Dr. Steve Info: Thursday

Do you have a question for Dr. Steve, CLICK HERE

7:00am Segment Info:
You take your kids for their shots, but what about you? A new study finds not enough adults getting the vaccines they need. According to the CDC’s national immunization survey found that a little over 2% of adults 18 to 64 had been vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough. And only about 2% of people 60 and over had received the new vaccine for shingles. 10% of women 18 to 26 have received the new human papillomavirus vaccine to protect against cervical cancer and among the elderly. Vaccinations against the flu and pneumococcal pneumonia are around 60% when it should be 90%.

Why aren't people getting vaccinated?

Most adults don't know much about vaccines available to protect them. There are vaccines for chickenpox, diphtheria, hepatitis, cervical cancer, measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, pneumonia, shingles and tetanus. But here's the worst part. The CDC says people just don't care. 30% of those surveyed say they're not worried about getting the flu, which kills about 36,000 Americans each year. And only one in 10 knew there was a hepatitis vaccine. One in 20 knew about the shingles vaccine. Part of the problem is the cost. But doctors need to be more proactive about educating their patients.

In other news, the FDA is taking a closer look at psychiatric side effects of drugs.

That's right, more specifically suicide risk. For years, this was something that got little attention, but with some antidepressant medications being linked to suicide the FDA is now requiring drug manufacturers to determine if patients become suicidal during clinical trials. The rule applies to all new drugs in clinical trial regardless of their purpose.

Is there a concern even if the drug doesn't affect the brain?

Absolutely. Doctors used to think that if a drug didn't reach the brain there was very little risk of psychiatric side effects. We now know that's not necessarily true. What researchers have discovered is that a drug that works in the body and doesn't enter the brain can change other chemicals in the body that then enter the brain. For example, medicines to treat acne, high blood pressure, cholesterol, heartburn, even infections can all cause psychiatric problems.

8:00am Segment Info:
Have you gone for your mammogram yet? If you're over 50 you know you need one.

Now a new study finds some women are skipping their mammograms because they don't want to pay the co-pay or a percentage of the cost even when the copay is as little as $10. They say screening rates are down about 8 percent especially among older women who are covered by Medicare. The study looked at more than 350 thousand women between the ages of 65 and 69.

In other news, there's a major medical advance for transplant patients. Tell us about that.

Some are calling it a breakthrough, i prefer the term major advance.
Doctors say they've developed a technique that could allow kidney transplant patients to do away with anti-rejection drugs which weaken the immune system. This new treatment involves weakening the immune system and then giving the recipient bone marrow from the kidney donor. In one study, 4 out of 5 kidney recipients were off immune suppressing anti rejection drugs 5 years after transplant. The procedure worked best when the kidneys came from a direct relative because there was a closer tissue match to the recipient.

Anti-rejection drugs have a lot of side effects, don't they?

They do. And that's why this is such a big deal. Any time something foreign enters our body. Our immune system attacks it. It's how we fight infection. The same is true when we get a donated organ. Our body naturally attacks it, which is why anti rejection drugs are so important. These medications trick the body into accepting the new organ.. But the can increase the risk of infection, cancer, kidney failure and can cause side effects like bloating, tremors and excessive hair growth. This is still in early stages, but it is promising.

And there's a new study that suggests fighting with your spouse may actually be good for your health compared to people who suppress their anger. According to the report that tracked almost 200 couples for 17 years, couples that suppress their anger have a death rate that's twice as high as those who stand up and fight. It's all about letting it out. Experts say when you bury your anger, you only make it worse, you increase your stress and that can put a strain on your heart and can cause high blood pressure.