Author: Dr Harivinthan Manavalan

 Data shows that Malaysians are getting cardiovascular disease (CVD) approximately ten years earlier than the global average. The Malaysian National Heart Association published a position paper recently and found that the relative age of Malaysians with heart disease was lower when compared to other countries. 

The Malaysian Department of Statistics (DSOM) reported 423,124 births in 2022, a 3.% decrease compared to 439,744 births in 2021.

UMMC’s non-invasive stroke recovery programme can help patients recover by modifying brain activity via electrical stimulation over 10 sessions in 2 weeks. They currently have the capacity to treat more patients and are urging stroke patients to get treatment.

The National Sports Medical Center has set up the nation’s first women’s health clinic in an effort to tackle health issues among national female athletes.

A recent study shows that delaying sleep by just 90 minutes each night damages blood vessels, contributing to the development of cardiovascular diseases. A study conducted in the University of Columbia recently showed that mild sleep restriction among female individuals causes an increase in oxidative stress in blood vessels. It is the first direct evidence linking mild, chronic sleep deficits to causing heart disease.

A study has shown that Tthe earlier an individual gets was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, the greater the reduction in life expectancy. Every decade of earlier diagnosis was associated with 3 to 4 years of reduced life expectancy. The study, conducted by a team from University of Cambridge and University of Glasgow analyzed data from two large-scale data sources, the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration and UK Biobank. Data from more than 1.5 million participants were used in this study.  

It is vital for us to be aware of the dangers that come with the haze. We should also be vigilant and safeguard members of our community especially those who are more susceptible to the effects of the haze. While we might not be able to neutralise the factors causing the haze, we can certainly do our part to reduce its effects and keep each other safe.

Maternal TDAP vaccination protects mothers and children from pertussis. Malaysia’s public health programme offers free TDAP vaccine for all pregnant women.