administration discourages pilots from using it. we cannot independently verify these statements. i hope you enjoyed the show and you're learning to be a more healthy you. verify that. i hope you hi, you know what time it is? time for sunday house call. >> welcome. joining us as always on sunday, dr. david, chairman and professor and chief of robotic surgery and professor of medicine at nyu's medical center. tell us about this new study. >> especially if you have children, there's a new report about autism and the study finds the disease is on the rise. they now say one in every 68

u.s. child shows some sign of the autism spectrum disorder. seems alarming. how come so many? how come it's increasing? they've always said those mmrs may be a cause. >> we'll talk about that. this is a big medical news. announced in their newsletter, the mortality and morbidity, new report, that now, there's about 30% increase rate in autism the last two years. in 2008, we reported one out of 110. two years after that, became one out of 88 and now, you just reported one out of 68. the question is, is it really on the rise or we're getting better diagnosing? the spectrum and diagnosis has changed over time, so most likely, we're getting it better diagnosis and protecting these children rather than the rise in

the number. that's the answer to your question. now, comes the risk factors and we still don't know exactly what causes this. the idea that mercury or lead or some sort of a pesticide or environmental toxin can do this is still up for debate, but the most recent journal of medicine just reported a new study that perhaps as the brain is being formed as an embryo, the layers of the brain tissue that form, some of those cells responsible for communication, behavior, social skills, may not fall in the right place and this may continue on in environmental factors and that's a big thing. one of the things that i want to bring up, the average age of diagnosis for autism is four and a half years old and that's too late. the big message is that the parents should pay attention to the milestones. between 2 months and 5 years. because early diagnosis, early intervention means better outcome. this is important for people watching this. the sooner you pay attention to the cues that the child gives

you, are they smiling? are they reacting with their eyes? are they saying the right words a t the right milestone or not? if that's not the case, you as a parent are responsible to take action, find out what's going on with the kid and the sooner will change the behavior, training them, we have a much better outcome. >> what should you tell your pediatrician and ask? >> to start with autism is a disruption of social, behavior and thought processes, so a person, a child is like in another world. what you look for is repetitive behavior, obsessive. a child that can't be reached or isn't meeting your glances and the cdc has a website called learn the signs act early. you try to diagnose as early as possible because the earlier you intervene, the better the outcome you have. >> what does that mean? there's no cure. >> exactly. to the point on cure, this study in the new england journal of

medicine is really exciting because it looks at the abnormal architecture of the brain for the first time that may lead to cures, but since we don't have cures, the best thing we can do is have experts train children, but i'll tell you what the problem is. i want to right people to be making these diagnosis. an expert neurologist can make this diagnosis. you don't want a teacher making this. a parent. you've got to get to the right experts early to make the right diagnosis and then research needs to proceed for the right cures and we don't want, we think by the way in terms of david's point about we're getting better at diagnosing it, in alabama, it's one out of 175 children. you know what? because new jersey is better at finding it. so part of the answer here is that wer getting better at finding it that's why the numbers are going up, but the other part of it is what are women being exposed to when they're pregnant? that's one issue.

what is it genetically. are we older and older parents? that's been an issue. older men leads to more autism. all of this needs further research. >> also paying attention to a huge part of this, research right now, but one of the things you want to pay attention to is that the rh owe between the boys and girls is 5-1. so those are targets. boys are much more involved in this and the first two years, you really want to pay attention to those cues and when they have teachers that spend a lot of time retraining them, how cocommunicate. >> i want to get to this next topic because i know it's really important, but before we go, i wanted to ask you if there's a hereditary component. some parents who have one child that's awe tutistic may hesitat have another thinking it's an automatic to have a second child on the spectrum. >> there is some genetics but not to the point where somebody should hesitate to have another child.

we're going to eventually have a test for this. >> very encouraging. meanwhile, did you ever get lost in a drug or health food store? looking at all the vitamins and supplements. they claim to cure everything. when was the last time you heard this word? one of the oldest apoth daecara. check it out. doctor? oh, got so excited. >> i went down to bigelows. i feel more and more people are using over the counter medications. they can get previcid, arthritis treatments, weight loss agents. one was pulled off the market. what is a patient to do?

