KSQD 05-16-2024: The super power of the resilient Tardigrade is their fabulous DNA repair ability.

How do I tolerate another knee surgery after getting intestinal adhesions because of previous surgery?

Can I avoid an operation to fix a displaced cataract lens?

A patient with Parkinson’s disease and knee problems is warned against speculative and expensive alternative treatment.

A man with major swallowing problems needs an endoscopy ASAP -- Dr. Dawn bashes corporation control over conventional medicine.

A borderline diabetic asks for diet advice.

Cancer prevention policies are up against Insurance payment denial policies.

The reasons why colorectal cancer is on the rise in 20 to 50 yr-olds -- colonoscopies are now recommended for younger adults.

KSQD 5-01-2024: This week's show explores how healthcare systems can inflict "moral injury" on dedicated doctors. We examine instances where factors like insurance company prior authorizations prevent optimal patient care and discuss related research.

Dr. Dawn explores sweetness perception, reviewing a new study on how our bodies detect both natural sugars and substitutes like xylitol and stevia. We learn how substitutes can provide sweetness without insulin spikes and subsequent appetite increases.

We discuss the critical importance of measles vaccination, the challenges of maintaining live virus vaccine potency, and a promising new vaccine technology undergoing trials.

A new study investigates the potential benefits of combining time-restricted eating with high-intensity exercise. Although all participants lost weight, the combined approach led to gains in lean body mass.

Finally, we survey several exciting advances in cancer research. Dr. Dawn explores improvements in cancer cell targeting, the statistics of liquid biopsies for cancer detection, and a groundbreaking drug that halts aggressive breast cancer growth. We also investigate a new mRNA-based treatment that stimulates cancer cell death specifically within the tumor environment.

KSQD 4-24-2024: In this week's show, we tackle several important health topics. Dr. Dawn starts by investigating "the prescribing cascade," where side effects from an initial medication necessitate additional prescriptions. This is often seen with treatments for high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation.

We then explore strokes of undetermined origin. Interestingly, Dr. Dawn notes that for preventing recurrent strokes, the classic, low-cost aspirin can be just as effective as newer, more expensive alternatives.

Another topic is delayed orthostatic hypotension, a condition where blood pressure drops upon standing. Dr. Dawn provides details on a simple test for diagnosis.

We address a worrying trend: increasingly aggressive colon cancers are occurring in younger populations. Dr. Dawn discusses both established and novel screening tests, like the new DNA-based successor to Cologuard, emphasizing the importance of early detection.

Finally, we offer a sobering reality check about vaping. Studies show a growing number of young people who begin with vaping are transitioning to traditional smoking, underscoring that vaping carries its own significant risks.