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Increasing obesity rates in children and young adults are set to worsen already-high rates of diabetes in Singapore. Diabetes rates rose from 8.6% in Singaporean adults in 1992 to 11.3% in 2010, and would have gone up to 12.9% by last year, according to epidemiologists at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.Read more

A new local study by researchers from the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) and Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) may help doctors detect glaucoma, an often undiagnosed eye disease, earlier than usual. Researchers found that those with moderate to high myopia (above 300 degrees) and high eye pressure were more likely to develop primary open

We can expect to see 1 million Type 2 diabetics in Singapore by the year 2050, a statistic which will inevitably place burden on our healthcare system and workforce. Singapore also has the second highest proportion of diabetics in developed nations, with 10.53% of the population between 20 and 79 diagnosed with diabetes, a figure

The Zika virus epidemic has undoubtedly become one of the most talked-about topics within the public health sphere, with the World Health Organization (WHO) justifiably declaring it a global health emergency as coordinated global efforts are critically needed in research, vaccine development and international action. With Singapore drawing large numbers of overseas visitors and frequent international

Heavy taxes have been placed on harmful substances like tobacco and alcohol to discourage their consumption. Yet sugar, another addictive harmful substance, does not face these strict taxation measures. Sugar consumption has been well established by health experts as the single most harmful ingredient in the modern diet, contributing to illnesses like diabetes, heart, liver

Researchers from the National University of Singapore have found that consumption of palm oil led to higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which translated into a 6 per cent higher risk of coronary heart disease and death. However, not all clinical trials on humans have shown a link between palm oil consumption and LDL

The Ministry of Health (MOH) recently announced the shelving of plans for Jade Circle, a pioneering model of care for dementia patients that proposes to house them in single or twin rooms. All subsidised beds and nursing homes in Singapore currently have six- to eight-bed dormitories for patients, and the only instance for a subsidised

A commemorative book on Singapore’s experiences in overcoming infectious diseases over the past 50 years was launched on 28 December 2015 at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The book, titled “Overcoming Infectious Diseases in Singapore: Past, Present and Future” is authored by Dr Vincent Pang and Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public

Responding to a Q&A feature on how to avoid carcinogens and reduce the risk of getting cancer, Associate Professor Rob van Dam advised readers staying away from cigarettes and alcohol, and that it is important to cultivate healthy eating habits. In the case of french fries, many consider them a common source of acrylamides, a

Women who have given birth once have 44% lower risk of lung cancer, regardless of their smoking habits, according to a study conducted by researchers from the National University of Singapore and National Cancer Centre Singapore. The teams looked at records of more than 28,000 women who participated in the Singapore Breast Cancer Screening Project