Saturday Jul 5, 2008
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How Long Can a Human Being Live? Story

How Long Can a Human Being Live?

Dr. Valentin Fuster considers the question of how long can human being live. He begins by describing how the life expectancy of men and women has been extended two or three years per decade since he attended medical school. However, this improvement in life expectancy has come from improved treatments not through promoting good health. (Read more about How Long Can a Human Being Live?)

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The Possibilities of the Human Genome Story

The Possibilities of the Human Genome

Dr. Marianne Legato discusses the reality that we, as human beings, can now create life. We are tremendously powerful in terms of our scientific knowledge. We can clone human beings; that is absolutely going to come to pass. The defense department's scientfic arm, DARPA, is doing amazing kinds of investigation on preparing soldiers that don't bleed, who don't feel pain, who can consume enormous amounts of calories to sustain them during prolonged periods of activity. The special forces can't go more than 4-5 day in a physically demanding environment because they simply can't consume enough energy to sustain themselves. So if you look at what DARPA is doing, it's very daring, very amazing. (Read more about The Possibilities of the Human Genome)

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How the Y Chromosome Drives Evolution Story

How the Y Chromosome Drives Evolution

Dr. Marianne Legato explains that the male "Y chromosome", which at one point was called a wasteland, has genes responsible for the "housekeeping issues" in tissues. It's not just dedicated exclusively to male fertility and determining the male sex in the developing fetus. The aspect that is not appreciated about the Y chromosome, is that because it's exterior, and because so many sperm are produced in any given day, the mutations are enormous. And It is the Y chromosome, actually, that is driving evolution. It gives us a huge palette of mutations to choose from as we go on from generation to generation. It's the Y chromosome that drives evolution in a very important way. (Read more about How the Y Chromosome Drives Evolution)

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The Challenges of Overseas Medical Evacuations Story

The Challenges of Overseas Medical Evacuations

Dr. John Cahill explains that a number of tropical diseases, if left unrecognized or untreated, can have devastating outcomes. Unfortunately, he sees this on a daily basis. There are people who return from their travels with serious viral or parasitic infections. In good hands, it can be very easily treated, but without seeking the correct care or going to a physician who doesn't understand the implications of these diseases, they can be misdiagnosed or missed. (Read more about The Challenges of Overseas Medical Evacuations)

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Gender Differences in Coronary Artery Disease Story

Gender Differences in Coronary Artery Disease

Dr. Marianne Legato discusses how she evaluates patients being screened for cardiovascular disease. She says that one of the things she looks for are the signs of early coronary artery disease in men, as well as the unique symptoms in women. Women also experience coronary artery spasm, which does not affect men, that can cause angina even in the presence of non-obstructive coronary disease. They can have clean coronaries and still experience chest pain. (Read more about Gender Differences in Coronary Artery Disease)

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The Dangers of Infections During Travel Story

The Dangers of Infections During Travel

Dr. John Cahill discusses about how traveling abroad has become very easy - it's relatively cheap, readily available, enjoyable, and a click away on the internet. But many people don't seem to realize there are health risks involved when traveling, particularly when traveling to the developing world or to the tropics. Travelers need to think about being vaccinated for diseases that might not occur in the United States. (Read more about The Dangers of Infections During Travel)

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The Paradoxical Vulnerability of Men Story

The Paradoxical Vulnerability of Men

Dr. Marriane Legato discusses what she believes to be one of the most interesting issues concerning men. At any age, from birth to 85 years, men die at a greater number than women. Their vulnerability in the womb is very interesting. About 250 male fetuses are conceived for every 100 females fetuses and, yet, the birthing average is a one to one ratio. So why are those male fetuses dying at a greater number in the womb? Why are they less developed than girls at birth? They're about six weeks behind their sisters when they're born. And if they're premature and have a low birth weight, they're much more likely to die than girls. (Read more about The Paradoxical Vulnerability of Men)

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What Is a Peptic Ulcer? Story

What Is a Peptic Ulcer?

Peptic Ulcer Disease
One out of eight people in the United States will be diagnosed with Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD) over the course of their lifetimes. As with many diseases are understanding of the issues and causes of the disease have been evolving in recent years creating the opportunities for more innovative and effective treatments.

What are the Causes Peptic Ulcers?
A Peptic Ulcer is an open sore in the lining of the stomach or intestine. In many ways it is similar to a sore in the mouth. When the ulcer occurs in the stomach it is called a "gastric ulcer". When it occurs in the duodenum it is called a "duodenal ulcer." (Read more about What Is a Peptic Ulcer?)

