The Dr. Leigh Vinocur Show

What are your chances of increased suicide behavior after weight-reduction surgery?If you've been struggling with losing weight and you feel like you're running out of new diets and exercise trends to try, you may be considering weight loss surgery.Weight loss surgery can help those who are morbidly obese. Unfortunately, people who are morbidly obese also oftentimes suffer from mental health problems. Recent research has found that suicide risk might increase for some people after weight loss surgery.The study was published in the journal JAMA Surgery and looked at 8,800 patients in Ontario for three years before and after their weight loss procedures.Out of that group, 111 patients had 158 self-harm emergencies during the follow-up period and about 93 percent of those suicide attempts occurred in patients diagnosed with a mental health disorder prior to surgery.What else did the researchers find?Amir A. Ghaferi, MD, MS, joins Dr. Leigh to discuss weight loss surgery and who is at risk for a higher suicide rate.

Is there a way you can ease the stress from your job without having to quit?Stress can be found everywhere and it can be extremely dangerous to your health. Escaping stress isn't easy, especially if it's from your job. A recent study found that having a high-stress job can increase your chance of having a stroke, especially if you're a woman.The meta-analysis, which was published in Neurology, looked at six studies involving 138,782 participants over a span of three to 17 years. Out of the 138,782 participants 11-27 percent had high-stress jobs and had a 22 percent higher risk of stroke than those with low-stress jobs.What can you do to help lower your stress?Dr. Fite joins Dr. Leigh to discuss the correlation of high-stress jobs and stroke and how you can help ease your stress.

What steps can couples take to make sure their tones of voice are working to their advantage?If you've been in a relationship for a long period of time, it seems like you know your better half better than anyone. You know when they're angry, when they're upset, and when they switch over to a tone of voice that can drive you insane.New research that was published in Proceedings of Interspeech found that the tone of voice you use to talk to your partner can predict whether or not your relationship will last.In the study, researchers listened to recorded conversations during marriage therapy sessions of more than 100 couples over a span of two years and then tracked their marital status for five years.What did the researchers find? Is your tone of voice that important in your relationship?Listen in as Paul Coleman, PsyD, shares why the tone of your voice can make or break your relationship.

How do the costs of transgender health services compare to other services for people with cancer or other major diseases?Within the past year, there has been a ton of light shone on transgender issues, specifically within the healthcare system.A new analysis from the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that most U.S. health insurance plans don't give benefits to transgender men and women for medical care in order to transition to the opposite sex, but that paying for sex reassignment surgery and the hormones that are needed is actually quite cost-effective when the factors of not making that transition are considered (depression, suicidal tendencies, drug use, etc.).According to the study, which was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, it's estimated that between 3,000 and 9,000 Americans undergo sex reassignment surgery each year.For the study, researchers reviewed data from the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey, which looked at information on access to medical care and health outcomes, as well as the cost of medical services.One researcher points out that health insurance companies pay for rare diseases such as cystic fibrosis (which affects 30,000 people in the U.S.), which is treated as a chronic condition and has medications that can cost up to $300,000 a year.Why can't the same be done for transgender patients?Listen in as one of the lead authors of the study, William Padula, PhD, MS, discusses why transgender health care costs aren't covered and why they should be.

What are your chances of increased suicide behavior after weight-reduction surgery?If you've been struggling with losing weight and you feel like you're running out of new diets and exercise trends to try, you may be considering weight loss surgery.Weight loss surgery can help those who are morbidly obese. Unfortunately, people who are morbidly obese also oftentimes suffer from mental health problems. Recent research has found that suicide risk might increase for some people after weight loss surgery.The study was published in the journal JAMA Surgery and looked at 8,800 patients in Ontario for three years before and after their weight loss procedures.Out of that group, 111 patients had 158 self-harm emergencies during the follow-up period and about 93 percent of those suicide attempts occurred in patients diagnosed with a mental health disorder prior to surgery.What else did the researchers find?Amir A. Ghaferi, MD, MS, joins Dr. Leigh to discuss weight loss surgery and who is at risk for a higher suicide rate.

Why does heavy alcohol consumption cause "Holiday Heart Syndrome"?Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, there are a lot of reasons to celebrate. Unfortunately, it is often a time when many people end up going to the ER due to "holiday heart syndrome." In 1987, holiday heart syndrome was described in a study of 24 patients who landed in the hospital during the holiday season due to atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation, or flutter, is a common type of abnormal heartbeat and has been linked to risk of stroke. In this condition, the heart rhythm is fast and irregular. Atrial fibrillation may occur without your knowledge, causing you to not seek medical attention and thus increase your risk of death from stroke. What can cause holiday heart syndrome? Listen in as Chadd Kraus, MD, discusses holiday heart syndrome and how you can protect yourself this holiday season.

Why does heavy alcohol consumption cause "Holiday Heart Syndrome"?Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, there are a lot of reasons to celebrate.Unfortunately, it is often a time when many people end up going to the ER due to "holiday heart syndrome."In 1987, holiday heart syndrome was described in a study of 24 patients who landed in the hospital during the holiday season due to atrial fibrillation.Atrial fibrillation, or flutter, is a common type of abnormal heartbeat and has been linked to risk of stroke. In this condition, the heart rhythm is fast and irregular. Atrial fibrillation may occur without your knowledge, causing you to not seek medical attention and thus increase your risk of death from stroke.What can cause holiday heart syndrome?Listen in as Chadd Kraus, MD, discusses holiday heart syndrome and how you can protect yourself this holiday season.

