2003

S6.E1 ∙ Bladder Disorder

Tue, Apr 18, 2006

Interstitial Cystitis, or IC, is a bladder disorder that is often confused with "Over-Active Bladder or OAB" syndrome - millions suffer from it. The symptoms often start with frequency and urgency of urination but as the disease progresses over time, chronic pelvic pain starts to develop. The preliminary symptoms of IC can also vary widely with pain emanating from different areas of the torso from just above the knees to just below the navel. This can make accurate diagnosis more challenging, and many patients have had to wait years while doctors sort through a variety of possible causes.

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S6.E2 ∙ Lung Disease

Tue, Apr 25, 2006

Pulmonary Fibrosis is a set of diseases that cause progressive scarring inside the lungs. Over time the lungs are slowly replaced with scar tissue, which causes airways to restrict airflow, making it difficult to breath and to get enough oxygen. Doctors, patients and researchers are hoping clinical trials will lead to a drug that prevents lung function from worsening ultimately allowing patients to live longer.

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S6.E3 ∙ Diabetes Management

Tue, May 09, 2006

Diabetes is a progressive and currently incurable condition that can strike at any age. According to the Centers for Disease and Control, there are nearly 21 million people in the United States who have diabetes. And due to the obesity epidemic, more children are developing the disease. Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial. If blood glucose levels are not carefully controlled, the disease may lead to serious health problems. The message to remember: Most diabetes-related complications can be prevented if individuals successfully manage their disease.

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S6.E4 ∙ Life After Heart Attack

Tue, May 16, 2006

Each year, more than 1 million men and women suffer a heart attack. This event suddenly and dramatically changes the person's life forever, but studies show if the sufferer is able to get to a hospital quickly, more than 90% will survive the attack. Life After a Heart Attack explains what every man and woman needs to know in order to recognize the signs of a heart attack - which can differ between men and women - so early and critical medical intervention can be done to minimize the damage. Heart attack sufferers have their lives unexpectedly changed. But through determination, targeted medications and lifestyle modifications they can return to a productive life.

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S6.E5 ∙ Targeted Cancer Therapy

Tue, May 23, 2006

For dozens of years, the most common forms of cancer treatments included traditional chemotherapy, radiation and possibly surgery. Now newer medications are emerging, thanks to advances in science. Research has brought about a better understanding of cancer on a molecular level. This understanding is resulting in medicines that zero in on properties unique to cancer cells, allowing those medicines to selectively affect cancer with the potential of less collateral damage to healthy cells in the body. This episode, "Targeted Cancer Therapy," describes how targeted therapies work, and introduces patients and families who are finding hope and healing where there once was none.

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S6.E6 ∙ Learning About RA

Tue, May 30, 2006

Morning stiffness of the hands and swelling of knuckles... these can be more than the toll of hard work; they can be the first signs of rheumatoid arthritis. This inflammatory disease is caused by the body's own immune system attacking itself. Doctors and patients alike understand that the pain won't go away on its own. This disease requires constant attention and a disciplined treatment plan to help patients regain control of their lives.

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S6.E7 ∙ Living with RA

Tue, Jun 06, 2006

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis can suffer immense pain, swelling, stiffness of the joints and fatigue. Once the disease sets in it can involve many joints, be more persistent and cause more disability. Although the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, experts believe no single reason is responsible and researchers are currently looking at gender and genetics. Rheumatoid arthritis can be a debilitating, crippling disease if not treated, but there is good news. There are new life-changing treatments available to patients today than ever before. Today's new medications, are giving advanced patients a higher level of treatment, ultimately improving their quality of life. In this program we'll hear from patients who've been struggling with pain and fatigue for more than ten years and now have real hope for the future.

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S6.E8 ∙ Super Staph

Tue, Jun 13, 2006

For the past 60 years, antibiotics have rescued countless lives from potentially deadly bacterial infections -- but the germs are learning to fight back. Infections that don't respond to traditional antibiotics are on the rise across the country. One of the most common of these mutant pathogens is known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA. Unlike common staph infections, MRSA cannot be treated with methicillin, amoxicillin or many related antibiotics. MRSA can strike anyone, although hospital patients are the most vulnerable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in intensive care units, 65 percent of all staph infections are now caused by MRSA. While researchers scramble to create new antibiotics, experts are stressing steps to prevent MRSA from spreading -- in both hospitals and communities nationwide.

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S6.E9 ∙ Aspects of MS

Tue, Jun 20, 2006

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is considered an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. A fatty tissue called myelin, surrounds and protects the nerves in the central nervous system, helping nerve fibers send electrical messages to the entire body. While the exact cause of this disease is still unknown, most scientists agree that several factors are involved, including: genetics, gender, or environmental triggers such as a virus or bacteria. Researchers have long been searching for an infectious agent that may trigger MS. While many viruses and bacteria have been studied, nothing has been confirmed. In recent years, disease modifying medications have been shown to slow down the progression of MS, its rate of relapse and the body's overall disability.

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S6.E10 ∙ Breast Cancer: Early Detection

Tue, Jun 27, 2006

Breast cancer is probably one of the diseases women fear the most, but in the past 30 years there have been tremendous advances in the treatment and detection of breast cancer. In this program, we'll examine the new forms of treatment designed to help women fight breast cancer and lower the risk of the disease returning in the future. Also, we'll highlight some of the targeted therapies that are changing the way doctors approach breast cancer and are giving women much higher survival rates. Plus, we'll see how mammograms can be made digital, allowing the experts to get a closer look at what could be cancer in its earliest forms. And we'll see why detecting the cancer in its earliest stages offers women the best chance for a cure.

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S6.E11 ∙ Spinal Disease

Tue, Jul 04, 2006

Bending, leaning, lifting, stretching... these are some of the benefits of a healthy spine, and what most of us consider being the essence of an active lifestyle. But for over half a million people suffering from Ankylosing Spondylitis, these routine activities become limited due to inflammation and arthritic pain of the spine. Advancements have been made that aid doctors in detecting and treating this disease early, allowing patients to maintain a more active lifestyle.

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S6.E12 ∙ NSAID Options

Tue, Jul 11, 2006

People who live with chronic pain often find themselves in a catch-22. The very medications that ease their pain can damage their stomachs and, in some cases, lead to life-threatening complications. The American College of Gastroenterology estimates that 14 million arthritis patients regularly use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS. This includes the popular pain relievers aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. Up to 60 percent of people who use NSAIDS regularly experience some type of gastrointestinal distress, such as heartburn, stomach pain or nausea, and a smaller percentage develop ulcers. Bleeding ulcers and other gastrointestinal complications send 100,000 NSAIDS users to the hospital every year and cause up to 10,000 deaths. Now there are new strategies to help patients with chronic pain protect their stomachs without giving up NSAIDS.

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S6.E13 ∙ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Tue, Jul 18, 2006

Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer among men and women alike, claiming more lives than breast, colon and prostate cancer combined. Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of this disease, accounting for 87 percent of all lung cancers. Because lung cancer has usually spread throughout the body before it is discovered, the survival rates for patients are quite poor. But new therapies and advances in imaging studies that could lead to earlier detection are serving as beacons of hope for patients and their families.

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