Sunday, May 23, 2010

Monday, May 24th on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119: Doctor Radio!


Memorial Day is coming! The summer is coming! But first, a really interesting show on Monday featuring celebrity, weird tropical disease, and digestive problems!

Celiac disese, the inability to process gluten, is a growing problem in the United States. Join me and Beth Israel Deaconess Gastroenterologist Dr. Daniel Leffler, the author of "Real Life with Celiac Disease: Troubleshooting and Thriving Gluten Free" as we discuss the latest research showing that the incidence of C-Sections is increased in those with babies who end up having celiac! Find out why this may be the case.

Call us with your questions about celiac disease at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

I love Key West. It has all the advantages of the Caribbean, and a K-Mart! What could be better! Unfortunately, as the United States Southernmost point, it can also be the entry point for some scary tropical diseases. Marc Siegel, MD, the Medical Director of Doctor Radio and the author of "False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear" will be joining me to talk about Dengue Fever in the Keys!

I am really excited about the top of our second hour. Walter Williams, Sr., Four Time Grammy nominee and a founding member of the O'Jays will be joining us to talk about a chronic medical condition that he has. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and known for such classic hits as "Love Train" and "Use Ta Be My Girl," Mr. Williams has released his debut solo album, "Walter Williams-Exposed."

Mr. Williams has never talked publicly about the medical condition he has. Hear his incredible story on Doctor Radio for the first time!

We will end the show with Ask Dr. Ira, where you can call me with any questions on any medical topic at all: anything you forgot to ask your doctor...ask me!

Call me at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Monday, May 17 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119: Doctor Radio


Spring is here! The weather is getting better, and people are heading outdoors. This weekend was the first that we used our grill and ate outside. Unfortunately, better weather Lways seems to bring with it a plethora of food outbreaks. This is made worse this year because of the big oil spill in the Gulf. Join me and Glenn Morris, MD, MPH, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Florida College of Medicine, where he is the Director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute, as we discuss food safety in everything from romaine lettuce to oysters.

Call us with your questions about safe food handling at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Speaking of food, heartburn is back In the news. There have been reports for years about the possible side effects of strong heartburn medications, many of which are now available over the counter. Dr. Michael Howell, the Director of Critical Care Quality at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School as we discuss his recent study showing the relationship between the use of PPI medications such as Prilosec and C. difficile infections, a serious cause of diarrheal illness.

Call us with your heartburn and heartburn medication safety questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Continuing on with our food theme, our next segment deals with whether all that stress at the office can make you fat. Dr. Diana Fernandez, a nutritional epidemiologist and an Associate Professor at the University of Rochester will be joining us to talk about her new study showing the relationship between workplace stress and weight gain. We'll also touch on some other health hazards of the workplace, including a recent study showing that, at least in England, overtime may kill you! Join the conversation with your own tales of workplace woe at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Our last segment will be, as usual, Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me any questions that you forgot to ask your own doctor. Give me a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Monday, May 10th on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119: Doctor Radio!


I hope everyone is having a great Mother's Day. We have a great show planned for tomorrow!

Everyone, at least everyone of a certain age, talks about colon cancer prevention, specifically the dreaded colonoscopy. But did you know that there is no large study looking to see how effective colonoscopy, or any other colon cancer screening test other than checking the stool for blood is...until now! Join me and lead researcher Wendy Atkin, PhD, from Imperial College in London, United Kingdom to talk about her new study showing that a single sigmoidoscopy is effective at significantly cutting colon cancer incidence rates!

If you have any questions about colon cancer prevention, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Diabetes is difficult enough for adults to manage: imagine being a kid and having to navigate testing and keeping track your blood glucose. Dr. Holly Schachner, a pediatric endocrinologist and the director of medical affairs at Bayer Healthcare, will be joining us to talk about the Bayer Didget...a glucose meter that links with your kids Nintendo DS and makes monitoring glucose much less of a chore.

If you have any questions about pediatric diabetes or diabetes monitoring in general, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

I can't believe how much time I spend in the office telling people to get and stay in shape: I truly believe that, after not smoking, it is the single most important thing you can do to preserve health and extend lifespan. And now, there's a plan for all of America to get fit. Dr. Russel Pate and Dr. Robert Sallis, the co-chairs of the National Physical Activity Plan. Hear about plans to help make you and other American's more fit, and more healthy.

Call us with your fitness questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Of course, we will have a segment of Ask Dr. Ira, where you can ask me any questions on any medical topic at all...it doesn't matter what it is. Anything you forgot to ask your doctor, ask me!

Call me at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Monday, May 3rd on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119: Doctor Radio


I just received my birthday gift, an iPad. Although I should be using it for clinical notes and as a research tool, I seem to be spending too much time trying to plan a trip my family has scheduled for June. Which got me thinking: isn't it interesting that geography and time play a role in disease? While many people think of infectious diseases such as malaria being influenced by weather and geography, it turns out that many types of diseases, such as prostate disease and colitis may be affected by where a person is as well!

I have never thought of prostate cancer as being affected by climate or geography. But there is more prostate cancer in northern areas. Dr. Sophie St. Hilaire, an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Idaho St. University in Pocatello will be joining us to talk about her new study suggesting that even though it looks like the geography, its actually the pollutants that that cause the prostate cancer and not the cold!

Call us with your questions about prostate cancer prevention at 1-877-NYU-DOCS

Ulcerative Colitis is a disease that clearly favors some areas in the world over others. Even as a specialist, it always seemed a little rare to see when I got out into practice. I keep seeing more and more cases, however. I just thought it was because I was getting busier and more successful in my practice, but it turns out that, at least in Northern California, the rate of ulcerative colitis has gone up three fold between 1996 (my last year in fellowship, ironically) and 2006. Join me and pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Paul Rufo, the Director of the Harvard Fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology, to talk about this study, ulcerative colitis in kids, and childhood digestive problems in general!

Call us with your pediatric digestive disease questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Its the Spring, and many of us are getting in shape...some more than others. Marathoners and other long distance runners have a whole series of problems, including...diarrhea? Join me and NYU cardiologist Dr. Stephen Siegel, who is also the President of the Greater New York Chapter of the the American College of Sports Medicine to talk about the medical problems with exercise!

Call us with any of your exercise or cardiology questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We will of course end the show with Ask Dr. Ira, where you can ask me any medical question at all....anything you forgot to ask your own doctor: ask me!