THINKING of getting buff by applying the quick and dirty route with the help of anabolic steroids? Think again.

Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur visiting consultant urologist Dr Poongkodi Nagappan expained that steroids are drugs that need to be used carefully because they

HC is a major public health problem and is an important cause of preventable death and morbidity from chronic liver disease.

An increasing number of people are likely to die from HCV-related liver cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer over the next two decades.

Prince Court Medical Centre Hepatologist consultant and Malaysian Liver Foundation president Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican explained that there is an urgent need to screen patients who have received blood transfusions, tissue and organ transplantation before have a lot of side effects.

“ Virtually, everyone that abuses anabolic steroids for physique or performance enhancing purposes would notice some form of adverse side effects.”

“ Among them is that it makes a person to be immunosuppressed – predisposed to getting infections

the introduction of routine blood screening, those with HIV infection, on haemodialysis, intravenous drug users, health care workers and current sexual partners of HCV- infected persons as they may be at risk.

In Malaysia the common genotypes are genotype 3 and I, based on tests conducted at the NATAaccredited Molecular Research Laboratory( MRL) of the Malaysian Liver Foundation( MLF).

“ HCV genotyping should be done in all HCV-infected persons prior

and causes infertility as steroids can cause the sperm count to be low.

Hope for patients suffering from Chronic Hepatitis C( CHC)

Globally

Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican

HEPATITIS C VIRUS GENOTYPES

Genotype 1 USA, Europe and Japan

Genotype 3 India, the Far East and Australia

Genotype 4 Africa and the Middle East

Genotype 5 South Africa

Genotype 6 Hong Kong, Vietnam and Australia

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to treatment to establish the dose and duration of therapy and estimate the likelihood of response to treatment.

The goal of treatment is to eradicate HCV by achieving a sustained viral response( SVR), defined as the absence of HCV RNA by polymerase chain reaction six months after stopping treatment. SVR is associated with a 99 per cent chance of being HCV RNA negative during long term follow-up and patients who achieve SVR can therefore be considered cured of HVC infection.

Of these,

IS circumcision good to be done in general? Circumcision is controversial with benefits and risk.

According to Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur visiting consultant urologist Dr Poongkodi Nagappan, there are different practices across the world.

In terms of medical indication, in the United States it is an insurance based system.

“ The guidelines that comes under the insurance based system is that they should offer circumcision as it is seen as useful. Under the guidelines, circumcision should be offered in a neo-natal period because there are benefits which include preventing penile cancer, HIV infection and urinary tract infection.”

“ In the United Kingdom, it is public healthcare where the government pays for medical benefits. Here, they say that there are only two reasons to do circumcision – phimosis or recurrent balanoposthitis. Meanwhile, reasons given by the United States are to prevent penile cancer, HIV infection and urinary tract infection which don’ t count.”

“ So, there is a big difference. If we were to talk about circumcision as doctors, when we really look at it carefully, penile cancer and HIV only happens in places where this diseases are endemic like Africa. In Malaysia, it is rare.”

“ So, when people should say that they want to prevent penile cancer and want to do circumcision, the incidence as in Malaysia itself is so low, and HIV is rare where not everyone has HIV, so it’ s like the number of patients need to be treated is like a 100 people with circumcision to prevent one HIV or penile cancer,” she explained.

She said that in Malaysia, patients apart from those who come in for ritual circumcision, can do so if they are symptomatic of having balanoposthitis, but if they do not have these symptoms – then it doesn’ t make a difference.

MEN who are overweight or obese may face a greater risk of infertility.

Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur visiting consultant urologist Dr Poongkodi Nagappan pointed out that overweight and obesity is a factor for men to have low sperm counts.

“ Known as oligospermia or the deficiency of sperm cells in the semen is what makes it more difficult for men to conceive. This is why physicians would normally ask patients who are on the larger side to lose weight,” she said.

IF you’ re a guy searching for pointers on men’ s beauty tips, you’ re not alone. Here are five essential tips to get you by. Get rid of dry hair: Shampooing every day or using a hair dryer too frequently could cause dry hair that’ s frizzed out. Stop hair loss: Research shows that a combination of minoxidil and Propecia are effective against male pattern baldness. Never use soaps on your face: Most are too harsh and will strip oils and collagen from the dermal layer. Use a gentle face cleanser instead. Teeth: If your teeth look crooked or have large gaps, they can reduce your appearance in a major way. Fix em!

Be mindful of posture. Over the course of time, slouching can cause your bone structure to give you an“ old man” look.