Let us make a house call! Tune in April 15th at 9pm for the premiere of “Health Matter: Family Medicine.”
Dr. Gene Kallenberg and host Dr. David Granet explore the role today’s primary care physicians play in keeping us healthy.

Health Matters host David Granet recently stopped by the KUSI studio to discuss his work at UC San Diego’s Ratner Children’s Eye Center at the Shiley Eye Center. Check out the clip below.

By Sasha Doppelt

For our latest installment of “Health Matters,” premiering tonight at 8 and online now, host David Granet talked to Dr. Jacopo Annese, director of The Brain Observatory at UC San Diego. Dr. Annese is working on a “Digital Brain Library” that uses advanced neuroimaging technologies to create digital models of the human brain at cellular resolution. Sounds like pretty standard scientific research, right? Not quite.

What makes Dr. Annese’s work unique is that he also studies — and ideally gets to know — the person behind the brain. With this information, he offers an unprecedented holistic perspective on this complex organ.

Bishop Spangler, 1932-2011

Dr. Annese’s Digital Brain Library relies on generous brain donations from community members who want to have a role in discovering how disease and aging affect the brain. San Diego resident Bishop Spangler was one of these people.

Bishop passed away on June 12, 2011 after living with GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor) for nine years. In the following paragraphs, his wife Bettie Spangler tells us about her husband, why he felt compelled to donate his brain to Dr. Annese, and how the donation experience profoundly affected Bishop and the entire Spangler family during his final days.

Can you tell us a little bit about your husband?
Bishop Spangler was born in 1932 in a rural area of Southwest Virginia into a farming family of seven children. His family had a proud, rich history of helping settle a community named Meadows of Dan. Growing up, he learned about integrity, helping your neighbors, working as a team, doing deals with a “hand shake,” making your own music, barn dancing, and church. He learned about determination if you wanted to accomplish anything, and the importance of the environment for raising crops and live stock. After high school he found a college in Kentucky where he could go and work his way through and, four years later, he graduated from Berea College with his B.A. degree majoring in physics. He went on to the University of Pittsburgh on a teaching assistant program and earned a Masters in Mathematics, and later his PhD also in Mathematics. He married and later moved to San Diego where he worked in the aerospace industry and raised a family. Eventually, Bishop left the aerospace industry and became an entrepreneur. He loved to “wheel and deal” so he became a real estate broker where he could use many of his gifts/talents/passions. His goal was to always try to help people “stretch in order to obtain their dreams.”

How did your family become involved in the brain library project?
Bishop read an article in the newspaper toward the end of May about the Brain Observatory and the work that Dr. Annese was doing. He showed me the article after he had made the phone call to the paper asking for someone to call him, as he would like to be a donor. He told me that he wanted to give his brain to this project after he died and would I make sure it happened? I said that I did not want to do that for myself, but if that is what he wanted to do, then I would do all I could do to make it happen. He told his children about his decision and they supported him, as we all recognized this as a Bishop thing.

Can you tell us about the experience?
On May 25, 2011 I received a call from Dr. Annese giving me some information about the project. I told him he would need to talk to my husband and he offered to come to our home the next day. Bishop insisted on getting dressed and coming downstairs to meet Dr. Annese, along with our daughter and son. He was ready to sign whatever papers necessary as he knew his time was short and he wanted to take care of business. He was now a brain donor! Dr. Annese was always kind and considerate about not adding pressure or pushing Bishop for more. He would always tell him what was happening during the MRI studies and asking if he felt like doing more. When Bishop got tired he would tell him…no more. At one time the whole family came into the bedroom where Bishop was talking about his early history and the grandchildren asked to sit in. It was fine with Dr. Annese as long as we were quiet. He looked around the room with some on the bed and others on the floor spread out and said, “It looks like camping,” and everyone felt at ease. One of our granddaughters said, “Witnessing Gampa relive key moments of his life through Jacopo’s interviews and knowing that it would be used in support of something he deeply cared about was one of the most powerful experiences of my life.”

