Expert Interview

ENCORE: Integrative Urology with Dr. Aaron Katz, Part 1
May 16, 2017
The best of high-tech and the best of natural therapies—are combined by today’s guest, Dr. Aaron Katz, Chairman of Urology at Winthrop University Hospital, and host of Katz’s Corner on WABC radio. Dr. Katz is a pioneer in introducing Active Holistic Surveillance which enables certain men diagnosed with early prostate cancer to undertake natural therapies while avoiding the harms associated with surgery or radiation. Dr. Katz discusses how new, innovative tests will help better identify those men who can safely eschew conventional treatments vs. those with aggressive cancers that call for more drastic intervention. He discusses the current controversy over testosterone therapy—boon or bane for men? Routine PSA screening—does it do more harm than good? Dr. Katz enumerates basic lifestyle steps that men can take to avoid prostate problems—diet, exercise, stress reduction and targeted supplements. Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: Integrative Urology with Dr. Aaron Katz, Part 2

The best of high-tech and the best of natural therapies are combined by today’s guest, Dr. Aaron Katz. Click HERE for part 1.

ENCORE: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Part 1
May 15, 2017
Dr. Benjamin Brown explores natural approaches to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in his new book, "The Digestive Health Solution: Your Personalized Five-Step Plan for Inside-Out Digestive Wellness." Is your IBS “all in your head?” Do you just have to “learn to live with it?” Are there various subtypes of IBS that require different answers? Why is there no “one-size-fits-all” approach to IBS? What is “visceral hypersensitivity” What’s the FODMAP diet and how can it help IBS sufferers? What role for melatonin, peppermint, carminative herbs, kiwi extract (Phloe), probiotics, digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid supplements? How do sleep and exercise impact IBS? What innovative tests can help reveal the underlying causes of your IBS? Are meditation and stress reduction helpful? Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Benajmin Brown, exploring natural approaches to Irritable bowel Syndrome. Click HERE for part 1.

An Odyssey Through a Mysterious Illness, Part 1
May 9, 2017
In her new book, "Through the Shadowlands," science journalist Julie Rehmeyer chronicles her odyssey through a mysterious illness. After encountering debilitating fatigue, Rehmeyer got no answers from medical doctors other than a diagnosis of CFS--Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Even the slightest exertion prompted severe exacerbations. After one particularly incapacitating bout, she undertook an extreme measure--a desert retreat to Death Valley. There she discovered that one component of her illness was mold sensitivity. Rehmeyer describes how volatile gasses emitted by molds can cripple the nervous systems of susceptible individuals. She emphasizes that there's no "one-size-fits-all" solution to CFS; different patients respond to different measures like diet, supplements, hormonal support, or immunomodulators. Rehmeyer has become a vocal advocate for CFS research, and briefs us on the latest advances. She also offers a critique of a much-maligned study--PACE--which concludes that CFS patients just need exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy to recover. Click HERE for part 2.

An Odyssey Through a Mysterious Illness, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with science journalist Julie Rehmeyer, author of "Through the Shadowlands: A Science Writer's Odyssey into an Illness Science Doesn't Understand," who chronicles her odyssey through a mysterious illness. Click HERE for part 1.

The Dangers of Excessive Medication, Part 1
April 27, 2017
Polypharmacy--the prescribing of multiple medications simultaneously--is a big problem, especially among seniors. Surveys reveal that the average 65+ individual takes 14 prescription medications per year! It's not uncommon to see elderly patients taking 6 or 7 drugs daily. Su Robotti, founder of the Medshadow Foundation (www.medshadow.org), highlights the dangers of excessive medication. What three drug categories cause 60% of the serious complications among seniors? How is it that pharmaceutical meds are the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S.? Of particular concern is the indiscriminate prescribing of opiates for ordinary back pain, a condition that affects 70% of older adults. What are the alternatives? Click HERE for part 2.

The Dangers of Excessive Medication, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Su Robotti, founder of the Medshadow Foundation (www.medshadow.org). Click HERE for part 1.

ENCORE: The Downsides of Electronic Medical Records, Part 1
April 13, 2017
Electronic Medical Records: The Potemkin Village of Healthcare: Dr. Gerard Gianoli, an outspoken critic of our current bureaucratized system of medicine whose Op-Eds have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, weighs in on the downsides of EMRs. They burden doctors with paperwork, result in “Cookie Cutter” medical care, force independent physicians to become employees of large healthcare corporations, and compromise patient privacy. Recent news demonstrates how entire hospital systems can be held hostage by hackers. Low-cost, low-tech procedures—and simply talking to patients—are often discouraged by artificially low reimbursement rates. Physician burnout is at unprecedented levels and is highly correlated with whether or not doctors accept insurance or Medicare with its onerous requirements and strictures. Doctors are committing suicide at record rates, and older doctors are retiring in droves to sidestep changes dictated by new regulations. In view of a looming physician shortage, this is bad news for medical consumers. Dr. Gianoli advocates that physicians and patients get off the insurance reimbursement “grid” and rediscover quality care with 3rd party medicine, free of bureaucratic encumbrances. Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: The Downsides of Electronic Medical Records, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Gerard Gianoli, an outspoken critic of our current bureaucratized system of medicine. Click HERE for part 1.