Mark Laftavi, MD, explains how islet transplants can help in severe cases of pancreatic disease or diabetes. Carla Patterson-Wingate talks about the role of social workers in health care. Ramachandra Naik, MD, discusses treatments for diabetes and pre-diabetes.

Upstate's Randall Green, MD, and Aqeel Sandu, MD, discuss a new solution for the heart problem known as atrial fibrillation. Upstate's Steve Harris and actress Annette Adams-Brown explain the role of standardized patients and how to become one. Onondaga County official Myrna Koldin gives an overview of Medicare, including where to get help and information.

Upstate gastroenterologist Sekou Rawlins, MD, tells about theories for the cause of inflammatory bowel diseases (or IBDs), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, but says it is not known for sure what causes these diseases. Some people are prone to developing an IBD, but it's likely that environmental factors such as where you live and what you eat, may play a role. He also talks about diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.

Nurse practitioner Stephanie Loveless discusses risk factors that increase a person's chance of having a stroke. Smoking, high cholesterol levels, diabetes and high blood pressure are all risk factors. People who have already had a stroke are at increased risk for having another one, called a secondary stroke. She talks about what patients can do to help reduce their stroke risk.

Sleep apnea is dangerous because it can increase a person's risk for high blood pressure, stroke and vascular dementia. When a person repeatedly stops breathing during the night, the lowered oxygen levels can have negative effects on the heart and brain. Many people don't know they have sleep apnea and therefore don't realize they are at increased risk for serious health problems, explains neurologist Antonio Culebras, MD. He says about 75 percent of people who are hospitalized after a stroke have sleep apnea, and half either did not know they had sleep apnea or did not have the disorder under control. Culebras is the director of medical neurology for the Upstate Sleep Center. He details the symptoms of sleep apnea and tells what people can do to reduce their risk of developing it.

Neal Seidberg, MD, tells about a new way to store health records on iPhones. Ethicists Thomas Curran, MD, and Robert Olick, JD, PhD, discuss the importance of selecting a health care proxy. Michael Meguid, MD, shares information on cobalt and its relation to health.

People who develop Type 2 diabetes (the most common form of the disease) have a period of "pre-diabetes," which may last as long as 10 years and exist without symptoms. Ramachandra Naik, MD, a professor of endocrinology at Upstate, talks about screening for certain patients and what can be done to prevent or delay the development of diabetes. He also goes over the most common complications.

Upstate orthopedic surgeon Daryll Dykes, MD, JD, PhD, dispels myths about back pain. Gynecologist Renee Mestad, MD, goes over the most popular birth control methods. Syracuse University head football coach Dino Babers talks about motivating student athletes.

Social worker Carla Patterson-Wingate talks about how her father's situation inspired her to devote her practice to occupational health. She explains her work in Upstate's Occupational Health Clinical Center, providing counseling and guidance to people who have been injured or become seriously ill on the job.

The main job of the pancreas is to secrete digestive enzymes, but tiny clusters of cells called islets have the important job of producing insulin. A relatively new surgical option for patients with chronic pancreatitis involves removal of the pancreas. The islets are salvaged and relocated to the patient's liver, where they continue their job of producing insulin. Patients then take pancreatic enzymes to aid in digestion. Mark Laftavi, MD, professor of surgery and interim chief of transplant services at Upstate University Hospital, explains the procedure -- and how it may also be used to help people with severe forms of diabetes. For more information on islet transplants, call 315-464-5413.