In Good Health

Around a half million people are homeless in the US on any given night, but the street homeless who are most visible often incorrectly influence our assumptions about the homeless. A noted researcher discusses myths and truths about their addictions, employment, residences, and more, and why people often become homeless. Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/radiohealthjournal/RHJ_19-47B.mp3 Women undergoing cancer treatment often suffer hair loss and other impacts on appearance. A noted beauty expert discusses best ways to deal with it. Guests: Caitlin Keirnan, former fashion columnist & beauty director, cancer survivor and author, Pretty Sick: A Beauty Guide for Women With Cancer Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology shows that people with conditions such as eczema, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis are often made miserable by itching. Those with itch were more than twice as likely to be depressed and nearly twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts as controls without those conditions. Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some agencies estimate that 50,000 children have been born in the US using donor eggs. But egg donation (or sale, as some insist) is not regulated, and while short term risks are known, few donors have been followed for years. Long term risks are not well understood. Experts discuss what we know… and what we don’t. Guests: Dr. Linda Kahn, Postdoctoral Fellow in Pediatrics, New York Univ. School of Medicine Dr. Richard Paulson, Prof. of Reproductive Medicine, Univ. of Southern California and President, American Society of Reproductive Medicine Dr. Wendy Chavkin, Prof. of Public Health and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia Univ. Additional Links: NYU School of Medicine, Division of Environmental Pediatrics Team USCFertility Profile: Richard J. Paulson, MD Columbia University Profile: Wendy Chavkin Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

HIV/AIDS was once an epidemic and a death sentence. But many Americans are too young to remember that, so HIV awareness has faded. One of the nation’s top HIV experts discusses HIV as a treatable, chronic illness and the need to still be vigilant—and be tested. Guests: Dr. Laura Cheever, Assoc. Administrator, HIV/AIDS Bureau, US Health Resources and Services Administration Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Medical notes this week… Cystic fibrosis affects about 30,000 people in the United States, prompting a severe buildup of mucus in the lungs and other organs. The major gene defect causing 90 percent of cases of CF was discovered 20 years ago, and now there's finally a three-drug combination that effectively targets it. The drug, Trikafta, is being hailed as a breakthrough and could increase the current 44-year life expectancy of people with CF. When doctors prescribe antibiotics, you're supposed to take the entire prescription, even if you feel better before then. But the National Poll on Healthy Aging shows that 13 percent of people over age 50 have pills left over from their last prescription. Most of the time, they say they're saving them for later use or for a family member. Half of those people admit they've taken leftover antibiotics without checking with a doctor first. Post-traumatic stress disorder can have effects in a lot of seemingly unrelated areas. a study in the journal Epidemiology shows that having PTSD nearly doubles a person's risk of infections. The risk increase varies by disease -1.7 times higher for the flu and more than two and a half times higher for viral hepatitis. Researchers say PTSD also seems to affect the infection risk differently for men and women. Men are more likely to get skin infections, while women are more likely to get urinary tract infections. And finally, researchers have long observed that heavy alcohol use is associated with reduced brain size, with the conclusion that alcohol can shrink the brain. But now a study in the journal Biological Psychiatry suggests that smaller brain size comes first. People with less grey matter in the brain are genetically predisposed toward alcohol consumption, which may, in turn, shrink the brain still further. Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For those left behind when a loved one dies of suicide, recovery can be difficult. Stigma, guilt, and blame are exceptionally common. They need more support, but often get less, and their own risk of suicide is elevated. Experts—one a suicide survivor herself—discuss the difficulties and ways survivors can cope. Guests: Joyce Bruggeman, Executive Director, Survivors of Suicide Loss Dr. Holly Prigerson, Co-Director, Center for Research on End of Life Care, Professor of Geriatrics and Sociology in Medicine, Weill-Cornell Medical College Additional Links: National Suicide Prevention – Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Save.org Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Birth rates in the US are at an all time low, and fertility for all age groups under age 30 is dropping. Experts explain that it may not be as good a thing as we may think, and cite nations like Japan and Italy which are facing labor shortages and elderly populations as a result of less-than-replacement-level fertility. Guests: Richard Jackson, President & founder, Global Aging Institute Dr. Elise Berlan, Director, Young Women’s Contraception Program, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Medical notes this week… The largest study of its kind is strengthening the link between football and the brain disorder CTE. The study in the Annals of Neurology finds that every year of playing football increases the risk of CTE by 30 percent. Among those with a CTE diagnosis, the risk of severe symptoms doubles with every 5.3 years of football. And those with the longest careers, who play more than 14.5 years, have a risk of CTE that's 10 times higher. However, it's far from a sure thing. Some players with more than 15 years on the field have no evidence of CTE at all. Speaking of football injuries…cortisone injections are common among athletes to mask pain. They're also used for everyday people who have symptoms of osteoarthritis. But a new study in the journal Radiology shows that complications due to cortisone shots are much more common than previously thought. People who receive hip injections have complications 10 percent of the time, including stress fractures, a progression of their arthritis, and even a collapse of the joint. Those getting cortisone in the knees suffer complications about four percent of the time. And finally, another study is proving that dog owners live longer. A study in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes finds that people who own a dog are 24 percent less likely to die of any cause compared to non-dog owners. And 31 percent less likely to die of a heart attack or a stroke. The benefits are even greater for people who live alone and have already had a heart attack or stroke. Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mass shootings and other forms of mass violence are on the increase. Where to assess blame is in sharp dispute. A new report from a blue ribbon panel of behavioral scientists has found that mental illnesses carry some of the blame, but mental “distress” is a much more likely factor. Panel members discuss mental health first aid, red flag laws, and other report recommendations on ways to prevent mass violence. Guests: Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Dr. Joseph Parks, Medical Director, National Council for Behavioral Health Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.