Chasing Life

How do you treat a disease where the cause is unknown and each patient’s symptoms are unique? CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to pain expert Dr. Carmen Green about what causes chronic pain, how it can be treated, and which patients are more likely to get care. Plus, meet a man who feels no pain and a woman who figured out how to cope with hers.  To learn more about how CNN...

For many of us, Thanksgiving means reuniting with friends or family we haven’t seen in a while. But before you gather around the dinner table, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has tips to share for keeping loved ones safe from Covid-19. Plus, Dr. Gupta invites us into his home where he and his daughters prepare a special family recipe that’s sure to warm up any holiday gathering....

Is it possible that the right foods could prevent and even treat cancer? Or that a healthy diet could alleviate your depression and anxiety? CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta heads into the kitchen to explore how food can actually be a powerful medicine for our bodies and minds. Plus, psychiatrist, nutritionist and professional chef Dr. Uma Naidoo shares what everyday foods we sho...

CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy about vaccinating younger children. They also get candid about the mental, physical and emotional tolls of the pandemic on our youth.  To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From doomscrolling to comfort food, bad habits are hard to break – so where do we begin? CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the relationship between habits, addiction and anxiety with neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Judson Brewer, from Sharecare and Brown University. They discuss the brain science behind forming and breaking habits, and Dr. Brewer explains why willpowe...

Fear brings with it a kind of powerful temptation: people want to know fear, to confront it, and maybe even conquer it. In the lead up to Halloween, we're devoting an episode to all things scary. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks with psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett about the science of fear, and how our approach to coping might be all wrong.  We go deep inside the human b...

We’re always waiting for something, whether it’s in line for your morning coffee, on hold with customer service, or waiting for life-changing medical results. So how can we get better at waiting and make it feel less excruciating... maybe even fun? CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks with waiting expert Professor Kate Sweeny to understand the science of waiting, why we evolved...

What if we told you that every time you make a decision, there are subtle factors beyond your control that steer your choice? It turns out, the way the options are laid out for us – on restaurant menus or even government forms – has a significant impact on the choices we make. Once we understand how these so-called “nudges” work, we can use them to improve our lives: everything from managing exerc...

Trust is hard to build and all too easily broken. It’s the essential foundation for all our relationships, and the glue that keeps our society together. But over the past two years, many Americans have lost trust in our government, our medical institution, and each other. On today’s episode, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with trust expert Professor Karen Cook about the re...

As one of the few female rockstars of the 1970s and ‘80s, Joan Jett was frustrated by the misogyny and disrespect she experienced ... but rather than be consumed by her anger, she channeled it into her music with hits like “Bad Reputation.” And she’s not the only one who’s felt that experience of seeing red, especially now. There’s so much to be angry about in the United States: political divisive...

Covid-19 taught the world a tough lesson: if we aren't prepared for a viral threat, the consequences can be catastrophic. But what does it mean to be truly prepared? The question feels more urgent now that public health officials warn that many of us may experience another pandemic in our lifetimes. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta turns to former F.D.A. Commissioner Dr. Scott Go...

Record-breaking temperatures resulting from climate change are occurring more often, lasting longer, and are more intense than ever before. This is a problem that affects us all, putting our lives at risk. On today’s episode, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with Dr. June Spector from the University of Washington about how we can take better care of our health during extreme...

Grief is something we all experience at different stages of life, even more so during this pandemic. But what happens when you must mourn the loss of your own child? CNN journalists Andrew Kaczynski and René Marsh received terrible diagnoses within months of each other: their infant children had brain tumors. Yet in the midst of great tragedy, they found strength in chasing a cure for others. So i...

Chasing Life returns on September 7, but until then, here's an episode of Hidden Brain. Having a sense of purpose can be a buffer against the challenges we all face at various stages of life. Purpose can also boost our health and longevity. Cornell University psychologist Anthony Burrow explains why purpose isn't something to be found — it's something we can develop from within. To learn more abou...

While season 2 of Chasing Life is in production, here's an episode of NPR's Life Kit you'll love. Burnout is common across the globe, and the pandemic has only exacerbated it. In this episode, experts unpack the signs of burnout and how you can gain more control over your work and your life. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choic...

For the past year and a half, the pandemic has kept many older adults apart from their loved ones. But now that people are getting vaccinated, many older Americans are finally reuniting with their friends and family. On today’s episode, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta gives CNN's Don Lemon advice about reuniting with his risk-averse mother now that they’re both vaccinated, Dr. Pre...

The upcoming Tokyo Olympics will be one of the few Games ever to take place during a global pandemic. That means zero fans in the host city, no family or friends allowed and a ban on cheering. What effect will all of this have on the athletes? CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to two-time Olympic rower Gevvie Stone about this week’s competition and her difficult decision to...

It’s been a challenging time to start a family: some had to halt fertility treatments during lockdown, while others re-evaluated whether to have children at all. For today’s episode, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta hands things over to CNN reporter Chloe Melas to talk about the journey of having kids, as well as her own personal story with infertility. Melas speaks with fertility...

Scientifically speaking, what is the purpose of laughter? Why is it so important for our brains and well-being? And how might it help us get back to “normal” as we emerge from the pandemic? CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with Emmy- and Grammy-nominated comedian Tig Notaro about telling cancer jokes after her 2012 breast cancer diagnosis and why she actually laughed a lot d...

We all know sleep is vital, so why do many of us still find it so difficult to prioritize? CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with sleep scientist Rebecca Robbins about why we sleep in the first place and how to ensure we get a good night’s rest. And neurologist Ying-Hui Fu explores the latest research surrounding sleep, including what regulates the amount of sleep we actually...

Remote work, school closures, and no playdates: there’s no question the pandemic upended family life in ways that were simply unimaginable before. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with Amanda Zelechoski, a clinical psychologist and a mom of three, about the pandemic’s effect on families’ mental health and children’s development. Anthropologist Robin Nelson explains how the p...

Covid restrictions are lifting but it’s still unclear what's entirely safe: Should we eat inside a restaurant? Go on that international vacation? Or attend an indoor wedding? CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at risk tolerance and how we can better assess what risks we are and aren’t willing to take. Psychologist Maria Konnikova shares what she’s learned about calculated ris...

Heart disease remains the most common cause of death in the United States, and yet it is largely preventable. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta shares his own family history of heart disease and talks with cardiologist Dr. Clyde Yancy about what we can do to keep our hearts healthy, even if our genes make us more disposed to heart issues. And cardiologist Dr. Haider Warraich tells t...

How should we think about our bodies after this stressful past year? CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the power of exercise and the importance of cultivating respect and appreciation for our bodies. Tony Horton, trainer and creator of P90X, shares his tips for setting a realistic workout routine that you can stick with, and weight stigma expert Joy Cox discusses how we can...

Did you know that friendship can actually help your brain, heart and immune system? Now that more and more Americans are getting vaccinated, people are eager to reunite with friends they might not have seen in a while. Dr. Sanjay Gupta met up with his friend, Michelle Pfeiffer (yes, that Michelle Pfeiffer). And friendship experts Marisa Franco and Rebecca Adams explain how the pandemic has made us...