Health & Living

A baby’s vision is quite blurry at birth. As sight gradually develops over the first years, the baby will begin to absorb a large amount of visual information about the world. Dr Rajini Sarvananthan, Consultant Developmental Paediatrician, explains how visual development is linked to the overall development of a child and how to deal with myopia, which is affecting many young children today....

The rising financial burden from cancer will bankrupt more families as cancer incidences rise in the region if no action is taken. This is the startling discovery made by the Asean Costs in Oncology (ACTION) study carried out in eight countries in South-East Asia including Malaysia. We find out more about what this means to cancer patients from Cancer Epidemiologist, Prof Dr Nirmala Bhoo-Pathy, wh...

Held on November 14 each year, World Diabetes Day is a global awareness campaign in response to the alarming rise of this chronic condition. This year, the focus is on healthy eating, which is a key factor in managing type 1 diabetes and helping to manage and prevent type 2 diabetes. The President of Diabetes Malaysia, Prof Dato Dr Ikram Shah Ismail has the details. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

The hairiest month has arrived. To kick off Movember, Dr George Lee, Consultant Urologist, tackles the topic of testicular and prostate cancer. Find out how everyone can change the face of men's health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. Clinical Oncologist, Dr Christina Lai, and Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Dr Anand Sachithanandan smoke out the main culprit behind the most preventable cancer and give advice on how to avoid developing it. Brought to you by Sunway Medical. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nutrition and genetics both play an important role in human health as well as the development of chronic diseases such as cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar, Senior Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist discusss the importance of incorporating genetics into the field of nutrition and address some of the questions and methods associated with...

The Kuala Lumpur Health Department received seven cases of typhoid fever in the first week of August. By October 18, the number of cases was up to 32. According to the Ministry of Health's 2013 Health Statistics Report, the incidence rate is less than one person per 100,000 population. But is this figure about to change? We’ll find out from Dr Chong Chee Keong, Director of Disease Control Di...

Pain in the upper limb is a common complaint in the healthcare setting. It may be related to work, exercise, degenerative causes, or an accident. It may present as an acute or chronic condition and the origins of such pain are wide and varied. Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr Rajesh Singh, is at hand to touch on the management of this pervasive problem. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

While Malaysia faces a shortage of occupational therapists, the profession is definitely slowly developing in the country and will soon require licences to operate. What, then, are the present standards of therapy delivery? Soh Say Beng, President of the Malaysian Occupational Therapy Association and Prof Nathan Vytialingam, immediate past President of the Asia-Pacific Occupational Therapy Regiona...

More than 1 in 4 breast cancer cases in Malaysia are only diagnosed in the advanced stage. This does not include those that progress into advanced stages during treatment or survivorship. On this breast cancer awareness month, Dr Saunthari Somasundaram, President and Medical Director of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia shares why advanced breast cancer is an issue that is gaining prominence...

The eyes are often neglected from discussions on overall health and wellness even though declining eyesight can severely affect our quality of life. Many do not realise this until it is too late. Iristal is a combination of herbal ingredients that improves eye health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even though the overall rate of stroke is decreasing, it is increasing for younger adults - those between 20 and 54 years of age. According to the American Heart Association, one-third of people who survive stroke before age 50 are left with long-lasting disability. We speak to Dr Ramesh Narenthiranathan, Consultant Neurosurgeon to find out about the causes of stroke in younger adults and how to p...

Without treatment, people with schizophrenia are unfit for employment. However, with medical intervention, patients are able to lead a normal life and capable of assuming responsibilities. Many people living with schizophrenia want to work, but what's standing in their way? Dr Toh Chin Lee, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of Psychiatry Services, Ministry of Health explains. See omnystudio....

Doctors in the UK have recently received approval to carry out the nation’s first ten womb transplants following a successful procedure in Sweden. It raises ethical questions especially since the transplant is not a life-saving procedure but rather a life-giving one. Prof Dr Jamiyah Hassan, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, and Dr George Lee, Consultant Urologist, analyse the risk-versus-benef...

In practically every country in every generation, men seem to have a shorter life expectancy than women. The most famous paper on this subject, Why Men Die Younger, was written in 2002 by actuary, Barbara Blatt Kalben. The reasons outlined are partly biological, but men's approach to their health - or lack thereof - plays a role too. The good news? The major threats to men's health are no secret....

The average healthy person has about 100,000 strands of hair on his or her head and sheds about 100 strands of hair daily. But what happens when we start losing more than that? Senior Trichologist, Kim Fong, gets to the root of the hair loss problem. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kuala Lumpur is notorious for its traffic jams. The city council has made it a priority to promote sustainable transportation and considers cycling an alternative option to motorised transportation. But as more urbanites cycle, their biking injuries and deaths spike too. National triathlete, Kimbeley Yap, who escaped death last year in a high speed crash while cycling on the Penchala Link, talks a...

It was recently announced that the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015 would be awarded to Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar for having mapped, at a molecular level, how cells repair damaged DNA and safeguard the genetic information. Geneticist Dr Arif Anwar reveals how the scientists’ research in the 1970s and 1980s vastly improved our understanding and treatment of cancer, genetic diso...

Every October 16th, the world observes Anaesthesia Day to celebrate the birth of anaesthesia and to create awareness of the scope of the anaesthesiologist to the public. Indeed, since its conception, anaesthesia has vastly facilitated advancements in medical procedures, pain management and patient experience. The National Head of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Services, Datin Dr V Sivasakthi share...

It’s back-to-school season again for the big kids. But what if your kids cannot make a decision? When is the right time to talk about tertiary education? Is helicopter parenting that bad? With parents and teens alike scrambling to look for the best tertiary programmes, Dr Johnben Loy, US Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, shares how and when parents can be involved in making important...

This year's World Mental Health Day 2015, observed on October 10th, carried the theme "Dignity in Mental Health". The World Health Organisation's goal is ensure that people with mental health conditions can continue to live with dignity through human rights oriented policy and law, training of health professionals, respect for informed consent to treatment, inclusion in decision-making processes a...

In this day and age, there are still misconceptions and ignorance surrounding the subject of menopause. Dr Ho Choon Moy, Consultant Gynaecologist and President of the Malaysian Menopause Society tackles those issues and addresses the need for healthy ageing in women in conjunction with the World Menopause Day that will be celebrated on October 18th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

In her latest research, Dr Tan Maw Pin examined the association of postural blood pressure and blood pressure therapy with the risk of falls in older people. Joined by Dr George Lee, Dr Tan explains the findings from this study. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells in the skin. Left untreated, these cells can spread to other organs and tissues but found and removed early, skin cancer is almost always curable. Something as unsuspicious as a mole could be cancerous. But how do we know it is safe or not? Learn how to save your own skin with Dr Bong Jan Ling, consultant dermatologist and Dr Margaret Leow, co...

Turmeric has been used as both medicine and food for centuries. There is growing evidence to show that this brightly coloured relative to ginger has anti-inflammatory properties. We discuss turmeric and the non-conventional approach to managing inflammation with Dato' Dr Rajen M, a natural health practitioner and columnist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.