The foot carries the load of the whole body. It is said that the feet carry a total load of 15 tons when you walk 1 km. A 60 year old person would have walked approximately 160,000 km in their lifetime, which is four times longer than the circumference of the Earth. The feet are therefore very important, but are under constant stress.Heel pain is a very common symptom. It is more common in people whose occupations involve a lot of walking, dancing, tennis, basketball and other activities that pu

The number of pneumonia patients has increased 9 percent in the last four years, according to the country’s Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The lung disease was the fifth most common cause of death for South Koreans in their 70s, and the fourth-biggest cause of death among those in their 80s.“The statistics show that more elderly people should be informed about the disease as well as the preventive measures to take,” said the agency in a statement.Last year, some 1.48 million pne

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Nearly everyone aged 66 to 75 should consider taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins to reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke, new guidelines said.A total of 97 percent of people in the age group, and 100 percent of men, should be on the medication even if their cholesterol levels are normal, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a journal of the American Medical Association.The research is based on controversial recommendations made late l

Cerebrovascular disease and stroke (the most well-known type of cerebrovascular disease) is one of the main causes of death in Korea. Its incidence increases with sudden cold weather and in the winter. The incidence of stroke is increasing in Korea, whereas that of Western countries and Japan is decreasing significantly. The reason for this is that Koreans have many risk factors for stroke that are often left unaddressed.Risk factors To decrease the risk of stroke, prevention is more important t

Scientists have discovered gene mutations that give people naturally lower cholesterol levels and cut their risk of heart disease in half.That discovery may have a big implication: A blockbuster drug that mimics these mutations has long been sold without evidence that it cuts the chance of heart disease. Results of a large study that looked for that evidence will be revealed on Monday.The drug is Merck & Co.’s Zetia, also sold in combination with another medicine as Vytorin.When Zetia was design

Mr. A, who lives in my neighborhood, is known to be extremely punctual. He’s even more punctual than the German philosopher, Kant was. The security guards in the apartment complex tell the time of the day by seeing Mr. A come to and from work. He is always extremely neat in his appearance. His hair is oiled, shiny and perfectly parted. He often checks the mirror to make sure that his tie is perfectly straight. He carries a small pocket mirror and comb. His office is extremely clean and neat, to

VILLEPINTE, France (AFP) ― Once firmly entrenched in their traditional gastronomy, consumers in gourmet havens like France and Italy are slowly starting to demand gluten-, dairy- and meat-free diets as environmental and health concerns kick in.No-allergen pasta, vegan croissants, meatless hamburgers ― “free-from” food is one of the leading trends at this week’s SIAL international food fair outside Paris, where companies say Europeans are starting to care as much about what is left out of their f

One in four South Korean male children aged 5 to 17 are obese, a rate that is higher than the OECD average, according to the nation’s Health Ministry.According to the ministry, 25 percent of young male Koreans are obese, compared to the OECD average of 23 percent.The ministry announced the statistics using Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development data from no earlier than 2010. “Some 60 percent of obese children end up becoming obese as adults as well,” said the Health Ministry in a

Dr. Seo Hyo-seok shares his vision of the future of Korean traditional medicine

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system due to the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra of the brain. While tremor at rest, bradykinesia, muscle stiffness and postural reflex impairment are the four most common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, the disease commonly causes various other symptoms. Parkinson’s disease is primarily diagnosed from the medical history and symptoms of the patient. Not everyone with certain suspected symptoms of

NEW YORK (AFP) ― A 4-year-old boy in the northeastern U.S. state of New Jersey died suddenly and without warning as a result of the outbreak of a respiratory virus, enterovirus D68, officials said.Eli Waller, who lived in Hamilton Township, died on Sept. 25 but his cause of death was only diagnosed at the weekend.The youngest of triplets, he didn’t go to school during the day and went to bed with red eyes. He never woke up.“I think Eli’s case is an exception to the other cases in the country,” J