Read the full episode transcript on the Upstate Medical University website.
Kratom is an herbal supplement that some people take hoping to relieve pain or anxiety. But its safety and legality is a bit ambiguous. On this week's "HealthLink on Air,” toxicologist Willie Eggleston the assistant clinical director of the Upstate New York Poison Center, explains that calls about kratom have more than doubled from 2024. Many have to do with withdrawal symptoms when someone stops taking kratom, which is an opioid. One of its biggest risks is addiction. Eggleston goes over what's important to know about kratom products.
Also on the show, how reliable are medical chatbots? Maybe you have a new diagnosis you want to research. Or you could be trying to make sense of some troubling symptoms. There are lots of ways people are seeking medical advice and information from chatbots. Researcher Bardia Rodd goes over how chatbots are being used, and some of the most important precautions. He is an associate professor of pathology at Upstate and also the associate director of AI innovation at the SUNY Upstate AHEAD Center.
And professor and researcher Stephen Faraone shares what's important to have in order to succeed in a science career.
Listen to Healthlink on Air every Sunday at 6 a.m. on WRVO.