The Human Body

A Guide to Healthy Living
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The human body is made up of 37 trillion cells or so, in four main types of tissue. They're found in 78 organs, including the vital heart, brain, kidneys, liver, and lungs, and nearly a dozen systems – from the circulatory to the digestive, immune, muscular and skeletal. Learn how the body’s parts work, what could go wrong, and how best to keep them healthy for a lifetime.

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News
Health & Wellness
Research suggests that organ transplant recipients may undergo personality and other changes that reflect the experiences of their organ donors. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Do organ transplants change personalities? Study suggests they can
A new study finds recipients of donated organs report personality and other changes, including ‘new’ memories, which may reflect the experiences of their organ donors.
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A patient arrives at Massachusetts General Hospital. Doctors at the hospital say they have transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a 62-year-old patient. Photo: AP
United States & Canada
US surgeons transplant pig kidney to live patient in world first
The pig kidney had been genetically edited to remove harmful pig genes and add certain human genes, before being transplanted into the patient.
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Moisture build-up on the ceiling in the entrance to a block of flats in Tsing Yi. Photo: Handout
Society
Explainer|How do Hongkongers cope when the humidity climbs?
Advice on how to deal with the climate as humidity levels hit 100 per cent and moisture accumulates.
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A data release from UK Databank gave a Chinese research team an “unprecedented opportunity” to study blood proteins associated with the development of dementia, according to a new paper. Photo: Shutterstock
Science
Chinese team uses data and AI to help predict dementia 15 years before onset
Team finds ‘important plasma biomarkers for future dementia prediction’ with their data-driven strategy, according to paper in Nature Ageing journal.
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Micro pigs walk around a pig cafe in Tokyo. Photo: AP
East Asia
In Japan, scientists breed first pigs for human organ transplant
The move comes as Japan struggles with organ donor shortages, with just 3 per cent of those registered for a transplant receiving them.
Sound bathing, which often employs singing bowls found in traditional Tibetan ceremonies, is the latest wellness trend, said to induce positive effects in body and mind. Photos: Handout
Wellness
What’s all the noise about sound bathing, and does it work?
Gwyneth Paltrow is just one fan of this increasingly popular approach to therapy for mind and soul that uses gongs, singing bowls, chimes and other instruments to create a restorative environment
Bottled water is up to a hundred times worse than previously thought when it comes to the number of tiny plastic bits it contains. Photo: Shutterstock
United States & Canada
Bottled water contains more plastic particles than previously thought
A typical one-litre bottle of water contains some 240,000 plastic fragments on average, according to a new study.
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Chris Hemsworth in a still from “Limitless”. Photo: Disney+
Health & Wellness
Chris Hemsworth’s fasting, 10 diet secrets: 7 top wellness stories of 2023
We take a look back at the top health and wellness stories of 2023, from the 10 diet secrets of people living the longest and healthiest to how actor Chris Hemsworth fasted for a Disney+ series.
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Invasive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) uses a small device that is surgically implanted in the chest cavity near the collarbone to send electrical pulses to the vagus nerve which transmits those pulses to the brain. Illustration: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|The vagus nerve: how body’s ‘superhighway’ can control stress, inflammation
The vagus nerve is a complex system that regulates vital bodily functions. Electrical stimulation of the nerve can treat conditions from depression to epilepsy and migraines.
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Surgeons prepare for a pig heart transplant into patient Lawrence Faucette in Baltimore, Maryland, in September. Photo: University of Maryland School of Medicine via AP
United States & Canada
US surgeons perform world’s 2nd pig heart transplant in bid to save dying man
Navy veteran Lawrence Faucette was facing near-certain death from heart failure but other health problems meant he wasn’t eligible for a traditional transplant.
Why do we dream? It’s to make our understanding of the world we inhabit less simplistic and more expansive, according to neuroscientist Erik Hoel’s Overfitted Brain Hypothesis. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Why do we dream? Expert’s new theory suggests it’s to counter everyday life
Inspired by machine learning, neuroscientist Erik Hoel has a new theory as to why we dream: to make our understanding of the world more expansive and to counter the routine of everyday life.
The latest experimental procedure is part of a growing field of research aimed at advancing cross-species transplants. File photo: AP
United States & Canada
Pig kidney transplanted into human body works for record 2 months
US surgeons who transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a brain-dead patient announced they had ended their experiment after a record-breaking 61 days.
Actively sniffing out scents in nature can help bolster your sense of smell. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
How improving your sense of smell can improve your memory and thinking
Our sense of smell is deeply entwined with our memory, and recent research shows it is possible to improve memory and thought by improving our sense of smell through exercises for the nose.
Few men recognise the link between cardiovascular health and impotence: about a third of men with erectile dysfunction, or ED, will also have heart disease. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|Can’t maintain an erection? Why experts say a heart attack could be next
Erectile dysfunction, or ED, could be a sign your heart health is not good, and can precede the onset of a significant cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack, by three to five years.
The pelvic floor is a muscle group that supports the bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs. Problems with them can affect men and women of any age, but there are solutions. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|Do you wet yourself uncontrollably? It’s likely a pelvic floor muscle issue
What is the pelvic floor, and what are the pelvic muscles good for? Experts explain their vital functions, how to fix a weak pelvic floor and why no woman, or man, need suffer in silence if these muscles aren’t working.
Problems with your feet could be a sign there is something wrong with your heart. Experts describe what to look out for, and how to maintain good heart health. Photo: Getty Images
Health & Wellness
Explainer|Cold toes, swollen ankles? Your feet could be warning you about your heart
Listen to your feet – they could be telling you there is something wrong with your heart. Experts describe the symptoms that may signal problems with your cardiovascular system.
