Live Healthy WV

If you frequently feel dizzy or like the room is spinning, you may have a balance disorder. More than 90 million Americans will experience a balance issue at some point, and balance-related falls account for over half of all accidental deaths in the elderly. But fixing this problem may be easier than you think.  We talk with WVU Medicine Physical Therapist Miranda Hose about vestibular therapy – physical therapy for your inner ear that can get you back on your feet and keep you there.

Nearly two and a half million Americans suffer with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD, like Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis. Both conditions cause chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, but they can affect different parts of it.  We go there and talk about everything you need to know about Crohn’s and Colitis, with Dr. Jennifer Hadam-Veverka, director of the WVU Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center.

West Virginia has one of the highest rates of COPD with more than 186,000 West Virginians, or 13 percent of the state’s adults, affected by this lung disease. COPD is more than just a cough. We talk about prevention and promising treatments helping patients manage symptoms with Rachel Leonard, MD, WVU Medicine pulmonologist.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., and West Virginia has the second highest rate of new lung cancer cases in the country. But survival rates are on the rise thanks to new treatments and lung cancer screenings.November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and we talk about prevention, treatment, and screening with Kyle Chapman, MD, pulmonologist at the WVU Cancer Institute.

The Medicare open enrollment period is already underway, so we talk about the fastest growing Medicare Advantage plan in West Virginia – Peak Advantage. Peak Health Medicare Director Missy Bazzo explains all the new benefits, including a wellness program, and expansion into more West Virginia counties and into Pennsylvania.

Domestic violence survivors are an often-overlooked population prone to repeated concussions. An estimated one-in-three women, and one-in-seven men in the U.S. will experience physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime.October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so we talk about a specialized neurological program giving VIP treatment to domestic violence survivors with Dr. Javier Cárdenas, director of the Concussion and Brain Injury Center at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.

Are you overdue for your annual gynecological exam? Don’t put it off any longer. An estimated 117,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with gynecologic cancer this year, and about 34,000 will die from it. September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, focusing on cancers affecting the cervix, ovaries, uterus, vagina, and vulva. We talk about prevention and treatment of these cancers with Dr. Wade Barton, a gynecologic oncologist at the WVU Cancer Institute.

Are you one of the 100 million Americans suffering with chronic pain?  You don’t have to learn to live with it. We talk about the explosion of new treatments that are helping many find relief from chronic pain, with Richard Vaglienti, MD, director of the WVU Medicine Center for Integrative Pain Management.

West Virginia still leads the nation in overdose deaths, but the CDC estimates a drop of about 42 percent in those deaths over the last few years. However, that doesn’t mean the overdose epidemic is over.  We talk about overdose awareness, prevention, and treatment, with Dr. Michael Reynolds, addiction medicine specialist at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute’s Healthy Minds – Chestnut Ridge Center.    

It’s estimated that 72% of children will have a heart murmur at some point during childhood and adolescence. We talk about everything you need to know about heart murmurs from when to be concerned to what to do about them, with Dr Jai Udassi, director of the WVU Medicine Children’s Heart Center.

Aortic stenosis is a condition affecting 2.5 million Americans that occurs when the aortic valve is too narrow. We talk about life renewing treatments for this most common heart valve disease with Dr. Ramesh Daggubati, chief of Interventional Cardiology at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute.

The sun is out, and your local emergency department is busy. From preventing drowning and heat sickness to bug bites and brain injuries, we talk about summer safety with Dr. Christopher Goode, chair of the WVU Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine.

Arthritis is not just an “old person’s” disease; kids can get arthritis, too. July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month, and 220,000 in the U.S. are diagnosed with the disease. We talk about juvenile arthritis and how it’s treated with Dr. Paul Rosen, chief of Pediatric Rheumatology at WVU Medicine Children’s. 

June is Cataract Awareness Month, and cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. But as you get older, you don’t have to live with fading vision from cataracts. We talk about cataracts and their treatments with Dr. Brian McMillan, ophthalmologist at the WVU Eye Institute. 

June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. With more than seven million Americans living with the disease, how do you know if you’re having a “senior moment” or something more? We talk about an exciting new treatment that’s giving hope and buying more quality time for Alzheimer’s patients with Dr. Marc Haut, director of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute’s Memory Health Clinic.

May is Osteoporosis Awareness Month, and while 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, many are unaware they have it. Despite popular opinion, osteoporosis doesn’t just happen to little old ladies, so we talk about prevention and new treatments with Dr. Colleen Watkins, a metabolic bone disease specialist in the WVU Medicine Department of Orthopedics.

May is Stroke Awareness Month, and, in West Virginia, stroke is the leading cause of disability and the fifth leading cause of death. We talk about promising new treatments for stroke, like faster clot-busting drugs and VNS therapy for rehabilitation, with Dr. Muhammad Alvi, medical director of the WVU Stroke Center at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.

April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month. While testicular cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men aged 15-45, did you know men should be performing monthly self-exams for testicular cancer? We talk about testicular cancer and how to catch it early with Ali Hajiran, MD, Chief of Urologic Oncology at the WVU Cancer Institute.

Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor are movement disorders that are mostly diagnosed in older adults and share one common symptom: tremors. That’s why the two diseases are often confused for one another. We clear up that confusion and talk about exciting new treatments for these common movement disorders with Dr. Ann Marie Murray, Movement Disorders Division chief at the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute.

As measles cases climb in 2025, we discuss what you need to know about it and how to prevent it with Dr. Matthew Thomas, WVU Medicine Children’s pediatric infectious diseases specialist and pediatric healthcare epidemiologist.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer in the U.S., but it’s highly preventable with screening. Even more troubling, colorectal cancer is surging in those under 50. We talk about colorectal cancer and how to prevent it with Dr. Shyam Thakkar, WVU Medicine director of Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet many remain underdiagnosed and undertreated. In honor of American Heart Month, we talk about women’s heart health and what you should know about taking care of your heart with Dr. Lakshmi Muthukumar, cardiologist at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute.

Most aging seniors who need more assistance want to stay in their own homes as long as possible. We talk about how home health and hospice care can help make it possible for seniors “to age in place” with Dr. Maggie Thieman of WVU Medicine Home Health and Hospice.

Glaucoma is known as “the silent thief of sight” because there are usually no symptoms until you start irreversibly losing your vision.We talk about the best way to detect glaucoma before it’s too late and about the latest treatments to manage it with Dr. Tony Realini, glaucoma specialist at the WVU Eye Institute.

According to the CDC, nearly 43 percent of adults in West Virginia don’t get enough sleep.  We talk about how to fix what’s keeping you up at night with Dr. Robert C. Stansbury, director of the WVU Medicine Sleep Evaluation Center.

The West Virginia University Health System, which operates under the brand name WVU Medicine, is the state’s largest health system and largest private employer. We talk about its impact on healthcare and the state and region by taking a look back on 2024 and a look ahead to 2025 with Albert L. Wright, Jr., System president and CEO.  

Pediatric epilepsy is the most common childhood brain disorder in the U.S.  But a growing number of treatment options are creating new hope for more patients to become seizure-free. We talk with Dr. Lawrence Morton, chief of Child Neurology at WVU Medicine Children’s and the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, about new medications, surgical advancements, and neuromodulation therapies for treating pediatric epilepsy.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. West Virginia has the second highest rate of lung cancer in the country. But a groundbreaking imaging agent for lung cancer detection called CYTALUX is literally lighting up tumors in real time during surgery.  We talk with thoracic surgeon Dr. Nicholas Baker of the WVU Cancer and Heart and Vascular Institutes about how CYTALUX helps surgeons find lung cancer tumors that couldn’t be seen before and about the importance of lung cancer screening for current and former smokers.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. About 38 million Americans have diabetes, and many of them require insulin. Now, doctors are calling the invention of the Bionic Pancreas a game changer in diabetes control. We talk with endocrinologist Dr. Jessica Perini about how the Bionic Pancreas puts managing glucose and administering insulin on auto-pilot.  

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While we usually think of rehabilitation such as physical therapy for joint and muscle injuries, it also plays a large part in recovery from breast cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment. We talk about how breast cancer rehab is helping to increase recovery rates with Dr. Megan Clark, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist at the WVU Cancer Institute.

Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage plans is just around the corner. We talk about Peak Advantage Medicare, the only health plan in the state made by and for West Virginians.  Peak Health Medicare Director Missy Bazzo explains all the benefits, including some improvements and updates to last year’s Peak Advantage plan.

One in four adults over 40 are at risk for developing atrial fibrillation, or “AFib,” a serious condition that causes your heart to beat irregularly.  We talk about how AFib can lead to other serious conditions, such as stroke, and how to get your heart back in rhythm and stay in rhythm with Dr. David Schwartzman, director of Electrophysiology at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute.

September is National Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and newer blood cancer therapies are providing effective cures and treatments without the strong side effects of chemotherapy. We talk about how monoclonal antibodies and immunotherapy are improving survival rates and giving hope to blood cancer patients with Ashkan Emadi, MD, physician-in-chief of Medical Oncology at the WVU Cancer Institute.

Did you know that falls are the number one cause of concussion? Or that isolating in a cold, dark room is NOT the best way to treat a concussion? We’re busting concussion myths and talking about the changing concussion protocols with national concussion expert Javier Cárdenas, MD, of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Concussion & Brain Injury Center.

Robots have been taking over our surgeries for more than 20 years, and their use is expanding exponentially. Why is that a good thing? Dr. Kristy Ward, chair of the J.W. Ruby Memorial Robotics Committee, explains the benefits of robotic surgery and why WVU Medicine is expanding its fleet of robots around the region to bring robotic assisted surgery closer to home.

Do you know what back-to-school vaccines your child needs? Why does West Virginia lead the nation in childhood immunization rates but is last in getting teens and pre-teens the cancer-preventing HPV vaccine?Dr. Kathy Moffett, chief of WVU Medicine Children’s Pediatric Infectious Diseases, explains it all and talks about how we can protect our kids and families through vaccination.

