" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"> <p lang="">Got Cold Sores? You Might Be at Higher Risk for Alzheimer’s https://gizmodo.com/got-cold-sores-you-might-be-at-higher-risk-for-alzheimers-2000603873</p> <p><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:f3ph3ymzcnhpchwqiu4u37g2/post/3lpn5axtbvj2i?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> <p>— Gizmodo (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:f3ph3ymzcnhpchwqiu4u37g2?ref_src=embed">@gizmodo.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:f3ph3ymzcnhpchwqiu4u37g2/post/3lpn5axtbvj2i?ref_src=embed">May 21, 2025 at 8:31 AM</a></p></blockquote> <h2>Some other important caveats</h2> <p>The study relied on insurance claim data, which may not always reflect accurate or timely clinical diagnoses. HSV-1 is also frequently underdiagnosed, especially when symptoms are mild or absent. These points could explain why both the Alzheimer’s group and the control group saw such low rates of HSV-1, when population rates of this virus <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus">are estimated to be far higher</a>.</p> <p>This means many carriers of HSV-1 in the study may have gone unrecorded and therefore makes the link harder to interpret clearly. The dataset also doesn’t capture how often people had recurring symptoms, or the severity or duration of infections – conditions which might influence risk more directly.</p> <p>Another complicating factor is people with HSV-1 might differ in other ways from those without it. Differences in health-care access, the health of a person’s <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00144-4/fulltext">immune system</a>, <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01296-0/abstract">lifestyle</a>, <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)60630-3/abstract">genetics</a>, or even <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01296-0/abstract">education</a> – could all influence Alzheimer’s disease risk.</p> <h2>So should you be concerned if you have cold sores?</h2> <p>The short answer is no – at least not based on current evidence. Most people with HSV-1 will never develop Alzheimer’s disease. The vast majority live with the virus without any serious neurological issues.</p> <p>The “herpes hypothesis” of Alzheimer’s disease is an interesting area for further research, but far from settled science. This study adds weight to the conversation but doesn’t offer a definitive answer.</p> <p>Alzheimer’s disease is a complex condition with <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/commissions-do/dementia-prevention-intervention-and-care">multiple risk factors</a>, including age, genetics, heart health, education, lifestyle and environmental exposures.</p> <p>Infections such as HSV-1 may be one part of a larger, interconnected puzzle, but they are highly unlikely to be the sole cause.</p> <p>With this in mind, the best thing to do is to focus on what we already know can help keep your brain healthy as you age. <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00184-9/abstract#:%7E:text=Emerging%20evidence%20suggests%20that%20sedentary,impairment%20and%20reduce%20dementia%20risk.">Regular physical activity</a>, <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/sleep-well-and-reduce-your-risk-of-dementia-and-death-2021050322508">good quality sleep</a>, <a href="https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/managing-the-risk-of-dementia/reduce-your-risk-of-dementia/social-isolation">social engagement</a>, <a href="https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/dementia-information/dementia-risk/diet-and-dementia-risk/">a balanced diet</a> and <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/protect-your-brain-from-stress">managing stress</a> can all support long-term brain health.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/257140/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joyce-siette-1377445">Joyce Siette</a>, Associate Professor | Deputy Director, The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour, and Development, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-cold-sores-increase-the-risk-of-alzheimers-disease-a-new-study-is-no-cause-for-panic-257140">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Gizmodo</em></p> </div>

Body

Can you treat headaches with physiotherapy?

