Arthritis and the global business of hip replacements

Who’d have known there were 2.150 million Australians who suffer from arthritis? It was one of the questions in the 2021 Census (asking about long-term health problems). I don’t recall answering the question, but don’t doubt that I ticked the top 3 boxes. The three biggest long term health issues in Australia are: mental health, arthritis and asthma. The 2021 Census was the first time the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) asked about diagnosed long-term health conditions….

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Falls a risk for over-65s

You may know this statistic about falls among older people, but it is shocking all the same to learn that 74% of people who were hospitalised after a fall had broken their hips. Head injuries were the next most serious (22%) with limb fractures further down the list. About a third of all Australians in the 65+ age group will have a fall each year, but most are not serious. About 10% of people in…

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