Category: Features
Heart patients and bachelors/spinsters benefit significantly from dog ownership
Pets have been known to ease some health concerns but it has been recently proven that dog owners live longer, and this is especially true for heart disease patients or the ones living alone. Dr. Caroline Kramer at the Leadership Sinai Centre for Diabetes (LSCD) in Ontario, Canada, found dog owners to have lower blood […]
Israeli imaging device could help with better dry eye diagnoses
An insufficient tear film across one’s eyes can cause it to frequently become irritated, in what is known as dry eye disease. The condition is sometimes tricky to treat, but a new device developed by Israeli firm Advanced Optical Methods (AdOM) could greatly improve its diagnosis and effective treatment. Research team leader Dr. Yoel Arieli […]
Patient-derived heart cells points to genetic control of cardiac function, US study finds
Instances of cardiac function/malfunction, such as irregular rhythms or heart failure, has been unclear in genome studies to date but researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have discovered that genetic variations influence heart function through the binding of a protein – essentially, turning “on/off” genes involved in heart development. […]
Robust antimicrobial resistance surveillance needed in SEA
A particular resistance to two kinds of drugs, namely carbapenems and polymyxins, in Southeast Asia (SEA) has prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to evaluate their clinical risks to the masses before it becomes a widespread threat. Carbapenems and polymyxins can potentially spread “mobile genetic […]
UK prototype skin patch measures patients’ antibiotic levels in real time
Medical staff usually determine the level of antibiotics in a patient’s bloodstream through blood sampling, but scientists from Britain’s Imperial College London have made it possible to do just as well using a microneedle skin patch. The sensor patch has tiny enzyme-coated needles on its underside, which, when pressed against the skin, painlessly penetrates and […]
Malaysia advocates “smoking act” to monitor e-cigarette use
Malaysia is looking to impose strict regulations on the sale and use of electronic cigarettes, vaporisers and tobacco products that have all proven harmful to health and led to youth addiction. The Tobacco Control and Smoking Act has been submitted to the attorney-general for a final review and will hopefully be tabled next year. According […]
Eating onions and garlic may reduce breast cancer risk, US study reveals
An unusual way to reduce breast cancer risk, by consuming onions and garlic, has recently been studied by American researchers from the University of Buffalo (UB) and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR). There is previous evidence that eating onions and garlic can protect against the deadly cancer, and now, the study showed that Puerto […]
German study suggests shorter people are at higher risk of type-2 diabetes
Height could predict the risk for diabetes, as a short stature is associated with a higher risk of type-2 diabetes,with each 10cm difference in height corresponding to a 41% decreased risk of diabetes in men and a 33% decreased risk in women. The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) postulates that the increased […]
US study finds Bangladeshi spice makers add copious amounts of lead to turmeric
Lead is particularly dangerous when ingested by young children or pregnant women – it can impact the central nervous system and cause cognitive impairments or increase risks of miscarriages and premature births. To add to the detrimental effects, researchers from Stanford University, California, have recently presented evidence of increased lead exposure in rural Bangladesh, with […]
