Health & Living

The Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce released their study recently on the country's vape industry trends, showing that the number of adult vape or e-cigarette users in Malaysia increased by 27 per cent from 2019 to 2022 (from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.4 million in 2022). Consultant psychiatrist Assoc Prof Dr Amer Siddiq joins Azrul Mohd Khalib from the Galen Centre for Health & Social Policy...

There are 16 billion views for the hashtag #braces on TikTok, signalling the Internet’s massive interest in getting that perfect smile. However, braces and aligners aren’t merely cosmetic tools, as they help to correct orthodontic problems that can have an impact on oral and overall health. Specialist orthodontist Dr Darsha Meyyappan joins consultant urologist Dr George Lee for a 101 on braces and...

Leading up to World Hospice & Palliative Care Day on 14 October, we are featuring various perspectives of living and dying well, challenging the norms in healthcare and society when it comes to death. In line with that, this month’s episode of Humans of Healthcare features a palliative care physician, Dr Liew Kean Yew from Hospital Ampang. We’ll be discussing the role of a palliative care phys...

Finding out you have a serious or life-threatening illness can turn your life upside-down. Coming to terms with the diagnosis and learning what it takes to manage your condition can take a toll on your mental health as well. On this month’s episode of Mind Matters - as we lead up into Pink October, we speak to Naliza Fahro-Rozi, breast cancer survivor and vice president of the Breast Cancer Welfar...

Dr Loh Yunn Hua is a physician who is currently based in Miri and has spent much of her career serving the people across Sarawak. She spent the early years of her career working with the Flying Doctor Service with the Baram Health District in the 80s and later on continuing on to work with local grassroots communities and organisations on healthcare access in the state.  In conjunction with M...

Artificial intelligence can have vast benefits in healthcare, including enabling remote analysis and diagnosis, processing complex information for rapid decision-making, and facilitating wider sharing of information. Will technology be the equaliser that enables the expertise of healthcare professionals to be applied in a more effective, empathetic and equitable manner? In other words, will AI and...

Attempted suicide has been decriminalised in Malaysia but the work does not end there. In conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September), consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Alia Ali, founder of Awareness Against Suicide (AWAS) and Justin Victor, chairmain of Befrienders KL, to delve into what we can do as individuals and as a community to support and help those who are s...

We spend at least a third of our day at the workplace, and this means that the way we sit, stand and move at work is a major contributor to our overall musculoskeletal health. Physiotherapist Li-Yeng Choo joins us to share a different approach to preventing and managing workplace aches and pains: a holistic view that encompasses workplace posture, routines, and roles, as well as personal lifestyle...

When there is an error in medical judgement or a flaw in the healthcare system, someone gets harmed. And this is no trivial matter, because what happens to a patient has an impact on their family, community and on the healthcare system. Dr Marcus Schabacker, President and CEO of ECRI, joins us to discuss persistent and emerging risks to patient safety in the health system, and how ECRI - an indepe...

When Australian Rules footballer Heather Anderson died by suicide last year (in 2022), her family donated her brain to the Australian Sports Brain Bank, hoping to better understand her death. Because of that, a team of Australian researchers recently said that they’ve made the world’s first diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in a professional female athlete. As research into CT...

BFM turns 15 on the 4th of September 2023, and to commemorate, we’re bringing you a special episode of Health & Living where we look back on the top 15 medical and health news over the past 15 years.  Image Credit: 123RF / abdulrazaklatif / parinyabinsuk See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re familiar with non-communicable diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes, but how much do we know about vascular diseases? As this September marks the inaugural launch of the National Vascular Awareness Month, we’ll be exploring what vascular diseases are, and how we can improve both early diagnosis and intervention so that efforts in building awareness aren’t in vein.  Joining u...

In conjunction with Merdeka Day, we speak to Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin bin Abdul Hamid, one of the country’s pioneering cardiologists who has witnessed milestones like the setting up of Malaysia’s first cardiology department in Hospital Kuala Lumpur, and the first specialist heart centre Institut Jantung Negara. In this conversation, Dr Zainal reflects on 45 years in medicine, including a long stint...

