Category: Health alert
Menthol cigarettes likely have health impact: FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday released an independent scientific review about menthol in cigarettes, saying that the mint-flavored cigarettes likely pose a greater public health risk than nonmenthol cigarettes. Meanwhile, the agency issued what it calls an […]
Decongestants in pregnancy linked to birth defects
A woman’s use of decongestant medications in the first trimester of pregnancy may raise her child’s risk of certain rare birth defects, according to a small study. Some types of over-the-counter decongestants, including the popular phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine, were individually […]
Heart Hates Pot Belly
Pot belly or fat around the waist is no good. It spoils the appearance and is bad for the heart as it can up the risk of heart attack. New research has also linked abdominal fat to increasing risk of […]
Nearly six million die from smoking every year: WHO
Despite public health campaigns, smoking remains the leading avoidable cause of death worldwide, killing almost six million people a year, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organisation said Wednesday. If current trends hold, the number of deaths […]
‘Smoking alcohol’ a dangerous, growing trend to lose weight
A dangerous trend is going viral on YouTube and other social media platforms, where young people are inhaling the fumes of alcohol instead of drinking it. Called “smoking alcohol”, it involves the vaporisation of alcohol with air pumps or over […]
Beware those killer heels
It rightly pointed out that humans are meant to walk heel-to-toe with the leg at a 90-degree angle to the foot, and the ankle joint employing a 60-degree range of motion during normal daily activities. High-heeled shoes alter the position […]
Cats could be harboring deadly TB
While cats are cuddling pets, they could be potentially harboring a deadly form of bovine tuberculosis which could be passed on to their owners. Researchers at Edinburgh University found that cats often pick up the disease when they come in […]
Stress: It Should Never Be Ignored, Experts Say
Work pressure, tension at home, financial difficulties … the list of causes of stress grows longer every day. There have been several studies in the past showing that stress can have negative effects on health (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, high blood […]
Hepatitis ignored for too long
SINGAPORE – I congratulate Mr Freddy Chuang (“Include hepatitis B on Medisave’s chronic diseases list”; last Tuesday) for being open about the fact that he has chronic hepatitis B, a disease that attracts much stigma in our society; and for […]
Effects of long-term smoking and neurosurgical outcomes
On morbidity and mortality, the effects of long-term cigarette smoking have long been known. In a more immediate sense, smoking in the days and weeks before surgery can lead to morbidity and complications for many surgical procedures. In this review, […]
