Health & Living

Every year, World Hepatitis Day falls on the 28th of July, continuing to raise awareness about the condition. The theme this year is 'It's Closer Than You Think' and its focus is on bringing more attention to viral hepatitis and as always the importance of early detection and awareness. Professor Rosmawati Bt Mohamed, Executive Council Member of the Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asia P...

More than just a rather forgettable Adam Sandler movie, anger management and anger issues are a very real problem that people face. Whether due to an irritating work situation or just plain old road rage, we all have moments when anger threatens to overwhelm. How can we handle anger in a more healthy manner and when might we need to admit that we have a problem? Vizla Kumaresan dissects the nature...

Dr. John Medina's research focuses on the genes involved in human brain development and the genetics of psychiatric disorders. With that being said, he realised that there were some myths surrounding our brains that many people seemed to be perpetuating, while there were also some rules that were becoming clear that people didn't understand. He joins us to explain what these brain rules are and ho...

Ankylosing spondylitis is a condition that principally affects the spine, causing stiffness, inflammation, curvature of the spine and back pain. It can also end up affecting other joints, tendons and ligaments and sometimes even the eyes, lungs, bowel and heart. Dr. Muhammad Asim Khan is a specialist in this illness in more than one way, being both a rheumatologist and a patient of the condition....

Based on Siddharta Mukherjee's book, the History of Cancer, Dr. Sri Ganesh details the history of cancer from when it first appeared as growths found on the dessicated bodies of mummies in Egypt to its modern incarnation as the disease that we all battle.  Going through the earliest forms of therapy to today's targeted therapies, we discuss everything from symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. S...

The Nobel Prize is often considered one of the highest achievements and acknowledgement for people of any field. Dr. Ferid Murad, along with two other scientists, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his pioneering work in discovering the role of nitric oxide in improving cardiovascular health. He joins us and discusses that finding as well as what it really means to be a scient...

In an ideal world, one in which our ancestors lived in, we would all live off the land, eating only what we grew ourselves. But that is not the world we find ourselves in. Instead, it's one that's rapidly facing a food crisis and forcing us to find alternatives, one of which is genetically modified foods. A cause for concern both from a health and environmental standpoint, genetically modified foo...

Regularly mined for comedy material, haemorrhoids are nonetheless an embarassing, personal and real problem for many people. Dr. April Roslani joins us and explains its causes, treatment options, and when surgery may be a necessity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nurses at a local private institution who've been awarded for their service, these three nurses share some of their stories with us and discusses what it takes for a nurse to really give back to his or her patients. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joint issues, especially those due to osteoarthritis are sadly common, and especially so when it involves the knees. Before going for surgery and long-term recuperation though, there are also non-interventional treatment options offered by chiropractors. Hayden Clyde Pooke, a sports chiropractor who is a rugby player himself, explains some of these options. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

A common symptom of many conditions, ranging from keeping your arm or leg in one place for too long, all the way to injured nerves and strokes, numbness and tingling could mean anything... even emotional anxiety. Dr. Yong Fee Mann explains all the different things it could indicate as well as how it can be tested and treated. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Read any news report on the latest findings in the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology and odds are you'll see quotes and information from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology. But what do they actually do and what is their role in shaping the future of this field of medicine? Dr. Tony Falconer, president of the College, shares its history and where they see the organisation headi...

From hip replacements to kinesiology tape, there are a multitude of ways in which the medical industry and orthopaedics continue to accelerate, adapt and innovate. Dr. Harjeet Singh dissects some of what's hyped up in injury care and prevention today and gives his take on where the industry is headed and what doctors need to do to keep up.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As advancements in science continue to march on, new treatments are made available every day. One new option for treating arthritis is the use of biologics, drugs that copy the effects of substances naturally made by your body's immune system. Explaining the ins and outs of biologic treatments for arthritis is Dr. Amir Zain, consultant rheumatologist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Dr. Okimi, a respected practitioner and motivational speaker, addresses how many of our modern aches and pains could be helped by having oneness of body, mind and soul. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens to severed limbs when they're reattached to the body? Is there a loss of function? Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Rajesh Singh, guides us through the grisly topic of replantation surgery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It can be a frustrating thing being saddled with an oral ulcer - pain, a controlled diet and potential infections are all part of the package. So what can we do to treat and avoid ulcers? Dr. Khoo Suan Phaik discusses what works and what doesn't. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is it about the way children think and reason that sets them apart from adults? Does the age of reason exist? In this interview, Dr. Peter Mitchell guides us through the minds of children. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High blood pressure is difficult enough to deal with, much less resistant hypertension, the kind that sticks around and is incredibly complicated to treat. Now a new procedure may prove to be the solution, treating resistant hypertension in one session and with permanent results. But is this really a silver bullet for patients? Dr. Yap Yee Guan, who has brought this pioneering treatment, renal ner...

While many of us in urban Malaysia have the choice (that we sometimes eschew) to go to hospitals and have the latest treatments available to us, the fact of the matter is that in rural areas, multiple dangers remain for women giving birth. Dr. Gunasegaran discusses these roadblocks with us as well as the things being done to ensure safer births in rural Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Credited with helping a famous children entertainer get his Wiggle back, Dr. James Stoxen is in the business of helping people with chronic pain issues deal with them through an intensive procedure known as pain exorcism. He tells us all about this, as well as why the human body is built as a spring, and not a lever.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a wealth of herbs and plants in our very own tropical backyard, it's a shame that not more Asians and Malaysians understand enough about the qualities that our plants can have, both pharmacologically and cosmetologically. Luckily however, Dr. Christophe Wiart has spent the last 16 years of his life conducting research into the medicinal plants of Asia and shares some of his knowledge with us...

How much of cancer is genetically pre-determined? Why do some cancers run rampant in some families and some countries and not others? Dr. Arif Anwar answers these questions and then some, exploring the genetics of cancer and what we can do to prevent it.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once upon a time, all births took place in the home, perhaps accompanied by female family and midwives. Then, the site of the birth moved to the hospital and things changed. Birth became more efficent, actively managed, and some would argue safer. But what some call safer, others argue as less private... and it's in this climate that birth politics become an issue. Where are the boundaries between...

Before Roger Bannister ran the first four-minute mile in 1954, it had been widely regarded as completely impossible. Scientists had even mapped out human lung capacity and deemed the feat undoable. Yet, once the first person had done it, several others quickly followed, each with successively quicker times. Which raises the question, what are the limits of human potential and how can we, as indivi...