Advances in Women's Health

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Mark Hughes, MD, PhD In the context of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), the revolutionary prospects of the human genome are quite striking. Dr. Mark Hughes, professor of molecular medicine and genetics at Wayne State University School of Medicine, and director of the Genesis Genetics Institute in Detroit, joins host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo to address the inescapabl...

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Oliver Schultheiss Dr. Oliver Schultheiss, chair of experimental psychology and neuroscience at Frederich-Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany, discusses his research into the effect of estrogen on the general temperament of women. Dr. Schultheiss tells host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo that estrogen levels may explain specific behavior patterns, including responsiveness t...

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Dale Sandler, PhD, MPH Rising rates of breast cancer are of concern to everyone in medicine. To what can we attribute this disturbing trend? For answers, host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo welcomes Dale Sandler, PhD, MPH, chief of epidemiology at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and principal investigator of the NIEHS Sister Study, a bold initiat...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Nehama Dresner, MD Many patients who present for specific medical problems suffer from a psychiatric illness for which they are already receiving treatment. Host Dr. Lauren Streicher reviews strategies for effective interfacing of multi-disciplinary care for pregnant or sexually hypoactive women with Dr. Nehama Dresner, associate professor of clinical psychiatry,...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Nehama Dresner, MD What is the psychological impact on patients faced with difficult obstretic and gynecology-related situations? Dr. Nehama Dresner, associate professor of clinical psychiatry, behavioral sciences, and obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, addresses situational depression and anxiety plaguing these pat...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Nehama Dresner, MD Postpartum depression and postpartum blues are vastly different clinical concerns, yet the former is often simply viewed (and treated) as a more severe version of the latter. Dr. Nehama Dresner, associate professor of clinical psychiatry, behavioral sciences, and obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, j...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Steven Stryker, MD The prevalence of colorectal cancer could be reduced by 95% with proper screening in every patient at recommended age intervals. That’s according to Dr. Steven Stryker, professor of clinical surgical oncology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Yet colorectal cancer remains the second most common cancer in America. Dr. Stry...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Steven Stryker, MD There is a dramatically uneven distribution of risk among women for colorectal cancer, the second most common cancer in America. Low-risk women have only five percent lifetime odds of developing the disease, while moderate and high-risk subsets are much more vulnerable. What accounts for this risk? The evidence points to a series of genetic and...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Bruce McLucas, MD It’s generally accepted as appropriate and efficacious treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids, but uterine artery embolization is dogged by questions about its short- and long-term outcomes. Host Dr. Lauren Streicher addresses the debate with Dr. Bruce McLucas, clinical assistant professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Bruce McLucas, MD Despite 600,000 hysterectomies, fibroids remain the number one reason women undergo surgery. While removal of the uterus may be the best treatment, uterine artery embolization may be a non-surgical option for many women with symptomatic fibroids. Dr. Lauren Streicher speaks with Dr. Bruce McLucas, clinical assistant professor in the department of...

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Lee Philip Shulman, MD, FACOG, FACMG Few would quibble with the notion that every patient, irrespective of age, needs genetic screening. When it comes to prenatal testing, early answers are ideal for expectant mothers and their families. Dr. Lee Shulman, professor and chair of reproductive genetics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, examines AFP-...

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Lee Philip Shulman, MD, FACOG, FACMG Prenatal screening and diagnosis are often used interchangeably, confusing both patients and physicians on the actual meaning of these two very different genetic testing options. This uncertainty has caused a growing concern in pregnant patients and a desire for greater clarity in their genetic screening options. Join host Dr. Lis...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Michael Koren, MD If you had instant access to the opinion of a panel of board-certified physicians, would this augment your approach to the practice of medicine? Ask 100 Doctors is an organization providing web-based consultation technology, which strives to connect physicians from all corners of medicine. Dr. Michael Koren, founder of Ask 100 Doctors, joins host...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Marla Mendelson, MD Marfan Syndrome, an inherited connective tissue disorder, affects 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 20,000 individuals. Women with Marfan Syndrome have a wide range of abnormalities involving the lungs, skin, ocular, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Today we are joined by Dr. Marla A. Mendelson, an assistant professor of Medicine at Northwestern U...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Marla Mendelson, MD According to the National Center for Health Statistics one in nine women will develop some form of cardiovascular disease by age 64. After age 65, the ratio rises to one in three women. Few women however, know what they should be doing to prevent heart disease, even though it is ten times more likely that an American woman will die from heart d...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Marla Mendelson, MD It is 10 times more likely that an American woman will die of cardiovascular disease than breast cancer. Yet few female patients know what they should be doing to prevent heart disease. How can we help? Dr. Marla Mendelson, director of the women’s cardiology program and assistant professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Jan Berger, MD An array of tools on the internet, coupled with direct-to-consumer marketing by pharmaceutical companies, have put us in a situation where patients obtain much of their medical knowledge from sources other than their personal physician. Dr. Jan Berger, senior vice president and chief clinical officer of CVS Caremark Corporation, outlines effective c...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Jan Berger, MD Up to 50% of the prescriptions we write are never filled. Even when the patient does initiate recommended treatment, roughly half discontinue that treatment without informing or consulting their physicians. Medication management is one area that is showing increasing risk for medical liability as well as significant time and cost to the healthcare e...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Brian Kaplan, MD Prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders has traditionally involved testing of an established pregnancy by utilizing chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. In the event that an abnormality is detected, pregnancy termination is then offered as an option. Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is an option that can be utilized during In Vitro...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Brian Kaplan, MD While freezing embryos has long been an option, many single women who hope to have a future partner, are requesting oocyte preservation rather than utilizing donor sperm. Dr. Kaplan discusses new methods of cryopreservation , current clinical recommendations and outcomes.

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Ted Anderson, MD, PhD What are the most important considerations for our female patients as potential candidates for endometrial ablation? Dr. Ted Anderson, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, outlines the preoperative evaluation process with host Dr. Lauren Streicher, including a review of five devices whi...

Host: Lauren Streicher, MD Guest: Ted Anderson, MD, PhD Dr. Ted Anderson, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses revised ACOG guidelines, pre-operative evaluation, and choosing appropriate patients for Endometrial Ablation. Dr. Anderson also discuses the potential pitfalls of Endometrial Ablation

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Joyce Walsleben, RN, PhD 57% of women are affected by a sleep disturbance in their lifetime. How often are their complaints insomnia versus obstructive sleep apnea? Once thought to affect obese men primarily, extensive research in the area of OSA in women by Dr. Joyce Walsleben has revealed treatment modalities you can employ to help your patients.

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Cathy Wicklund, MS The Genetic Counselor as an amazing tool in your medical armamentarium: As the genome becomes better understood new medical challenges will become evident. The tools to best educate ourselves and to assist our patients as they need to determine the w’s: when, who and why should someone undergo genetic testing. The what do I do after I know I have a...

Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD Guest: Joanna Rudnick Guest: Julie Burger, JD Genetic Discrimination- There should be a law against it, and we’re working on it; The Genetic Information Non Discrimination Act (GINA). What is the ethical and legal dilemma of BRCA 1 / 2 testing? 30,000 women have tested positive for brca1 or 2 but an estimated 250,000 women are suspected to be positive as well but are afraid...