Marfan Syndrome is a genetic condition that affects connective tissues, particularly the heart valves, aorta, and the eyes. People with Marfan Syndrome also tend to be tall, with long fingers and toes.

Marfan Syndrome is a genetic condition that affects connective tissues, particularly the heart valves, aorta, and the eyes. People with Marfan Syndrome also tend to be tall, with long fingers and toes.

Last weekend I attended the AMA National Conference in Canberra to see The President’s Medal awarded posthumously to Dr Bernard Quin. Dr Quin was an Australian doctor working in Nauru in the 1930’s, and then into the early years of the Second World War whilst Australian soldiers were stationed there. He cared for Australian workers and soldiers, and the broader local community, including a “leper colony”. After the withdrawal of Australian troops he stayed behind to continue to care for his patients while his young family were moved to safety in Melbourne. Japanese forces occupied the island and a little over 6 months later Dr Quin was murdered, along with 4 other Australians, in retaliation for an Allied raid.

Why didn’t cavemen need glasses?

Could Hormone Replacement Therapy protect against Glaucoma? Several studies have asked this question before, with equivocal findings. The Rotterdam & Blue Mountain Eye Studies both found a reduced risk, though it didn’t reach statistical significance, while the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study found no protective effect.

Next week my wife Angie Ryan will host a fundraising evening to support a charity called Destiny Rescue. We became aware of this charity around the time of my trip to Cambodia late last year because my son’s English teacher from 2013, Tanya Mathias, has taken leave this year to teach in Phnom Penh as a volunteer.