As 15 September 2009 was World Lymphoma Awareness Day, it is perhaps timely to review the subject of malignant lymphoma. There is an increasing incidence of malignant lymphomas worldwide. Correspondingly our nationwide Singapore Cancer Registry demonstrates a substantial increase in the incidence of malignant lymphomas.1 The male and female...

Malaria used to be endemic in Singapore. In the early 1900s, almost 3000 malaria-related deaths were reported annually. Malaria control started in 1911 with the construction of a comprehensive drainage system. Together with an anti-larval oiling programme, malaria was rapidly put under control. Unfortunately, these measures broke down during...

Essential hypertension is a chronic disease involving the primary elevation of systemic blood pressure (BP). While the main causes of essential hypertension has not been identified, this disease is currently attributed to a host of genetic and environmental factors.1 Worldwide, hypertension is increasingly prevalent in both developed and developing...

Singapore’s population is ageing rapidly. As of the year 2000, 7.2% of Singapore’s population was aged 65 and above, while 10.6% was aged 60 years and above.1 In the next 2 decades, the number of the elderly is expected to increase by more than 3 times the present level...

Basic military training (BMT) is seen as a vital initiation phase into military service when new recruits are conditioned to the rigours of military training in terms of physical and combat fitness. This training period assumes a great significance in Singapore where all able-bodied males between the ages of...