Health & Living

One of the most common perceptions of people diagnosed with schizophrenia is that they tend to be violent. But how much of that is true and how much do we really understand about what it means to live with a serious mental health disorder? For this episode of Mind Matters, and in conjunction with World Schizophrenia Day, coming up on May 24th, we want to shed some light on this less spoken about m...

When you’re walking down the supermarket aisle, what drives you to decide what to buy? Are you ticking items off a list or being tempted by what’s on offer? Do you think about what is a healthier or a cheaper option? Understanding how people make these decisions matters in a society where we’re seeing rising rates of non-communicable diseases, which are partially driven by people’s eating and groc...

How much salt do you consume every day, and how much of that do you think comes from meals that you order or tah pau from coffeeshops and restaurants? And can food vendors change their menus to reflect lower salt usage? To commemorate World Salt Awareness Week from 12-18 May, we speak to Prof Dr Chia Yook Chin, President of the Malaysian Society for World Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (MyWASSH)...

Everything related to healthcare is becoming more expensive today, including medicines, hospital and clinic visits, and insurance premiums. What role do community pharmacies play in helping people get affordable and effective care for their health problems, and are there potential cost savings to the government and other payors in our health system? We speak to Sarah Abdullah, President of the Mal...

From badminton to swimming or lifting weights in the gym, most exercises require good shoulder strength and mobility. So what happens if you lose that full range of motion? We find out from consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Harjeet Singh and consultant sports medicine physician Dr Kamaljeet Singh. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many problems in our personal and work relationships stem from conflict and disagreements that have been left unsaid. Licensed counsellor Heeran Kaur joins us to walk you through what happens when conflict is not addressed or resolved, and how to start those conversations with people around you.   Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of Dr Siti Laura Mazalan’s job as a congenital and paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, she touches a tiny infant’s beating heart, handling the delicate arteries, veins and valves, in order to treat congenital and acquired heart and chest diseases in children. We speak to Dr Siti Laura about why this vital field in medicine urgently needs to be pursued by young doctors and medical students.&...

Being obese increases your risk for various health complications, and that’s especially true - and more dangerous - when you’re pregnant and overweight. We speak to consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist Dr Vicky Ho to find out how obesity affects women who are trying to start a family as well as the risk that comes with it throughout pregnancy - including on the unborn baby.  Image Cred...

Once upon a time, growing old meant being surrounded by family members in a multigenerational home. Today, that family has shrunk, and growing old might mean an older person needing long-term institutional or home-based care. While we have a dependable healthcare system that takes care of older adults, our aged care system is less so, with access depending largely on what people can afford. On the...

For some people, exercising may not lead to obvious results - at least not in the short-term and depending on how you’re working out. This means that some might turn to supplements or performance-enhancing drugs, which may help you achieve the results you want to see but at what cost? We find out why these products can be dangerous and how people can see a difference without resorting to these pro...

When you think about chronic diseases, you may not think that children could be affected. But did you know that asthma is the most common chronic disease in children? It can even lead to death, if it is not well-controlled. On World Asthma Day (observed on the first Tuesday of every May), we’re looking at childhood asthma in Malaysia, with Dr Jessie Anne de Bruyne, Consultant Paediatric Respirator...

You might have seen recent headlines which say that the shingles vaccine can decrease the risk of dementia, but how does that work? On this episode of Healthy Ageing, we speak to consultant geriatrician Dr Kejal Hasmukharay to find out why getting the shingles vaccine matters, not just to decrease the risk of dementia but for our older adults to lead healthy lives. Image Credit: Shutterstock See o...

Yesterday, the drug price display mandate came into force, which requires private health facilities such as private GPs and community pharmacies to physically display the price list for products such as prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines. This has been a particularly contentious issue - the Ministry of Health says that this is part of efforts to address rising medical inflation, but...

When it comes to cardiovascular disease in our country, we are not only burdened by coronary artery disease, but also, increasingly, heart failure. As the rates of cardiometabolic diseases increase in Malaysia, people will also have to contend with heart failure as an endpoint, which means their quality of life in their remaining years can deteriorate tremendously. How does early diagnosis and the...

Adolescence is already a challenging stage in life - for both parents and teens alike - but what happens when you throw in a rare disorder? We speak to Azhar Talib, whose daughter has Prader-Willi syndrome, and Prof Dr Muhammad yazid Jalaludin, a consultant paediatric endocrinologist, to discuss what it’s like managing a rare disorder and the child’s health during that transition phase from childh...

For five long years, Farah Syahidah Shamsuddin was on the waiting list for a liver transplant. Her liver, damaged due to a congenital condition, was losing its ability to support the body in fundamental processes like metabolism, detoxification, and digestion. When she finally underwent the transplant, it was like being reborn. Farah shares her experience of awaiting a donated liver, while consult...

Since the gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights, Selangor, on 1 April 2025, dozens of residents are still displaced, while hundreds of others are trying to settle back into a normal routine after the terrifying incident and chaos that ensued. Amid the injuries, burns and destruction of property, how have the survivors of the disaster been coping psychologically? We speak to Haji Hakim Bin Hamzah...

Last week, news headlines exploded when the US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr said that the significant and recent rise in autism diagnoses was evidence of an “epidemic” caused by an “environmental toxin”. We’re exploring the facts and fallacies behind this claim, with Dr Rajini Sarvanathan and Dr Norazlin Kamal, Consultant Developmental Paediatricians. Image Credit: L...

We’ve often heard that vaccines save lives, but have we ever thought about what the world would look like without vaccines? While many have had a newfound appreciation for vaccines after the COVID-19 pandemic, others developed a large dose of skepticism and hesitancy towards vaccines. So what does this mean for the future of vaccines? In conjunction with World Immunisation Week (observed annually...

When you’re a mother of two girls with autism, you’ll do anything to support their development and ensure access to all the necessary interventions. This was what Nik Didi called her “fighting, fixing and closing the gap” mode. But eventually, she learned to look at her daughters through a neuroaffirming lens, and accept that not everything could be “fixed”. She shares her journey as a parent and...

Cancer is a tumour in the body, a coalescence of mutated, malignant cells. But cancer is not the person. Someone diagnosed with cancer is more than just a sum of their symptoms or treatments, but an individual with unique concerns, needs and challenges. How does this change the way cancer care is provided? We find out from Dr Matin Mellor Abdullah, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Dr Ben Yap Beng K...

Do you sometimes feel dizzy or off-balance? Does the room suddenly start spinning and you feel like throwing up? You shouldn’t brush off symptoms of a vestibular balance disorder. Audiologist Darleena Abdul Aziz joins us to explain more about these disorders, the tests available to diagnose them, and how to manage them. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

The idea of biohacking has grown in popularity over the recent years, helped along by influencers and the wellness industry, who argue that this is the method towards improving health and overall well-being. Some like American millionaire and entrepreneur Bryan Johnson even believe that this is the path towards immortality. So is biohacking all it’s cracked up to be or is it just a hack?  Ima...

On this month’s Ask A Doctor, we are addressing questions about children’s digestive issues, from colic to constipation, diarrhoea and dietary habits. Consultant paediatrician Dr Sanjay Woodhull joins us to answer parents’ most common concerns. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gone are the days where mental health is spoken about in hushed tones - or are they? We talk about mental health much more openly today but that doesn’t mean the stigma is no longer there. On this episode of Mind Matters, we’ll be exploring what mental health stigma looks like today and how it continues to harm, with Hasbeemasputra Abu Bakar, Community Engagement & Lived Experience Advocate, f...