The holiday season is not always merry. It is also the season when cases of Christmas coronary artery disease and unhappy New Year heart attacks happen. There are several factors that could precipitate heart attacks, and they are all lifestyle-related. Overindulgence in the consumption of fatty...
There’s a question I hear almost daily in my clinic, “Doc, is there anything that can tighten my skin without surgery?” It used to be a complicated answer. Now, I’m genuinely excited to talk about something new. For years, we’ve had tools like Ultherapy and Thermage. Both good options, no...
Earlier this month, on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2025, scientists published a paper in the journal “Nature” detailing the seventh case of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cure. While HIV is currently treatable with potent antiretrovirals (ARVs), which enable people with HIV to live long lives...
You cannot separate how a person looks from how they feel. The two are intertwined in ways we’re only now beginning to truly understand—and finally, to treat. This was the resounding message at the recent BTL Regional Summit & Award Gala 2025, held in the sun-drenched shores of Phu Quoc,...
Whatever your status in life, health is not something that can be compromised. Oftentimes, we put our health needs at the bottom of our list in favor of practicality and seemingly more important things for the people we love or the people we are responsible for. Until one day, we find ourselves...
During the recently concluded Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Annual Convention last Nov. 18-20, 2025, I was asked to engage in a friendly debate with colleagues. The issue was whether post-exposure prophylaxis for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) using...
The newly inaugurated Evelyn D. Ang/Dāna Charity Ward at St. Luke’s Medical Center Quezon City, marks a significant milestone for the St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation, Inc. (SLMCFI). This remarkable 40-bed facility stands as a testament to the profound impact that compassion and generosity...
The Christmas season brings reunions, festivities, and well-deserved breaks. It also happens to be one of the busiest times for emergency care. Slips and falls, food-related illnesses, and time-sensitive conditions such as stroke and heart attack tend to rise during the holidays due to stress,...
Did you know that our bones or skeletal system not only provide body support, movement, and protection like the skull does to the brain and the ribs to the lungs, but also serve as a storage site for minerals and the production of blood cells? The bones play a role in keeping the body’s immune...
As a medical aesthetics specialist, I’ve learned to spot the difference between marketing promises and actual results. So when someone told me about a facial treatment that uses five different technologies in sequence, my first thought was: here we go again. But the Préime DermaFacial is turning...
Last Nov. 17, 2025, I had the distinct honor of delivering the seventh Dr. Thelma Tupasi Memorial Lecture at the Makati Medical Center. Dr. Thelma Tupasi was one of the pillars of infectious diseases in the Philippines, and her contributions to the proper treatment of tuberculosis are acknowledged...
Many Filipinos are often one hospital bill away from losing everything. It’s widely known that medical expenses can often cost families a lot, especially if the sickness persists. How then do the poorest of the poor afford to receive quality treatment for their ailments? St Luke’s Medical...