Creams and ointments that claim to address stretch marks are everywhere. What kinds are best, if any?Whether you've recently gone through a growth spurt, rapidly gained weight, or had a baby, you might have noticed a few stretch marks on your body. Stretch marks originate in the middle layer of your skin, the dermis, which supports your skin's outer surface, the epidermis. This is why they are easily spotted on your arms, legs, stomach, and back. A recent study in the British Journal of Dermatology looked at why stretch marks occur at the molecular level. Researchers studied skin samples from 27 pregnant women who suffered from recently-formed stretch marks, comparing the stretch mark skin to both nearby stretched skin on the abdomen and to less-stretched skin on the hip. Researchers found that the elastic fiber network in the dermis gets disrupted in a stretch mark. After giving birth, this network remains disrupted. Elastic fibers give skin its elasticity, or the ability to "snap back," after stretching. The skin tries to repair the disrupted elastic network, but it does not appear to be effective, which in turn promotes the lax, loose skin seen in more mature stretch marks. Is there a way that you can get rid of stretch marks? Listen in as Frank Wang, MD, shares the recent study on stretch marks and what treatments are available.

Creams and ointments that claim to address stretch marks are everywhere. What kinds are best, if any?Whether you've recently gone through a growth spurt, rapidly gained weight, or had a baby, you might have noticed a few stretch marks on your body.Stretch marks originate in the middle layer of your skin, the dermis, which supports your skin's outer surface, the epidermis. This is why they are easily spotted on your arms, legs, stomach, and back.A recent study in the British Journal of Dermatology looked at why stretch marks occur at the molecular level. Researchers studied skin samples from 27 pregnant women who suffered from recently-formed stretch marks, comparing the stretch mark skin to both nearby stretched skin on the abdomen and to less-stretched skin on the hip.Researchers found that the elastic fiber network in the dermis gets disrupted in a stretch mark. After giving birth, this network remains disrupted. Elastic fibers give skin its elasticity, or the ability to "snap back," after stretching. The skin tries to repair the disrupted elastic network, but it does not appear to be effective, which in turn promotes the lax, loose skin seen in more mature stretch marks.Is there a way that you can get rid of stretch marks?Listen in as Frank Wang, MD, shares the recent study on stretch marks and what treatments are available.

What type of exercise is best for burning fat and losing weight?Having a well-balanced metabolism is crucial in order to live a long, healthy life. Every person's metabolism is different... some may be speedy and others might be slow. But the one thing we all have in common is that as you age, your metabolism will eventually slow down. What are ways that you can build a healthy metabolism? Listen in as Francisco Torres, MD, shares how you can build a healthy metabolism.

What type of exercise is best for burning fat and losing weight?Having a well-balanced metabolism is crucial in order to live a long, healthy life.Every person's metabolism is different... some may be speedy and others might be slow. But the one thing we all have in common is that as you age, your metabolism will eventually slow down.What are ways that you can build a healthy metabolism?Listen in as Francisco Torres, MD, shares how you can build a healthy metabolism.

What is a food cue, and what happens in your brain when you see one?Obesity is a very serious disease that can cause health issues like heart disease and diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third (78.6 million) of people in the U.S. are obese. Two studies have recently given insight to your brain, how it responds to food cues, and why that matters in obesity. In the first study, researchers performed an fMRI on 12 lean and 17 obese participants, showing words representing high-energy dense foods (chicken wings, lemon cheesecake) and low-energy dense foods (red-leaf lettuce or summer squash). Researchers then asked the participants to rate how much they wanted to eat each food item. They found that the brains of the obese participants had a stronger reaction to the high-energy dense food than the lean participants. What did the other study suggest about food cues and obesity? Listen in as Susan Carnell, PhD, shares the recent findings of the two studies and how food cues relate to obesity.

What is a food cue, and what happens in your brain when you see one?Obesity is a very serious disease that can cause health issues like heart disease and diabetes.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third (78.6 million) of people in the U.S. are obese.Two studies have recently given insight to your brain, how it responds to food cues, and why that matters in obesity. In the first study, researchers performed an fMRI on 12 lean and 17 obese participants, showing words representing high-energy dense foods (chicken wings, lemon cheesecake) and low-energy dense foods (red-leaf lettuce or summer squash).Researchers then asked the participants to rate how much they wanted to eat each food item. They found that the brains of the obese participants had a stronger reaction to the high-energy dense food than the lean participants.What did the other study suggest about food cues and obesity?Listen in as Susan Carnell, PhD, shares the recent findings of the two studies and how food cues relate to obesity.

Are wearable devices beneficial for your health?It seems like everyone is wearing a fitness device made by Apple, Samsung, or Google to help track their physical activity and sleep patterns for a healthier lifestyle.Even though it may seem like these fitness wearables are gaining popularity, recent evidence is finding they aren't bridging the gap.In fact, according to a recent article from the Journal of the American Medical Association, only one to two percent of individuals in the U.S. have used a wearable device, but the annual sales are projected to reach 50 billion by 2018.What are the gaps that need to be identified?Listen in as study author, Mitesh S. Patel, MD, MS, identifies and shares the gaps that need to be changed in order for fitness wearables to be successful.

Are wearable devices beneficial for your health?It seems like everyone is wearing a fitness device made by Apple, Samsung, or Google to help track their physical activity and sleep patterns for a healthier lifestyle. Even though it may seem like these fitness wearables are gaining popularity, recent evidence is finding they aren't bridging the gap. In fact, according to a recent article from the Journal of the American Medical Association, only one to two percent of individuals in the U.S. have used a wearable device, but the annual sales are projected to reach 50 billion by 2018. What are the gaps that need to be identified? Listen in as study author, Mitesh S. Patel, MD, MS, identifies and shares the gaps that need to be changed in order for fitness wearables to be successful.