Why did your husband want to donate his brain?
Bishop wanted to leave something he could be remembered by—a kind of legacy. He also wanted to leave something that might help humanity in the future. One of our granddaughters said it best, “It made perfect sense since he marked his life with a desire to make a difference and an ongoing quest for deeper understanding about the mysteries of earth and spirituality.”

How did his decision to participate impact his end-of-life experience?
A few days before he died, we were all sitting around in the bedroom listening to him and Dr. Annese talk, when our friend and minister and his wife came in. Introductions were made and then Bishop pointed to Dr. Annese and told our minister, “This man saved my life.” Meaning, he had given him hope that he would live on into the future through this project, and he would be able to contribute something that might help humanity and the scientific community. He lived to accomplish whatever he could give to Dr. Annese for his program.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Dr. Annese kept all of the promises he had made. He told me he would be with Bishop at the end and he would arrange everything needed to accomplish what Bishop indicated he wanted to do with his brain after he died. He was very clear in describing the project to us and to share the goals and objectives that he hoped to accomplish. He never pushed us in making any decisions or to keep appointments if it was not convenient. He also came to the Celebration Of Life service and gave support to all the family. By this time, we all considered him part of our family. We still are in contact. He has a kindness and a bedside manner that many do not have today. Bishop loved Jacopo and trusted him with the end of his life.

To learn more about Dr. Annese’s brain library project and research, watch “Health Matters: Your Own Personal Brain Map.” Thank you to Bettie Spangler for sharing her husband’s inspiring story with us.

Tune in tonight at 8pm (or watch it online now) when “Health Matters” host Dr. David Granet welcomes UC San Diego neurologist Dr. Geoffrey Sheean to explore ALS – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). They’ll discuss ways patients can manage symptoms to help maintain as much independence as possible and prolong survival.

Watch ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) – Health Matters.

It’s one thing to give birth, but what about the basics of caring for the baby once you’re home?

In the latest installment of “Health Matters,” Dr. Lisa Stellwagen, clinical professor of pediatrics and medical director of Newborn Services at UC San Diego, joins Dr. David Granet to discuss the information all new parents need before bringing an infant home from the hospital. Learn the basics of safe sleeping, breast-feeding, newborn vaccinations and health screenings, as well as how and when to choose a pediatrician.

Watch “Infant Care — Health Matters,” tonight (Jan. 17) at 8pm on UCSD-TV and online now.

It’s time to make some room on our award shelves!

We’re happy to report that a whopping five UCSD-TV programs have been honored with awards for excellence.

Gold is the metal of honor when it comes to our haul at the Aurora Awards. That’s because four very different UCSD-TV programs took home Gold Aurora statues.

The winners are:

Building it Better: Earthquake-Resilient Hospitals for the Future (Documentary/Project category), produced by Rich Wargo

Tan Dun’s Water Passion – La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest 2012 (Music/Live Concert category) produced by John Menier

Colon Cancer Screening: Health Matters (Educational/Fitness, Health), produced by Jennifer Ford

San Diego Opera Spotlight : Moby Dick (Documentary/Cultural category), produced by John Menier

We also rose to the top at the Telly Awards, where The Skinny on Obesity: Sickeningly Sweet, produced by UCSD-TV’s Rich Wargo and Jennifer Ford for the YouTube original channel UCTV Prime, won the Silver Telly for Internet/Online Programs in the Health and Wellness category.

The Aurora Awards are an annual independent film and video competition that honors excellence in commercials, cable programming, documentaries, industrial, instructional and corporate videos.

The Telly Awards honor the very best film and video productions, groundbreaking online video content, and outstanding local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs.

Congratulations to everyone on the UCSD-TV team!

Ouch!

No injury is good, but a tweaked shoulder can be especially inconvenient and downright uncomfortable.

A complex and unstable joint like the shoulder is often prone to injury. Luckily, there are many options for treatment.

On the latest edition of “Health Matters,” host David Granet welcomes Dr. Matthew Meunier, clinical professor at UC San Diego, to discuss treatments that may return patients to full function – whether that means a casual round of golf or competitive swimming.

