Health & Living

Doktorbudak.com is an online platform for children health. With more than twenty five paediatricians on board, Doktorbudak.com has been answering parents’ questions on children health for more than a year. The website’s co-founder Dr. Foo Chee Hoe, and panel doctor, Dr Kalaiarasu Peariasamy, join us to share their vision for Doktorbudak.com.   See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Statistics are sometimes reduced to a punchline when it comes to the numbers that flood through our information-saturated world. But they have always been incredibly important in the realm of medicine, determining efficacy and defining strategies. However, what happens if our doctors, caught up in the daily practice of medicine, lack all this information at their fingertips? Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer, D...

Glaucoma is a condition that occurs when fluid in our eyes cannot flow out, building pressure that damages the nerves in our eyes. Patients usually administer eye drops to manage glaucoma, but new drugs will soon be available. Patients may even opt for eye injections. We speak to Dr Amir Samsuddin, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Glaucoma Surgeon to learn more about advances in treatments for glauc...

In May 2014, governments at the World Health Assembly announced their ambition to end the global tuberculosis epidemic by 2035. With odds stacked heavily against public health practitioners--TB killed 1.5 million people in 2013--could the World Health Assembly’s goal be reached? Here to shed light on the status of TB in Malaysia and our progress in controlling this difficult disease is Dato...

So the debate has been raging - either red meat will lower your cholesterol and help you slim down, or it’ll set you on the fast track to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Giving us his take on the ongoing debate of the implications of eating red meat is Dr. David Katz, an internationally renowned authority on nutrition and the Founding Director of the Yale Prevention Research Centre. &nb...

Sleep is crucial, particularly so for children who need the down time to grow. Coaxing the kids to put aside their toys and crawl into bed can however, make Monday traffic looks blissful. Here to tell us more about sleep problems in children is Dr Rajini Sarvananthan, Developmental Paediatrician.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For those of us who drink, how much do you need for a good night out? The answers may vary, but the odds are good that you’re likely binge drinking - and that can lead to alcohol poisoning. The Centre for Disease Control released the contents of a study that found that on average, six persons in the United States die each day from alcohol poisoning. Telling us about it today is Dr. Robert Br...

Sweating is our bodies’ answer to staying cool. But excessive sweating, a condition called hyperhidrosis, is far from cool. Hyperhidrosis affects about 3% of the population, causing many people daily embarrassment and frustration. Dr Priya Gill, Consultant Physician and Dermatologist, explains hyperhidrosis and how we can manage it.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As men age, their testosterones drop, leading to an associated rise in risks of obesity and diabetes. On the other hand, high testosterone levels are also linked to cardiovascular diseases. Now, a new study lends support to the role of testosterones in digesting sugars and fats. Are testosterones villains or heroes? Join the debate with Dr. George Lee, consultant urologist See omnystudio.com/liste...

Pregnancy is a journey of miracles--for months, a mother carries another individual in her body, nurturing the baby until the day she gives birth and delivers the baby to greet the world. Pregnancy is also a journey rifed with perils, where health complications threaten both mother and baby like cliffs at every turn of the road. Here to tell us more about pregnancy-related complications is Dr. Kir...

In February, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced plans to revamp and overhaul our sports program, and a part of that would be to bring sports science to the fore and make it a central part of the plan. Dr. Harjeet Singh, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, discusses the role that athletes can play in bringing out the true potential of young athletes.   See omnystudio.com/listene...

A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips has always been a longtime reference to fatty, sugary foods. Dr. Robert Lustig insists however, that sugar is the real devil. Here he explains why. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you have a double chin all the time or just in really unflattering Facebook photos, science could soon solve that unsightly problem for you. And surgery or diet is not even needed. The future of aesthetic medicine is already here, but why is it needed--sanity or vanity? Join Dr. Lim Ting Song, aesthetic physician, and Dr. George Lee, consultant urologist, as we discuss aesthetic medicine....

Nasopharyngeal cancer remains one of the most common cancer among Malaysian men.  When people move away from high-risk areas of the world to countries where nose cancer is less common, subsequent generations of their family have a gradual reduction in their inherited risk of nose cancer. Explaining the links of ancestry, eating habits and environmental exposure when it comes to nose cancer is...

People go abroad to study, perhaps for better job opportunities and to raise a family. What this has resulted in, are increased numbers of global families, people keeping up with one another across international borders, aided by smartphones. Giving their takes on global families are Dr. Johnben Loy and Jacqueline Tome. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People with anorexia have an intense fear of gaining weight. This is a disease that goes beyond body image and diet. Dr. Philip George and Dr. Stephen Jambunathan unravel the complexities of anorexia nervosa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A knock to the head can raise more issues than just a swell. Recovery from traumatic brain injuries can be a long journey: first the surgeries, then the rehabilitation. Even mild brain injuries however, can cause worrying complications. Here to tell us more about brain injury and the rehabilitation after is Associate Professor Dr. Mazlina Mazlan from University Malaya Medical Center. See omnystudi...

Anticholinergics are prescribed for many health conditions in older people, including overactive bladder, depression and seasonal allergies. However, anticholinergics also block signals in the brain and cause side effects like impaired cognition in older people. Helping us learn more about anticholinergics is Dr. Tan Maw Pin, consultant geriatrician, and Dr. George Lee, consultant urologist. See o...

We all hope for an unblemished, normal child at birth, but sometimes it’s not to be. Addressing birth defects that occur in the bone or muscle of the face and limbs, such as cleft lip/palate and club foot are Dr. Margaret Leow and Dr. Ong Shong Meng of Sunway Medical Centre. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regenerative medicine is a new avenue in human health, with the potential to resolve unmet medical needs by addressing the underlying causes of disease. Giving us some examples of how it can improve our current healthcare system is Tan Sri Ismail Merican, former Director General of the Ministry of Health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fascia is the tissue that holds our bodies together, connecting everything. Highlighting its importance this month and its role in healing, is Dr. Rajesh Singh, consultant orthopaedic surgeon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine not being able to really grasp language, either spoken or written. That in turn may manifest in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations. That’s what Specific Learning Disorders are like. Explaining how to deal with this is Dr. Raja Juanita Raja Lope, developmental paediatrician. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

Surgeons perform tens of thousands of surgeries in a year to treat prostate cancer. The procedure, called radical prostatectomy has become a fine art in the medical world. How does robotic surgery come into play to improve this surgery? Dr. George and Dr. Loh Chit Sin join us in this discussion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all get food poisoning from time to time and usually take it in our stride, but acute diarrhoea is actually the second leading cause of death in children under 5 years old. Dr. Nazrul Neezam Nordin, paediatric gastroenterologist, tells us more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new study has now demonstrated that smoking is associated with the loss of the Y chromosome in blood cells, potentially explaining why smoking is more of a risk factor for cancer among men. Unpacking the details of the study for us is Dr. Arif Anwar, resident geneticist.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.