<div class="theconversation-article-body">You might’ve noticed some physiotherapists advertise they offer treatments for headaches and wondered: would that work?</p> <p>In fact, there’s a solid body of research showing that physiotherapy treatments can be really helpful for certain types of headache.</p> <p>Sometimes, however, medical management is also necessary and it’s worth seeing a doctor. Here’s what you need to know.</p> <h2>Cervicogenic headache: when pain travels up your neck</h2> <p>Cervicogenic headache is where pain is referred from the top of the neck (an area known as the upper cervical spine).</p> <p>Pain is usually one-sided. It generally starts just beneath the skull at the top of the neck, spreading into the back of the head and sometimes into the back of the eye.</p> <p>Neck pain and headache are often triggered by activities that put strain on the neck, such as holding one posture or position for a long time, or doing repetitive neck movements (such as looking up and down repeatedly).</p> <p>Unlike in migraine, people experiencing cervicogenic headache don’t usually get nausea or sensitivity to light and sound.</p> <p>Because this is a musculoskeletal condition of the upper neck, physiotherapy treatments that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12221344/">improve</a> neck function – such as manual therapy, exercise and education – can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27497890/">provide</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38902195/">short- and long-term benefits</a>.</p> <h2>Can physio help with migraine?</h2> <p>Migraine is a neurological disorder whereby the brain has difficulty processing sensory input.</p> <p>This can cause episodic attacks of moderate to severe headache, as well as:</p> <ul> <li>sensitivity to light and noise</li> <li>nausea and</li> <li>intolerance to physical exertion.</li> </ul> <p>There are many triggers. Everyone’s are different and identifying yours is crucial to self-management of migraine. Medication can also help, so seeing a GP is the first step if you <a href="https://headacheaustralia.org.au/migraine/">suspect you have migraine</a>.</p> <p>About <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35166137/">70-80%</a> of people with migraine also have neck pain, commonly just before or at the onset of a migraine attack. This can make people think their neck pain is triggering the migraine.</p> <p>While this may be true in some people, our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34214181/">research</a> has shown many people with migraine have nothing wrong with their neck despite having neck pain.</p> <p>In those cases, neck pain is part of migraine and can be a warning (but not a cause or trigger) of an imminent migraine attack. It can signal patients need to take steps to prevent the attack.</p> <p>On the other hand, if the person has musculoskeletal neck disorder, physiotherapy neck treatments may help improve their migraine. Musculoskeletal neck disorder is what physiotherapists call typical neck pain caused by, for instance, a sports injury or sleeping in a weird way.</p> <p>You may have heard of the Watson manual therapy technique being used to treat migraine. It involves applying manual pressure to the upper cervical spine and neck area.</p> <p>There are currently no peer-reviewed studies looking at how effective this technique is for migraine.</p> <p>However, recent studies investigating a combination of manual therapy, neck exercises and education tailored to the individual’s circumstances <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36739510/">show</a> some <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342117351_Neck_treatment_compared_to_aerobic_exercise_in_migraine_A_preference-based_clinical_trial">small effects</a> in improving the number of migraine attacks and the disabling effects of headache.</p> <p>Manual therapy and neck exercises can also give short-term pain relief.</p> <p>However, in some cases the neck can become very sensitive and easily aggravated in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15907257/">migraine</a>. That means inappropriate assessment or treatment could end up triggering a migraine.</p> <p>Physiotherapy can help with migraine but you first need a comprehensive and skilled physical assessment of the neck by an experienced physiotherapist. It’s crucial to identify if a musculoskeletal neck disorder is present and, if so, which type of neck treatment is needed.</p> <p>It is also important people with migraine understand how their migraine is triggered, what lifestyle factors contribute to it and when to take the appropriate medications to help manage their migraines.</p> <p>A trained physiotherapist can provide some of this information and help patients make sense of their condition and recommend the patient see their GP for medication, when appropriate.</p> <h2>What about tension headaches?</h2> <p>Tension type headache is the most common type of headache, characterised by a feeling of “tightness” or “band-like” pain around the head.</p> <p>Nausea and sensitivity to light and noise are not usually present with this type of headache.</p> <p>Like migraine, tension type headache is often associated with neck pain and also has different aggravating factors, not all of which are due to the neck.</p> <p>Again, a detailed assessment by a trained physiotherapist is needed to identify if the neck is involved and what type of neck treatment is best.</p> <p>There is some evidence a combination of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35236143/">manual therapy and exercise</a> can reduce tension type headache.</p> <p>Physiotherapists can also provide education and advice on aggravating factors and self management.</p> <h2>Seeking help</h2> <p>There are many types and causes of headache. If you suffer frequent headaches or have a new or unusual headache, ask a doctor to investigate.</p> <p>There is good evidence physiotherapy treatment will improve cervicogenic headache and emerging evidence it might help migraine and tension type headache (alongside usual medical care).</p> <p>If you are wondering if you have cervicogenic headache or if you have bothersome neck pain associated with headache, ask your doctor to refer you to a skilled physiotherapist trained in headache treatment. A careful assessment can determine if physiotherapy treatment will help.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/256581/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/zhiqi-liang-2392952"><em>Zhiqi Liang</em></a><em>, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/julia-treleaven-2393094">Julia Treleaven</a>, Associate Professor in Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lucy-thomas-2392963">Lucy Thomas</a>, Teaching and research academic in Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-you-treat-headaches-with-physiotherapy-heres-what-the-research-says-256581">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Marcus Aurelius / Pexels</em></p> </div>