Watch “Shoulder Injury — Health Matters,” tonight at 8 on UCSD-TV, and online now.

A trip abroad can be the adventure of a lifetime but it can also wreak havoc on your immune system. How can travelers minimize health risks before heading out to the airport? If you do return home sick, how can you be sure to get an accurate diagnosis?

On the latest edition of “Health Matters,” travel medicine specialist Dr. Joseph Vinetz joins host Dr. David Granet to discuss the health needs of every traveler. Also, Dr. Sharon Reed takes us on a tour of the Microbiology and Virology Laboratories at UC San Diego, where diseases contracted both at home and abroad are diagnosed.

Watch “Travel Medicine — Health Matters,” premiering tonight (March 21) at 8pm and online now.

Every three minutes some one goes to the emergency room because of an allergy-related event.

When you have an allergic reaction to something you eat, your body recognizes a protein in the food and reacts against it. There are many different responses that can happen-rashes, hives, diarrhea-but, the most dangerous occurrence is when there is potential for anaphylaxis, which can cause death.

In this episode of Health Matters, Dr. David Granet talks with UC San Diego’s Dr. Stephanie Leonard who is the director of the Food Allergy Center at Rady Children’s Hospital here in San Diego.

More than 3 million people under the age of 18 have been diagnosed with food allergies, but Dr. Leonard says that number is on the rise. In a ten year period, she says, there has been an 18% increase in the diagnosis of food allergies in children.

Watch “Children’s Food Allergies- Health Matters” to hear the various theories behind why that number is increasing.

For more on food allergies, check out Food Allergies: Past, Present and Future.

What kills more people than AIDS, breast cancer, and lung cancer combined? Cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest is the heart’s inability to contract properly which causes the blood to stop circulating. When this occurs, the brain doesn’t receive oxygen which can lead to death in a matter of minutes. Cardiac arrest kills an average of 1,000 people every day.

In this episode of Health Matters, Dr. David Granet and his guest, Dr. Ulrika Birgersdotter-Green, introduce the newest device called an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator that could help save lives.

Watch “Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators and Sudden Cardiac Death” to discover how it works in conjunction with the heart’s electrical system and learn tips for lowering your risk of cardiac arrest.

Check out other programs about cardiology on UCSD-TV.

Are you up to date on all your vaccines?

Shots are extremely important for infants in order to ensure the prevention of illness when their newborn immune systems are so vulnerable.  Hear from Dr. Lisa Stellwagen, clinical professor of pediatrics and medical director of Newborn Services at UC San Diego, in this episode of Health Matters to learn about what vaccines a newborn needs.

It’s also important for children to be up to date on vaccines before starting school, as children with vaccine-preventable illnesses can be denied attendance. The Vaccines for Children program has been federally funded to provide free vaccines to children of low-income families. Learn about recommended and mandatory vaccines for children in “Safety of Childhood Vaccines.”

Remember that shots are not just for kids. People of all ages need to keep track of their immunization record to be sure that they are protecting themselves from deadly diseases. Dr. Lisa Winston of UCSF’s Division of Infectious Diseases explains the need for different vaccines at different stages of life in “Vaccines for Adults and Adolescents.”

If you are planning to go on an exotic vacation, watch “Travel Medicine-Health Matters” as you might need to get extra vaccines before you expose yourself to unfamiliar pathogens.

Check out other programs with information on immunization on UCSD-TV.

Learn more about National Immunization Awareness Month at the Center for Disease Control.

With the holiday season upon us, health becomes an ever-increasing issue as we battle stress, diet, and our environment. Dr. David Granet of Health Matters welcomes a variety of professionals from the health and medical fields to discuss a broad array of health related topics. Each program in the series provides current and valuable information on how to improve health and well-being. Recent episodes have focused on the negative effects of insufficient sleep, and the importance of urgent and innovative care for stroke patients.

The CDC has declared insufficient sleep to be a national health epidemic. Why are we not getting enough and how can we change our behaviors? Sean P.A. Drummond, PhD, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program and Cognitive Behavioral Interventions Program in the VA San Diego Healthcare System, joins host Dr. Granet to discuss the ramifications of insufficient sleep and ways to improve your sleep health.

