The Korea Herald

Asians with Type 2 diabetes at higher risk of cancer

Mar 23, 2017

Type 2 diabetes is closely associated with cancer among Asians, with those suffering from the disease more likely to die from malignant cell growth, a study showed Thursday.People with diabetes, which is linked to certain lifestyle habits such as diet, were 26 percent more likely to die from any form of cancer, according to the study by Yoo Geun-young from Seoul National University College of Medicine. (Yonhap)"It was confirmed that Type 2 diabetes is one of the cancer risk factors for the Asian
TB infection rate remains high in 2016

Mar 23, 2017

The number of South Koreans who were newly diagnosed with tuberculosis last year inched down, but its infection rate remained high compared with other advanced countries, a government report showed Thursday.According to the report by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 30,892 people were newly diagnosed with TB in 2016, slightly down from the previous year's 32,181.The 2016 figure means that 60.4 out of every 100,000 South Korea
Korea confirms 19th Zika virus infection

Mar 23, 2017

South Korea has confirmed another case of the Zika virus infection, raising the number of people infected with the virus here to 19, health authorities said Thursday.A 55-year-old Korean man was confirmed to have been infected with the mosquito-borne virus after visiting Bolivia, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Yonhap)He is presumed to have been bitten by a mosquito during his stay in the South American nation earlier this month, the authorities said.The man,
Chang Sung-goo appointed chairman of KAMS

Mar 22, 2017

Professor Chang Sung-gooChang Sung-goo, a professor of Urology at Kyung Hee University, was elected as the next chairman of the Korean Academy of Medical Science.The KAMS appointed professor Chang on Tuesday afternoon during a council meeting held at the Millennium Hilton Hotel in Seoul.Chang, 65, is set to get a formal confirmation from the General Assembly to be held next Tuesday. When approved, he will officially take office in March 2018 and serve a three-year term. Chang, currently the vice
Obesity sharply raises risk for kidney disease

Mar 9, 2017

Obesity sharply increases the risk of developing chronic kidney failure, a report said Thursday, urging obese people to undergo regular testing to prevent the disease.In the report released to mark World Kidney Day, the Korean Society of Nephrology said chronic kidney disease has been found to be 3.8 times more likely to develop in super obese people with a body mass index of 35 or higher. (Yonhap)The prevalence of kidney disease for super obese people stands at 25.2 percent, compared to the cor
Runners’ high in metropolis

Feb 21, 2017

Sports brands offer exercise areas, programs and equipment for busy Seoulites
Scientists develop anti-aging stem cell technology

Dec 9, 2016

A group of South Korean scientists has developed a stem cell technique that slows down aging, the state-run science laboratory said Friday, a discovery that could help find treatments for age-related diseases.The team led by Choi In-pyo of the National Research Council of Science and Technology discovered the technology that could slow down proteins that are related to aging."Aging is a natural process in living organisms throughout their lifetime, and most elderly people suffer from age-related
Latest study links level of education to high blood pressure

Nov 29, 2016

The level of received school education matters most when it comes to reducing the risk of high blood pressure, a medical study suggested Tuesday, breaking the conventional notion that illnesses are closely tied to income.A research team led by Lee Hae-young of Seoul National University Hospital looked into health conditions of 7,089 people from 2001-2007 to find correlations between hypertension and the level of education and income.The study discovered that the number of patients with high bloo
Korea has 2.2 doctors per 1,000 people: data

Oct 14, 2016

South Korea had 2.2 doctors per every 1,000 people in 2014, the lowest among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, data showed Friday.According to the OECD data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the National Assembly, South Korea scored the lowest in physician density, along with Mexico, among 28 member states in 2014, far below the OECD average of 3.3. The data included licensed physicians practicing oriental medicine.Austria ranked top with 5.1
Koreans with insomnia on the rise: data

Sept 27, 2016

The number of South Koreans with sleeping disorders has been increasing over the past few years, data showed Tuesday, urging the government to come up with campaigns on the proper use of related treatment drugs.According to the data compiled by Rep. In Jae-keun of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, the number of South Koreans diagnosed with insomnia came to 456,000 in 2015, up 40 percent from 325,000 tallied in 2011.The amount of related medical expenses also reached 50.2 billion won ($4
Medical expenses for diabetes treatment top 8 tln won in 2011-2015

Sept 21, 2016

Nearly 8 trillion won ($7.15 billion) was used in medical expenses for more than 11 million diabetes patients in the past five years, a lawmaker said Wednesday.A total of 11.79 million people received medical treatment for diabetes and diabetic complications with the costs amounting to 7.89 trillion won in the 2011-2015 period, In Jae-keun of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea said, citing data of the National Health Insurance Service submitted to the National Assembly.The number of diabe
Korea, US, Japan agree to bolster cancer research

Sept 20, 2016

South Korea, the United States and Japan have agreed to cooperate to effectively treat and eventually eradicate cancer, the leading cause of death in the three countries, Seoul's health ministry said Tuesday.The agreement was made at a meeting of health ministers of the three countries, which was presided over by US Vice President Joe Biden in New York on Monday (local time), the Ministry of Health and Welfare said in a press release."The three countries agreed to construct an international cons
Exercise may offset health risks of drinking: study

Sept 8, 2016

PARIS (AFP) -- Heavy drinkers who exercise are less likely to die from alcohol-related diseases than those who don't, a study suggested Thursday, although its authors were cautious about the implications of their data.Researchers used British population data between 1994 and 2006, comparing health outcomes with self-reported alcohol intake and exercise levels of more than 36,000 people.Alcohol use categories ranged from “never drunk” to “harmful,” while exercise included everything from light ga
Gov't to strengthen monitoring of hepatitis C

Sept 6, 2016

The health ministry rolled out a set of measures Tuesday to further prevent and monitor hepatitis C following the recent mass infection of the virus here.The Ministry of Welfare and Health said it will examine all hepatitis cases instead of selected samples, as the early diagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection is crucial to preventing a mass infection.Currently, an epidemiological inspection by health authorities is being conducted only when hospitals or medical facilities across the country vo
Korea confirms 11th Zika virus infection

Aug 28, 2016

South Korea has confirmed an additional case of Zika infection, raising the number of people infected with the virus here to 11, local health authorities said Saturday. The 64-year-old man came back from a recent trip to Vietnam on Aug. 20 and was confirmed to have been infected with the mosquito-borne virus, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.He remains in stable condition and is currently receiving an additional test at a hospital, KCDC officials said. The latest