Dr. Thad Woodard

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women in the U.S. and disease of the coronary arteries of the heart is the major cause of heart disease. The good news is that the incidence and death rate of coronary heart disease has been declining. What can we learn regarding the reasons for these declines that might help all of us? Dr. Thad Woodard returns to guest host a program on coronary heart disease on this edition of Line One: Your Health Connection. Thanks for listening!

Testing drug safety without patients, machines that are better than radiologists at detecting breast cancer, robots caring for the elderly…is this hype or the future? Dr Thad Woodard returns to guest host a program on artificial intelligence, robotics and your health on this edition of Line One: Your Health Connection. Thanks for listening!

It is the consensus of climate experts and 18 major American scientific associations that climate change and global warming is occurring at an unprecedented rate since the rise of humans and that it is due a “greenhouse” effect caused by a number of gases, the most important being man-made carbon dioxide. On this Line One program we discuss the potential health impacts of climate change in Alaska. Thanks for listening!

The eye is affected directly or indirectly by an enormous number of diseases and can be examined in great detail. Join Dr. Thad Woodard for a discussion with Anchorage ophthalmologist Dr. Kelly Lorenz on what the eye tells us about health and disease.  Thanks for listening!

Dr. Woodard interviews Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH about her book Denying to the Grave: Why We Ignore the Facts That Will Save Us to help discover the psychobiology of beliefs and decision making with emphasis on health decisions. Suggestions for all of us to improve our decisions on health issues will be discussed. Thanks for listening! 

Monday, March 19, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. On this edition of Line One the emphasis is on the lifelong impact of early child brain development. We'll also take a deep dive into autism with Anchorage developmental-behavioral pediatrician Dr Siv Fasci. LISTEN HERE

Monday, March 5, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Those who have never visited a hospital emergency room, especially at night, have fortunately missed what can be a very eye opening experience. Actually that is one of several reasons why pediatric patients need their own emergency care space. Join Dr. Thad Woodard for a discussion about the new Providence pediatric emergency facility on this program. LISTEN HERE

Monday, February 5, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Advances in our understanding of the how the brain and mind work are some of the most important and fascinating findings in science today. Dr. John Medina has been following the research and summarizing the findings in a series of books for lay audiences. In this program we discuss his most recent book Brain Rules for Aging Well: 10 Principles for Staying Vital, Happy, and Sharp. LISTEN HERE

Monday, January 22, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Each cancer, whether breast cancer, colon cancer, or leukemia, is a different disease with a different cause, a different treatment, and a different prognosis. This week we discuss what you need to know about cervical cancer, perhaps the most preventable of all cancers. LISTEN HERE

Monday, January 8, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. On this edition of Line One we discuss the newest information on allergic diseases with Anchorage allergist Jeff Demain, MD. Listeners will gain a better understanding of the basics of asthma, allergy, and eczema and learn of new developments in this field of medicine. LISTEN HERE

Monday, December 18, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Exploring sexuality, including gender and sexual behaviors is a normal part of childhood. At some point, many children experiment with gender expression and roles. However, for unknown and probably multifactorial biologic and psychosocial reasons, in some children, cross-gender behavior and expression is more consistent, persistent, and insistent than it is among their peers. These are not choices per se, but reflect an innate preference of the child. Co-host Dr. Thad Woodard explores the social, mental health, and medical concerns of transgender individuals on this Line One program. LISTEN HERE

Monday, December 11, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. The United States spends far more money, per capita, on health care than other countries. Alaska has some of the highest healthcare costs in the country. Please join the discussion on the possible reasons for Alaska’s high healthcare costs, their effects, and some possible solutions when co-host Dr. Thad Woodard interviews Cliff Groh, Chair of Alaska Common Ground, on the next Line One program. LINE ONE

Monday, November 27, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Headaches affect us all. Most headaches are transient and a nuisance but some can be a symptom of serious disease arising from either inside and outside of the head; and others can be chronic and debilitating. On this program co-host Dr. Thad Woodard and Dr. Andrea Trescot discuss a pain specialist’s approach to the diagnosis and treatment of headaches. LISTEN HERE

Monday, November 13, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Questions about urinary wetting during the day or night, such as "when is it a sign of a serious problem?", or "what is abnormal?", and "how to help it resolve?", are not unusual for parents. On this program Dr. Thad Woodard and pediatric urologist Dr. Laura Merriman discuss bedwetting and urinary incontinence in the pediatric age group. LISTEN HERE

Monday, October 30, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. On this program we discuss the Beneficiary and Family Centered Care Quality Improvement Program for Alaska. These programs help Medicare beneficiaries exercise their right to high-quality health care. LISTEN HERE

Monday, September 16, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Why do some of us condone gun control and same sex marriage and others do not? Where do our beliefs come from? Does social media contribute to moral beliefs? How might the content of social media influence the spread of the message? A discussion on the study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. LISTEN HERE

Monday, October 02, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Cancer is a genetic disease caused by changes to genes that control the way our cells function, especially how they grow and divide. The genetic changes that promote cancer can be inherited or acquired during one’s lifetime, resulting from errors that occur as cells divide due to environmental factors like substances in cigarettes and ionizing radiation. This Line One program will focus on inherited genes and cancer with a focus on inherited genetic risk for breast cancer. LISTEN HERE

Monday, September 25, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Prenatal exposure to alcohol is a leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities. These problems are often lifelong and have high costs for society. Line One will focus on the diagnosis and interventions on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder during this program. LISTEN HERE

Monday, September 18, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Obesity has reached an epidemic proportion in the Western society. Evidence continues to accumulate that it is a major risk factor for many diseases and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. On this edition of Line One we discuss surgical options for weight loss and gastroesophageal reflux.

Monday, August 28, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Congress has failed to repeal or replace the Accountable Care Act. In fact polls indicate the Act has become more appealing to Americans. However, is there a better answer to cost, access and quality for health care? Dr. Carol Paris, President of the Board of Directors of Physicians for a National Health Program, will discuss a single payer alternative on this edition of Line One: Your Health Connection. LISTEN HERE