Every 45 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. What are the warning signs and how do you know if you are at risk? In the most recent episode of the series, Innovations in the Treatment of Stroke, Dr. Alexander Khalessi, Director of Endovascular Neurosurgery and Surgical Director of Neurocritical Care, gives insight on how to recognize a stroke, preventative measures, and innovative surgical treatment options.

For more programs regarding health, visit the Health Matters series page.

Join the conversation @UCTelevision, @UCSDTV, @dgranet, @DeptVetAffairs, #HealthMatters

Lack of quality sleep not only affects our mood and ability to function – it also affects our health. Worse still, it can be dangerous to the people around us.

Failure to get adequate sleep poses a danger to society by contributing to traffic and industrial accidents. Some sleep disorders can even be life threatening. Jose S. Loredo, MD, MS, MPH, FCCP, professor of clinical medicine and medical director of the UC San Diego Sleep Medicine Center and VA Pulmonary Sleep Disorders Laboratory, discusses how these disorders can be managed and treated.

Don’t miss this episode from the Stein Institute for Research on Aging:

Sleep and Sleep Disorders in the Older Adult

There is no safe combination of drinking and driving – even within the legal limits.

A recent study led by UC San Diego sociologist David Phillips found that drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.01 percent – well below the U.S. legal limit of 0.08 – are 46 percent more likely to be officially and solely blamed by accident investigators than are the sober drivers with whom they collide.

Dr. Phillips discusses the methodology behind these fascinating findings and how even minimally buzzed driving increases your chances of being in a fatal car accident.

Learn how buzzed driving is defined and how it impacts everyone on the road. Watch Buzzed Driving – Health Matters online now.

Explore more programs in the Health Matters series.

The use of e-cigarettes is on the rise with annual sales now totaling over two billion dollars. What do we really know about how these devices affect our health? Many people tout them as smoking cessation success stories, but are they just as harmful as traditional cigarettes?

Dr. Laura Crotty Alexander joins our host Dr. David Grant to discuss new research illuminating the potential health risks of vaping.

Watch E-Cigarettes, Vaping, and MRSA – Health Matters online now.

Explore more programs in the Health Matters series.

Can cancer cells be killed without harming the healthy cells around them? A new clinical trial is testing that hypothesis using a treatment based on the vaccinia virus. Vaccinia has played a huge role in eradicating smallpox but is now taking on a new part in the fight against cancer.

Dr. Loren Mell, a radiation oncologist at UCSD Moores Cancer Center, explains how this treatment built on the vaccinia virus backbone may be the key to more effective cancer fighting tools. Dr. Mell and host Dr. David Granet discuss this current research and the importance of clinical trails for cancer patients. Dr. Mell is the Principal Investigator of many clinical trials at UCSD and oversees several nationally and industry-funded research grants.

Watch Fighting Cancer with a Virus.

Browse more programs in the Health Matters series.

Back when Dr. David Granet was an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, he fulfilled his passion for sports by calling radio and TV play-by-play action for Penn’s Ivy League basketball team.

Equally comfortable behind a microphone as when he’s performing delicate eye surgery – his specialty is childhood eye misalignments and disorders – Granet also has always enjoyed teaching about health and medicine.

Since 1995, he has served as the only host of “Health Matters,” a 30-minute interview show produced by UCSD-TV, a program of UC San Diego Extension. His monthly guest list is dominated by doctors, professors and medical experts with close connections to UC San Diego, along with guests from other institutions.

A range of recent interview topics has included technology addictions, brain tumors, e-cigarettes, and ALS (for links to sample shows, see below).

As a concession to his hectic schedule, he tapes several editions the same day, moving easily from each show’s guest as he elicits lively, instructive conversation on complex issues and topics. Over the years, “Health Matters” ranks among UCSD-TV’s most-viewed casts, with composite numbers now reaching in the multiple millions.

