Multidisciplinary

Top Medical News
3-vessel CAD outcomes comparable with fractional flow reserve-guided PCI vs CABG
2 hours ago
In the treatment of patients with 3-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD), fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) does not differ from coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in terms of the incidence of the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke, according to 3-year data from the FAME 3* trial.
Fatigue in COPD influenced by multiple contributing factors
Jairia Dela Cruz, 14 hours ago
Fatigue in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be caused by factors such as shortness of breath, sleep quality, pain, and fatigue-related catastrophizing, according to the FAntasTIGUE study.
Sports drink-like preparation for colonoscopy as good as OSS, but tastes better
19 hours ago
A novel sports drink-like flavoured bowel preparation attains a high level of cleansing among adults undergoing colonoscopy, indicating its noninferiority to oral sulfate solution (OSS), according to a study.
Varenicline for smoking cessation in teens?
Stephen Padilla, 20 hours ago
A recent Mendelian randomization (MR) study provides genetic evidence showing that smoking can accelerate ageing as a result of shortened leucocyte telomere length (LTL). However, quitting may help reduce such risk.
Adherence to Nordic diet reduces CVD risk
21 hours ago
Adherence to a modified Nordic diet appears protective against cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a non-Nordic population, reveals a study.
OCT- vs angiography-guided PCI for bifurcation lesions: Which is better?
Audrey Abella, 22 hours ago
In percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for complex bifurcation lesions, optical coherence tomography (OCT) guidance outdid the angiography-guided approach, findings from the OCTOBER* trial have shown.
Antidepressant use among HCC patients linked to lower risk of death
Yesterday
For patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the use of antidepressants after diagnosis may signal increased overall and cancer-specific survival, according to a study.
Special Reports
FOCUS ON POLYCYTHAEMIA VERA
01 Sep 2023
At the recent MPN Expert Forum held in Kuching, Dr Chew Lee Ping (Consultant Haematologist, Sarawak General Hospital) and Dr Yong Kar Ying (Clinical Haematologist Hospital Miri Sarawak) shared their expert opinion on treating hydroxyurea (HU) resistance/intolerance in Polycythaemia Vera (PV) patients, where real-life patients were managed successfully.
Inclisiran provides additional LDL Cholesterol-Lowering Benefit for the selected patients.
01 Sep 2023
Consultant Cardiologist Dr Yew Kuan Leong elaborates on the efficacy and safety of inclisiran, a new LDL cholesterol-lowering injectable medication now available in Malaysia, and the target group of patients benefiting from the additional LDL cholesterol-lowering therapy.
Naltrexone/Bupropion combination Aids Weight Management by Suppressing Hunger and Reducing Craving
01 Aug 2023
Dr. Kevin Lee, Consultant Endocrinologist and Specialist Physician, and Professor Dr. Norlaila Mustafa, Consultant Endocrinologist, discussed the role of naltrexone HCl 8 mg/bupropion HCl 90 mg prolonged-release tablets in weight management among patients with obesity during a recent symposium in Kuala Lumpur. 
Potential Strategies to Reduce the Incidence and Burden of SMA
01 Aug 2023
A renowned expert in clinical genetics explains various potential strategies that may be employed at different stages of life to lighten the burden caused by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) on patients, caregivers, and the healthcare system.
Delivering a One-Two Punch in the Treatment of
Hypertension With a Vasodilating β-blocker
01 Aug 2023
Hypertension (HT) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the global leading cause of death from non-communicable diseases.  Patients with CVD and comorbid HT have a poor prognosis owing to increased mortality rates. In recent decades, the prevalence of HT in developing countries has increased owing to economic development and an ageing population.  According to the 2019, Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Survey, the prevalence of HT in adults above 18 years of age was 30%, and this increased with age, rising to 81.7% among older adults above 75 years of age. Other established risk factors for HT include gender, body mass index, smoking and alcohol intake. The management of HT typically involves lifestyle modifications and pharmacological treatment with appropriate blood pressure (BP)-lowering medications. Third-generation vasodilating β-blockers are an example of antihypertensives that are increasingly prescribed in recent years.
Improve Surgical Outcomes For you and your patients.
31 Jul 2023
Dry Eye can be an annoying complication when planning surgery.  Dry Eye is commonly considered as part of the postoperative standard of care. However, Dry Eye commonly results in impaired ocular surfaces, which increases surgical difficulty and creates adverse effects on pre-operative planning for cataract surgery, including intraocular lens (IOL) calculations, Toric IOL Axis and magnitude estimates, keratometry, and topography measurements.
Topical NSAIDs in the Management of Osteoarthritis
Pain: A Consensus Approach by Malaysian Experts
01 Jul 2023
In an era marked by a growing prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA),healthcare professionals (HCPs) are called upon to employ effective and safe pain management strategies. Yet, despite their prominence as a first-line treatment approach in international guidelines, topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain underutilized in Malaysia. In an effort to bridge this gap, a group of esteemed orthopaedic surgeons and rheumatologists who are key opinion leaders and researchers in Malaysia recently developed eight consensus recommendations, shedding light on the burden of OA, safety and efficacy of topical NSAIDs, as well as importance of patient education. This article offers a succinct summary of this evidence-based consensus statement which stands poised to provide much-needed guidance on the use of topical NSAIDs in the management of OA pain for HCPs across Malaysia.
Conference Reports
Fatigue in COPD influenced by multiple contributing factors
Jairia Dela Cruz, 22 Sep 2023
Fatigue in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be caused by factors such as shortness of breath, sleep quality, pain, and fatigue-related catastrophizing, according to the FAntasTIGUE study.
Varenicline for smoking cessation in teens?
Stephen Padilla, 22 Sep 2023
A recent Mendelian randomization (MR) study provides genetic evidence showing that smoking can accelerate ageing as a result of shortened leucocyte telomere length (LTL). However, quitting may help reduce such risk.
OCT- vs angiography-guided PCI for bifurcation lesions: Which is better?
Audrey Abella, 22 Sep 2023
In percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for complex bifurcation lesions, optical coherence tomography (OCT) guidance outdid the angiography-guided approach, findings from the OCTOBER* trial have shown.
Benralizumab reduces asthma exacerbations in Asians
Elaine Soliven, 22 Sep 2023

Treatment with benralizumab significantly reduces the annual asthma exacerbation rate (AAER) among Asian patients with severe uncontrolled asthma compared with placebo, according to a subgroup analysis of the MIRACLE trial presented at ERS 2023.

One in eight adults experience long COVID
Jairia Dela Cruz, 21 Sep 2023
Inhaled chlorpheniramine maleate appears to reduce the risk of prolonged post-COVID symptoms, according to a study presented at ERS Congress 2023.
Cefoperazone-sulbactam superior to piperacillin-tazobactam for severe CAP
Stephen Padilla, 21 Sep 2023
Treatment with cefoperazone-sulbactam demonstrates similar efficacy to that of piperacillin-tazobactam in adult patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP), according to a study. However, after adjusting for disease severity, cefoperazone-sulbactam appears superior to piperacillin-tazobactam.
Healthy gut may be protective against atopic wheeze in kids
Audrey Abella, 21 Sep 2023
An analysis using data from the Barwon Infant Study (BIS) revealed that a more mature infant gut microbiota in late infancy may protect against the development of atopic wheeze in early childhood.