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The Challenge of Emerging Infectious Diseases Story

The Challenge of Emerging Infectious Diseases

Dr. John Cahill discusses some of the challenges we face with infectious diseases that are constantly emerging and changing. SARS is an example of a virus that until several years ago, we had never heard about. So the possibility of new viruses emerging is a very real threat. Another challenge we face is bacteria evolving and growing resistant to antibiotics. It's becoming a huge problem in the developed world where we take antibiotics for granted. Doctors are constantly prescribing antibiotics and patients routinely expect to receive them for any number of minor infections. This gross distribution of antibiotics has contributed to the formation of "superbugs" that are resistant to the antibiotics we typically use. The reality is that we don't have the technology or the resources to continue developing the drugs needed to fight off all these mutations and resistance strains that keep developing. (Read more about The Challenge of Emerging Infectious Diseases)

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What is the Polypill? Story

What is the Polypill?

Dr. Valentin Fuster discusses the Polypill. The Polypill is being developed in response to an important reality surrounding cardiovascular disease. There are three important drugs that can help prevent heart disease (statins, ACE inhibitors, and aspirin). These drugs are not taken for two major reasons. First, the drugs are simply too expensive for much of the world, including countries as developed as Russia. And secondly, in developed nations where the drugs are affordable patients too often fail to comply - after three years 70% of patients do not take the medications as prescribed. (Read more about What is the Polypill?)

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Physician and Medical Educator

Dr. John D. Cahill

Dr. John D. Cahill

Empowered Doctor Medical Board
425 West 59th Street, Suite 8A
New York, NY 10019
Call (212) 492-5500

Dr. John D. Cahill, M.D. is a physician and medical educator who founded the Center for Global Collaboration & Health Initiatives. While studying abroad in medical school and after his postgraduate medical training at Brown University, Dr. Cahill spent time in Southeast Asia & Africa. The problem was that there was a general lack of medical education towards the practice of emergency medicine, infectious diseases and public health. Dr. Cahill started to create basic simple training programs for the local healthcare providers in those regions. Therefore, Dr. Cahill created the Center because of the impact he has had on thousands of lives.

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Gastroenterologist

Dr. Jonathan Cohen, M.D.

Dr. Jonathan Cohen, M.D.

Empowered Doctor Medical Board
232 East 30th Street
New York, NY 10016
Call 212-889-5544

Are you facing stomach or intestinal problems? Do you have disorders in your gastrointestinal tract? You should consider seeing Dr. Jonathan Cohen, M.D. from the Concorde Medical Group who specializes in gastroenterology and general internal medicine. His specialization in internal medicine comes from expertise in colonoscopies, gallbladder diseases, and complications relating to the pancreas and liver.

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Psychiatrist

Dr. Richard J. Frances

Dr. Richard J. Frances

Empowered Doctor Medical Board
510 East 86th Street, Apt. 1D
New York, New York 10028
Call (212) 861-0570

Dr. Richard Frances, MD, F.A.C.P., F.A.P.A. is the current director of public and professional education at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut and has his own private practice in Manhattan. He was appointed as the Clinical Professor of Psychiatry in the Division of Substance Abuse of the Department of Psychiatry. His past credentials include being the president and medical director at the Silver Hill Hospital.

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Vascular Surgery

Dr. Pravin M. Shah

Dr. Pravin M. Shah

Empowered Doctor Medical Board
83 South Bedford Road Suite 100
Mount Kisco, NY 10549
Call (888) 547-1437

Pravin Shah MD, FACS is a Vascular Surgeon.

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Bariatric Surgeon

 Elliot Goodman, MD

Elliot Goodman, MD

Empowered Doctor Medical Board
Beth Israel Medical Center 6th Floor 1st Ave & 16th St
NYC, NY 10003
Call (888) 351-8607

Dr. Elliot Goodman is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a Board Certified General Surgeon. Dr. Goodman and his staff treat each patient as an individual and design a treatment regimen that reflects the individuality of the patient.

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Psychiatry

Dr. Joseph H. Feinberg

Dr. Joseph H. Feinberg

Empowered Doctor Medical Board
523 East 72nd Street
New York, NY 10021
Call (212) 606-1568

Joseph H. Feinberg, MD finished his Residency training in Medicine at the New York University/ Rusk Institute of Rehab. Dr. Feinberg also had more Residency training at Mt. Sinai Hospital for General Surgery. His Internship also took place at Mt. Sinai Hospital. He completed fellowships in Orthopedic Pathology at the Hospital for Special Surgery and in Orthopedic Biomechanics at the University of Iowa. Dr. Feinberg gained his MD at Albany Medical College in Albany, New York.

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