The Scope

Our genetic code is made up of 3.3 billion base pairs of DNA, and one single base pair change can be enough to put someone at risk for developing disease. Dr. Nicki Camp, a professor of genetic epidemiology at the University of Utah, uses one of the world’s most extensive resources of it’s kind, the Utah Population Database, to hunt down the tiny changes that trigger inherited cancers, including m...

As the weather gets colder, some people experience nosebleeds. When is a nosebleed serious enough to go the ER and when can you take care of it yourself? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about why the cold, dry air may cause nosebleeds and how to properly take care of a nosebleed at home.

Fat tends to get a bad reputation, but not all fat is bad – brown fat is actually good for you. Not only does it help you stay thin, it also has amazing healing powers. Dr. Amit Patel discusses the difference between good and bad fat, why brown fat is considered good fat, and why it might be rare in adults. He also talks about potential ways to increase the amount of brown fat in the body.

A lot of parents worry about their child’s bowel movements: Is it normal? Is it not normal? Is the stool too hard or too soft? How many days can a child go between bowel movements? Pediatrician Dr. Cindy Gellner tells you the difference between regular and irregular bowel movements in children—which is more common than you might think—and how to help your child avoid constipation.

It’s your New Year’s resolution to be healthier, but have you ever paused to consider what that means – to be healthier? Dr. Tom Miller says it’s not that complicated. It’s just about doing, and avoiding, a few things. Take sixty seconds to find out, and you might actually keep your resolution this year – and feel better too.

Is it food poisoning? A stomach bug? The latest food contamination you heard about on the news? Or is it simply something you ate that doesn’t agree with you? When it comes to stomach issues, it can sometimes be hard to figure out how serious it is and what you should do about it. Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen breaks down the signs and symptoms that will easily help you decide if your s...

During cold weather, some people may notice more body stiffness and soreness. Is it normal to feel aches and pains around the winter months, or is this a legitimate health concern? Physical therapist Linda Scholl, DPT , talks about what the cold weather does to your muscles and joints, and how to prevent aches and pains with simple daily exercise.

It's not uncommon this time of year to slip and fall on the ice. If you do, should you go to the ER? Emergency medicine physician Dr. Troy Madsen answers that question and also tells you how he would try to fall to minimize potential injuries.

Family dinners, holiday parties, jingle bells and presents! It’s that joyous time of the year again – but you’re feeling depressed and moody. Are you really depressed or just stressed? Psychiatrist Dr. Jason Hunziker talks about the signs and symptoms of holiday depression, why it’s common this time of year and tips for recapturing some holiday cheer.

Hypothermia is when your body temperature gets too low. But you might be surprised to find out it doesn’t really need to be all that cold to get hypothermia. Dr. Troy Madsen talks about the conditions required for hypothermia to happen, discuses the signs and symptoms, when it becomes life threatening and what you can do to help someone with hypothermia.

University of Utah researchers have discovered a genetic variation in mice that predisposes them toward developing severe, inflammatory arthritis. The finding implicates a new class of genes in arthritis progression, potentially opening doors to new treatment options for sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis and Lyme arthritis. Dr. Janis Weis, professor of pathology, and Dr. Kenneth Bramwell, postdoct...

You’re at work or at a theater and the person next to you falls to the ground and starts shaking – it might be a seizure. How do you know for sure it’s a seizure, and more importantly, what do you do? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen says the popular belief that you need to put something in seizure victims’ mouths to stop them from swallowing their tongues is a myth. He’ll explain the diff...

Whether you work outside, are an outdoor enthusiast or simply shoveling your walk, when it gets this cold, frostnip and frostbite are real dangers. Because one of the symptoms of frostbite is numbness, you might not even know you have it until it’s too late, which makes it especially dangerous for kids. Dr. Vivian Lee and Dr. Amalia Cochran talk about what happens to your skin when it gets too col...

University of Utah researcher, Janet Iwasa, Ph. D., has discovered that visual representations spark scientific discussions. Molecular animators are making movies starring cells, proteins, viruses, and more, and research as scientists are using them to focus their work.

You’re at a holiday dinner and you think someone is choking on food – should you give them the Heimlich maneuver? Does it really work? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen answers these questions and also tells you how to identify if someone is really choking, whether you should perform the Heimlich and how to tell if you’re doing it properly.

Although prostate cancer isn’t likely to kill you, it can have a very negative impact on your quality of life. For men who have been diagnosed with the disease, figuring out the right treatment option can be overwhelming. Dr. Jonathan Tward from Huntsman Cancer Institute discusses the different treatment options for prostate cancer and how to figure out which option may be the best for you. He als...

If you’re a man and live long enough, you’re likely to get prostate cancer. But when should you get screened and what does a positive screening mean? Dr. Jonathan Tward from Huntsman Cancer Institute tells you the effectiveness of prostate cancer screening. He also discusses the potential downsides of early screening and why many men go for years without knowing they have prostate cancer.

If you think the use of leeches to bleed people died with the Middle Ages, you might be surprised to learn that the slimy bugs are used in modern medicine to suck out venous blood and allow room for new, oxygenated blood. But these leeches may be out of a job soon. Dr. Jay Agarwal talks about the importance of leeches in medicine and the introduction of mechanical leeches to the medical world. He...

Degloving sounds pretty gruesome, and it can happen if you put your hand in the snowblower – even if it’s not running. And surprisingly, it’s not the arms and hands that get injured in most chainsaw accidents. Even an innocent looking snow shovel can send you to the emergency room. This winter, avoid the types of injuries Dr. Troy Madsen sees from snowblowers, chainsaws, and even the good old-fash...

Choosing the right toy is not about what is trending—it is about how children learn at each stage of development. From infants discovering the world through sound, texture, and cause-and-effect, to older kids using play to explore identity, creativity, and independence, the best toys grow with a child's needs. Pediatrician Cindy Gellner, MD , breaks down what actually supports learning and develop...

Borrowing tools from Hollywood, Dr. Janet Iwasa, Research Assistant Professor in Biochemistry at the University of Utah, transforms research findings into lively, 3-D animated movies. She says the process causes scientists to think about their work more deeply and to question assumptions. Since it's hard to resist a good movie, the animations are effective tools for communicating results to scient...

You’re considering a pancreas transplant to cure your type 1 diabetes, but have questions – This episode of The Scope is for you. Dr. Jeffery Campsen, surgical director of transplants, talks about the benefits of a pancreas transplant for type one diabetes patients, how it works compared to traditional methods of controlling the disease and why it is one of the best options for many people.

The stigma associated with lung cancer is that it’s a smokers’ disease and they’ve brought it on themselves. While it’s true that 90 percent of lung cancer cases are smoking related, 10 percent come from other causes, and that number is even higher in Utah at 30 percent. Learn about the non-smoking causes of lung cancer from Dr. Shamus Carr at Huntsman Cancer Institute, including occupational, env...

Your family’s medical history is one of the most important indicators of your future health and is valuable information for your doctor. Thanksgiving is National Family History day and is a great time to ask your relatives about your family's medical history. Genetic Counselor Wendy Kohlmann, MS , at Huntsman Cancer Institute talks about the specific questions you should ask, how a genetic counsel...

Some of the health issues that concerns women don’t actually pertain to their own health, but rather, the health of the men in their life. One of the health problems women want their men to know about—and fix—is snoring. Women’s expert Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones talks about why snoring can be a problem for bed partners and how women can help their men fix the health issue.