Trying to sell RLS/WED as a radio program topic

[SleepyBhamster]

I listen to a weekly radio program from the Catholic Medical Association called "Doctor Doctor." They interview experts each week on a variety of medical topics from a Catholic perspective. They encourage listeners to write in with questions or topic suggestions. So I wrote in and suggested they do a show on RLS. One of the doctors involved wrote back and said, in effect, that they couldn't possibly fill up an entire hour on something so obscure. Grr.

It's been on my mind for months and months, wondering how to convince him/them that it's not THAT obscure and that there's plenty to discuss if they find the right doctor(s) to interview. (But it only just occurred to me that perhaps in keeping with the theme of the show, they need/want to find Catholic doctors who can speak on it?)

Can anyone help me with statistics/ammunition on how common RLS is and how they could easily fill up around 45 minutes speaking about it? Anyone know of Catholic doctors who treat it who might be available to be interviewed for the program?

Thanks!

Sleepy

[ViewsAskew]

Good heavens. I have nothing to help, but maybe the Foundation has stats you could use.

[Rustsmith]

Can anyone help me with statistics/ammunition on how common RLS is and how they could easily fill up around 45 minutes speaking about it?

I definitely think that you should give the Foundation a call to talk to Karla Dzienkowski. There are a number of medical publications that give information about the percentages of the population that get RLS, even broken down by racial groups. The number are still rather vague since there are probably millions of undiagnosed cases in the US, but the percentages of Americans with RLS is usually said to be between 8 and 15%.

As for filling up 45 minutes, the Foundation has a webinar series for doctors that is similar to the ones for patients. So they could easily fill up a 45 minute show every day for a week from just those recordings. There are also a couple of the doctors on the Foundation's medical board that I am certain would be happy to provide a 45 minute talk.

[SleepyBhamster]

Thanks, Steve! I will do it today!