CNN Press Release - CNN’s chief medical correspondent and practicing neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes an in-depth and refreshing look at the world of medicine in VITAL SIGNS, a new monthly, half-hour program on CNN International. From China to Peru and Jerusalem to Japan, Dr. Gupta travels the globe looking for important medical breakthroughs, secrets to aging well and clues that might solve medical mysteries.

“We are excited about this new program and the wealth of knowledge that Dr. Gupta can bring to our viewers regarding the field of medicine and its significance around the world,” said Katherine Green, senior vice president of CNN International.

The first episode looks at tuberculosis, one of the world’s most opportunistic and easily transmittable diseases. Dr. Gupta reports from Lima, Peru, a place that has become a surprising success story in the fight against drug-resistant tuberculosis. While there, Dr. Gupta spent time with local doctors, health officials and patients to discuss the collaborative effort in treating this disease. Tokyo correspondent Kyung Lah also reports from Okinawa on a very active aging population in their ‘90s and 100’s defying the physical odds of old age. While the 100–year old crowd is healthy, their children are dying younger and at the highest rate anywhere in Japan and VITAL SIGNS goes to find out just why this is.

"I'm really looking forward to talking to our global viewers about some of the major global health issues that impact us all in our rapidly shrinking world -- as well as hearing from viewers about what concerns them most through our interactive Q&A opportunities via CNN.com and CNNmobile," said Gupta.

Whether it’s demystifying medical jargon or answering viewer questions, VITAL SIGNS looks to engage viewers by providing comprehensive and sometimes ground-breaking reports across CNN’s television, online and mobile platforms. The program’s online presence can be found at www.cnn.com/vitalsigns and will include links to current stories involving various health issues and the medical industry itself. Also, viewers can share their health concerns or amazing medical stories by submitting their own iReports via the web site or by contributing to the VITAL SIGNS page using their PC or mobile phone.

Regular segments in the program that feature Dr. Gupta include ‘Doc Talk’, where he shares the buzz in the medical community; ‘Medical Myth Busters’, where he identifies medical myths that some doctors believe to be true; and ‘On the Frontlines’, where he and a number of CNN contributors report from the field on a specific issue.

For more program information go to www.cnn.com/vitalsigns