Health & Living

Heart Disease still remains the Number 1 killer in both government and private hospitals in Malaysia. Find out the evolution of heart treatments and pick up some quick ‘hearty’ tips as we gear up for 2016 with our guest Professor Datuk Paduka Dr Wan Azman Wan Ahmad, Professor of Medicine and Cardiology. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2015 is coming to an end, and in his last show for the year, Dr. George Lee looks back on the biggest health stories that were covered on his weekly show. He closes the book on the main issues from the medical world over the course of the year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cartilage is a natural cushion inside your joints. But what happens if they slowly breakdown? About 10% of Malaysians above 60 years old and a smaller percentage of younger Malaysians live with this degenerative joint disease. Follow the discussions on osteoarthritis with Orthopaedic & Trauma Surgeon, Dr Chee Chia Shing, and Physiotherapist, Mandy Fong Jia-Lynn of Sunway Medical Centre. Se...

The number of people with food allergies is relatively small, but some of these conditions can be life-threatening. We are becoming more aware of food allergies than ever before, but are we also overreacting and self-diagnosing ourselves with 'trendy' allergies? Consultant Immunologist, Allergist and Paediatrician, Dr Amir Hamzah, shares his views.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Eating disorders and body image issues are often associated with women but men too are affected by it. Bigorexia is sometimes thought of as reverse anorexia and is a subcategory of body dysmorphic disorder. We speak to Sara Chatwin, a sports psychologist, about this disorder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smallpox is a horrible disease, but we have eradicated it. Many ridiculed the endeavour, but eradication was heralded almost two centuries ago by Edward Jenner, the very man who established and promoted vaccination. Today we tell his story through Prof Dr Donald Henderson, Head of the WHO's Global Smallpox Eradication Campaign (1966-1977),  Dr Gareth William, Author of “Angel of Death:...

It was World AIDS Day on December 1st. Find out why this day is important and how much does the public really know about HIV/AIDS as we speak to Dr Raja Iskandar Shah Raja Azwa, Associate Professor in Infectious Diseases of Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, who will be joined by Consultant Urologist, Dr George Lee. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Christmas and exam result seasons around the corner, this is the time people are rewarding the kids with gifts. Gadgets are popular gift options, but what do they do to affect a child’s development? Developmental Paediatrician, Dr Rajini Sarvananthan gives us the lowdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More young adults are living with their parents now. Delaying adulthood, being thrifty or valuing family togetherness - could these be some of the reasons? US Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Dr Johnben Loy, Marcey Heschel and Christine Maryana Gabriel share their views.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pathological gamblers could have predisposition to developing a gambling problem due to genetics or family history. What are the odds of developing such conditions? We find out from Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Philip George. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Department of Health in the UK is attempting to push through a new contract for junior doctors that would force them to work longer hours without extra pay. With a 98% mandate, the junior doctors voted to strike. This is considered incredible because junior doctors make up around half of the medical workforce in the UK. While the strikes have been postponed to make way for fresh negotiations,...

Modern technology has helped improve the quality of childbirth and the care of the newborn child. However, we find out from Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr Kannappan Palaniappan, and Senior Nurse Manager, Sister Tye Suet Mei, from Sunway Medical Centre, that it does not mean that complications do not arise during delivery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With about 25 percent of Achilles tendon ruptures missed during initial examination, they are not just common but they are also often misdiagnosed. Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Rajesh Singh explains why this is the case and how it affects patients' prognosis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vaccines are proof that prevention is better than cure. Every year, vaccines save 6 million lives from diseases like tetanus, whooping cough, measles, polio and tuberculosis. Most of those saved are children who could live to realise their potential. This documentary is brought to you by Pfizer Malaysia.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A study from a Swedish team found a correlation between loss of the Y chromosome and early death, in addition to an increased risk of cancer. Could this indicator be used as a biomarker? How much does that change our old belief that the Y chromosome is small, insignificant and contains very little genetic information? Geneticist, Dr Arif Anwar, and Consultant Urologist, Dr George Lee explore these...

Malaysia is not a model of inclusiveness when it comes to issues related to persons with disabilities; attitudinal and environmental barriers are still prevalent. Wheelchair user and Disability Equality Training Specialist, Peter Tan, shares his experience and advocacy in breaking down these barriers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are many ways sports and physical injuries can happen – including overuse and poor technique – but perhaps none is more graphic that injuries caused from impact and contact trauma. The most common are head, neck, shoulder and knee injuries. Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr Harjeet Singh, walks us through what we need to know about these injuries. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

If you are not afflicted with it yourself, you know at least someone who does. Rhinosinusitis is not just bothersome, it can also result in severe complications for some. Consultant Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, Dr Lim Wye Keat, speaks about the forms of sinusitis, the symptoms and treatment methods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World Health Organisation estimates that one in three newborn infant deaths is due to pneumonia. Vaccination can prevent most of these pneumonia-related complications and deaths. The use of vaccination in general has been controversial - so how important is it to immune your children against pneumonia and how do we resolve the concerns we have with vaccines as a whole? See omnystudio.com/liste...

Fertility issues are still wrongly assumed to be “a woman's problem” even though causes of infertility can be traced to lie with both sexes about 50% of the time. In the third part of the Movember series with Consultant Urologist, Dr George Lee, we examine male fertility. Joining him in the discussion is Fertility Specialist, Dr Prashant Nadkarni. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Uncontrolled diabetes would hasten the onset of renal failure. With more than 5,000 new kidney failure cases diagnosed in Malaysia every year, there is a still a clear need for greater awareness on diabetes and kidney disease risks. Endocrinologist, Dr Wong Ming and Nephrologist, Dr Thiruventhiran Thilaganathan help us understand how diabetes affect the kidneys. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Long-term illnesses can take a heavy emotional and physical toll not only on the primary victims but also on the family caregivers. Who takes care of the superheroes while the superheroes are taking care of their loved ones? Our guests, Dr Johnben Loy, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Karl LaRowe, a Trainer, Consultant and Coach of Compassion Strengths share their personal experiences i...

Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is often associated with military veterans from the Western hemisphere. But PTSD can strike anyone especially after a tragedy of a sufficient magnitude such as being caught in a tsunami, an earthquake or losing family members from a tragic plane crash. We get the low down about PTSD from Consultant Psychiatrists, Dr Philip George and Dr Stephen Jambunathan. S...

The World Health Organisation’s Antimicrobial Resistance Global Report on Surveillance 2014 revealed antimicrobial resistance was a major threat to public health worldwide. Could common infections and minor injures that had been treatable once again be fatal? We find out from Assoc Prof Dr Sa­­sheela Ponnampalavanar, who specialise in infectious diseases. See omnystudio.com/listener...

New figures show that men in the forties and fifties are twice as likely to kill themselves as the rest of the population. Dr Philip George, Psychiatrist, and Dr George Lee, Consultant Urologist, dissect why men often find those middle years so difficult. New figures show that men in the forties and fifties are twice as likely to kill themselves as the rest of the population. Dr Philip George, Psy...