We typically think of dyslexia in relation to alphabetic languages, such as English and Bahasa Melayu. However, dyslexia also exists among speakers of symbol-based languages like Chinese and Japanese - although the learning difficulties faced by children learning these languages may be less well-understood. Consultant developmental paediatrician Dr Rajini Sarvananthan and clinical psychologist Sim...

Our kidneys are vital organs that help to filter waste from our blood while maintaining the right balance of fluids in our body. But that function could be impaired by diseases like cancer. With most cases of kidney cancer being diagnosed late, what can be done to improve diagnoses? And how have advances in keyhole surgery improved outcomes for patients? We find out from Dr J. R. Sathiyananthan ,...

In 2011, a major earthquake off the coast of Japan triggered a tsunami which flooded the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, causing a major nuclear disaster. Efforts to decontaminate the area and cool down the highly radioactive reactors have resulted in the wastewater being stored in tanks at the plant, but 12 years later, Japan is running out of space and has begun the proces...

The world’s most famous face of motor neuron disease - also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - is Prof Stephen Hawking. The world-famous astrophysicist and cosmologist defied the odds generally associated with MND, including a shortened life span and the progressive degeneration of motor function. Prof Hawking’s persistence and optimism in life is a characteristic shared by Albert Koo, a law...

Our hands are so central to our daily functions and activities that we can’t imagine life if we lose the use of these limbs. Is it possible to regain our hand functions if they are injured after an accident, or disabled due to conditions like arthritis? We speak to two occupational therapists, Ahmad Yazid bin Jus and Siti Fairuz Ismail, about the role of occupational therapy in rehabilitation for...

Grief affects us all. We go through bereavement for many types of losses in our lives. But we’re often told that grief - and the emotions that come with it - is private, because people around us often do not know how to respond to those who have suffered a loss. On this episode of ‘ Because Feelings Matter ’, Dila shares the wisdom she gained from losing her sister, and why it’s important to allow...

Almost 50,000 people in Malaysia live with end-stage renal disease, which means they are in and out of a healthcare facility almost every day, undergoing dialysis. They are also likely to be on several medications, and experiencing limitations in their daily routines. On today’s show, we dive into what it means to live with chronic kidney disease, what treatment for end-stage renal disease entails...

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has been making headlines - with record attendances and viewership, teams overturning predictions, and most importantly, more conversations about the need to place the female game on the same level as the men’s game. However, female players are also making headlines for another reason: the high rate of ACL injuries putting them out of the match. We find out why ACL...

At a time where people are living longer, most of us want to lead healthier lives as well. Part of that means making physical activity part and parcel of our daily lives. But what kinds of physical activity are we talking about, and what goals should we set to improve - and maintain - our musculoskeletal health? Joining us to discuss how physical activity is a key part of active ageing is sports a...

In our monthly open clinic segment, we are highlighting the ubiquitous problem of neck pain. A multidisciplinary panel consisting of neurosurgeon Prof Dharmendra Ganesan, rehabilitation physician Assoc Prof Anwar Suhaimi, and senior physiotherapist Nor Syairah bt Abdul Halim, joins us to answer listeners’ questions about neck-related aches and pains. Image Credit: 123RF See omnystudio.com/listener...

There’s never been a more complex time to be a parent. While parents have more resources than ever at their disposal, they are also plagued by greater demands, higher expectations, and more anxieties over their children’s well-being. But one thing has not changed: parents still struggle to understand and communicate with their children. On this episode of Mind Matters, we’ll take a look at why chi...

When someone receives a diagnosis of cancer, the question of having children may not be top of mind, even if they are of reproductive age. However, as cancer treatments improve and people are able to recover and live well in remission, they may eventually think of having children - that is, if the previous cancer therapies had not destroyed or impaired their body’s reproductive system. Conversatio...