Health & Living

Entering The Secret World Of Children’s Slang

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Two numbers took the world by storm last year - six and seven. Kids were driving teachers up the wall, shouting “6-7” in classrooms. UK Prime Mini...

After Decades, We Have New Antibiotics For Gonorrhoea

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of last year, the FDA in the United States announced that it has approved two new antibiotics for gonorrhoea, which has not happened since ...

Ask An Audiologist: How We Hear

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this month’s open clinic segment, we start by diving into how we hear, and explore some fun facts about our ears. Then, audiologist Darleena Aziz...

How UMMC Performed Liver Transplant For Youngest Baby Ever

14 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A multidisciplinary team at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre successfully performed a liver transplant on a four-month-old baby boy in November 2025. ...

Should You Buy Weight Loss Medications Online?

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Losing weight is rarely an easy journey, and the effectiveness of GLP-1 medications in helping people shed that weight has led to its popularity all a...

Humans of Healthcare: The Medical Lab Technologist

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What happens between the moment when a nurse or doctor takes a patient sample and when the results come back to you? Medical lab technologists work qu...

Falls Prevention for Seniors

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this week, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was hospitalised after he had a fall and fractured his hip. While he’s reported to ...

Public Health: Cost Of Cancer Care

08 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The increasing costs of healthcare and the squeeze on medical insurance will be weighing on the minds of all Malaysians this year. Consultant clinical...

How To Have Emotional Check-Ins With Your Kids

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After a difficult year, 2026 will feel very different for children and their parents. Fears of school violence, social media pressures and the impact ...

Healthy Ageing: SEACURE-ing Dementia Research in Southeast Asia

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Much of what we know about dementia has come from research done in the global North, on Western populations and it has been incredibly vital to help u...

From The Big ‘C’ To The Big ‘R’: Navigating Recurrence

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When you have cancer, treatment is just one chapter of the story. The rest of the story is about learning to live as a survivor - monitoring the risk ...

CDC Says Hepatitis B Jab Not Recommended For All Newborns

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) struck out a universal recommendation to start hepatitis B immunisation at birth f...

A New Way Of Thinking About Obesity And Heart Disease

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The alarm bells on obesity keep ringing, but our understanding of how to manage it is changing. We speak to consultant cardiologist Dr David Quek abou...

US Removes ‘Black Box’ Warning For Menopause Treatment

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would be removing the strictest "black box" warnings from menopause hormone th...

Critical Care On The Frontlines in Sudan

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As conflict continues to rage around the world, how are medical humanitarian organisations coping and what is it like for these people risking their l...

Mind Matters: Is It Time For A Social Media Detox?

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you’re an occasional user or constant scroller, social media has become an irrevocable part of most of our lives. While it has helped us to ...

If You Have Breast Cancer, NORA Is Here To Help

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A woman with breast cancer needs more than just clinical therapy in order to manage her cancer. We look at Cancer Research Malaysia’s patient naviga...

Public Health: Progress in Lung Cancer Care

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For years, lung cancer has ranked among the top cancers in Malaysia, and been a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In 2025, Malaysia saw several ...

Can’t Breathe? What’s Causing Nasal Blockages

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Struggling to breathe properly, having to breathe through your mouth or dealing with constant throat irritation and cough - many of us are familiar wi...

Humans of Healthcare: The Family Medicine Specialist

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do you call a doctor who specialises in taking care of most common ailments, providing comprehensive care for patients of all ages? That’s a fa...

Brain Waves: How Revenge Bedtime Procrastination Changes Your Brain

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How many of us spend the nights staring at a phone or computer screen, putting off sleep? While most of us know it’s probably not great for our heal...

World AIDS Day 2025: Will We Eliminate AIDS By 2030?

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With access to care and effective treatment, HIV is no longer the death sentence it was decades ago. But how is Malaysia doing in getting HIV treatmen...

Counsellor’s Corner: Happy With Life Or Happy Right Now?

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you happy with life, or just feeling happy in the moment? How do we move from one state to the other? We talk about the pursuit of happiness with ...

Will We Have A Treatment For Dengue One Day?

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“There is no specific treatment for dengue.” That’s often how dengue is described, as the viral infection can only be managed through supportive...

Why Compassion Matters in Healthcare

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Compassion is one of the most important elements in healthcare but in a world where healthcare workers are overworked, how does compassion come throug...

Patient Safety #4: Seeking Justice

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens after a patient has been exposed to unsafe care, and has suffered an injury or complication? In the final episode of the series on patien...

