Primary Care Today

The Mediterranean Diet, rich in plant-based foods, is associated with a variety of health benefits, including a lower incidence of dementia. Extra-virgin olive oil, a specific ingredient used abundantly in this diet, is now speculated to help protect people against cognitive decline.

Host Brian McDonough talks with Domenico Pratico, Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Microbiology at the Center for Translational Medicine at the Louis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, about how consumption of olive oil can preserve memory and cognitive ability and potentially reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease.

More men than women are diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease by almost a 2 to 1 margin. However, women receive supportive surgery less often than men, and their symptoms are more severe on average by the time surgical options are taken.

Host Brian McDonough chats with Dr. Allison Willis, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, about gender differences in diagnosing and managing Parkinson's Disease.

Vegetative state is commonly defined as "wakefulness with awareness." Patients with a vegetative state diagnosis will show only reflex behavior, are not able to follow commands and are unable to communicate. This barrier in the inability for patients to communicate can make it difficult for doctors to measure their level of consciousness. In fact, some patients who are believed to be in a completely vegetative state may be more aware of what's going on than people realize.

Host Brian McDonough joins Dr. Adrian Owen, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging at the Brain and Mind Institute at Western University. They talk about how the use of MRI technology is aiding doctors in measuring the level of consciousness in patients under vegetative states.

Recently, Millennials (those born after 1980) have become the largest generation in the U.S. workforce and are also the fastest-growing population of customers in the marketplace. By extension this makes them a dominant player in the health care field, both as patients and providers. But Millennials exhibit different attitudes toward employment, consumerism, health, and wellness compared to previous generations, with greater emphasis on social responsibility. This challenges conventional thinking on workforce management and customer/patient engagement.

Dr. Brian McDonough sits down with Brian Peavey, CEO of real estate company Profitshare, about the shifting paradigm toward social responsibility in Millennials.

Interoperability refers to the capacity for computer systems and software to exchange information and interpret that shared data.

The ability for machines to communicate efficiently within healthcare systems offers a myriad of vital benefits to patients and providers. For instance, as data becomes more mobile, personal health information entered by clinicians can begin to reach patients wherever they are and whenever they need it.

Dr. Brian McDonough sits down with Brendan McCorkle, CEO and Founder of CloudMine, to discuss his perspectives on the importance of health care systems interoperability and how to implement it successfully.

Could constant cell phone use be damaging children's brains?

Host Dr. Brian McDonough chats with Daniel Debaun, author of Radiation Nation: The Fallout of Modern Technology," about how electromagnetic frequency (EMF) radiation produced by modern technology such as cell phones, tablets, laptops, Wi-Fi, and smart meters may be emerging as a health threat with many unknown consequences.

What does MACRA mean to the clinical practice environment, and how will it impact your own practice? Dr. Katherine Schneider, President and CEO of the Delaware Valley Accountable Care Organization, discusses how MACRA is affecting physician practices. Host Dr. Brian McDonough joins her to outline what physicians can do to prepare for the changing landscape of payment through Medicare.

It's widely known that genetics, family history, race, and other factors all play important roles in cancer risk. But what kinds of roles do they play, specifically, and how can we leverage these understandings into better primary care?

Dr. Brian McDonough is joined by Dr. Maureen Murphy, research scientist at the Wistar Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Murphy has spent the past twenty years studying how genes affect breast cancer risk in women, particularly for African American populations. She discusses her findings on the discovery of p53 protein variants and how this advances the role for precision medicine in treating breast cancer.

Hemorrhagic strokes account for about 200,000 strokes per year. Of those who survive, about 66 percent suffer some permanent brain damage. Our guest, biophysicist Dr. Annalisa Scimemi, has been studying the receptors in the brain that may contribute to brain damage immediately after hemorrhagic stroke. Alongside host Dr. Brian McDonough, she will discuss how to lessen the effects of brain damage following a stroke.

Most of us struggle to be productive during the workday due to daily stress. The task of decluttering our minds proves challenging. On this segment, Michel Pascal, author of the book Meditation for Daily Stress: 10 Practices for Immediate Well-being, speaks with host Dr. Brian McDonough about ways to achieve calmness and improve productivity in our daily lives. He provides meditation techniques that reduce stress, de-clutter minds, and help one to discover inner peace.