Caring

Seven things to eat or avoid to lower your blood pressure

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>High blood pressure is called the <em>silent killer</em>. That’s because it has <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/SymptomsDiagnosisMonitoringofHighBloodPressure/What-are-the-Symptoms-of-High-Blood-Pressure_UCM_301871_Article.jsp#.V7OWWI9OI2w">no symptoms</a>. Having high blood pressure (hypertension) increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.</p> <p>Six million Australian adults (34%) have high blood pressure – 140/90 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) or more – or take medications for it. Of those, <a href="https://heartfoundation.org.au/images/uploads/publications/PRO-167_Hypertension-guideline-2016_WEB.pdf">four million have high blood pressure that isn’t treated or under control</a>.</p> <p>No wonder heart disease and stroke directly cost the Australian economy <a href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129546379">A$7.7 billion a year</a>.</p> <p>There is some good news. High blood pressure can be treated or prevented. Eating oats, fruit and vegetables – and beetroot, in particular – helps. So does avoiding salt, liquorice, caffeine and alcohol.</p> <p>Optimal blood pressure is <a href="https://theconversation.com/blood-pressure-targets-what-does-the-new-guideline-say-and-how-low-should-you-go-62684">120 mmHg or less</a> over 80 mmHg or less. Lowering it by 1-2 mmHg can have a big impact on reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke, and the nation’s health care costs.</p> <h2>What to eat to lower your blood pressure</h2> <p><strong>Rolled oats</strong></p> <p>A <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25668347">review with five research trials included</a> tested the impact of oats on systolic blood pressure (the first blood pressure number, which is the pressure at which the heart pumps blood) and diastolic blood pressure (the second number, which is when the heart relaxes) in about 400 healthy adults.</p> <p>The researchers found that systolic blood pressure was 2.7 mmHg lower and diastolic blood pressure was 1.5 mmHg lower when participants ate around 60 grams of rolled oats (a packed half-cup raw oats) or 25 grams of oat bran per day.</p> <p>This quantity of oats or oat bran contains around four grams of a type of fibre called <a href="http://www.healthline.com/health/beta-glucan-heart-healthy">beta-glucan</a>.</p> <p>For each extra one gram of total daily fibre, there was an extra 0.11 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure.</p> <figure class="align-right "><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <p>Recommended <a href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/dietary-fibre">minimum daily adult fibre intakes</a> are 30 grams for men and 25 grams for women.</p> <p>While some of fibre’s effect is due to weight loss, soluble fibres produce bioactive products when they’re fermented in the large bowel. These work directly to lower blood pressure.</p> <p>To improve your blood pressure, eat rolled oats or oat bran for breakfast, add to meat patties, or mix with breadcrumbs in recipes that call for crumbing.</p> <p><strong>Beetroot</strong></p> <p>Beetroot is extremely rich in a compound called inorganic nitrate. During digestion, this gets converted into nitric oxide, which causes arteries to dilate. This directly lowers the pressure in them.</p> <p>A <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23596162">review of 16 trials</a> of mostly healthy young men found drinking beetroot juice was associated with a 4.4 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure. But it found no change in diastolic blood pressure.</p> <p>However a recent <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25421976">trial in 68 adults</a> who already had high blood pressure found beetroot juice reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure.</p> <figure class="align-right "><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <p>The men were randomly assigned to drink 250ml (one cup) of beetroot juice daily for four weeks or a non-active placebo.</p> <p>Blood pressure in the men who drank the beetroot juice reduced over 24 hours, with systolic blood pressure 7.7 mmHg lower and diastolic blood pressure 5.2 mmHg lower.</p> <p>Try wrapping whole fresh beetroot in foil and baking in the oven until soft, or grate beetroot and stir-fry with red onion and curry paste and eat as a relish.</p> <p><strong>Vitamin C</strong></p> <p>Vitamin C, or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C">ascorbic acid</a>, is found in fresh vegetables and fruit. An average serve contains 10-40mg of vitamin C.</p> <p>In a review of 29 short-term <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22492364">trials of vitamin C supplements</a>, people were given 500 mg of vitamin C per day for about eight weeks.</p> <p>Blood pressure significantly improved, with an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of 3.84 mmHg and 1.48 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure.</p> <figure class="align-right "><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <p>When only those with existing high blood pressure were considered, the drop in systolic blood pressure was 4.85 mmHg.