One Day MD Guide

When scans last year showed significant damage to his knee cartilage, Mr Johnny Lam started looking for solutions. For years, the 58-year-old had endured pain and swelling in both knees but this condition had become unbearable, making it excruciating to walk and affecting his active lifestyle. Cartilage acts as a shock-absorbing cushion between bones at the joints. When the cartilage is damaged, bones can rub against each other, resulting in pain and inflammation. Recalling his consultation with a doctor at Sengkang General Hospital, Mr Lam said he was told that his only option was a total replacement of both knees. However, with replacements typically lasting 15 to 20 years, and given his relatively young age, the doctor advised him to do it later to avoid having to get a possible second replacement. “I couldn’t accept that and didn’t want to just wait for the surgery because it was already very painful to the point where it hurt even to walk or stand,” he told CNA. “I was worried tha...

What are Natural Killer Cells? Natural killer (NK) cells, a specific type of white blood cell, are an important component of your innate immune system. Your immune system consists of two different branches — cell-mediated immunity (innate) and humoral immunity (adaptive). When you contract a viral disease, the pathogen enters your body and infects your cells. The subsequent disease process involves your cell-mediated immune response, which activates your NK cells, along with chemicals that attract them to the site of infection, where the white blood cells basically chew up and spit out the infected cells. This process clears the virus and rejuvenates the gel-like water inside your cells. During recovery, your humoral immune system kicks in and starts generating antibodies against the virus to help prevent the same kind of disease process and symptoms from occurring again, should you be exposed to the same virus later on. As long as your cell-mediated immune system i...

Globally, stem cell therapy is being touted as a miracle cure for everything from wrinkles to spinal repair. However, there is also a lot of misinformation out there. Even among medical groups, the recommendations are conflicting, lacking in depth and out-dated. There are also stem cell clinics that are offering bogus and hazardous stem cell products, preying on the sick and the elderly.  As of January 2025, PubMed has indexed more than 450 research studies on  stem cell and knee osteoarthritis  and more than 100 studies have been launched to investigate the benefits of stem cell therapy on knee osteoarthritis alone. You can review the status of these trials on  clinicaltrials.gov . Most consumers are interested in stem cell treatment for knee pain as a non-surgical option as opposed to knee replacement surgery. Some doctors and media channels argue that there is very little evidence to support the use of stem cells to treat orthopaedic conditions.  There are...

If you are looking for a guide on stem cell therapy for autism in Malaysia, you've come to the right place. We've tried to strike a balance between making this article consumer friendly but with enough depth for you to understand and provide enough clarity to make an informed decision. Please read on. What is Autism? Autism is not a single disorder, but a spectrum of closely related disorders with a shared core of symptoms. Every individual on the autism spectrum has problems to some degree with social interaction, empathy, communication, and flexible behavior.  There is understandably a great deal of confusion about the names of various autism-related disorders. Some professionals speak of “the autisms” to avoid addressing the sometimes subtle differences among the conditions along the autism spectrum. Up to 2013, there were five different “autism spectrum disorders.” The American Psychiatric Association attempted to simplify matters by combining the pervasive developmental di...

In recent years, stem cell therapy has gained popularity as a promising alternative treatment option for diabetes mellitus. However, there is also a lot of confusion due to the overwhelming mixing of credible scientific information and marketing hypes available on the internet. There are more than 5,000 studies that have been published on PubMed.gov  on stem cell therapy and diabetes mellitus. More than 200 studies have been launched to investigate the benefits of stem cell therapy and diabetes mellitus. You can review the status of these trials on  clinicaltrials.gov . There are various stem cell products in the Malaysian market. However, not all of the products contain 'live' stem cells. For stem cells to stay alive, it must be stored in a 'liquid nitrogen storage'. For live stem cells to reach the target organ, it needs to be administered intra-venously or intra-muscularly. Stem cells that are taken by the oral route will be digested and broken down in the stomac...

Kidneys play a crucial role in maintaining overall health by filtering waste products and excess fluids from the blood to produce urine. Additionally, they help regulate blood pressure, electrolyte balance, and red blood cell production. To keep the kidneys functioning optimally, it's important to adopt healthy habits and avoid practices that can harm them. How to Improve Kidney Function Stay Hydrated A randomized controlled trial (water intake trial) investigating the effect of increased water intake on kidney function in adults with chronic kidney disease. The trial aims to estimate the impact of increased water intake over one year on indicators such as eGFR, plasma copeptin, microalbuminuria, and quality of life. The significant separation between groups in 24-hour urine volume suggests that increased water intake may improve kidney function, supporting the potential benefit of increasing water intake to improve kidney health. Healthy Diet A healthy dietary pattern, including ...