Cardiovascular - December 2013 Archives

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Allergy-proof your house See how to allergy-proof your house with these simple changes and find relief for your symptoms. Living with multiple sclerosis Having a chronic condition like multiple sclerosis can be challenging. Learn how you can manage the disease and live well with MS. EXPERT ANSWERS Cold or allergy: Which is it? Learn how to tell the difference between common cold and allergy symptoms. Is pregnancy safe if you have MS? Most women's MS symptoms actually lessen or disappear during pregnancy. HEALTHY RECIPES Smoked-trout spread Spinach dip with mushrooms Whole-wheat pretzel Chickpea hummus HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK Let it snow, but watch the chill Whether you're playing in the snow or you're knee-deep in a winter workout, the wind can penetrate your clothes and remove the insulating layer of warm air that surrounds your body. Fast motion, such as skiing or skating, also creates wind chill because it increases air movement past your body. If the temperature dips well below 0 F (minus 18 C), choose an indoor activity instead. Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.

Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it true that heart attacks are more common around the holidays? If so, why is that? What can people do to lower their risk? Answer: Heart attacks, along with heart problems in general, are more common around the holidays. Various factors can play into this, including stress, travel, changes in diet and disrupted schedules. Fortunately, many self-care steps can help keep your heart healthy. One of the biggest challenges this time of year is healthy eating. For people with heart problems, choosing a heart-healthy diet amid an abundance of holiday foods can be daunting. But not straying too far from your normal diet is important. Keep portion sizes reasonable and limit fatty foods. Eating too much can lead to chest pain or shortness of breath in some people with heart problems. Drink small amounts of alcohol, if any, as alcohol can raise your risk for heart rhythm problems and heart attack. Men should not drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day. Women should not have more than one.

The hustle and bustle of the holidays can bring unexpected medical concerns, including increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Several studies have shown that the incidence of heart attack and stroke increase in December and January, particularly on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. To minimize the risk of an unexpected visit to the emergency room, Kevin Barrett, M.D., vascular neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida and co-director of the Mayo Clinic Primary Stroke Center, offers these tips: Reduce stress. Eat and drink in moderation. Be vigilant with medication. Exercise — and get rest. Know the symptoms for heart attack and stroke, and don’t delay in seeking medical attention. Taking time to be mindful of stress and the triggers of heart attack and stroke can hopefully help safeguard an enjoyable and pleasant holiday season. Read news release. http://youtu.be/0Xit1Son1PI

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Dec. 16, 2013 — Mayo Clinic researchers and colleagues in Belgium have developed a specialized catheter for transplanting stem cells into the beating heart. The novel device includes a curved needle and graded openings along the needle shaft, allowing for increased distribution of cells. The result is maximized retention of stem cells to repair the heart. The findings appear in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsJsorTdGFk “Although biotherapies are increasingly more sophisticated, the tools for delivering regenerative therapies demonstrate a limited capacity in achieving high cell retention in the heart,” says Atta Behfar, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiology specialist and lead author of the study. “Retention of cells is, of course, crucial to an effective, practical therapy.”

Traveling long distances during the holidays — whether by car, plane or train — is a common custom for many Americans, but taking health precautions for the journey isn’t often at the top of to-do lists. However, there are some simple steps you can take to stay healthy while traveling. Clayton Cowl, M.D., an expert in transportation medicine at Mayo Clinic, says, “One health risk to consider when traveling is simply sitting for too long. Concerns like blood clots in the legs from sitting too long, becoming dehydrated from lack of fluid intake or drinking too much alcohol, and not walking much when delayed in an airport or train station can be serious. Driving for hours to reach a destination after a long day at work can be as equally worrisome due to fatigue and eyestrain.” Click here for news release.   Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Cowl are available in the downloads. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNRju621nfw&hd=1

Does "lower my stress levels" show up on your list of New Year's resolutions for 2014?  On Saturday, Dec. 21, Amit Sood, M.D., will join us ...

  How often have you heard or read about a “heart-healthy diet” and wondered what exactly that means?  Get the full story on Saturday, Dec. 14, when Stephen Kopecky, M.D., and Mayo Clinic dietitian Peg Menzel join us to discuss the Mediterranean diet.  What is it that's so healthy about eating this way?  How can we begin to incorporate it into our diet? Please join us. Myth or Matter of Fact: Olive oil lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Listen to this week’s Medical News Headlines: News Segment December 14, 2013 (right click MP3) The show is taped for rebroadcast by some affiliates. On Twitter follow #MayoClinicRadio and tweet your questions. Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq36zZaugBk Cookies, candy, eggnog ... these are some the favorite goodies we can’t seem to resist at holiday gatherings. But for patients with an underlying heart condition, ...

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are about twice as likely to develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) – and chances are that it will include memory loss. First author of the Mayo Clinic study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings Balwinder Singh, M.D., says, “COPD is reversible in early stages, especially in smokers. These findings are important because they highlight the importance of COPD as a potential risk factor for MCI and will hopefully lead to early intervention to prevent incidence or progression of MCI.” Mayo Clinic researchers looked at about 2,000 people 70-89 year olds in the Mayo Clinic Study on Aging. Click here for news release.