Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

- Season 25

(2012)

Most adults can remember going through puberty...it's a normal part of growing up. But it becomes abnormal when it starts very early...when for example a 4 year-old child starts showing signs of body hair growth, breast development, or a six year old has a sudden growth spurt. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, precocious puberty, also known as early onset puberty occurs in approximately 1 out of 160 children. But as we'll see in this program there are effective therapies that can stop the progression. These treatments may also help the child avoid the ...

Myelofibrosis is a type of chronic leukemia where bone marrow is slowly replaced with scar tissue. Depending on the severity of the scarring, there are consequences that can occur, such as anemia, weakness, and fatigue. But researchers are looking into a number of different therapies that may help people live longer with myelofibrosis. In this program we'll see how the condition is diagnosed; meet patients who are living with myelofibrosis and see what scientists think can be done to help manage the disease now and in the future.

Aneurysms can form where there is a weakness in the artery wall, often in the chest or abdomen. These aneurysms can be extremely dangerous - because if they burst, or rupture they are most often fatal. There are risk factors, like high blood pressure but often aneurysms can form silently-without the patient knowing anything is wrong. In this program we'll take the viewers inside the surgical suite to see how aneurysms are discovered, diagnosed and ultimately repaired. We'll also show viewers new surgical techniques that are making repairing an aneurysm a much less ...

It can appear in most anyone at any age, yet many people are reluctant to reveal they even have this common medical disorder. It brings on painful flare-ups that can alter work life, school life, and social life. It's called, irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. According to the National Institutes of Health, IBS-related symptoms may affect millions of Americans. Even so, it isn't the easiest subject for people to talk about. Likewise, it isn't an easy condition to understand, perhaps because there is no single cause. In this program we'll look at the very challenging ...

GIST- Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor is a rare disorder that in the past has been rapidly fatal. But researchers armed with the latest scientific breakthroughs are making great strides against this deadly cancer. In this program, we take you inside the laboratories to see how clinical trials are helping scientists better understand GIST and other cancers. And we'll hear from patients who are living with GIST about how they stay upbeat in the face of such a formidable foe.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a condition where blood clots form in the deep veins of the legs. When parts of these clots break off they can travel to the lungs and cause a potentially fatal condition called Pulmonary Embolism or PE. These dangerous and deadly blood clots can form in anyone, but hospitalized patients, those who are on long airplane flights, or anyone who is sedentary for any length of time can be at risk. In this program, we'll see what can be done to prevent both DVT and PE. We'll also see how scientists working with public health experts are finding...