Health & Living

If you are a parent looking for answers about your child’s neurodivergent condition, the road can be a long and winding one. Whether you’re trying to schedule an assessment to get a diagnosis, or find therapists to provide intervention, you may hit stumbling blocks and delays. Dr Norazlin Kamal Nor, Consultant Developmental Paediatrician, talks about how information and resources can help parents...

Epidemiologists play an important role in helping us understand how a disease occurs or spreads within a population. We speak to cancer epidemiologist Prof Dr Nirmala Bhoo Pathy to understand what cancer epidemiology involves and how it helps us in the battle against the Big C. Image Credit: Prof Dr Nirmala Bhoo Pathy See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re a patient at a government hospital or clinic, you probably don’t think twice about the medications you’re prescribed, though you’re probably grateful for the free treatment. But how does the Ministry of Health decide what therapies to include in the national medicines formulary? And as more innovative and expensive therapies are developed, how do we balance cost with public need? We unco...

Can a single blood test detect Alzheimer’s disease and how far it has progressed? Scientists have been working to develop a blood test for Alzheimer’s and while some research has yielded promising results, how close are we to a singular, definitive test? On this episode of Healthy Ageing, we speak to consultant geriatrician Prof Dr Tan Maw Pin to find out why this matters and what are the challeng...

 It’s all about forgiveness during the month of Syawal, but is kosong-kosong easier said than done? How do you learn to forgive others (and even yourself)? On this episode of Counsellor’s Corner, licensed counsellor Rozy Khalid shares why forgiveness can be good for the soul.  Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every 2 minutes, one woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth. Every 7 seconds, a newborn baby dies. In essence, a life is cut short before it can even begin. And the very foundation of a family is shaken with the loss of a mother. This World Health Day is aimed at changing this narrative, with a focus on ‘Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures’. We speak to Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO Representative t...

On 24th March in 1882, Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB. 143 years later, we’ve learned that we can prevent and cure this disease. Yet, more than 10 million people worldwide still get TB every year, and more than 1 million die from the disease. In conjunction with World TB Day on 24th March, we speak to Dr Helmy Haja Mydin, Consultant Respiratory Physici...

Is butter an artery-clogging food? Or is it actually a superfood? Butter has been both demonised and celebrated in the health space over the years. A recent large, long-term study came to the conclusion that butter is associated with increased risk of death from all causes and from cancer. We break down the findings of this study, and try to put our love-hate relationship with butter into perspect...

The way we seek healthcare today is reactive, and fragmented by disease and specialisation. We go to a doctor only when we have a serious health problem, and rarely when we are well. We get treated for specific symptoms, without a view of our overall health. Could this picture change, if primary care is integrated with secondary and tertiary care? We find out from Dr Rajesh Singh, Consultant Ortho...

What does it mean to be obese? We’re now slowly recognising that it’s not just a result of your lifestyle choices, but is a complex disease. Earlier this year, a group of international experts published new guidelines to change how doctors view obesity and emphasised the need to approach it as a chronic disease. We’ll find out what that means with Dr George Lee, and Dr Nurain Mohd Noor, consultant...

Every year, World Down Syndrome Day is commemorated on 21st March, to signify the triplication of the 21st chromosome in people born with this condition. On the show, we’re speaking to three guests to find out more about raising a child with Down Syndrome, and the impact of the early intervention programmes conducted by the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation. Find out more about their fundraisi...

According to a recent study by the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR), almost one in three older adults has symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. This is one of the most common conditions leading to the need for knee replacement surgery. Dato' Dr Siva Kumar Ariaretnam, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon from Subang Jaya Medical Centre, talks about how knee and hip replacement surgical methods h...

In 2007, Maisarah Sani was building a successful career in London. But at the same time, she was leading a double life, trapped in a toxic relationship that she hid from her family due to shame and fear of disapproval. What happens when this prolonged emotional stress collides with the diagnosis of a brain tumour? Maisarah shares about how she hit rock-bottom, struggled with clinical depression, a...

Picture someone who had a stroke, and you’d probably think of someone older, past their 60s. But stroke can happen at any age. For younger stroke survivors, their recovery journey and their goals can look very different too. We hear from Edmond Lim, who recently turned 60, about his stroke at 33 years old, and how he got back on his feet. We also hear from Kathiravan Tangaraju Anthony, Head of Reh...

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer among Malaysians, but it’s often difficult and embarrassing to talk about even after treatment, especially if you need a stoma bag. We explore what that recovery process looks like and how diet matters throughout, with consultant colorectal surgeon Dr Ruben Xavier, and dietitian Rozanna Rosly. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener...

Circumcision is a practice that is both familiar and mysterious in Malaysian culture. We know that berkhatan is a common practice for Muslim boys, yet there may still be concerns and anxieties among parents and young boys themselves about how the procedure is carried out and how to prevent complications from it. We speak to Dr Daniel Mohanaprakash bin Abdullah, Consultant Paediatric Surgeon from P...

What do Taiping, Ipoh, Penang Island, and Sibu have in common? They’re all committed to being age-friendly cities! Together with consultant geriatrician Prof Dr Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman, we explore what it means for a city to be truly age-friendly and how we can make that a goal for all of Malaysia. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her PPR community in Batu Muda, Kak Lynn is a mother, office employee, home business owner, and trained community advocate for mental health. Kak Lynn talks about her role as an Ambassador for the KAMI Sembang community programme, and Teoh Rhu Yie, clinical psychologist from Thrive Well, dives into the wider benefits of developing mental health skills among members of the community. See omnystu...

You may know how common chronic kidney disease is, but did you know that the disease could soon have a new - and much younger - face in Malaysia? With more children and adolescents developing obesity and diabetes, there is an increasing risk of renal impairment or even chronic kidney disease being diagnosed at a younger age. In conjunction with World Kidney Day, we speak to Prof Dr Lim Soo Kun, Pr...

One in three school-aged children in Malaysia is overweight or obese, putting them on a worrying trajectory of chronic diseases in adulthood like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. But it’s going to take more than body-shaming children or guilting parents, to turn this trend around. We tackle the complexities of treating childhood obesity and explore public health strategies with Azrul M...

Is it true that it’s harder to exercise and see results in your 40s? Find out more about the changes your body goes through at the mid-life stage and whether keeping fit is as impossible as it may seem. We speak to Dr Kavitha Mahadevan, sports and exercise physician, and Dr Harjeet Singh, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, for tips and tricks.  Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/liste...

You might see a cardiologist for heart issues, a rheumatologist for arthritis, or an endocrinologist for diabetes. But as you age and have more complex health needs, you might need someone who is able to understand how to manage different medical issues in an ageing body. On this episode of Humans of Healthcare, we speak to consultant geriatrician Assoc Prof Dr Terence Ong about what exactly he do...

As mental health issues like depression and anxiety rise, more people may be on short- or long-term prescriptions of medications for these conditions. At the same time, people are also more likely to be consuming a plethora of other medications and supplements for a variety of medical concerns or just for general well-being. Bharati Suresh Chand, a pharmacist, helps us to understand how the ingred...

Are generic drugs less effective than brand-name ones? Generics are often described as cheaper but just as effective alternatives to brand-name drugs, but some people have claimed that generics simply don’t work as well for them. In this episode, consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Prof Dr PT Thomas, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor’s University, to...

How do you deal with a “no”, whether it’s having your project pitch shot down at work, or being turned down for a date? On this month’s Counsellor’s Corner, licensed counsellor Heeran Kaur talks about why rejection hurts, and how to learn to cope with it.   Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.