Are you struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder or depression and medication just isn’t working? Then transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS therapy, may be for you. We talk with neurologist Dr. Umer Najib of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute about how this noninvasive, in-office treatment for OCD and depression is helping many patients find relief.

Get ready Elkins, Randolph County, and surrounding area. The Elkins Corridor Medical Center is coming soon and bringing WVU Medicine healthcare even closer to home, all under one roof. We talk to United Hospital Center president and CEO Dr. David Hess about building this new hospital without beds that has everything from primary care to urgent care, cardiac care to cancer care, labs, imaging, and everything in between. 

One in 100 babies born in West Virginia are born with some form of congenital heart disease. How do you treat tiny hearts with big problems?From the Harmony Valve to Preemie PDA Closure, we talk about some truly amazing treatments for these heart conditions with pediatric cardiologist Dr. Alex Verhoeven of the WVU Medicine Children’s Heart Center. Most of these pioneering procedures are minimally invasive and only available at a small group of hospitals, including WVU Medicine Children’s.

An estimated 35 million Americans see a chiropractor each year, but how much do you know or think you know about chiropractic medicine?We unravel some of the mystery behind chiropractic care and do a little chiropractic myth busting with Dr. Nicholas Marchesani, a chiropractor at the WVU Medicine Center for Integrative Pain Management. Spoiler alert – chiropractors do much more than just crack your back.

Do you suffer from acid reflux or a hiatal hernia? Are you at risk for esophageal or lung cancer?We talk about how thoracic surgery can treat thoracic conditions from reflux to cancer and hernias to lung nodules.  Thoracic surgeon Dr. Jason Lamb of the WVU Heart & Vascular Institute talks about the latest treatments – most of them minimally invasive – for the most common thoracic diseases.

Endoscopy is used for so much more than colonoscopies, and it just keeps getting better. Advanced endoscopy is an alternative to surgery used for diagnoses, removal of blockages and precancerous cells, and much more – all minimally invasively. And now with AI, we’ve reached a whole new level of early detection and better outcomes.We talk with Dr. Shyam Thakkar, director of Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy at WVU Medicine, about all these exciting advances.

Called “the most contagious virus known to man” by some, measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000 but seems to be making an unwelcome comeback in 2024.  And now the first case of measles has been reported in West Virginia in 15 years. We talk with WVU Health System Epidemiologist Dr. Michael Stevens about how to protect yourself and your family from getting this serious disease.

An estimated six-to-nine million people in the U.S. have scoliosis, a backbone deformity where the spine has a side-to-side curve.  But early diagnosis and newer treatment options are leading to better outcomes in breaking the curve of scoliosis.We talk with Dr. John Lubicky, chief of pediatric orthopaedic surgery at WVU Medicine Children’s, about how to tell if your child has scoliosis and the cutting-edge procedures to treat it.

You take your child to see a pediatrician, so if you’re 65 or older, why wouldn’t you see a geriatrician for your healthcare needs? If you’re an older adult or looking after a parent or loved one in this age group, you’re probably concerned about the increased risk for falls, memory problems, and multiple health issues.These are all conditions a geriatrician can diagnose and treat.  We talk with WVU Medicine geriatrics chief Dr. Osvaldo Navia about how a geriatrician can help you age gracefully and healthfully.

Kidney disease is among the leading causes of death for West Virginians. It’s known as the silent disease because there are usually no symptoms early on, so most don’t even know they have kidney disease.We talk with transplant surgeon Dr. Rajeev Sharma about how to prevent kidney disease and how the WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance is making kidney transplants more accessible, helping more patients get off dialysis.

A recent global study indicates cancer rates have surged 80 percent in three decades among adults under 50. What’s causing this alarming increase in middle-aged cancer diagnoses, and what can be done to reverse this trend?We answer those questions and talk about real things you can do right now to prevent cancer with Dr. Nour Daboul, a hematologist and oncologist at the WVU Cancer Institute.

Ozempic, Wegovy, Monjouro, Zepbound – chances are you probably know someone who’s using one of these injectable weight-loss drugs. A recent large-scale study sponsored by the makers of Wegovy found the drug not only helped with weight loss, but also cut the risk of heart attack, cardiac-related death, and stroke.During this American Heart Month, we’re asking, “Are these drugs good for your heart?” We talk with Dr. George Sokos, interim chair of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute Department of Cardiology, to find out the answer to that question and more.

Does your child struggle with bedwetting? How do you know if your baby has a urinary tract infection?They’re talking all things pediatric urology on the latest Live Healthy West Virginia podcast, brought to you by WVU Medicine. Dr. Ahmed Ali, of the nationally ranked pediatric urology program at WVU Medicine Children’s, talks about the latest treatments for the most common urology conditions facing children.

You’ve heard of knee and hip replacement surgery, but did you know total ankle replacement surgery is an option?Find out more on the Live Healthy West Virginia podcast brought to you by WVU Medicine. Dr. Naji Madi, WVU Medicine foot and ankle surgeon, explains how this surgery helps people with end-stage arthritis in the ankle find relief.