</p> <p>However, those <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26463139">at risk of kidney stones</a> need to be cautious about taking vitamin C supplements. Excess vitamin C is excreted via the kidneys and can contribute to the formation of kidney stones.</p> <p>One advantage of getting more vitamin C from eating more vegetables and fruit is that you boost your potassium intake, which helps <a href="http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/microsites/salt/Home/Whypotassiumhelps">counter the effects of sodium</a> from salt.</p> <h2>What to avoid to lower your blood pressure</h2> <p><strong>Salt</strong></p> <p>Salt or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt">sodium chloride</a> has been used to preserve foods and as a flavour enhancer for centuries.</p> <p>High salt intakes are <a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/312/7041/1249?ijkey=cd4b7840cc559055a2997d90100361217218f6e8&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha">associated with higher blood pressure</a>.</p> <figure class="align-right "><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <p>Adults <a href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/sodium">need between 1.2 to 2.4g of salt each day</a> (one-quarter to a half teaspoon), which is equivalent to 460 to 920mg of sodium.</p> <p>But in Australia seven out of ten men and three in ten women eat way more than that – and much more than the upper recommended limit of 5.9 grams of salt (about one teaspoon) or <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.008%7E2011-12%7EMain%20Features%7ESodium%7E403">2,300 mg of sodium per day</a>.</p> <p>If you add salt to food yourself this pushes your sodium intake even higher.</p> <p>A <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23558162">review of studies</a> involving 3,230 people showed that reducing salt intakes by 4.4 grams a day could reduce systolic blood pressure by about 4.2 mmHg and diastolic by 2.1 mmHg.</p> <p>In those who had high blood pressure there were even bigger reductions of 5.4 mmHg (systolic) and 2.8 mmHg (diastolic).</p> <p>Avoid foods high in sodium. Don’t add salt and try to choose lower-salt versions of processed foods.</p> <p><strong>Alcohol</strong></p> <p>Consuming one or more alcoholic drink a day is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15752957">associated with systolic blood pressure</a> that is about 2.7 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure 1.4 mmHg higher than non-drinkers.</p> <p>Interestingly, when you first drink an alcoholic beverage, blood pressure goes down, only to rise later.</p> <figure class="align-right "><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <p>A rise in blood pressure after drinking alcohol is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26123682">more likely to happen when you’re awake</a>, rather during sleep.</p> <p>The bad news is that larger amounts of alcohol increase your risk of high blood pressure, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23126352">especially in men</a>, but also to a lesser extent <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19804464">in women</a>.</p> <p><strong>Liquorice</strong></p> <p>High blood pressure due to eating black liquorice is rare, but <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26380428">case reports have occurred</a>.</p> <p>Most liquorice candy sold currently contains very little true liquorice root and therefore, little <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycyrrhizin">glycyrrhizic acid</a> (GZA), the active ingredient.</p> <figure class="align-right "><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <p>Occasionally, liquorice candy does contain GZA in large amounts. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10944880">GZA causes sodium retention and potassium loss</a>, which contributes to high blood pressure.</p> <p>So check liquorice food labels. Take care <em>if</em> it contains liquorice root.</p> <p><strong>Caffeine</strong></p> <p>Caffeine is most commonly consumed in coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks.</p> <p>High intakes of caffeine from coffee <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21880846">increase blood pressure</a> in the short term.</p> <figure class="align-right "><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <p>In a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21880846">review of five trials</a>, people given one to two cups of strong coffee had an increase in their systolic blood pressure of 8.1 mmHg and 5.7 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure, up to about three hours after drinking it.</p> <p>But three studies that lasted two weeks found drinking coffee did not increase blood pressure compared with decaffeinated coffee or avoiding caffeine. So you need to monitor your individual response to caffeine.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63940/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/clare-collins-7316">Clare Collins</a>, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tracy-burrows-172931">Tracy Burrows</a>, Senior Lecturer Nutrition and Dietetics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tracy-schumacher-295602">Tracy Schumacher</a>, Research Associate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/seven-things-to-eat-or-avoid-to-lower-your-blood-pressure-63940">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: St Mary's Healthcare System</em></p> </div>

