Health & Wellness - May 2013 Archives

A 65-year-old man is France's first casualty from a SARS-like coronavirus. The man's hospital roommate has also become very ill from the virus, which has now claimed 24 lives.  The latest victim had been traveling in the Middle East, which is where the majority of cases originated. The World Health Organization (WHO) has named the virus Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, or MERS-CoV, and has called it a global threat. Mayo Clinic vaccine research specialist Gregory Poland, M.D., (PO lund) says right now very little is known about this novel, or new, virus other than it is distantly related to the 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong, which eventually killed  more than 750 people.  Dr. Poland says a lot of detective work is underway to analyze and treat this new virus. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Poland are available in the downloads. 

Common over-the-counter pain relievers, like ibuprofen, may raise your risk of having a heart attack. That's the finding in a new report in the respected medical journal The Lancet. The review boiled down hundreds of earlier studies that followed more than 350,000 patients. It found that people taking four 200 milligram ibuprofen pills three times a day for a year, a common dosage for arthritis patients,  increased their risk of heart attack significantly. Mayo Clinic cardiovascular specialist Stephen Kopecky, M.D., says it's something doctors have known about for years.  Similar concerns lead to the banning of certain brand name Cox-2 inhibitor pain medications in 2004. However, Dr. Kopecky (ko PET skee) says the lack of lawsuits against generic drug manufacturers has allowed over-the-counter pain relievers to avoid the same scrutiny.  Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Kopecky are available in the downloads.

You have a serious medical condition, but the conventional tests fail to find an answer. You still have no diagnosis and no effective treatment. What do you do? Mayo Clinic has always been a destination for patients seeking answers, and now Mayo is taking that concept to the next level with the public launch of its Individualized Medicine Clinic at all three of its campuses — in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona. Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., director of Mayo’s Center for Individualized Medicine, says, “This is not whimsical sequencing, but a comprehensive and professional approach aimed at serious problems. This is what we’ve been working toward since the genome was mapped.” To be clear, this is not experimental medicine or a clinical trial. It is cutting-edge tertiary clinical care and a regular part of Mayo Clinic’s medical practice. Click here for news release Watch Dennis' story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oThLYXGTXlA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSwtzR-cmns We know there's a serious obesity epidemic in the United States and it's a growing concern when it comes to children. Being overweight ...

There are many misconceptions about risks associated with radiation doses and Mayo Clinic wants patients to have the most accurate information, including when to have procedures with ...

JACKSONVILLE, Flórida — Dorylee Baez vive destemidamente. Seja "voando" em uma tirolesa (zip line) ou organizando o primeiro grupo de apoio a pacientes de câncer ...

Blood offers promise as a way to detect Alzheimer's disease at its earliest onset. Mayo Clinic researchers say they envision a test that would detect distinct ...

Devices snaked into the brain artery of a patient experiencing a stroke should primarily be used within a clinical trial setting. Vascular neurologists at Mayo Clinic ...

This is National Stroke Awareness Month. Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 Americans each year — that’s 1 of every ...

Peripheral arterial disease is a common circulation problem in which reduced blood flow can lead to complications that jeopardize the limbs, possibly even requiring amputation. ...

Mayo Clinic is expanding its sports medicine practice to meet the growing regional, national and international demand for its expertise. Edward Laskowski, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have had hyperthyroidism for just over one year, and medication does not seem to keep it in check. I do not want to have my thyroid removed. But I’m nervous about radioactive iodine treatment, which is what was recommended. Is it safe? What are the risks? ANSWER: Radioactive iodine is a safe, proven and effective treatment for hyperthyroidism. It is not the best choice for everyone, however. Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of all the available treatment options. Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck. This gland produces hormones that affect every cell in your body. Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid makes too much of the hormone thyroxine. This disorder can cause weight loss, rapid or irregular heartbeat, sweating, nervousness and irritability.