The chief of UC San Diego’s Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus, as well as an Adult Eye alignment specialist with UC San Diego’s Shiley Eye Center, Granet has built a wide media reputation for his expertise.

Along with six guest appearances on the nationally syndicated TV series “The Doctors,” he also regularly records video interviews with fellow experts at high-level medical conferences that he attends around the world.

While Granet is not compensated for “Health Matters,” he regards the role as a privilege, a way to give back to his profession.

“I’ve always enjoyed educating; it’s fun for me.”

1) How do you walk that line between being a medical expert yourself and an inquiring interviewer?
What I try to do is say something like, “I’m not sure everybody realizes this, but asthma can sometimes be dangerous, right?” Then I let them go into their area of expertise. I don’t pretend that I don’t know the basics of what we’re talking about.

2) How has your approach changed over the years?
First, I had to find my own “voice.” It wasn’t as automatic as I thought it would be. [UCSD-TV managing director] Lynn Burnstan and her staff were great, very supportive. In fact, she had more confidence in me than I did – she wouldn’t even let me use a teleprompter. She told me, “You talk so well, you don’t need those things.”

3) So your questions are not scripted at all?
I’ll write notes to myself on the topics I want to cover, but I never write out my questions beforehand.

4) How do you prepare for each show?
The show’s producer, Rachel Bradley, does a huge amount of the background work. I also do a lot of my own preparation beforehand, so I have a pretty good grasp of what I’m going to ask. After I’ve read everything they give me, I’ll go on “chat sites” to find out what patients want to know.

5) What happens when your guest goes off in a different direction, one you didn’t expect?
Sometimes, it’s fabulous and off they go. And sometimes, the direction they go isn’t all that interesting, so I have to bring it back with another topic.

6) At what point do you start to think about your closing remarks?
About two-thirds of the way into the show. While the guest is talking, I’m trying to think: What’s the best way to wrap this up? What do I want to highlight from our conversation? When that time comes, I’m ready.

7) What skills make a good TV host and a good doctor?
You can be a hellaciously good doctor – know all your stuff – but not be great on TV. You’ve got to be able to communicate with your guests just like you talk with your patients. At some level, every doctor needs those skills. I don’t get nervous being on TV, but some people aren’t as comfortable – it is a different skill set. That’s my job, to make the guest at ease so they can communicate what they are expert in.

8) With your ultra-busy schedule, what motivates you to continue doing the show?
It’s my passion. How do you not chase your passions? That would be a very empty life. I’ve always enjoyed educating; it’s fun for me. Can you tell that I love doing it? I am lucky to have the opportunity to make a difference.

9) From a professional standpoint, how would you access the impact of the show?
When I’m in the office with a patient, I consider that to be “retail medicine” – strictly one-on-one. The way I do “wholesale medicine” is that I teach courses and I train doctors, medical students, and residents – thus I can influence a lot of people. And when they care for their patients, that gives my teaching an even wider impact. So I feel I affect a lot of people in what I do. Doing the show is another way to make a difference.

10) So doing the show is your way of giving back?
If you’re going into medicine strictly for the money, that’s the wrong reason. If any of the medical students tell me they’re going into medicine for that reason alone, I tell them: This is the wrong job for you. In general, doctors are not poor, not by any means. But you work really hard and the commitment you have to make, it rivals the commitment you have to make to your spouse and your kids. As doctors, we all have a huge responsibility. Because being a doctor isn’t only what you do – it’s who you are.”

Recent “Health Matters” topics, guests and introductory comments from Dr. Granet:

• E-Cigarettes, Vaping and MRSA (with Dr. Laura Crotty Alexander): “I’m not sure I even understand what an e-cigarette is. Is an e-cigarette like an iPhone? Whatever it is, it’s catching on because it’s done over $2 billion worth of sales. We need to know whether or not these things are safe. We need to know whether or not it’s something we should be promoting. We need to know whether this has any role in our society going forward.”
• Buzzed Driving (with Dr. David Phillips): “One way or another, we can all be touched by someone who makes a bad decision and gets behind the wheel when it’s inappropriate. When is it wrong to get behind the wheel and take control of a two-ton vehicle when you’ve had too much to drink? What is too much to drink? We need some answers.”
• Reversing Paralysis (with Dr. Justin Brown): “When I say the word ‘re-animation’ with regard to the human body, it’s sounds like science fiction. But today, we’re going to find out, like we do a lot here on ‘Health Matters,’ that science fiction is becoming science fact.”