Caring

"Mischievous Moley": Camilla welcomes new palace puppy!

<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Queen Camilla has officially welcomed a new four-legged rascal into the royal ranks: Moley, an irresistibly mischievous puppy recently adopted from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.</span></p> <p>The Queen’s newest canine companion, who reportedly enjoys royal slippers a bit too much, arrives six months after the sad passing of her beloved Jack Russell, Beth, in November 2024. Sources say Beth was the household’s “Chief Cuddle Officer”, and her absence left a biscuit-shaped hole in Queen Camilla’s heart.</p> <p>But fear not! Moley is here – bringing chaos, charm and apparently an uncanny ability to find treats hidden three rooms away.</p> <p>An official Instagram post (yes, even royal dogs get grid space) announced Moley’s debut, noting that the perky pup will be honoured at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. That’s right: <em>honoured</em>. Because nothing says “welcome to the monarchy” like having your name engraved on a brick path among begonias.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJzWsxvsGbw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJzWsxvsGbw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The new Dog Garden installation, a collaboration between the Royal Horticultural Society and BBC Radio 2, promises lush grass, shady trees and – thankfully – no royal corgis to compete for squeaky toys. Moley’s name will be permanently etched alongside those of Camilla’s other pets, including Bluebell, the plucky rescue dog who once had more bald patches than Westminster Abbey’s choirboys, and the dearly departed Beth.</p> <p>King Charles’ own dog, Snuff, also made the list – although insiders claim he’s mostly in it for the biscuits and political neutrality.</p> <p>In a touching nod to dogs across Britain, the garden will also feature the names of pooches belonging to RHS ambassadors and Radio 2 presenters, and even Monty Don’s late Labrador, Ned.</p> <p>Camilla, who serves as royal patron of Battersea, has long championed rescue animals. In a previous interview, she recalled the day she met Beth at the shelter: “She had just been moved from pillar to post and dumped,” said the Queen, adopting the pup faster than you can say “kneel before the biscuit tin”.</p> <p>Bluebell followed shortly after – a scrappy woodland wanderer found “covered in sores and no hair”. Now fully fluffed and likely ruling the couch cushions, she’s the royal household’s comeback queen.</p> <p>As for Moley, details of his hobbies include muddy puddles, shredding the pages of Horse & Hound, and – rumour has it – trying to chew the corner of a priceless Queen Victoria footstool. Royal insiders say he’s “spirited”, which is palace code for mayhem on legs.</p> <p>Still, Queen Camilla seems utterly besotted. And who can blame her? In a world of diplomatic dilemmas and ceremonial obligations, sometimes all you need is a wagging tail, a warm lap and a dog who thinks your tiara might be a chew toy.</p> <p>Long may he dig!</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