i feel that people self-medicate too much. i went talk to the pharmacist about this because after all, doctors not as available. patients don't know who to ask. can they ask a pharmacist? let's see what the pharmacist had to say. >> the lead between the patient and the doctor. most patients aren't seeing doctors as much. copays are too high. they don't have this time to do it. they seem to self-medicate. they come to us, tell us what's wrong. we listen to their symptoms and tell them the right thing to do. >> ever tell them not to take something? >> plenty of times, we'll tell them not to take this, you should really see your doctor. >> the question is, is everyone like ian? actually out there prescribing. in california and north carolina

and new mexico, pharmacists can prescribe travel medications. i have a problem with that. i think they have a great roll to inform, especially on drug sbrer actions. i want my patients to live. what they're taking overthe counter and prescription only. >> probably good to use the same pharmacist so they get to know your history. >> sometimes, late at night, you're not going to call the doctor. you call the pharmacist. >> the truth is, we can admit to the fact that, i admit this pharmacist, they are overeducated and underutilized and they know more about these drugs than most doctors do because that's what they do day in and day out. they know about the drug interactions. the labels, going to pull them out of this medication. and there's no way to admit i think about myself. i don't know about every one of these drugs.

they know more about this and this over the counter medication, they're real drugs. it's good to have them. it's good to be able to utilize them, good to cut down on some of the phone calls. i think that look, paying attention to the labels, if you're pregnant or can't -- these are all important, but i also agree that now, there are going to give immunizations. they give flu shots. it's okay to check the blood pressure and vitals, but now they're talking about almost having an internal medicine doctor at the pharmacy and i'm worried about jobs. >> let's just say it's not -- ask the right question to the pharmacist, ask your doctor for a recommendation that's been that gate keeper, back stabber, what did you call it?

backstop. drug interaction issues, i agree. >> 1848 -- thomas edison was there to have a finger. >> what did they have? >> eleanor roosevelt. >> go for a screening, you don't, you really should. up next, we'll hear how we are one step closer to a completely nonevasive colon screening. the details on that straight ahead. mine was earned in korea in 1953. afghanistan, in 2009. orbiting the moon in 1971. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, usaa auto insurance

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there's a possible breakthrough for colon cancer patients as the fda approves a any dna-screens test. dr. samadi, how important in this?

i can't stress it enough, get a colonoscopy. people say they don't want to do it, but it is so important. it's such an avoidable disease. >> yes, 140,000 americans diagnosed with colon cancer every year, 50,000 die from this. you're right. it's the second leading cause of cancer deaths. this new dna-based colon screening test that just is coming in under approval by fda is extremely important. exact science corp is the name. a lot of people always ask -- the actual test will be called colo-guard. it's based on a stool test. if there's any there's any cancer, it will shed some cells that will go if the stool and we can find out if there's any cancer or not, which will probably reduce the number of colonoscopies or anything added to what we do.

>> how far in advance can you detect it, do you think? >> that's an excellent point. 13,000 patients. they were able to find out 92% accuracy of early organ-confined colon cancer, which is a being deal. in the most advanced ones, 42% accuracy. not so great, but for the first stage, this is actually great. what it would tell us is you can bring the stool to the doctor, run this dna test and tell you whether you're okay or not, whether you need a colonoscopy or not. >> is it available now? >> first of all, it's written up in the "new england journal the medicine" great study on this. it's being approved by the fda advisory committee. it is going to be approved. it is not yet available, but we're talking months here. i love this dna test, 92% is terrific, i think it's exciting. march is national colon cancer

awareness month. we're just getting in under the wire in that you've got to lieu weight, increase your activity, cut down your alcohol. all of those are related to colon cancer. david hinted at this already. eric, it doesn't pick up polyps. it takes about eight years for a polyp to grow into a cancer. so this is not going to replace colin sos ko. you still need the colonoscopy to find the polyps better they turn into cancer and remove them. this will pick up early cancers -- >> especially if you have inflammatory bowel disease or a strong family history, you have to get checked more often, but make sure you go for your colonoscopy. this is another additional test to what we do. we're excited about this.

>> is this like the braca gene for breast cancer? >> not only them, but i say everybody. but people who are called, again -- >> we'll bring you an update office. a question for our female viewers, but are you losing your hair? maybe you're also feeling more tired than usual? we're going to tell you why, what it could all be due to is an underactive thyroid. boy, the thyroid controls a lot. we'll tell you what you can do about it, straight ahead. i procrastinated on... buying a car because i knew...

it would be a scary process. truecar made it very easy... for me to negotiate, because i didn't really need to do any negotiating at all. save time, save money, and never overpay. visit truecar.com to manage your money.r guy arnd 2 percent that's not much, you think except it's 2 peent every year. go to e*trade and find out how much our advice and guidance costs. spoiler alert. it's low. it's guidance on your terms not ours. e*trade. less for us, more for you. what do you mean? your grass, man. it's famished! just two springtime feedings with scotts turf builder lawn food helps strengthen and protect your lawn from future problems. thanks scott. [ scott ] feed your lawn. feed it.