Why Rheumatoid Arthritis Needs To Be Diagnosed Early

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rheumatoid arthritis is often diagnosed late, forcing patients to live with daily pain and disruptions to their lives as the disease progresses. We sp...

Should Children Start Learning Social Skills Earlier?

27 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In recent months, incidents involving schoolchildren and violence have raised concerns about whether kids are equipped with the skills to navigate con...

Because Feelings Matter #46: How Do Athletes Cope With The Severe Pressure?

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nobody looking at Goh Liu Ying at the height of her mixed badminton doubles career would have guessed at her mental health struggles. On this episode ...

Hand and Wrist Injuries in Sports

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From holding a racquet to lifting weights, having a good range of motion in your hands and wrists is vital to be able to do exercise and to keep playi...

Beyond The Diagnosis #34: Surviving Dengue

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dengue is endemic in Malaysia, and with over 100,000 cases annually, it’s not a disease that’s unfamiliar to most of us. But despite decades of co...

When Medications Fuel The Next Superbug

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Medicines save lives, but they’re also fuelling a silent but grave threat: antimicrobial resistance. After years of warning and education, are we st...

Patient Safety #3: Regulating Medical Devices and Health Tech

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Medical devices save lives. Picture the X-ray machine that detects your disease, the ventilator that supports your breathing, or the pacemaker that ke...

Is The Gut Microbiota Linked To Long COVID?

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our first few years of life don’t just shape our memories — they also shape our microbes, trillions of which reside in our gut. The gut microbiome...

Ask A Doctor: Heavy Periods

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On our open clinic show, we tackle a problem that most women feel embarrassed or reluctant to discuss - heavy periods. Consultant obstetrician and gyn...

Healthy Ageing: What’s Spiking Your Blood Pressure?

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the most common non-communicable diseases among Malaysians, and as you get older the risk for hypertensi...

Prostate Cancer in the Age of Nuclear Medicine

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With advanced imaging and targeted therapies, doctors can now “see what they treat, and treat what they see”. We explore how nuclear medicine is d...

Public Health: The Hidden Crisis of Endometriosis

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Severe period and pelvic pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, pain during urination, bowel movements and sexual intercourse - imagine living in such consta...

Patient Safety #2: Safe Staff, Safe Patients

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the second episode of the mini-series on patient safety, we take a deeper dive into the inextricable link between the health workforce and patient ...

Mind Matters: How To Build Strong Social Connections

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Humans are inherently social creatures, but despite a world that is more interconnected than ever, people are increasingly disconnected socially. In f...

Counsellor’s Corner: Self-Care or Selfish?

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We live in a world where we’re constantly told to remember to look after our own wellbeing and to find a way to balance self-care with our work, fam...

Bariatric Surgery Is Changing

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Typically, we’ve thought of bariatric surgery as invasive procedures that remove part of the stomach, or bypass it. As the technology improves, surg...

Brilliant, Female Magnificent 2025 Panel 2: Glow Up & Level Up Your Body

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time to look past the imperfections you see and start learning how to love your body - no matter what other people on your Instagram feed look ...

Brilliant, Female Magnificent 2025 Panel 3: Girlbossing Your Budget

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Budgeting and managing your finances shouldn’t be a chore. Learn how to grow your income and make your money work for you, whether you want to affor...

Brilliant, Female Magnificent 2025 Panel 1: From Stress to Self-Care

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Feeling drained from juggling work and personal commitments while looking like you’ve got it all held together? Whether it’s managing work stress ...

Patient Safety #1: The True Cost of Unsafe Care

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When there are problems or errors in healthcare that cause patients harm or injury, who pays the price? Not just the patients and families, but the re...

Are You Eating Enough Protein?

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We learned at a young age that protein is an essential part of our diet, but with high-protein foods and protein supplements being marketed at us cons...

Humans of Healthcare: The Medical Microbiologist

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a field where the tiniest of organisms can have the largest of impacts, just how important is the role of a medical microbiologist? And how much do...

What A “Ghost Poop” Tells You About Your Gut Health

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You might have seen people talk about having “ghost poops” on social media, and no, this isn’t related to Halloween. What it refers to is stool ...

Does Faith Have A Place in My Illness?

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Being diagnosed with a life-limiting or terminal illness brings with it a lot of existential questions about what happens next, and how you will face ...

Why It Matters To Pick Up Atrial Fibrillation Early

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia, where someone with this condition has an irregular heart rhythm. If left untreated, it incr...