New Aussie film starring Nicolas Cage is an absolute blast

<div class="theconversation-article-body">Nicolas Cage has made a career from his highly entertaining scenery chewing. He follows a performance style he calls “<a href="https://filmschoolrejects.com/nouveau-shamanic-the-enigmatic-style-of-nicolas-cage/">Nouveau Shamanic</a>” – an exaggerated form of method acting where he acts according to the character’s impulses. This allows for the wild, unpredictable outbursts his characters are known for.</p> <p>Cage films are also usually about masculinity: its worst excesses, the parameters restricting it, and what ennobling versions of it might look like.</p> <p>The Surfer, a new Australian feature film from Irish director Lorcan Finnegan, leans right into masculinity as a theme.</p> <p>Our unnamed protagonist (Cage) is returning to his former Australian home from the United States. He is newly divorced, and trying to buy a beachside property to win back his family.</p> <p>He takes his teenage son (Finn Little) for a surf near the property, but they are run off by an unfriendly pack of locals.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tb6iY_p1Qi0?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Returning alone to the beachside car park to make some calls, he is besieged there over the next several days by the same gang. They are led by a terrifying middle-aged Andrew Tate-esque influencer, Scally (Julian McMahon), who runs the beach like a combination of a frat bro party and wellness retreat.</p> <p>The protagonist’s fast descent into dishevelled, dehydrated delirium as the group’s hazing escalates, fuels much of the first two acts.</p> <h2>Fish out of water</h2> <p>It is impossible to think of an actor other than Cage who could make a character like this so enjoyable to watch.</p> <p>From the first moments, he seems pathetic: giving his uninterested teenage son metaphorical speeches about surfing, losing arguments on the phone with his broker and real estate agent, reeking of pomposity and desperation.</p> <p>The sense of a man out of his depth is compounded by his Americanness contrasting with the particular brand of Australian masculinity the locals display. Both types are brash and entitled, but with entirely different ways of expressing it.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/668067/original/file-20250515-74-v46zis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/668067/original/file-20250515-74-v46zis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/668067/original/file-20250515-74-v46zis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668067/original/file-20250515-74-v46zis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668067/original/file-20250515-74-v46zis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668067/original/file-20250515-74-v46zis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668067/original/file-20250515-74-v46zis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668067/original/file-20250515-74-v46zis.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Cage is in the face of another surfer, wearing a Santa hat." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">This is a man out of his depth.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Madman Entertainment</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Cage’s distinctively American confidence has no resistance to the terrifying switches of Australian masculinity from friendly to teasing to violent.</p> <p>“Don’t live here, don’t surf here,” they hiss at him on first meeting, forcing him to retreat, cowed, to the car park, where he remains for most of the rest of the film.</p> <h2>The wide-open and the claustrophobic</h2> <p>What a stroke of genius it is to use this single location.</p> <p>Filmed in Yallingup, Western Australia, The Surfer beautifully captures the natural surroundings, stunning views and shimmering heat of Australian coastal summer.</p> <p>At the same time, a confined, interstitial semi-urban feature like a beachside car park feels so bleak and uninviting. The only amenities are an overpriced coffee cart, ancient payphone and a dingy toilet block.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/668068/original/file-20250515-68-lj0ags.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/668068/original/file-20250515-68-lj0ags.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/668068/original/file-20250515-68-lj0ags.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668068/original/file-20250515-68-lj0ags.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668068/original/file-20250515-68-lj0ags.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668068/original/file-20250515-68-lj0ags.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668068/original/file-20250515-68-lj0ags.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668068/original/file-20250515-68-lj0ags.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Cage stands next to a phone booth." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The beachside car park feels so bleak and uninviting.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Madman Entertainment</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>As a film setting, it is both a spectacular wide-open vista and stiflingly claustrophobic – a perfect mechanism for The Surfer’s psychological horror.