Our cover story explains why, when a patient has a heart attack, surgeons say “time is muscle”. It’s because the sooner a patient gets lifesaving surgery, the better his chances of survival or reducing further damage to his heart. The National Heart Centre Singapore has been steadily shaving off this time especially in its night cases – the time, according to statistics, when most heart attacks occur.

Also, find out how a lung transplant is the last option for patients with end-stage lung disease but there is a low consent rate for donor lungs.

In other articles, read about a new technique to grow stem cells for transplant, which is good news for blood cancer patients who can’t find a match; how to breathe to reduce some forms of acid reflux and belching problems; and the differences between inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome (one can raise the chances of getting colon cancer).

Download Singapore Health Issue 54 (Nov/Dec 2018) (large file size)