Dr. Greg Davis On Medicine

From front yard landscaping to backyard gardens, patio planters to farm fields, warmer weather brings out everyone’s inner gardener, ready to jump in and get their hands dirty. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or planting your very first seeds, a little preparation can prevent a lot of problems. Amy Aldenderfer, agriculture Extension agent in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, shares these safety tips with Dr. Greg.

For many Kentuckians with dementia, medical interventions may seem like the only choice, but a new University of Kentucky study shows that prioritizing joy and engagement through enrichment activities is vital for the health of both residents and the caregivers who support them. Researchers from the School of Music in the UK College of Fine Arts and the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging investigated how complementary and supportive care programs (CSCPs) — like animal interactions, music therapy and group games — affect life in four different Kentucky care facilities. Dr. Greg talks with lead researcher Alaine E. Reschke-Hernández.

From childhood vaccine recommendation changes to a new food pyramid; guidelines and directives coming out at the federal level are enough to make your head spin. Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Steven Stack, Secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, about the politicization of public health and what reliable sources you should consult for your own health and well-being.

Because Medicare does not routinely cover hearing aids and Medicaid coverage can leave high out-of-pocket costs, many patients are unable to move forward with recommended treatment. Third year UK med student Evan Smith helped organize a 5K race to offset some of those costs. Dr. Greg talks with Evan about the third annual event and how you can participate.

The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center has treated the first patient in the U.S. with a new immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer, offering hope for patients whose cancers have stopped responding to other treatments. Dr. Greg talks with Markey Cancer Center medical oncologist Zhonglin Hao, M.D., Ph.D.

A partnership between the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health and UK HealthCare is giving public health students a front-row seat to the real-world challenges Kentuckians face outside of hospital walls. That includes things like housing, transportation and food insecurity. Dr. Greg talks with Kylee Causey social needs coordinator at UK HealthCare, and Jessica Sass, executive director of population health at UK HealthCare.

February is Children's Dental Health Month. This week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine we welcome Dr Emily Winfrey from the UK College of Dentistry to talk about Kentucky's poor oral health ranking and the renewed effort by some politicians to pass legislation making water fluoridation optional in Kentucky communities.

February is American Heart Month, dedicated to raising awareness that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for U.S. women. Dr. Greg talks with Nouran Sorour, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine in the UK College of Medicine and cardiologist at UK HealthCare’s Gill Heart & Vascular Institute, about why heart disease is so often undiagnosed in women.

Antibiotics have long served as a foundation of modern veterinary medicine, especially in livestock animals. Yet a growing public health threat looms as bacteria evolve to evade these vital drugs. A new study from the University of Kentucky’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment reveals that antibiotic resistance in cattle-associated bacteria could have far-reaching implications for human, animal and environmental health. Dr. Greg talks with Yosra Helmy, associate professor of One Health and Infectious Diseases in the Department of Veterinary Science and One Health Center researcher, who led the study.

Imagine being able to see the invisible—amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and metabolic changes in the living brain. This is no longer science fiction; it’s reality at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Greg discusses this new cutting edge diagnostic tool with UK Sanders Brown Center on Aging researcher Dr. Gregory Jicha.

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Patricio Meneses, Academic Dean of Allied Health and Nursing at Bluegrass Community College and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner Jordan Hatchett about the prevention of cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine.

A potentially severe flu variant spreading globally has experts recommending that Kentuckians add influenza preparedness to their to-do lists. Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Nicholas Van Sickles, medical director of UK HealthCare's Infection Prevention and Control.

This week on Dr. Greg Davis on Medicine we talk with Zachary DeVries who is leading a team of researchers at UK on a project to develop a complete and durable approach to cockroach control in affordable housing. The initiative is funded by a nearly $1 million cooperative agreement with HUD.

Every year, Poison Control Centers in the U.S. receive more than a million calls related to accidental poisonings in young children, and thousands are treated in emergency departments. A child is rushed to the ER roughly every nine minutes because they’ve accessed medication. During the holiday season, these incidents increase as families gather, routines shift and visitors bring purses, coats or travel bags into homes where young children are eager to explore. Dr. Greg talks with Kyle Bryan, Pharm.D., practice implementation pharmacist and adjunct assistant professor of pharmacy practice and science.

Despite knowing for decades that the hepatitis B vaccine is safe and effective, the Centers for Disease Control advisors, many of them hand-picked by Secretary of Health and Human Services and noted vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Junior, recently voted to overturn decades long policy on this vaccine for infants. Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Steven Stack; a board certified emergency physician and Secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services about the controversial decision.

This week Dr. Greg talks with Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, about how important maintaining bone health is for all women. Dr. Wittstein recently conducted a coffee talk on this very subject for the Active Girls Healthy Women group at UK.

The University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center’s ACTION program has published the latest edition of its book, “Cancer in Appalachia: A Collection of Youth-told Stories, Volume Two.” The collection features fictional short stories and poems by high school and undergraduate students from Appalachian Kentucky who participate in Markey’s Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) program. Dr. Greg talks with Nathan Vanderford, Ph.D., director of the ACTION program and the book’s co-editor.

Dr. Annie Koempel is an anthropologist on the research team of the Lexington-based American Board of Family Medicine. She and a colleague recently conducted a study showing that despite all our progress, women in medicine are still not fairly compensated and recognized for their leadership and mentoring. The downstream effect is that this lack can result in poorer health care.

We have known for decades that smoking tobacco is bad for your health. Quitting smoking is probably the single best change a person can make not only for prevention of heart disease, but for their overall health. So why don't more people do it? Dr. Greg seeks answers from Peter Haigh, M.D., a noninvasive cardiologist at UK HealthCare’s Gill Heart & Vascular Institute.

Pete Nelson, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UK Sanders-Brown tells us about this year's two-day symposium, Friday October 31 and Saturday November 1, which features a daylong scientific meeting with poster session followed by a half-day community session to which the public is invited free of charge. An “Ask the Experts” panel is a popular component of the community session.