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Disease

Disease
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Disease. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A group of elderly people gather to swim. Research increasingly shows that dementia is anything but inevitable and that we have more control over the risks than once believed. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Why dementia is preventable – and the new tools that can reduce your risk

On World Alzheimer’s Day, a look at advances in dementia diagnosis and treatment, and why much of the risk may be within our own control.

Biomedicine: Industry Trends

Can targeted sound waves transform treatment for pancreatic and brain cancers?

Hong Kong society

39 pupils and staff fall ill after eating school lunches in Sha Tin

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Unvaccinated children, elderly face much higher risk of major flu complications

Hong Kong director of health cites data showing unvaccinated children and elderly are four to five times more vulnerable than vaccinated individuals.

A child wears a face mask outdoors on Friday amid Hong Kong’s summer flu season. Photo: Elson Li
United States

US declares end to lettuce parasite outbreak that killed 2

Nearly 13,000 people fell ill across 21 states in the nation’s largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak.

Wellness

I survived breast cancer. 12 years later, my body sent another warning

This Gynaecologic Cancer Awareness Month, US-based author and filmmaker Amy Wu shares her experience of dealing with cancer – twice.

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Science

US, China trials suggest a single nanodrug shot might stop bad cholesterol forever

Separate trials using CRISPR and base editing to silence lipid genes show drastic drops in LDL-C without daily medication.

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Two breakthrough clinical trials suggest that patients with high cholesterol may one day benefit from a one-and-done injection to keep bad cholesterol under control. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Wellness

Sugar’s link to dementia may begin earlier than we thought, new study finds

Hong Kong study finds links between lower sugar intake in utero and up to age two and reduced risk of dementia in older age. Experts explain.

Hong Kong workers/labour rights

Hong Kong open to classifying heatstroke as an occupational disease: labour chief

Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui also says revamped heat warning system would have triggered stronger alerts on two exceptionally hot days in August.

Wellness

Hunger replaced joy: Hong Kong woman’s 20-year eating disorder after dad’s death

Janet Leung lost more than two decades to severe food restriction. Now, at 46, she reflects on finding peace, therapy and the joys in recovery.

Janet Leung overcame a decades-long eating disorder, rooted in grief and body-image pressures, through therapy and self-discovery. Photo: Jonathan Wong
South Africa

Scientists probe if herpes virus is killing sardines off South Africa

Pilchard herpesvirus is a fish virus and poses no known risk to human health.

Dead sardines washed up at a beach in Cape Town, South Africa on August 16. Photo: Xinhua
Wellness

1 in 20 Hongkongers has hepatitis B, many unaware. What are the risks?

Hepatitis B is a viral liver infection that can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer. A vaccine exists, but many don’t know they are infected.

Germany

Two airport workers die of malaria from mosquito on plane in Germany

Six workers in total were infected with malaria tropica – the most dangerous form of the disease – at Frankfurt Airport.

Wellness

At 150kg, he was told he might not live to 30. How teacher lost 66kg and got fit

Hong Kong-based Paul Goodson suffered from sleep apnoea and binge eating disorder before a diet overhaul, running and Hyrox changed his life.

Paul Goodson in 2016 (left) when he weighed 150kg and in 2026 after he had lost more than 60kg by changing his eating habits and exercising regularly. Photos: Paul Goodson/Karma Lo
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong to offer free dental check-ups to preschoolers from September

More than 70 per cent of kindergartens join scheme bringing screenings and fluoride treatment to campuses.

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Conducting examinations in a familiar school environment will help ease young children’s anxieties, a dental consultant has said. Photo: Getty Images
Wellness

Sex and intimacy change when a partner has dementia. How to manage it

Dementia often alters relationships beyond the sufferer’s urges. Experts share tips on dealing with this part of the condition few discuss.

Malaysia

Dozens die as dengue surges in Malaysia while vaccine uptake stalls

With 55 dead, medical experts warn that high costs, rather than vaccine hesitancy, are keeping uptake low amid the outbreak.

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Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

CUHK researchers perform city’s first robot-assisted pelvic fracture surgery

Amid rising cases among Hong Kong’s ageing population, procedure promises to be safer, less intrusive method that reduces blood loss, researchers say.

The CUHK orthopaedic experts who developed the new, robot-assisted system: (from left) Clinical Associate Professor Ronald Wong, Professor Patrick Yung and Assistant Professor Chui Chun-sing. Photo: Elson Li
Science

Chinese stem cell therapy restores heart function in 90% of trial patients

Study finds patients injected with iPSC-derived heart muscle cells outperform control group on cardiac function tests after bypass surgery.

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Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Editorial | Hong Kong researchers join the vital race against Alzheimer’s

Breakthrough screening methods and trials of a groundbreaking surgical procedure offer fresh hope for early intervention.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong teen’s will to fight illness ‘incredibly low’ after near-death scares

17-year-old with incurable disease says bouts of influenza A and RSV triggered emotionally devastating breakdown and fears of dying young.

Chen Tsz-kin, who has been told people with his condition have an average life expectancy of 18, says he was recovering physically and had gained confidence after the latest health scare. Photo: Facebook
Trending in China

Chinese dad stirs debate by digging grave to help sick daughter understand death

National attention surrounding their situation leads to crowdfunding campaign, successfully raising funds for Xinlei.

In 2017, a father from Sichuan dug a grave for his daughter, Xinlei, who was battling thalassemia, as a way to help her confront the concept of death. His decision ignited controversy but significantly raised awareness about the disease. Photo: Sina
United States

WHO chief warns Trump’s vaccine policy overhaul is against ‘decades of evidence’

The WHO director general also refutes a view by vaccine sceptics linking autism with the measles, mumps, and rubella shot.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong urges parents not to delay childhood vaccinations as US limits jabs

All public health policies and medical recommendations must be based on scientific evidence, authorities say.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong rolls out online consent forms for children’s school flu jabs

Digital consent system will be introduced on the eHealth mobile application for the coming school year.

People are urged to get flu shots. Photo: Karma Lo
Donald Trump

Trump signs order to revamp childhood vaccines, against medical groups’ guidance

The order advocates separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different single-disease shots.

US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jnr (right) and US President Donald Trump with an executive order calling for more research and flexibility on vaccines, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Monday. Photo: AFP via Getty Images / TNS
Africa

Congo’s Ebola outbreak started months before it was declared, says WHO

Some cases early on were wrongly attributed to malaria and typhoid ‘so we are chasing the virus, it is ahead of us’.

Wellness

How well does your country support people with Alzheimer’s? New tool reveals

Alzheimer’s Disease International’s new AD Atlas highlights how countries diagnose, treat and support people with dementia.

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