We started off the show today by doing a little speculating on Senator Kennedy. I spoke with Dr. Orin Devinsky, the head of NYU Langone's Epilepsy Center, on what might of happened. Although we speculated that the Senator's people may have been hiding something (boy, were they!), we spoke about how subclinical vascular events (super mini strokes) are a common reason for older people to have new onset seizure activity.
Then onto dieting! Keri Gans, registered dietitian, ADA spokesperson and the Diet Diva, about diet blogs, dieting websites, and even the use of Facebook applications to diet. We both agreed that it could work as a motivational tool, and I relayed my (not overly successful) efforts to try to use the internet tools. The best one I found is "My Diet" on Facebook.
One interesting fact that has come out recently is that a good nights sleep can help you lose weight. But who sleeps? Many people who can't get to sleep use sleeping medications and a recent report noted that there have been more formal complaints about the newer types of sleeping aids than the older ones. So I brought in the expert: Joyce Walsleben, RN, Ph.D. , a noted expert on sleeping disorders, who is an associate professor at NYU-Langone School of Medicine and also a member of Sleep Medicine Associates of New York City. We had a highly entertaining and educational talk, which led to a large number of viewer calls.
Although not a great way to stay asleep, many people do drink before going to sleep. I had a good conversation with Susan Foster, the Vice President and Director of Policy Research and Analysis at the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University about a recent study indicating that, when stressed, women get anxious and men want a drink. This led to an interesting discussion about women's attitudes toward alcohol, and how doctors underdiagnose alcohol problems in women. Based on our discussion, I am determined to think more about this important problem!
Finally, realizing what a lack of sleep and alcohol may lead too... we talked about sex. Starting off with HERPES, I started what I hope will be a continuing series of "non-AIDS" std discussions on Doctor Radio. Joined by infectious disease expert Brent Wise, MD, we talked about everything from the non-std mouth sore that you get in herpes type I to treatment of recurrent disease. There were some interesting tales as well; some not suitable for presentation on a family blog!
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