Health & Wellness - February 2015 Archives

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am a 37-year-old man and have no health problems, but both of my parents have heart disease. My dad had his first heart attack at age 50. Are there things I can do now to prevent it, or is heart disease inevitable for me because of my family history? ANSWER: Based on your family history, your risk for heart attacks is higher than the risk of a person without that kind of history. But that does not mean heart attacks are inevitable. A thorough medical evaluation can help determine your specific risk of developing heart problems. You can also take steps to help protect your heart health, no matter what your risk level. A family history of heart attacks — especially one in a parent younger than 55, as in your father’s situation — is a major risk factor for the type of heart disease known as coronary artery disease, sometimes called CAD. Coronary artery disease develops when the major blood vessels that supply your heart with blood, oxygen and nutrients — your coronary arteries — become damaged or diseased. Cholesterol-containing deposits, or plaques, and inflammation in your arteries are usually the source of coronary artery disease. There are many factors that may cause coronary artery disease, including high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, smoking, obesity and high blood pressure, to mention some.

Respuesta de Katherine Zeratsky, especialista en dietética Beber una cantidad razonable de soda dietética al día, como una o dos latas, probablemente no haga ...

Mucus. It isn’t pretty, but it’s a frontline weapon in the fight against the common cold and sinusitis. On this week’s Mayo Clinic Radio, ENT specialist ...

WHAT: On Friday, Feb. 27 at 10 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT, HBO will air a documentary from VICE Media entitled Killing Cancer, which follows pioneering cancer researchers including those at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. The broadcast will conclude with the announcement of a matching gift campaign established by the documentary’s host and producer Shane Smith to fund cancer research at Mayo Clinic. WHO: Shane Smith, CEO and founder of VICE Media, is no stranger to the impact cancer has on families. To honor his mother, a cancer survivor, Smith is establishing a $500,000 matching gift to fund cancer research at Mayo Clinic. WHERE: Gifts qualifying for the match can be made online here. WHEN: Gifts made between February 27 and April 28, 2015, qualify for this matching gift opportunity. MEDIA CONTACT: Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284 5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu.

The winter has been especially harsh for millions of Americans with record snowfalls and extreme temperatures forcing many to stay indoors due to inclement weather. Short days, lack of sunlight and cold temperatures especially in the northern areas of the U.S. are being blamed for bouts of cabin fever and the winter blues. You may also hear people refer to seasonal affective disorder or SAD this winter, however, there are some distinct differences. Mark A. Frye, M.D., says SAD is a significant cyclical mood disorder that affects patients most winters beginning in late fall or early winter when the skies are gray during the day or the sun sets early. While many people, especially during a difficult winter, struggle with cabin fever and winter blues, SAD depressive symptoms can be severe and functionally disabling. Dr. Frye says SAD is a mood disorder much like bipolar disorder or major depression but specifically related to the change of seasons. Journalists: Soundbites with Dr. Frye are in the downloads.

ROCHESTER, Minnesota: El significado del descenso en las tasas de tabaquismo puede ser que muchas personas, a quienes la detección temprana del cáncer de pulmón beneficiaría, fallezcan debido a que no califican para la detección por tomografía computarizada de dosis baja, dice un grupo de investigadores de Mayo Clinic. Su trabajo aparece en la edición del 24 de febrero de JAMA, revista de la Asociación Médica Americana. “A medida que los fumadores dejan antes el hábito y permanecen más tiempo sin consumir cigarrillos, menor cantidad de ellos califica para la detección por tomografía computarizada, examen de comprobada eficacia para salvarles la vida”, comenta la Dra. Ping Yang, epidemióloga del Centro Oncológico de Mayo Clinic. “Los pacientes que terminan desarrollando cáncer de pulmón son diagnosticas en una etapa más avanzada, cuando el tratamiento ya no deriva en curación”. La Dra. Yang indica que tanto los científicos como las personas responsables de desarrollar políticas precisan reexaminar el criterio de detección a fin de que permita identificar a una mayor proporción de pacientes que desarrollan cáncer de pulmón. “Si se continúa utilizando el mismo criterio, el programa de detección existente será cada vez menos capaz de reducir la mortalidad por cáncer de pulmón en la población general”, dice la Dra. Yang. El estudio siguió la pista de forma retrospectiva de los habitantes mayores de 20 años del condado de Olmsted, Minnesota, durante los años de 1984 a 2011, con un total aproximado de 140 000 personas. La identificación de los casos de cáncer de pulmón se realizó mediante la base de datos del Proyecto Epidemiológico de Rochester y su confirmación se hizo según la definición patológica de la Organización Mundial de la Salud.

Cancer treatment and the heart Radiation treatment and chemotherapy can increase the chance of heart damage. Know the risks. Alternative cancer treatments: 10 options ...

You may have heard the term superbug in the news lately. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (En-tero-bacteria-ce·ae) (CRE) has been linked to several deaths around the United States after those patients had endoscopic procedures using a duodenoscope. CRE is often referred to as a superbug because it's resistant to the carbapenem antibiotic and other commonly used antibiotics. The duodenoscope is a complex instrument used in an endoscopic procedure called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Bret Petersen, M.D., calls the ERCP a very important procedure that potentially saves many lives and says more than 100,000 ERCP procedures are done annually in the U.S. Instruments used in common procedures such as colonoscopy and upper endoscopy have not been related to these cases of CRE. Dr. Petersen says patients should not be fearful of having these important procedures. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Petersen are available in the downloads.

ESTIMADA MAYO CLINIC: ¿Qué implica la rehabilitación cardíaca, y la recomiendan ustedes a todos los que han sufrido un ataque cardíaco, o solamente en ciertos casos? RESPUESTA: La rehabilitación cardíaca es sumamente provechosa para las personas que sufren varios trastornos del corazón, e implica una combinación de ejercicios supervisados médicamente, educación y control de los factores de riesgo. Los objetivos de la rehabilitación cardíaca son de reducir los síntomas, mejorar la funcionalidad física y mental, así como prevenir futuros problemas del corazón. Quienes participan en la rehabilitación cardíaca son menos proclives a reingresar al hospital y, además, presentan tasas de supervivencia entre 25 y 45 por ciento mejores que las personas que no participan en la rehabilitación cardíaca. La rehabilitación cardíaca es definitivamente recomendable para las personas con los siguientes diagnósticos: ataque cardíaco; intervenciones coronarias percutáneas, entre ellas, angioplastia o estent coronario; angina crónica estable; cirugía para baipás coronario; reparación de válvula cardíaca o cirugía para reemplazo de válvula; trasplante cardíaco; e insuficiencia cardíaca sistólica (alteración de la contracción cardíaca).

Dry skin is can be temporary — for example you might only suffer from it during the winter months — but for some it can be a lifelong condition. Although skin is often driest on your hands, arms and lower legs, this varies from person to person. What's more, signs and symptoms of dry skin depend on your age, your health, where you live, time spent outdoors and the cause of the problem. Megan Johnston Flanders, M.D., family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic Health System in Cannon Falls, says dry skin is likely to cause one or more of the following: A feeling of skin tightness, especially after showering, bathing or swimming Skin that feels and looks rough Itching (pruritus) Slight to severe flaking, scaling or peeling Fine lines or cracks Gray, ashy skin in people with dark skin Redness Deep cracks that may bleed Dr. Johnston Flanders says the following measures can help keep your skin moist and healthy:

Do you have a case of the blahs? A difficult winter across much of the northern and some parts of the southern parts of the ...

On Friday, Feb. 27 at 10 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT, HBO will broadcast a documentary entitled Killing Cancer. VICE founder and host Shane Smith ...