A new study to encourage weight loss and prevent diabetes

1 September 2011

Professor Susan Davis

A new study underway at Monash University is investigating whether Metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes, might be used for weight loss and preventing diabetes in middle-aged women.

The purpose of the research project is to assess the effects of Metformin on women who have put on weight around their abdominal region but still have normal blood sugar levels.

Professor Susan Davis, Director of the Women’s Health Group at Monash University and principal researcher on the project said the study will look at the effects on insulin sensitivity, weight loss, cholesterol and other measures related to the potential risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“As women age, they have a tendency to put on weight, particularly around their abdominal region.

“Abdominal fat is different to fat in the buttocks and thighs and increased abdominal fat in women is associated with increased risk for the development of high blood pressure and diabetes. The loss of oestrogen at menopause enhances this central weight gain,” said Professor Davis.

The study will include 120 women, half of whom will be taking the active medicine, Metformin. The other half will take a placebo pill.

Unlike other drugs used to treat diabetes, Metformin does not cause low blood sugar and therefore it is very safe to use.

“Metformin is an incredibly safe drug to use. It has been around for 30 years and has a great safety profile. It’s safe and if we can show it is effective through this study it will really make a difference,” said Professor Davis.

“We are particularly interested in women in this research. When women hit midlife they experience a change in hormones. On average, women will increase their abdominal fat by about 20-40 per cent. Therefore, women at this age are a particular target for when we want to reverse fat accumulation.

“This is an interesting drug as it is now being looked at as a potential prevention and treatment for breast cancer and we are planning a new study on its impact on uterine cancer and it is also being looked at in other forms of cancers,” said Professor Davis.

Limkokwing creativity grooms ICT-savvy talents

An advocate of creativity and innovation since the 1970s, the Limkokwing University of Creativity Technology (LUCT) is taking the lead by producing graduates equipped with the right skills and capabilities to drive the ICT industry and their careers.

ICE- a way of life

Information technology is very much a part of everyday life: the computer occupies a central position not only in business organisations but increasingly in fields as diverse as manufacturing to space exploration and banking.

This has created a wealth of opportunities for Malaysia, which is moving into a high-income and innovation-driven economy, one area that well-qualified ICT graduates are able to provide the momentum to propel it.

Geared for success

The LICT Faculty of Information and Communication Technology offers internationally-recognised BSc degrees including Mobile Computing, Games Technology and Business Information Technology, as well as postgraduates studies in Computer Networking and Communication. Delve into the exciting world of ICT where you will get to learn all you’ve ever wanted to know about:

• Games Programming
• Digital Modelling and Animation
• Artificial Intelligence
• Interactive Multimedia
• Real-Time Systems
• Internet Security Knowledge
• Grid Computing

High-flying ICT careers

The programmes are tailored to ensure graduates are industry-ready and able to blend in with different cultures and nationalities, making them attractive to potential employers.

Some of the career options one would consider as an ICT graduate would be:

Chief Information Officer (CIO)
A CIO heads the IT group within an organisation, and usually reports to the chief executive officer (CEO). You will be the visionary ICT leader, spearheading ambitious projects that will enhance the growth and business strategy of the organisation and will be responsible for the overall strategic direction and management of the organisation’s IT infrastructure.

Security Analyst
As the person ensuring the security of the organisation, you will have to be privy to security breaches and network intrusions. The guardian of the ICT hardware and software, you handle all security documentation and assess the suitability of new technologies on existing or planned systems.

Analyst Programmer
This role requires knowledge of a variety of programming languages. If you’re good at programming, you will enjoy installing, designing, modifying, testing and writing programmes, and supporting work teams and solving problems with software.

Blending the world’s diverse cultures

The Limkokwing campus in Cyberjaya is an experience unlike any other. Students from all over the world converge, making it a dynamic multicultural environment with 70% of the 9,000 students coming from over 160 countries worldwide.

The university has some 30,000 students studying in its 12 campuses in Botswana, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lesotho, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. A big part of its appeal is the university’s innovative brand of creative education that merges the best of East and West education.

Experience London

In a rapidly developing world, the learning experience today has to include exposing young people to global business trends and innovation.

London - one of the world’s most vibrant and lively cities - is the heart of Limkokwing’s Global Research Centre for Creativity and Innovation.

Located in the heart of thriving Piccadilly, the campus provides students a unique opportunity to cross over to nearby locations for research in business, design, multimedia or any other fields of study.

An ICT student now has an opportunity to graduate with two awards, one Asian and one British. This is an exclusive route for Limkokwing students to spend their final year or semester in London, enabling them to obtain a Limkokwing award and a second credential from Anglia Ruskin University of Cambridge or University of Gloucestershire, UK.

Nurses with compassion at KLMUC

HAVING invested millions of ringgit, the Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University College (KLMUC) boasts the some of the most modern and sophisticated facilities and equipment at its nursing school in Danau Kota. Its world-status facilities and equipment include a simulation unit and "skills laboratory" to facilitate nursing students' practical studies.

In line with today's healthcare needs and aspirations, KLMUC students undergo practical training at selected government and private hospitals and are encouraged to take part in community activities.

KLMUC also produces professional nurses with a "personal touch" who are concerned about their patients' welfare. KLMUC's syllabus focuses on treatment science, nursing science, behavioural science as well as the practical phases of learning.

In fact, the practical training consists of 75 per cent of the overall learning process. In light of the growing population of seniors, KLMUC also teaches relevant subjects such as gerontology where students are exposed to caring for this segment of society. 