we don't want you to worry, so that's why we do the weekly segment about everything that worries us. and a viewer actually asked us about hypothyroidism. and it says and i'm losing my hair. but the thyroid test comes back normal, still i have many symptoms. should i worry? what is hashimoto's? >> it's the number one you cause of low thyroid or thyroid disease in women. it's an inflammation of the thyroid due to antibodies that attack the thiyroithyroid. you can get symptoms and the viewer says plenty of symptoms, you can get constipation, intolerance to the cold, anxiety, you can get depression. depending on where you are in the disease. it has to be diagnosed by antibodies and you see if your

thyroid is expanding. you how do we treat it? she says her thyroid is normal, but a german study says start giving the replacement mohormon early. if you give a low dose of thyroid replacement, you can down on symptoms. and slenuim decreases the symptoms. >> she says hypo. what is the difference between hyper and hypo? >> hyper, you have too much thyroid. but the problem may not be thyroidantidepressant, oral contraceptive pills, if could also cause hair loss. what i would tell this viewer is

check your zink, check your storage of the iron, and find out if you have enough. and those should be replaced. i will tell you that hair loss with hashimoto is a multi-factorial thing. even hormonal need to be checked in this person because a lot of testosterone in women can call this dhd which causes hair loss. see a dermatologist, see endocrine. >> one thing i would add, if it is hashimoto's, if you have that and you replace the thyroid loss, it will improve the loss. >> and sometimes it may take a couple months after you you replace the medication up it comes back. so be patient. >> well, it's spring.it comes back. so be patient. >> well, it's spring. at least they say it's spring.

that's a good excuse to update your wardrobe and change your diet. coming up, a list of spring super foods and the benefits they provide, at least when spring comes. we asked people a question, how much money do you think you'll need when you retire? then we gave each person a ribbon to show how many years that amount might last. i was trying to, like, pull it a little further. [ woman ] got me to 70 years old. i'm going have to rethink this thing. it's hard to imagin how much we'll need for a retirement that could last 3years or mor so maybe we need to approach things dferently, if we want to be ready for a longer retirement. ♪

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with models up to 62 horsepower or room for four. go rugged. go big. go gator. back on sunday house call. after months of chowing down on heavy winter foods, spring provides the perfect opportunity to eat a little health krierhea. you have to switch from the meats to what? >> you talk about spring, so let's start with spring garlic. what spring garlic has, it will get rid of some of the belly fat which is not that you have that much, but that will help. >> do you rub it on or -- >> you you add it to your food. and i want you to be really happy. walnuts actually helps with the

tryptophan tryptophan, makes you really happy. you can't go without asparagus and avocado about that . vitamin b-6 and folec helps with your sex life. and it would never be a good list if there are no berries in it. i like blueberries and strawberries. >> and i'm going to have to go with the avocado instead of asparagus because i can't stand asparagus. my mother will tell you. but artichokes have ten grams of fiber in it. they are also loaded with vitamins. and i want to add something about the berry issue. did you know the reason they're so good for you is because the

seeds give you a lot of fiber. what does fiber do? fiber causes you to absorb the sugar in a better part of your body, in the intestine. seeds are loaded with fiber. so you have low calorie with berries and high fiber. here is my secret. raspberries are number one. 8 grams of fiber for raspberries. blueberries 4, strawberries 3. >> you're not talking about a whole little carton, are you? >> a single cup on top of your yogurt or oatmeal, wherever put it. >> a lot of antioxidants. >> i was just about to say,erry fiber is the antioxidants. >> which one did you say was the

best? >> asparagus gets the blood flow and you're ready to go. >> sunday house call, folks. we talk about it all. thank you so much for joining us. see you next sunday. my headline for the day, larry summers amazing assessment of japan -- >> on buzz beater this sunday, chris christie is exonerated in the bridge scandal, at least >> on buzz beater this sunday, chris christie is exonerated in the bridge scandal, at least according to a law firm hired by his office. and journalists, of course, are skeptical. >> does it make you feel clueless? does it make you feel like, what was wrong with me? >> not clueless, but it certainly makes me feel taken advantage of. >> so there's not going to be any e-mails, no phone records, no tape recordings that come out that establish you knew about this? >> no, because i didn't. >> but what if the findings are confirmed? will the media be forced to rehabilitate the governor as a presidential candidate? it seemed like the missing plane drama was officially over with the official exclusion that it was at the bottom of