The Korea Herald

Depression on the rise in Korea

Sept 22, 2011

The number of people struggling with depression increases every year, with women and the elderly suffering the most, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service said Tuesday. According to its report to Rep. Joo Seung-yong of the Democratic Party, 1,485 per 100,000 females and 637 per 100,000
Five myths about oral contraceptives

Sept 22, 2011

World Contraception Day on Sept. 26 is designated to raise awareness of the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and birth.If you haven’t considered oral contraceptives as a means for birth control, it’s time to reconsider. According to experts, the use of oral contraceptives accounts for only 2 percent
Study: Dialysis 3 times weekly might not be enough

Sept 22, 2011

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A major study challenges the way diabetics and others with failing kidneys have been treated for half a century, finding that three-times-a-week dialysis to cleanse the blood of toxins may not be enough.Deaths, heart attacks and hospitalizations were much higher on the day a
Brain stroke on rise among aged population

Sept 21, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- The number of people suffering from cerebral infarction, a type of stroke caused by disturbance in blood vessels supplying blood to the brain, is rising among the aged population in South Korea, a report showed Wednesday.The number of cerebral infarction patients rose by
Korean to lead Ethiopian university

Sept 20, 2011

A retired professor of Seoul National University has been appointed president of Adama Science and Technology University in Ethiopia, making him the first South Korean university president in Africa. Lee Jang-gyu, 65, former professor of electrical engineering, is expected to begin his five-year ter
WHO issues chronic disease country scorecards

Sept 16, 2011

(AP) World Health Organization published a report Wednesday showing the prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular illness around the world, along with countries‘ abilities to cope with the growing number of people affected by them.The U.N. health agency said so-calle
Older pills often safer despite patient views

Sept 15, 2011

CHICAGO (AP) ― Many consumers mistakenly believe new prescription drugs are always safer than those with long track records, and that only extremely effective drugs without major side effects win government approval, according to a new study.A national survey of nearly 3,000 adults finds that about
Action urged as U.S. drafts Alzheimer’s plan

Sept 15, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) ― As her mother’s Alzheimer’s worsened over eight long years, so did Doreen Alfaro’s bills: The walker, then the wheelchair, then the hospital bed, then the diapers ― and the caregivers hired for more and more hours a day so Alfaro could go to work and her elderly father could get so
Hospitals upend old rules for breastfeeding

Sept 15, 2011

DETROIT ― Voletta Bonner knew the benefits of breast-feeding long before baby Riley came along.But after a rocky start for mom ― an emergency C-section and a fever ― nurses at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit persuaded her not to give up on the sometimes-difficult process of breast-fe
When your child has plagiocephaly

Sept 15, 2011

A young mother who seems to be around 30 years old visited my clinic with her six-month-old baby girl. Her chief complaint was that the head shape of her baby was slightly distorted. “She had right flattened occiput and frontal bossing on the same side, probably due to her sleep habit,” she said wit
Tylenol reports most side effects: report

Sept 15, 2011

Tylenol, one of the bestselling painkillers here, was the medicine with the highest number of reported side effects over the last five years.According to the Korea Food and Drug Administration’s report to Rep. Yang Seung-jo of the main opposition Democratic Party, Tylenol ER-Tab manufactured by John
Think twice before you take red ginseng

Sept 15, 2011

Consumers should be cautious of side effects and see doctor beforehandRed ginseng is a favorite dietary supplement for many Koreans. It is thought to be risk-free and effective in strengthening stamina with no serious side effects. Many believe that it is good for all people with any physical charac
Youth obesity on rise for third year: report

Sept 14, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- Obesity rates among children and adolescents have steadily risen in the last three years, a report showed Wednesday, posing growing public health challenges.According to the education ministry report, 14.3 percent of elementary, middle and high school students nationwide
Testosterone drop helps men do dad-duty: study

Sept 14, 2011

Men experience a drop in testosterone after the birth of their children, a phenomenon that may help them meet the challenges of caring for their offspring, said a study released on Monday.Testosterone is a hormone that fuels male sexuality, aggression and physical robustness, and is typically highes
University, POSTECH team up on stem cells

Sept 8, 2011

From as early as 2014, anti-cancer stem cell treatment will be available through a joint firm established by Pohang University of Technology and Science and Catholic University of Korea, the schools said Monday. According to the joint venture “PoCaStem,” the treatment “GX-051” involved injecting ade