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Dr K Parameshwaran, organising chairman of the 4th International Malaysia Spine Society (MSS) Scientific Congress which opened here today, attributed unnatural and bad postures while reading or holding up an apparatus as the main reason for the problem.

“There have been increasing computer-related medical conditions related to the spine, especially in the neck and the back,” he said at a press conference following the launch of the three-day event at G Hotel here.

“This is because of prolonged hours at the computer,” he added. “Children, especially, are spending very long periods of time in bad posture.”

Parameshwaran said it was important to raise awareness about this phenomenon, and advised that prevention was crucial.

“Prevention is still the best treatment,” he said.

He said the seriousness of the problem was highlighted from the personal observations of various spine surgeons, especially over the last five years.

MSS president Dr KS Sivananthan said spine specialists have come up with studies on postures and positions that are least problematic when using phones or computers.

He said most spine patients suffered due to work or sport-related causes, or because of degenerative age-related conditions.

He said there were currently about 120 spine surgeons in Malaysia and added that the medical tourism industry in the country stood to benefit further as local surgeons were reasonably advanced.

“The price of surgery in Malaysia is about a third or a quarter of what it would cost in developed countries,” he stressed.

“Also our spine surgeons are well trained. We also send them overseas for further training.

“So I can assure you that the standard of spine treatment in this country is quite advanced and comparable to any (developed) countries,” Sivananthan said.

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These extra years came in large measure thanks to a sharp drop in deaths from communicable diseases, especially over the last decade, said the Global Burden of Disease report, published in The Lancet.

Despite population increases, combined mortality from HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis — both major killers — fell by more than a quarter, from 3.1 million in 2005 to 2.3 million in 2015.

Over this period, annual deaths due to diarrhoeal diseases decreased by 20 percent.

And malaria mortality plummeted by more than a third, from 1.2 million in 2005 to 730,000 last year.

During that decade, life expectancy went up in 188 of 195 countries and territories.

At the same time, however, non-communicable diseases of all kinds — ranging from cancers to heart disease and stroke — claimed more lives, with the death toll rising from 35 million in 2005 to 39 million in 2015.

“As we live longer, the burden of non-communicable diseases is rising — along with the attendant costs of treatment,” Kevin Watkins, head of Save the Children UK, noted in a comment, also in The Lancet.

Many of the diseases on the rise are associated with ageing: cancers, coronary artery disease, cirrhosis of the liver and Alzheimer’s, among others.

The paradox is that even as lifespans grow, more people are spending more time in ill health of living with disabilities, the 100-page study found.

Centralising the expertise of nearly 1,900 experts, the report — coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle — comes at the juncture between two major UN health initiatives.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), set in 2000, set hard targets for reducing child and maternal mortality, and combatting key communicable diseases, by 2015.

A 15-year clock on a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — several of them health related — began running last year.

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Pick the right dessert

Diabetics don’t need to have to skip dessert, but they should definitely make wise food choices. Pick products that have a naturally low glycemic index to prevent spikes in blood sugar. Top fruits on that front are red berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries), apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit, peaches and nectarines. Note that cinnamon can help lower blood sugar levels. It can be used to sweeten coffee or tea or sprinkled on yogurt or fromage frais.

Certain bakeries make cakes and cookies specifically for diabetics. These sweet treats typically contain half the amount of sugar, notably by using natural sugar substitutes. Still, they should only be eaten occasionally and always as part of a meal in order to limit the hyperglycemic effect.

Get cooking

Most diabetics know that they should avoid pre-prepared supermarket dishes and ready meals, which are often too high in fat and salt, and can be lacking in vitamins and minerals. Cooking from scratch with quality produce remains the best option. When it comes to grains, oats and barley are allowed. These cereals’ fibers are interesting for diabetics as they slow down the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine and therefore help control blood sugar levels and insulin requirements.

Walk for 10 minutes after meals

Walking for 10 minutes right after eating could be more effective for controlling blood sugar than walking at another time of day, particularly after an evening meal, when blood sugar can drop by 22%, according to research from New Zealand. Current recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend at least the equivalent of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day, five times a week.

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Carried out by researchers from Kent State University, the team set out to examine if the physically interactive smartphone game could increase activity levels and decrease sedentary behavior, such as sitting at work all day or too much time spent in front of the television.

High levels of sedentary behavior have already been shown in a variety of previous studies to have a negative effective on health.

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With 75% of millennials reporting acute pain (sudden pain which lasts less than three months) and nearly 60% reporting chronic pain (which lasts longer than three months), it is even more important that this group learns to manage their pain safely and effectively.

Following the results of the survey, and to help all generations including millennials manage their pain safely and effectively, ASA offer the following five tips.

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The review looked at common types of sitting meditation including Samatha; Vipassana (Insight Meditation); Mindful Meditation; Zen Meditation (Zazen); Raja Yoga; Loving-Kindness (Metta); Transcendental Meditation; and Relaxation Response.

The researchers chose to exclude studies on mind-body practices such as yoga and Tai Chi however, as the physical activity included in these practices already has an established positive impact on heart disease risk.

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High blood pressure is the main risk factor for stroke. Sticking to the recommended 5g of salt per day would involve spreading the intake as follows, for example: a serving of bread (1.5g to 2g of salt), a portion of cheese (1g), lunch (1g), dinner (1g). Avoiding eating too many products that contain salt — like ready meals, sauces, soups, cured meats — can already help reduce intake to 6/8 g per day. For example, if your meal includes a slice of ham, bacon or cured sausage, try switching cheese for yogurt or cream cheese.

Quit smoking

Smoking doubles the risk of stroke. To quit for good, specialist medical help — including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and hypnosis — as well as support from family and friends will maximize the chances of success. Yoga, exercise and relaxation are recommended to deal with the mood-related side effects (irritability, depression) that often arise around three weeks after quitting.

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At the other end of the scale of the OECD countries is Latvia, with a much lower life expectancy of 74.6 and Mexico on 75 years.

However, while some factors like a decline in smoking rates and higher health spending have helped achieve these figures “there has been little success in tackling obesity and harmful alcohol use, and air pollution is often neglected,” the report warned.

If the rates of smoking and consumption were halved, life expectancies would rise by a further 13 months, the research found.

A main driver of the higher life expectancies has been steadily increased spending on health care, the OECD said, while pointing out that the growth has slowed since the financial crisis a decade ago.

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Diverticulitis is an inflammation of small pouches in the walls of the colon, and it has become one of the most common reasons for gastrointestinal hospital admission in the United States, costing an estimated $2 billion (RM8.2 billion) each year, researchers write in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

“Diverticulitis is actually a very common disorder and it’s really become apparent that we need to think of ways to prevent diverticulitis given that it affects so many people,” said the study’s senior author Dr Andrew Chan, a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

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As more and more research focuses on how our lifestyle can affect our risk of developing cancer, here we round up some of the latest findings which suggest small everyday changes we can make to help reduce our risk and improve health overall.

Although experts are not calling for anyone to take up drinking coffee to prevent diseases such as cancer, many recent studies have concluded that if you already love a morning cup of java then carry on with your daily habit, linking moderate coffee consumption to a lower risk of several cancers, including prostate, endometrial, skin and liver cancer. Most studies suggest that one to three cups a day brings health benefits, however many researchers caution against drinking more as excess caffeine consumption may bring health effects, and also advise limiting coffee intake while pregnant.

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