Category: Features
Elderly not getting enough ‘sun’
SINGAPORE – This is sunny Singapore. Yet seven in 10 of the elderly here are not getting enough vitamin D. Many of them tend to stay indoors, often after suffering from falls, strokes or depression. An international expert on geriatric […]
Six dead in Philippine epidemic caused by rat urine
MANILA – A bacterial epidemic caused by water contaminated with rat urine has hit a flood-ravaged region in the northern Philippines, killing six people and overwhelming local hospitals, a health official said Wednesday. At least 132 people were infected with […]
A way to drive cancer cells to suicide?
Scientists have found that the difference between life and death for some cancer cells hinges on a tiny molecular change – which could one day be harnessed to drive cancer cells to suicide. Researchers from Oxford University, the University of […]
Wasp stings in sharp decline
CHINA – Efforts to remove deadly wasps that have killed 42 people in Ankang, Shaanxi province, since July have begun to pay off, as the number of cases of severe wasp stings dropped significantly in the past week, health authorities […]
Hand-foot-and-mouth cases in Singapore hit weekly high of 1,109
SINGAPORE– There were 1,109 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) diagnosed during the week from Sept. 22-28 in Singapore, according to the data released by the city- state’s Ministry of Health. The number was the highest this year […]
Aircraft noise linked to higher risk of heart disease and stroke
Exposure to high levels of aircraft noise near busy international airports has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease and strokes in two separate studies from Britain and the United States. Researchers in London studied data on noise […]
Love chicken nuggets? Eat only occasionally
Stand-up comedians have long joked that some things, like the actual components of chicken nuggets, should be better left as mysteries. Recently, Mississippi researchers found out why: Two nuggets which they examined consisted of 50 per cent or less chicken […]
Exercise ‘as good as medicines’ in treating heart disease
Exercise may be just as good as medication to treat heart disease and should be included as a comparison when new drugs are being developed and tested, scientists said on Wednesday. In a large review published in the British Medical […]
More Thais go under the knife for the perfect look
THAILAND – With her slinky blue top and coiffed hair dyed bronze, Ms Inchuon Meechai cuts a self-assured figure as she strides down the street in Bangkok. Speak to her nicely, and the 39-year-old mother of two will tell you […]
Walking for just 20 minutes daily could save 37,000 lives
A new study conducted by researchers at Ramblers and Macmillan Cancer Support suggests that walking for just 20 minutes daily could prevent as many as 37,000 deaths due to cancer, heart disease and stroke. A number of studies have found […]
