AHMC Healthcare and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital co-hosted the Taiwan Medical Lecture on Oct. 6 at the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles.
Seven specialists shared practical updates on prostate, eye, lung, cardiometabolic, kidney, and rehabilitation care with a full house.
AHMC Vice President Matthew Lin welcomed Hospital Superintendent William Huang and the medical team.
Former Taiwan Health Minister and AHMC Co-CEO Dr. Wen-Ta Chiu said the program offered “head-to-toe” health guidance, from warning signs and screening to prevention.
Protect Prostate, Live Confidently
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hospital Superintendent William Huang, MD, said weak or interrupted flow, urgency, frequent or nighttime urination, and incomplete emptying may signal benign prostate enlargement—not just aging.
He stressed that an enlarged prostate does not cause cancer, but normal urination does not rule it out.
Men 50 and older, especially those with a father or brother with prostate cancer, should discuss PSA screening and needed exams with their doctor.
Weight control, exercise, less alcohol and high-fat red meat, and more tomatoes and cruciferous vegetables can also help lower risk.
Protect Sight, Preserve Vision
NYCU Hospital Vice Superintendent Shih-Hwa Chiou, MD, said glaucoma can silently damage the optic nerve.
Even with clear vision and normal eye pressure, peripheral vision may already be shrinking.
He added that macular degeneration can blur central vision and bend straight lines.
Check each eye with an Amsler grid and seek prompt care for new distortion or sudden vision changes.
Not smoking, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, exercising, eating dark leafy greens, and using sun protection may help slow vision loss.
Screen Early, Treat Sooner
NYCU Hospital Department of Surgery Chair Chien-Ho Tsai , MD, said early lung cancer often has no obvious symptoms.
Persistent cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, or hoarseness warrants prompt evaluation.
Risk rises with smoking, family history, chronic lung disease, and exposure to cooking fumes, asbestos, radiation, or pollution—though nonsmokers can also develop lung adenocarcinoma.
Chest X-rays can miss small or obscured tumors. For high-risk individuals, low-dose CT enables earlier detection, when treatment and long-term survival are most favorable.
Stay Calm, Track Closely
Thoracic surgeon Chu-Yun Huang, MD, said a pulmonary nodule is an imaging finding—not a cancer diagnosis. Rather than panic or assume surgery, patients should first understand its size, appearance, and location.
Doctors compare prior scans and assess changes, age, smoking and family history, and overall risk.
Low-risk nodules may need only periodic CT follow-up; biopsy or surgery is generally reserved for nodules strongly suspected of cancer.
Link Systems, Stop Damage
Endocrinologist Kuan-Hung Lin, MD, described cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome as a connected system: when high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, or kidney disease affects one organ, the others are at risk.
Abdominal fat can start this cycle long before symptoms emerge.
Prevention includes balanced meals, fewer refined, salty, and sugary foods, regular exercise, no smoking, adequate sleep, and routine checks of blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and kidney function.
Guard Kidneys, Avoid Dialysis
NYCU Hospital nephrologist Yen-Hung Yao, MD, said kidneys can lose function silently.
Poorly controlled diabetes and high blood pressure can damage their blood vessels and filters, eventually leading to dialysis.
Protect kidney health by managing blood pressure and blood sugar, limiting salt and processed foods, avoiding holding urine, and checking urine protein and eGFR.
Foamy or bloody urine, swelling, changes in urine output, or persistent fatigue warrant prompt medical evaluation.
Build Strength, Keep Moving
Chung-Lan Kao, MD, PhD, Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, said most low back pain stems from muscles, ligaments, fascia, or posture.
Persistent leg weakness, bowel or bladder dysfunction, fever, night pain, or unexplained weight loss, however, requires prompt evaluation.
Slower walking, weak grip, difficulty rising, and frequent falls may signal sarcopenia—not normal aging.
Progressive resistance training, including squats, calf raises, lunges, stretching, and balance work, helps preserve mobility and reduce disability and fracture risk.
What’s Next
Found a lung nodule—monitor it or operate? How can you protect your vision and avoid dialysis? AHMC and NYCU Hospital’s Taiwan Medical Lecture offers answers.
Starting next week, Cultural Express’s Health Column will spotlight one of the seven specialists each week, bringing readers the latest on screening, treatment, and prevention.