</p> <p>It must have been attractive in getting the script funded as well. With such an affordable location, more of the budget would have been freed up for a big name like Cage.</p> <h2>A modern Wake in Fright</h2> <p>With its oppressive setting, overexposed orange and yellow light and grade, and a sweaty spiral into madness, The Surfer invites comparisons to <a href="https://theconversation.com/thats-not-us-wake-in-fright-at-50-a-portrait-of-an-ugly-australia-that-became-a-cinema-classic-159221">Wake in Fright</a>, Ted Kotcheff’s 1971 brutal depiction of Australian men and their drinking culture.</p> <p>Both take place at Christmas and feature an antagonist who enjoys confidently explaining their dubious moral worldview to everyone. However, Wake in Fright’s horror lingers because we know the culture remains even after the hero escapes it. The Surfer struggles a little more in landing the ending.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/668069/original/file-20250515-56-ea6rb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/668069/original/file-20250515-56-ea6rb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/668069/original/file-20250515-56-ea6rb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668069/original/file-20250515-56-ea6rb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668069/original/file-20250515-56-ea6rb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668069/original/file-20250515-56-ea6rb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668069/original/file-20250515-56-ea6rb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/668069/original/file-20250515-56-ea6rb1.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Men in a sweaty hug: perhaps they are cheering, or maybe they are yelling." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The film’s depiction of masculinity echoes Wake In Fright.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Madman Entertainment</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>For the mean, violent, misogynistic villains to be defeated, it would be unsatisfying for Cage to stoop to their level. This means – without spoiling too much – Cage remains an oddly passive character throughout the film, while others perform the avenging actions.</p> <p>The only way the protagonist’s masculinity can be resurrected as upright, ethical and empowering is for the character to literally turn his back on the vengeance we’ve been waiting for him to deliver.</p> <p>It’s not that the film has an inarticulate grasp of its own politics, but more that the otherwise terrific script by Thomas Martin feels written into a difficult corner.</p> <h2>A blast along the way</h2> <p>I don’t want to imply that this ending means The Surfer isn’t an absolute blast along the way. A lot of the fun is in anticipating each dreadful humiliation – and it somehow turning out worse than you could have expected.</p> <p>A spilled coffee leads to drinking recycled wastewater which leads to chewing on a dead rat, and we still haven’t reached the lowest rung on the ladder of indignities that Cage’s character suffers.</p> <p>In less skilled hands this could feel nasty or gross, but the hallucinatory quality of Finnegan’s direction makes it feel almost sublime. And Cage’s pleading, groaning, sobbing and gibbering feel believable and relatable.</p> <p>The pathos works – and it’s pretty funny too.</p> <p><em>The Surfer is in cinemas now and streaming on Stan from June 15.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/254580/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></em></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/grace-russell-1459623">Grace Russell</a>, Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/dishevelled-dehydrated-delirium-new-aussie-film-the-surfer-starring-nicolas-cage-is-an-absolute-blast-254580">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Main Image: Madman Entertainment</em></p> </div>

Movies

News

Shop

Catalogues

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

‘Not available in your region’: what is a VPN and how can I use one safely?

"Star power": Dancing with the Stars salaries leaked

Most of us will leave behind a large ‘digital legacy’ when we die. Here’s how to plan what happens to it

The surprising ways that coffee can interfere with medication

Why do some people need less sleep than others?

New Madeleine McCann search underway

What is mantle cell lymphoma? Magda Szubanski’s ‘rare and fast-moving’ cancer explained

From tragedy to joy: Channel 9 star shares baby news

What’s the difference between ageing and frailty?

"Have some decency": Appalling reaction to Magda's health news

Magda Szubanski shares devastating health news

Is it OK to leave device chargers plugged in all the time?

Chilling new details emerge after Qld mother's alleged murder

TGA approves new drug for Alzheimer’s

The Project in peril as Channel Ten plots bold news overhaul

Could cold sores increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease?

Can you treat headaches with physiotherapy?

Seven things to eat or avoid to lower your blood pressure

"Mischievous Moley": Camilla welcomes new palace puppy!

New Aussie film starring Nicolas Cage is an absolute blast

Our Partners