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Soap and water doesn’t cut it for an intimate wellness routine, but building one involves understanding your own anatomy first. Photo: Osea V Cleanse
Wellness
Intimate wellness 101: how to care for your vagina and vulva properly
Your vagina needs healthy bacteria, so your job is to keep them that way by educating yourself and choosing products to avoid harsh chemicals, for a start
A team of surgeons transplants a pig kidney into a brain-dead human patient in New York in July. Photo: NYU Langone Health via AFP
United States & Canada
Pig kidney works in brain-dead man’s body for over a month
This marks the longest a pig kidney has functioned in a person, albeit a deceased one, with researchers set to track its performance for a second month.
Researchers monitor an experiment with Andi, a robot developed by Arizona State University in the US, during a record heat wave in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 20. The robot is helping scientists understand how humans can protect themselves against extreme heat caused by climate change. Photo: AFP
Health & Wellness
How to protect ourselves against extreme heat? The US$500,000 robot helping
‘Andi’ – a humanoid robot developed at Arizona State University in the US – is helping scientists understand how humans can protect themselves in extreme heat caused by climate change.
Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
No more dialysis or wait for donor organs? Huge kidney disease breakthrough
Synthetic kidney transplants could begin within 10 years thanks to a Hollywood lawyer who couldn’t get answers after suffering renal failure, and funded research that in 2022 led to a big breakthrough.
Swollen lymph nodes are a common sign of problems with the lymphatic system. Experts explain about the body’s “drainage system” and how to keep it working properly. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|The lymphatic system: how it works, risks, and how to keep yours healthy
Swollen lymph nodes are a common sign of problems with the lymphatic system. Experts reveal all about the body’s ‘drainage system’ and how to keep it working properly.
A mother breastfeeding her newborn child. Human milk plays a vital role in sustaining our species, but scientists know little about it. A university in the US plans to change that with a new institution studying human milk. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
We know next to nothing about breast milk. A new institute is fixing that
Human breast milk plays a vital role in sustaining our species, but scientists know little about it. The University of California San Diego plans to change that with a new academic institution.
If stones block the gallbladder ducts, the pain can be very severe. It often follows the consumption of a fat-heavy meal, as fat triggers the gallbladder to empty. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|How the gallbladder works, what can go wrong, and how to keep yours healthy
The gallbladder condenses and stores bile, a digestive liquid used to break down fats, and is prone to problems, including inflammation and excruciating gallstones.
Cytal Burn Matrix is an evolution of artificial skin that is used to promote skin growth. Artificial skin’s uses have gone beyond treating burn victims to include helping fight skin cancer. Photo: Integra
Health & Wellness
Explainer|How artificial skin is made and its uses, from treating burns to skin cancer
What is artificial skin? Experts reveal its uses beyond treating burn victims, including in research and drug development, and its potential to fight skin cancer.
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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) often shows no symptoms until it is advanced. On World Kidney Day, doctors urge us to protect ourselves against this incurable disease by living a healthy life. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Chronic kidney disease: how to protect yourself against a silent killer
On World Kidney Day doctors urge us to protect ourselves against chronic kidney disease (CKD) by living healthily. This incurable condition often shows no symptoms until it is advanced.
Using headphones that go over your ears rather than earbuds that are inserted in the ears may help safeguard your hearing. Above all, don’t play your music too loud, says an expert on hearing loss, a growing global problem that can have other health impacts. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
What causes hearing loss? Experts’ tips to protect yourself against it
‘Disabling’ hearing loss affects 430 million people worldwide, and it is linked to depression and dementia – so it’s vital you protect your hearing. Experts offer advice on how you can.
(FILES) In this file photo taken on May 7, 2015 US actress and singer Lisa Marie Presley arrives for the premiere of ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ at the Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California. - The singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of the late Elvis Presley, died on Thursday after she was rushed to a hospital in California following a cardiac arrest, US media reported. She was 54 years old. “It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” her mother Priscilla Presley confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE magazine. (Photo by Chris Delmas / AFP)
Health & Wellness
Lisa Marie Presley’s death reminds us to keep hearts healthy – here’s how
Low cholesterol, a low-salt diet, and exercise are among ways to keep your heart healthy, the importance of which Lisa Marie Presley’s sudden death of cardiac arrest underscores.
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Kidneys produce vitamin D, regulate blood pressure, stimulate red blood cell production and much more. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|How your kidneys work and the best ways to take care of them
Kidneys produce vitamin D, regulate blood pressure, stimulate red blood cell production and much more. A healthy diet, with foods low in salt, is one of the best ways to keep them healthy.
The retina is a layer of sensory cells required for clear vision. It can detach from the back of the eye for a variety of reasons. A detached retina requires prompt surgery to avoid losing sight in the eye. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Explainer|From riding roller-coaster to myopia, causes and risks of a detached retina
A detached retina can leave you blind in one eye unless treated promptly. It can happen because of age, myopia, playing contact sports, a sudden change in velocity, trauma or disease.
Celine Dion revealed on Instagram on December 8, 2022 that she is suffering from a “very rare neurological disorder”. Photo: AFP
Health & Wellness
Pain, isolation: it’s not just Celine Dion who has stiff person syndrome
When singer Celine Dion revealed she was suffering from stiff person syndrome, Lauren McDermott could sympathise. She also has the condition – and explains why it matters that people know about it.
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