Beyond The Diagnosis #33: A Broken Promise of Access To Care (Living With HIV)

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when a promise of lifelong healthcare is suddenly cut off? That was the case for Amanda Mei Chu Damian, who was diagnosed with HIV as a b...

Grieving the Loss of a Pet

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Losing a pet can feel like losing a member of the family. Yet many people find their grief dismissed or misunderstood, making the healing process even...

Is Your Child’s Environment Too Clean? (And How It Affects Their Immune System)

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve probably heard people say that kids these days have poorer immune systems compared to previous generations because they’re less exposed to ...

Injuries in Martial Arts

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Martial arts is something familiar to many Malaysians, from those taekwondo classes in schools to people doing muay thai as part of their weekend work...

Brain Waves: Can We Create Synthetic DNA?

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the UK, scientists are embarking on an ambitious project to create human DNA from scratch, in hopes that it will lead to new therapies to treat dis...

Mind Matters: How Professionals Are Transforming Mental Health Conversations

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Childhood experiences aren’t always nostalgic pictures in a photo album. Many issues in our childhood can also be painful, difficult or coloured by ...

Budget 2026 And The Needs of An Ageing Population

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Catering to the needs of an ageing population means planning ahead and setting aside enough funds for those policies and programmes, but with aged car...

Focal Therapies For Prostate Cancer: Separating Facts From Hype

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to the treatment of prostate cancer, the thought of surgery and radiotherapy can be frightening for some patients, even if these are the...

Ask A Doctor: Vaccination For Older Adults

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our open clinic session, two consultant geriatricians - Prof Dr Tan Maw Pin and Dr Kejal Hasmukharay - join us to answer questions about vaccinatio...

Palliative Care Can Change A Child’s Life

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Palliative care is still taboo to speak about, because of how it’s associated with a dying patient. Then, picture a doctor telling parents that thei...

Public Health: Does Budget 2026 Answer Our Healthcare Needs

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Ministry of Finance had promised that Budget 2026 would tackle healthcare reform, address rising medical costs, and strengthen health security. Do...

Humans of Healthcare: The Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Caring for patients with serious or terminal illnesses is not an easy feat. On this episode of Humans of Healthcare, and in conjunction with World Hos...

Mind, Body, Years: A Lifelong Health Journey

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Getting old isn’t a diagnosis. Whether it’s hearing and memory, or vision and mobility, you don’t have to lose what makes life joyful. At BFM’...

Why Are Women Still Refusing Mammograms?

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the years, we’ve improved leaps and bounds when it comes to awareness of breast cancer and the data on women diagnosed early with breast cancer...

How Budget 2026 Should Address Mental Health Needs

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mental health is one of the most urgent public health issues in our population, yet often the funding for mental health services falls far behind comp...

What Healthcare Reforms Should Be Prioritised in Budget 2026

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia’s health system is under strain—public hospitals face long waits and staff shortages, while private healthcare costs and medical insuranc...

Counsellor’s Corner: Is Imposter Syndrome Real?

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Licensed counsellor Lee Kah Seng joins us on Counsellor’s Corner to answer questions about imposter syndrome. Is it real? Why do we feel so much sel...

Alternative Funding For Breast Cancer Care in Southeast Asia

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As public resources and mainstream funding for cancer care become increasingly scarce, how can patient groups explore alternative financing strategies...

Patient Navigation for Breast Cancer Care in Southeast Asia

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How does patient navigation accelerate access to breast cancer care and support? At a recent roundtable discussion on ‘Navigating Access to Improve ...

Boldly Facing The ‘M’ 2025 Panel 2: Power, Purpose, Planning

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Midlife isn’t the end of your purpose - it’s the start of your next, most intentional chapter. Discover how legacy planning can help you define wh...

Boldly Facing The ‘M’ 2025 Panel 1: Your Body & Mind During Menopause

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you feel like your body and mind were taken over by aliens the moment you turned 40? You’re not alone. Hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog and a...

Beyond The Diagnosis #32: “I Couldn’t Give Up”

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When illness strikes suddenly, it can turn your world upside down in an instant. For Gabriel Wong, a brain infection spread to his spine, leaving him ...

Rehab in Palliative Care

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When someone is diagnosed with a life-limiting disease, palliative care is important to help patients live with good quality of life. Rehab therapy ca...

Will Budget 2026 Include the Needs of Neurodivergent Children

25 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every child deserves the chance to thrive — but not every child has the same start or opportunities. For some families, that means navigating the ch...

