HealthLink On Air

Registered dietitian nutritionist Maureen Franklin explains what carbohydrates are, what they do for our bodies and which carbohydrate foods are the most "nutrient dense." While several trendy diets call for a reduction in carbohydrates to achieve weight loss, Franklin explains how not all carbohydrates are equal. She also talks about a couple of recent scientific studies that showed how people lost significant weight or maintained weight loss by reducing their intake of processed foods and foods with added sugars and by increasing their intake of vegetables. Click here for a fact sheet and tips on carbohydrates and here for a fact sheet and tips on dietary fiber, both from the Food and Drug Administration. Click here for comprehensive information on overall nutritional needs, including caloric needs and how to plan meals, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Nutrition is important at all ages, even as nutritional needs may change. Registered dietitian nutritionist Maureen Franklin talks about what's important for children, young adults, people in their 30s, 40s and 50s, and seniors.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning about the Asian longhorned tick and its ability to cause "massive infestations" because it is spreading across parts of the United States at a time when diseases spread by tick, mosquito and flea bites are on the rise. Brian Leydet, PhD, an expert in ticks and tick-borne diseases, talks about the Asian longhorned tick, which primarily affects livestock, and other varieties of ticks and the challenges they pose. Leydet is an assistant professor in the department of environmental and forest biology at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, and he also holds a position in Upstate's department of microbiology and immunology. Click here for more information on ticks from the CDC, including the diseases they are associated with and safety tips.

Upstate exercise physiologist Carol Sames, PhD, explains the federal government's new recommendations for physical activity, which essentially say "Move more. Sit less." New guidelines address children, adults, seniors, pregnant women and people with mobility challenges. They explain not only the long-term benefits of exercising regularly, but the more immediate benefits which include a reduction in stress and anxiety, improvement in sleep quality and improved insulin sensitivity. Click here for a top-10 summary of the new guidelines; click here for access to the full report.

Cardiologist and historian Harold Smulyan, MD, talks about five classic cardiac drugs. Surgeon Flavia Soto, MD, explains surgical weight-loss options. Public health scholar Kellan Baker discusses transgender health issues.

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how sugar is processed by the body. The condition affects a person's overall health, and that person has to take an active role in the management of his or her diabetes. Some medical caregivers are pursuing "partner intervention" as a way to help improve diabetes self-management. Paula Trief, PhD, explains a study she co-authored that shows the partner approach can work. Trief, a psychologist who has worked extensively with patients with diabetes, is a distinguished service professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Upstate.

Five common drugs to treat heart ailments have been in use for hundreds, and, in some cases, thousands of years. Harold Smulyan, MD, an emeritus professor of medicine at Upstate who specializes in cardiology, has written a paper that lays out the history of aspirin, atropine, digitalis, nitroglycerine and quinidine. Two come from the bark of trees. One was originally used as an explosive, another as a cosmetic. Unlike today's drugs, which undergo rigorous trials before becoming available to the public, these remedies were generally discovered by accident and tested by trial and error.

Viral immunologist Christine King, PhD, talks about her research, which aims to improve the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma, a type of cancer. Social worker Loren Cunningham from Vera House and Director of Advanced Practice Nursing Ginnie Cronin, PhD, from Le Moyne College discuss intimate partner violence. Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Patrick Basile, MD, explains some medical lessons learned from the battlefield.

Upstate bariatric surgeon Flavia Soto, MD, discusses what to expect if you undergo surgery to lose weight. She explains the different types of surgery available, such as gastric bypass and gastric sleeve, and which patients are eligible and have the best chance of success. To learn more about weight-loss surgery, including how to sign up for a free information session, click here.

A guest speaker at Upstate addresses health issues affecting transgender people. Kellan Baker is the Centennial Scholar in the department of health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He explains that transgender people may have trouble getting access to any sort of health care, and he discusses health-related issues that disproportionately affect transgender people, such as suicide attempts, social stigma and stress. Baker was visiting Upstate to deliver a lecture.