“Sound Medicine,” also available via podcast and Stitcher Radio for mobile phones and iPads, covers controversial ethics topics, breakthrough research studies and the day-to-day application of recent advancements in medicine.
Is extended treatment timeframe following strokes sound science? Tissue plasminogen activator, otherwise known as tPA, has been critical in dissolving blood clots in stroke patients. Current recommendations dictate that this powerful drug should be administered within three hours, but new studies suggest tPA is still beneficial within a six-hour time frame. Gregory del Zoppo, M.D., professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, discusses the implications of this study for stroke patients and the history of tPA.
Are anthrax kits beneficial to the public? The Food and Drug Administration is considering a plan to issue anthrax medical kits to millions of Americans in an effort to combat potential bioterrorism attacks. David Crabb, M.D., joins host Barbara Lewis to discuss concerns over this plan, including the misuse of the medical kits and the potential for public panic.
How reliable are statins in the fight against heart disease? Statins are often turned to as a treatment for high cholesterol. Sharon Begley, senior health and science correspondent at Reuters, discusses her new report that concluded that statins do not benefit people who have no symptoms of heart disease. In an accompanying segment, Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber, M.D, discusses the results of another study that disputes the reliability of statins and claims they are responsible for fatigue.
Do fish oil supplements boost heart health? Fish oil supplements have previously been linked to improved heart health. Sara Blackburn, D.Sc., RD, at the Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, visits “Sound Medicine” this week to discuss the conflicting reports on the impact of fish oil and its potential to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Can corporate wellness programs improve employee health? In the interest of improving employee health, some corporations initiate wellness programs that include competitions and interactive online games. Tasha Hamilton and Vincent Stallsworth, Wellpoint health insurance employees and wellness program participants, discuss the programs that more health insurance companies are offering and how their lives and health have been positively influenced.
“Sound Medicine,” co-produced by the IU School of Medicine and WFYI Public Radio (90.1 FM) and underwritten in part by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is aired on the following Indiana public radio stations: WBSB (Anderson, 89.5 FM), WFIU (Bloomington, 103.7 FM; Columbus, 100.7 FM; Kokomo, 106.1 FM; Terre Haute, 95.1 FM), WNDY (Crawfordsville, 91.3 FM), WVPE (Elkhart/South Bend, 88.1 FM), WNIN (Evansville, 88.3 FM), WBOI (Fort Wayne, 89.1 FM), WFCI (Franklin, 89.5 FM), WBSH (Hagerstown/New Castle, 91.1 FM), WFYI (Indianapolis), WBSW (Marion, 90.9 FM), WBST (Muncie, 92.1 FM), WBSJ (Portland, 91.7 FM), WLPR (Lake County, 89.1 FM) and WBAA (West Lafayette, 101.3 FM).
“Sound Medicine” is also broadcast on these public radio stations across the country: WLRH (Huntsville, Ala.), KSKA (Anchorage, Alaska), KTNA (Talkeetna, Alaska), KUHB (Pribilof Islands, Alaska), KUAF (Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Ark.), KIDE (Hoopa Valley, Calif.), KRCC (Colorado Springs, Colo.), KEDM (Monroe, La.), WCMU (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), WCNY and WRVO-1 (Syracuse, N.Y.), KMHA (Four Bears, N.D.), WYSU (Youngstown, Ohio), KPOV (Bend, Ore.) and KEOS (College Station, Texas).