Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is inherited as an X-linked recessive disorder which affects 1 in 3600 to 6000 live male births and is the most common childhood neuromuscular disorder. Most patients present with delayed motor milestones or proximal muscle weakness and are diagnosed at 5 years of age, when...

World Cancer Day falls annually on February 4th. An initiative by the Union for International Cancer Control, it is an event meant to focus governments and individuals on the need to ease the worldwide burden of cancer. This article is available only as a PDF. Please click on “Download PDF”...

Mental illnesses are not only a growing public health concern but also a major social and economic issue affecting individuals and families throughout the world. In 2007, Singapore rolled out its first National Mental Health Blueprint, and as we scale up the mental health services for the country, good...

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (henceforth referred to as diabetes) has increased significantly in the last decade and it is reaching epidemic levels worldwide due to ageing population, urbanisation, obesity and sedentary lifestyles. In Singapore, the National Health Survey 2004 revealed that 8.2% of the population aged 18 to...

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) rapidly became a significant cause of nosocomial infections in many modern hospitals worldwide following its emergence in 1986 in UK and France. Although of lower virulence compared to other common nosocomial pathogens, these hardy organisms can cause serious and life-threatening infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. In...