Ask A Doctor: Your Eyes and Vision

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In our monthly Ask A Doctor segment, we speak to consultant ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon Dr Kenneth Fong about common questions you have ...

Because Feelings Matter #45: When A Dream Job Turned Into Workplace Bullying

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine being bullied at the workplace, where you’re shouted at, and humiliated by, your boss on a daily basis. Cheryl tolerated this for several mo...

Sport Climbing & Bouldering - Is It For Everyone?

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The popularity of indoor climbing and bouldering has surged in recent years, and gyms are popping up across our capital city. But how much of it is a ...

Ouch! Kidney Stones Again?

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that you could have stones in your kidneys for years without knowing it? Is this dangerous and how do we identify them? We find out more ...

Mind Matters: When Vulnerable Children Are Bullied

18 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia has one of the highest rates of bullying in schools, compared with 44 other countries worldwide. We explore how bullying affects children in ...

Finally, A National Rare Disease Policy - So What’s Next?

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Ministry of Health recently unveiled the long-awaited National Rare Disease Policy, which is aimed at improving access to care for people living w...

When Companion Chatbots Become Therapists

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People - adults and children - are turning to AI chatbots to talk about their mental health and how they’re feeling. But is this as harmless as it s...

Public Health: The Neglect of Fungal Infections

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You may brush off having thrush or ringworm as just a simple fungal infection. However, fungal infections are on the rise as a serious public health c...

Healthy Ageing: Substance Use Disorders Among Older Adults

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Substance use disorders are often already challenging to manage, so what happens when the person who needs help is an older adult, potentially with co...

Humans of Healthcare: The (Female) Urologist

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does a urologist only treat urinary problems or male sexual health issues? On this episode of Humans of Healthcare, we guide you through the type of c...

Best For Moms 2025 Panel 2: How To Raise Financially-Savvy Kids

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As parents, your No. 1 focus is probably your child’s education. But don’t forget that teaching children about financial literacy is also an impor...

Best For Moms 2025 Panel 1: Health, Hormones & Holding It Together

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Anxiety, brain fog, depression, stress, overstimulation - sound familiar, mummies? We got you - this is a safe space to share all the mental health is...

Counsellor’s Corner: Bullying

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With more reports of bullying in schools, universities and even workplaces surfacing, we open up our Counsellor’s Corner to answer questions about t...

Cancer Research: Highs and Lows

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past decade, cancer research has delivered remarkable advances — from precision therapies and immunotherapy breakthroughs to improved survi...

Hospice Care Supports Patients and Caregivers

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Death is a difficult topic for most of us, yet it is an inevitable part of human life. For those diagnosed with terminal or life-limiting diseases, pa...

NCD Chronicles #31: A Senior Caring For Another Senior (The Caregiver Burden)

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With a population that is ageing and increasingly burdened with non-communicable diseases, what happens when an older adult needs a full-time caregive...

How Newborn Screening Helps SCID Families (And Other Rare Disorders)

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve probably heard of “bubble boy” or “bubble baby” disease, where a child diagnosed with it has to live in a germ-free, sterile and cont...

How Global Clinical Trials Began In Malaysia

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you have diabetes, high blood pressure or heart failure, some of the drugs you’re taking for treatment may have been tested right here in Malaysi...

Because Feelings Matter #44: Behind The Call With A Befriender

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The volunteers of Befrienders KL provide emotional support 24 hours, every day, for people who are lonely, in distress, in despair or having suicidal ...

Why Won’t My Baby Eat? Breaking Down Paediatric Feeding Problems

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Good nutrition, especially in the first year of life, is especially important for a child to grow and develop healthily. So what happens when babies a...

A Chikungunya Outbreak in China - Should We Be Worried?

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

China is currently seeing an outbreak of chikungunya - a mosquito-borne illness - in Guangdong province with more than 7,000 cases reported earlier th...

Ask A Doctor: How To Eat Better (And Healthier)

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The recently published National Health and Morbidity Survey 2024 focussing on nutrition revealed just how bad Malaysians’ diets are. Now that’s pr...

Brain Waves: How Hearing Loss Changes The Brain

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hearing loss is often brought up as a risk factor for dementia, especially later on in life but what exactly explains that link? On this episode of Br...

Why Kids Are Turning to AI Chatbots

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kids today use AI for homework, research, to answer their curious questions, and increasingly, for companionship. As we hear of extreme cases of child...

Scuba Therapy for People With Disabilities

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For people with disabilities or mobility issues, the world can be difficult to navigate, especially when our urban environment lacks accessibility. Bu...