Cardiovascular - October 2015 Archives

Congenital heart problems are the most common structural birth defect. They affect about 1 in 100 children. However, the condition a little North Dakota ...

The World Health Organization (WHO) says processed meats increase your risk for cancer. The organization now lists processed meats like bacon, hot dogs and ...

Watch today's Mayo Clinic Minute Probing your risk for heart attack, and Mayo Clinic breast cancer specialist Dr. Sandhya Pruthi tells us about a new iPad app helping breast ...

My head pounded incessantly. With every sip of water, I felt like I was swallowing razor blades. I coughed and wheezed so hard that my stomach muscles ached. But as sick as I was, this would be one of my healthiest days, because a visit with a vigilant nurse practitioner at Mayo Clinic may have saved my life. After feeling really crummy for several days last spring, lying in bed "drinking plenty of fluids," and hoping whatever was ailing me would pass, I decided that I had waited long enough. I visited Mayo Clinic Express Care at one of the Hy-Vee Grocery stores in Rochester, Minnesota. That's where Dawn Kaderabek, a Mayo Clinic nurse practitioner, diagnosed me with Influenza B. She also noticed something unusual. While listening to my heart, she heard a whooshing sound and asked if I had ever been told about a murmur. I said no, I hadn't. She told me that murmurs are not always dangerous but recommended that I get this checked out sooner rather than later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye7Vt4v98-0 WHAT: “Feel the Beat” brings together families, researchers and clinicians to learn more about, and raise awareness of, hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a rare and complex form of congenital heart disease in which the left side of a child's heart is severely underdeveloped. The event, built around science, advocacy, families and patients, invites those in the HLHS community to share experiences while discovering the unique regenerative therapies being pioneered for congenital heart disease. Children and families from across the U.S. will participate in team-building challenges and interactive sessions led by physicians and researchers. WHERE: Mayo Clinic, Gonda Building, Rochester, Minnesota WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 17, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. To view the itinerary, visit the HLHS Cause to Cure blog. WHO: Interviews are available with Timothy Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director, Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Christopher Moir, M.D., a Mayo Clinic pediatric surgeon who led the team to successfully separate 5-month-old conjoined twins in 2006. This year’s guests include Ethan Bortnick, a 14-year-old piano prodigy who has been playing for audiences worldwide and Joslynn Jarrett-Skelton, author of the book series “Charlie the Courageous.” At approximately 11:30 a.m., the children will be joined by the “superhero window washers,” who will make a surprise entrance to greet the children from the windows outside of the Gonda atrium and pose for pictures. MEDIA CONTACT: RSVP to Jennifer Schutz, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, at 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu

Questions about calcium supplements for older adults are in the news. Recent studies published in the British Medical Journal found that extra dietary calcium intake was not associated with fracture reduction and increasing dietary calcium intake does not prevents fractures. However, says Mayo Clinic endocrinologist Dr. Robert Wermers, Americans aren't getting enough calcium in their diet. The median dietary intake in the U.S. for women age 50 or older is 589-649 mg per day and 728-777 per day for men. He says despite the new findings, he recommends patients follow the Institute of Medicine’s guidelines of 1200 mg of calcium in women 51 years of age and older, 1000 mg daily for men 51-70 years old and 1200 mg for those above 70 years of age. Dr. Wermers says, "The ability to maintain calcium balance worsens and bone loss accelerates after 50 years of age. Your risk of fracture also increases with older age. In fact, several studies have shown that calcium combined with low daily doses of  vitamin D  reduces fracture risk and increases bone density." Calcium supplements, he says, should be considered only if you do not get the recommended daily amount of calcium through diet.

Weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease. These are some of the risks associated with consuming sugary drinks, according to a new report from the Journal of ...