Silicone, not to be confused with Silicon, a chemical element that exists in nature, was first polymerized in the late 19th century. Not much was done with it until the 1930s when a chemist at Dow Corning refined it for use as a lubricant in submarines and planes. The first known medical use of silicone was during World War II as a lubricant for glass syringes.

Since then, silicone has regularly been used in electronics, cookware, the automotive industry, and especially in the medical field due to its biocompatibility. Silicone is used in liquid form as a lubricant, and in gel form as bandages, dressings, breast implants, contact lenses and more. Because silicone is extremely biocompatible, studies have shown no marked harmful effects on humans or the environment.

Despite the science, in the 1980’s several diseases were directly attributed to breast implants. Fear and panic spread as the media spun stories of breast implants causing various maladies even though existing research did not corroborate the reports.

Surgeon and historian Jack C. Fisher, author of Silicone on Trial: Breast Implants and the Politics of Risk, sits down with Dr. David Granet to discuss the controversial history of silicone medical devices – including breast implants. Though the fear surrounding their usage was unwarranted and not based in scientific fact, battles waged about their safety and government regulation followed suit. Dr. Fisher argues that regulatory policy should rely on valid science and not on the fear of risk.

Watch Silicone Breast Implants and the Politics of Risk, and browse more programs on Health Matters.

“If you like science fiction, I’m going to open with this,” begins David Granet. “You have been invaded. And the invaders are 10 times more than the number of cells in your body. They affect your health, they affect much about what your life does, and about who you are, and what you look like. What are these? It’s your microbiome.”

Microbiome researcher, Rob Knight, Phd joins host David Granet, MD for a fascinating discussion about our massive microbiome.

These tiny organisms have been with us since birth and we continue to acquire them and lose them based on our environment, our diet, and our age. Indeed, various parts of our bodies have different microbiobes which can include bacteria, fungi, and other single-celled organisms.

But don’t panic just yet! According to Knight, we don’t want to wage war on our microbiobes. Instead, he says, “You want to think of them more as a landscape you want to nurture rather than as a battlefield where you want to eliminate everything that is not you.”

So, how might our microbiome affect our health?

Here’s the story of two mice: one skinny and one fat. Each mouse has exactly the same genetics, eats the same foods, and exercises the same amount. Researchers insert the microbiome of one mouse into the other. The skinny mouse becomes fat. The fat mouse becomes skinny.

And it’s not just mice. Our human microbiome has also been shown to impact our health. Rob Knight works with the America Gut project which has collected the microbiome of thousands of people and continues to learn more about how it relates to our health and even our behavior.

“If we can start putting together that map of people who have different medical conditions and the kinds of micriobes that lead them to different places on that microbial map,” says Knight, “then we can tell you a lot more about what’s likely to happen to you, what’s happened already, and potentially what you should do about it.”

“It’s really incredible how they run us,” says Dr. Granet.

Learn more about our incredible microbiome and how it helps to define who we are.

Watch Our Micriobiome – Health Matters.

Dr. T. Mike Hsieh sat down with Dr. David Granet to discuss diagnosing, treating, and living with low testosterone. Here are a few key takeaways from their talk:

• Chemically, testosterone is a steroid hormone.
• Andropause is the term for when a man’s testosterone level begins to decrease.
• Restoring a hormone balance along with lifestyle changes can promote healthy weight loss.
• Testosterone is the same in everyone’s body but the hormone receptors we have are very different. Men with less sensitive receptors are more susceptible to testosterone-based health issues.
• Testosterone is not a magic bullet to aging.

To learn more about low testosterone, Low Testosterone with T. Mike Hsieh on Health Matters.