Health & Wellness - August 2013 Archives

Stress May Play A Role In Hair Loss, But Other Triggers Could Be The Cause August 30, 2013 Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it true ...

  Our Labor Day weekend program (8/31) will feature a rebroadcast of a previous show with Mark Christopherson, M.D., during which we discussed spinal cord injuries.  ...

"The problem wasn't in Juan Martin's head ... it was in his wrist." The 2009 U.S. Open tennis champ Juan Martin del Potro is making another run for the championship ... seeded sixth in this year's U.S. Open. Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon Richard Berger, M.D., Ph.D., helped the Argentinian tennis star overcome a debilitating wrist injury suffered after del Potro won the 2009 U.S. Open. Read more in Reeves Wiedeman's article in Grantland.  Journalists: For interviews with Dr. Berger contact Lee Aase at aase.lee@mayo.edu or call 507-266-2442.

The 2009 U.S. Open tennis champ Juan Martin del Potro is making another run for ...

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and a top cause of disability. Also, many people who injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), are at higher risk of developing arthritis.  In an attempt to learn more about osteoarthritis prevention and treatment, Mayo Clinic is joining an Arthritis Foundation-funded study to analyze damaged cartilage before osteoarthritis sets in. Researchers will use biomarkers and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the joint surface cartilage of patients who have just torn their ACL. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x_zGpHtD0Y&hd=1 Study co-investigator Michael Stuart, M.D., vice-chair of orthopedic surgery and co-director of the Sports Medicine Center, says, “Many patients, maybe up to one-half, who tear their anterior cruciate ligament are at risk for developing post-traumatic or after-injury arthritis over time. This group of patients affords an opportunity for us to study injured articular cartilage using biomarkers and MRI, then hopefully apply new treatment strategies that can prevent arthritis in the future.” Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Stuart are available in the downloads.

  Omega-3s are a popular supplement and it's important to understand the real benefits and the latest research.     Join Today's Twitter Chat hosted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine  @NCCAM to discuss what research says about the science and safety of omega-3s.     TODAY - Thursday Aug. 29th, 4 to 5 p.m. ET @MayoClinic experts Brent Bauer, M.D., @babmd and Jon Tilburt, M.D., @DrJonTilburt will participate in the chat .  Follow the conversation at #nccamchat.  

Michael J. Fox is back in the spotlight this fall in a new sitcom “The Michael J. Fox Show” and spreading awareness about Parkinson’s disease, a condition both he and his TV character have in common. Fox has been an outspoken advocate for Parkinson’s disease research and awareness since disclosing his condition to the public in 1998. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement and may cause shaking, muscle stiffness, slowing of movement, impaired balance or other symptoms. Mayo Clinic movement disorders specialist, Anhar Hassan, M.D., says it impacts about 1 in 200 people. “What Michael J. Fox is doing to spread awareness on Parkinson’s — from fundraising to education to playing a TV character with the disease — is very commendable. Parkinson’s disease touches the lives of many people. Education is vital.” says Dr. Hassan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rPkoFWuoWs Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Hassan are in the downloads. To interview Dr. Hassan or another Mayo Clinic Parkinson’s expert about the disease contact Nick Hanson at newsbureau@mayo.edu or call 507-284-5005. Read entire news release: 5 Things about Parkinson's disease Five things every person should know about Parkinson’s disease: People are typically diagnosed with Parkinson’s in their 60s. Early onset, such as Michael J. Fox’s, is rare. The disease is not a death sentence. With new medications, a healthy diet and a good exercise regimen, those who are diagnosed with Parkinson’s can live upwards of 20 years and beyond.

Mayo Clinic’s Nicotine Dependence Center (NDC) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. As one of the first centers in the country to focus exclusively on treatments for tobacco dependence when it opened in 1988, the NDC has been at the forefront of the battle of nicotine addiction nationally as well as globally, offering the latest education and training programs, advancing research aimed at tobacco dependence interventions, and offering treatment approaches to tobacco users. The founder and director of the NDC, Richard Hurt, M.D., says, “As I reflect on the past 25 years, the key to our success has been the dedicated and innovative staff. The patients we see are in need of hope and help, and our team delivers care in a compassionate and motivating way.” Dr Hurt says, while it's encouraging that the number of Americans who smoke has dropped to 18 percent that still means 45 million adults are lighting up. He says a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that 6 out of 10 current smokers, if they don't quit, will die of a tobacco-caused disease. Journalists: Sound bites and smoking b-roll are available in the downloads.   Read the entire news release: NDC 25 Anniv http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kmb5W5YD6k

ALERTA DE MULTIMÍDIA: Para informações adicionais em áudio e vídeo com a médica Sahra Borges, Ph.D., acesse Mayo Clinic News Network.   JACKSONVILLE, Flórida — ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqM1kMejt0 Running a marathon obviously takes training and dedication, but sometimes external factors can ruin your run and even make it dangerous. Excessive heat, like we’ve seen in many places across the U.S., is one such factor. Vivien Williams introduces us to a  runner who was taken down by heatstroke just 35 feet from the finish line.   [TRT 1:56] Read script: Running from Dehydration, Heatstroke and Hyperthermia Journalists: The video report is available in the downloads. News Network pkgs. can be edited into vo/sots and incorporated in your reporting. TAG: It’s important to know the signs and symptoms of heatstroke, whether or not you're a runner.  High body temperature, nausea, vomiting, lack of sweating, fast heart and/or breathing rates, and confusion are all important signs. If this happens, call 9-1-1 and get the person in a cool, shaded area; mist them with water; and apply ice packs to their neck, armpits and groin until help arrives.

   DO YOU HAVE MIGRAINES OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES?  Join @TIME's @AliceParkNY for a #migrainechat - Thursday Aug. 29th, 1 to 2 p.m. ET Mayo Clinic neurologist @daviddodick is participating, along with specialists from other medical institutions, the @AANPublic and the @ahsheadache.   Topics will include:   Long-term effects of migraines How migraines effect social life, job and stress Difference between headaches and migraines and different types of migraines Who gets them and what are the triggers Treatments and how to prevent New research Never participated in a chat before, or want tips on how to participate effectively? Watch this video. Questions? E-mail Nick Hanson at hanson.nicholas@mayo.edu.

                                                                                                                   (video courtesy: WBBH-TV) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHEQUJvM9BM On bright summer days we may remember to apply the sunscreen, but we may not remember to give the heat the full respect it deserves. When temperatures soar, Mayo Clinic experts say we need to take precautions. We also need to be on guard for the warning signs of overheating. Family medicine physician Jennifer Nordstrom, M.D., at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, Wisc., says heat illness can range in severity from mild heat cramps to heat exhaustion to a potentially life-threatening heatstroke. She says certain individuals are at higher risk in the heat. Journalists: Beach b-roll is available in the downloads. Please courtesy WBBH-TV. What puts you at higher risk? Diabetes, asthma or heart disease Being elderly or very young Being overweight or in poor physical condition Recently been ill with a fever Having had heat illness before Hard chargers who ignore the warning signs