08-Nov-16 The cost of sequencing a human genome has plummeted over the past 15 years USD1,000. In Singapore, the Centre for Big Data and Integrative Genomics, part of government agency A*STAR, is supporting the Platinum Genome Project to construct reference genomes for the Chinese, Malay and Indian populations in the country. [image: Pixabay]

25-Oct-16 Among patients diagnosed with diabetes, only 20-30 percent of East Asian patients have normal insulin secretion, lower than the 50 percent of Western patients. A Japanese retrospective study showed that while about 80 percent of Westerners with type 2 diabetes were obese, only 30-40 percent of Taiwanese were obese and the average age of onset was younger. [image: BBC]

07-Oct-16 The WHO continues to rank Vietnam among the countries with the highest rate of cancer fatalities. Patient numbers are forecast to reach 190,000 cases in 2020, compared to just 68,000 in 2000. Every year, around 115,000 people in Vietnam die of cancer, equal to 315 per day. Lung, liver, stomach, rectum and breast cancer were the biggest killers. [image: Vietnam Net]

15-Sep-16 Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men worldwide. The projection data shows that the number of cases will double by 2020. "With the increased migration of rural population to the urban areas, changing lifestyles, increased awareness, and easy access to medical facility, more cases of prostate cancer are being picked up [in India]," said Dr Kumar, head of Urology at Safdarjang Hospital. [image: The Indian Express]

10-Sep-16 Studies in Taiwan and China have shown reductions in incident myopia of 25-50% when children spend an additional 40-80 minutes outdoors. In Taiwan, two hours of outdoor activity has been added to school programs. “Evidence that children who spend more time outdoors... are less likely to be or become myopic has been presented,” said Nina Jacobsen MD. [image: Zeiss]