English language and IT skills are also emphasised so that students can compete in the local and global job markets. Head of the Nursing School, Ruslaini Hitam, who has 20 years' experience as a nurse, says the Diploma in Nursing at KLMUC is one of the best nursing diplomas offered locally and stands on par with international nursing teaching institutions.

The lecturers have more than a decade of experience as nursing educators and nurses in intensive care units, emergency units, burn units, operation theatres, cardiac units and other sub-specialties. Besides emphasising on quality workforce, KLMUC's nursing school also complements the government's effort to fulfil the country's increasing demand for nurses and train its young student nurses to build rewarding careers in nursing. 

Two Optometry students win HIP distinction price

Congratulations to TWINTECH's Faculty of Optometry Department on winning Two Distinction Prizes 
for our 2010 Hoya Innovative Prize (HIP) program. 
Students Ting Kiat Han and Yeo Tze Yi both won the DistinctionPrize for their respective submissions 
of Multipurpose Retinoscope and Trial Lens Set and Cross Cylinder With Glow In The Dark Sticker. 


The Hoya Innovative Prize is a competition to explore student’s potential to create innovative & creative
 solutions to everyday Optometry practice. Presentation skills is also included in the judging to assess 
the all crucial message delivery. This competition is open to all third and final year optometry students 
in both Malaysia and Singapore.

In total, 18 submissions were received from all  3rd & 4th year Malaysian Optometry students. 
Evaluation of the submitted works were based on the design, creativity and innovative ideas and lastly,
 the presentation of the idea using Microsoft PowerPoint.

Very proud of the fact that Malaysian Optometry students won the top 4 prizes out of the total 8 
prizes available. Scoring were very high, with the winners being separated by a very close margin. 
This goes to show the high standard of Malaysian Optometry students.

INTI Pre-U Club Creates A Malaysian Record

Subang Jaya – Olympic athletes, scientists, entrepreneurs; varied fields with one thing in common – the belief in achieving beyond expectations. This constant need to challenge ourselves is one of the reasons individuals strive to create new benchmarks and records.
   Pre-U Club members, committee, management staff of INTI International College Subang with Ms Leona Paul of Malaysian Book of Records with their record breaking logo. Photo Courtesy of Foto Prime.
The Pre-U Club of INTI International College Subang (IICS) started the year doing just that, challenging themselves to create a Malaysian record despite their heavy study commitments. The record, endorsed by Malaysia Book of Records (MBR), saw over 200 students from the Pre-U Club collaborate and create the “Biggest Logo Painted on Cloth”, which was witnessed by staff and students, and confirmed by Ms Leona Paul, a representative of MBR.
“The formation of this logo was not just to demonstrate our appreciation to our college but instill and enhance the desire to dream big and achieve beyond expectations, as well as to truly become First Amongst Equals,” said Joshua Fernandez, Organising Chairperson of the event.
Despite external challenges including a heavy downpour, members of the Pre-U Club converged in stages to outline and paint the 29.54 metres (length) by 17.31 metres (width) logo. A total of 96 litres of white paint and 48 litres of red paint was used to form the logo which was completed over a period of one month at the open basketball court within IICS’ compound.
“The event shows a tremendous amount of commitment, dedication and teamwork among these students to achieve their goal of creating a Malaysian record. It also demonstrates strong leadership qualities by the committee members to garner support and drive their sponsorship efforts,” said Dr Anucia Jeganathan, President of IICS.
Jotun, Cleo Magazine, Foto Prime, Kamdar, Mamee, CampusPlus, Maya Explorer (M) Sdn Bhd, World Discovery Travel (M) Sdn Bhd, Gold Insignia LLP and Melorita Healthcare Recruitment Specialist were among the corporate sponsors which made the event possible.

IMU Expands Credit Transfer Options for Biomedical Science Students

International Medical University (IMU) recently provided another credit transfer option for students who have applied for its biomedical science programme, giving these students an exciting new option to continue their education in an overseas university. Through this arrangement, credit transfer students from IMU will be required to complete the first part of their studies in IMU before transferring to University of Strathclyde. These students will receive academic credit for the subjects they have successfully completed in IMU and use this towards the completion of their degree.  The degree will then be awarded by University of Strathclyde.

"We are pleased to be able to provide an additional credit transfer option for students in the biomedical science programme. Providing students with this additional credit transfer option is an affordable way for IMU students to gain access to a UK education and towards obtaining an overseas degree," said A/Prof Chen Yu Sui, programme coordinator of the biomedical science programme at IMU.

The University of Strathclyde was founded in 1796 and is Scotland"s third largest, with some 14,000 students from more than 90 countries. The University is recognised as a centre of teaching excellence in Scotland and stands among the best in the world.

A/Prof Chen Yu Sui added, "Without doubt, this arrangement would offer vast benefits to them as it uniquely allows students to experience the learning environments of two leading universities in Malaysia and the UK. Another benefit for the students is the  discovery and understanding of cultures from around the world as this is a critical component for a healthcare professional. This is certainly one of the reasons for us to continuously look for additional transfer options for students and part of its ongoing mission to train and promote excellence in the healthcare industry."

University of Strathclyde has been a member of IMU"s network of partner universities for more than 10 years. Prior to this, the university has collaborative and credit transfer arrangements with IMU for its pharmacy and psychology programmes.  With this collaboration, University of Strathclyde will be expanding the number of IMU programmes that the university is having collaborative agreements.

In addition to the credit transfer option with the University of Strathclyde, students applying for the biomedical science programme also have the opportunity to transfer the credits that they have earned in IMU to the University of Otago in New Zealand or University of Newcastle in Australia after successful completion of the first part of their course in IMU. Students also have the option to complete the entire biomedical science degree in IMU and obtain a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Biomedical Science from IMU.

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