Health and Lifestyle
Duque lauds Duterte’s approval of higher alcohol, cigar taxes
January 12, 2019, 10:35 am
MANILA -- Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval of higher excise taxes for alcohol and tobacco products. “We are happy with the support President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has given to our proposal to increase excise taxes to at least PHP60 from the… Read More
Supply of antiretroviral drugs for HIV adequate: DOH
January 11, 2019, 8:39 pm
MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) has assured there is enough treatment for Filipinos with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) amid rumors of anti-retroviral (ARV) drug shortage nationwide. In a statement released on Friday, the DOH said it seriously takes the HIV issue that is why the… Read More
Childhood abuse increases risk of suicide in adulthood
January 10, 2019, 12:05 pm
LONDON -- Adults, who as children, experienced physical, sexual, and emotional abuse or neglect are at least two to three times more likely to attempt suicide in later life, the largest research review ever carried out on the topic revealed Wednesday. Psychologists at the University of Manchester… Read More
Scientists researchers find therapy to reduce breast cancer
January 8, 2019, 8:39 pm
WASHINGTON -- American and Chinese researchers developed an experimental therapy that can reduce the spread of a kind of hard-to-treat breast cancer in a mice study. The study, published recently in the journal Cancer Cell, reported the therapeutic agent that blocks two of the main pathways by… Read More
Link between social media use, mental health stronger in girls
January 7, 2019, 12:16 pm
LONDON -- Teenage girls spending more time on social media have a higher risk of depression, according to a study published in the British journal EClinicalMedicine on Thursday. Researchers, led by Yvonne Kelly from University College London (UCL) in Britain, found that almost 40 percent of girls… Read More
Combined efforts needed to rid PH of malnutrition
January 4, 2019, 5:31 pm
MANILA -- An independent children's rights organization has underscored the need for the combined efforts of parents and government agencies that will implement the First 1,000 Days Law to completely eliminate malnutrition in the country. According to Save the Children Philippines, swift and… Read More
US scientists invent new device to treat Parkinson's disease
January 3, 2019, 6:45 pm
SAN FRANCISCO -- Scientists from University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) on the western U.S. coast have invented a wireless controlled neurostimulator that could provide fine-tuned treatments to patients with diseases like epilepsy and Parkinson's. UC Berkeley researchers worked out a… Read More
DOH reminds public: Eat healthy this holiday season
December 25, 2018, 4:30 pm
MANILA -- Overindulgence in food during this time of the year is an inevitable part of the festive season but an official of the Department of Health (DOH) has reminded the public to prepare and eat healthy food. DOH Undersecretary and Public Health Service Team officer-in-charge Myrna Cabotaje… Read More
Medication for severe acne alters skin microbiome
December 24, 2018, 3:05 pm
CHICAGO -- A research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that isotretinoin, which has been prescribed to treat acne for decades can shift the skin microbiome of acne patients to more closely resemble that of people with normal skin. The researchers studied bacteria… Read More
Aussie researchers find way to control spread of skin cancer
December 21, 2018, 9:08 pm
SYDNEY -- Australian researchers said Friday they have found a new therapeutic target aimed at melanoma skin cancer, pointing to better understanding of how the disease spreads and more effective treatments. The primary cause of death in melanoma patients is metastasis, the process in which cancer… Read More
Cancer-killing treatment approved in Australia
December 19, 2018, 9:00 pm
CANBERRA -- A "revolutionary" cancer drug that supercharges immune cells to hunt and kill cancer cells has been approved for human use in Australia. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on Wednesday announced that CAR-T therapy has been approved for use in pediatric and young adult patients… Read More
Green leafy vegetables can reduce fat in liver
December 18, 2018, 8:14 pm
WASHINGTON -- Eating more green leafy vegetables may reduce the risks of developing fatty liver, according to a study published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden showed that a large intake of inorganic nitrate, an… Read More
PhilHealth educates Cebuanos on universal health care bill
December 17, 2018, 8:07 pm
CEBU CITY – Top officials from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) will be in Cebu on Tuesday to educate the residents here on the role of the Universal Health Care (UHC) bill in PhilHealth. PhilHealth acting president and chief executive officer Dr. Roy Ferrer will be joined by… Read More
DOH inspects Tondo hospital readiness for New Year's Day
December 17, 2018, 6:33 pm
Department of Health Undersecretary and Public Health Service Team officer-in-charge Myrna Cabotaje urges the public to simply watch the fireworks display to prevent being a victim fireworks-related injuries. (PNA photo by Ma. Teresa Montemayor)MANILA -- An official of the Department of Health… Read More
Apheresis: A new way to donate blood
December 17, 2018, 4:24 pm
MANILA – The Philippine Blood Center (PBC) has introduced apheresis, a new way to donate blood, in the aim to save more lives by providing free blood and blood products. Simply called apheresis, this type of blood donation makes use of an apheresis machine which draws only the needed blood… Read More
Breastfeeding linked to smaller waistline of mothers
December 17, 2018, 11:45 am
A woman nurses her child, during a public event to promote the benefits of breastfeeding, during the World Breastfeeding Week held in Palma de Mallorca, on October 7, 2018. (Photo by Jaime Reina/AFP)WASHINGTON -- Breastfeeding may have one more benefit for mothers. A study showed that… Read More
PH blood center to launch nucleic acid amplification test in 2019
December 14, 2018, 2:54 pm
MANILA -- The Philippine Blood Center (PBC) is set to launch next year a quiz that would solve the issue of re-testing done by private hospitals on donated blood. PBC head Dr. Andres Bonifacio said the nucleic acid amplification test would allow for the detection of applicant donors who are… Read More
PH Blood Center urges public to be donors
December 13, 2018, 7:16 pm
MANILA -- To save more lives and to encourage more people to donate blood, the Philippine Blood Center (PBC) on Thursday held an open forum for all its partner government agencies and private organizations. “Our goal in PBC is to have enough blood supply in all hospitals in the country and we… Read More
Cigarette price at P20 per stick can stop youth from smoking
December 12, 2018, 11:20 pm
MANILA -- Studies show that smoking or tobacco use remains to be the biggest preventable cause of death, disabilities and diseases across nations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 7 million deaths due to tobacco use worldwide annually. About 260,000 of these cases are… Read More
New blood test could save millions from blindness
December 12, 2018, 12:48 pm
CANBERRA – Australian scientists have developed a blood test capable of saving millions of people around the world from going blind. Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) on Wednesday revealed that their new blood test can detect patients at risk of dry age-related macular… Read More
