On this week's Mayo Clinic Radio podcast, Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic Office of Women's Health, explains signs, symptoms and treatment for genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Also on the podcast, Dr. Sandra Taler, a nephrologist at Mayo Clinic, covers the recently updated blood pressure guidelines that affect millions of Americans. And Dr. Luke Wood, an emergency medicine physician at Mayo Clinic, shares tips for avoiding common holiday hazards.

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On this week's Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic Office of Women's Health, will explain signs, symptoms and treatment for genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Also on the program, Dr. Sandra Taler, a nephrologist at Mayo Clinic, will cover the recently updated blood pressure guidelines that affect millions of Americans. And Dr. Luke Wood, an emergency medicine physician at Mayo Clinic, will share tips for avoiding common holiday hazards.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Genitourinary syndrome of menopause appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On this week's Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic Office of Women's Health, will explain signs, symptoms and treatment for genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Also on the program, Dr. Sandra Taler, a nephrologist at Mayo Clinic, will cover the recently updated blood pressure guidelines that affect millions of Americans. And Dr. Luke Wood, an emergency medicine physician at Mayo Clinic, will share tips for avoiding common holiday hazards.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Miss the show?  Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Genitourinary syndrome of menopause / new blood pressure guidelines / holiday hazards appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Alternate medications to manage chronic pain

Pain medications might not work well for chronic pain ― pain that doesn’t go away with time. The March issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers other types of medications and strategies to consider as part of long-term pain management.

Deciding on potential drug therapy for chronic pain usually involves analysis of the cause or causes of pain and knowing which type of drugs may be beneficial. Pain medications typically work well for pain resulting from headache, an injury or surgery. These same medications can lose their effectiveness over time, and some may even make pain worse or cause unacceptable side effects. Other options include:

MEDIA CONTACT: Brian Kilen, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

• Antidepressant drugs ― These drugs are commonly used for multiple types of chronic pain, such as fibromyalgia, low back pain, headaches, diabetic neuropathy and other forms of nerve pain. In some people, antidepressants appear to help with pain, independent of their possible effect on depression. They can also improve depression symptoms, which can be caused by chronic, unrelieved pain. Antidepressants usually don’t lose their effect over time, and they may increase the effect of other pain drugs.
• Anti-seizure medications ― Several drugs developed primarily to control epileptic seizures have been found to help control stabbing or shooting pain that can result from nerve damage or impaired communication in the central nervous system. When a nerve is injured or functions abnormally, certain nerve receptors that communicate pain to the brain may fire inappropriately. Anti-seizure medications can help reduce this activity and decrease pain levels.
• Nonmedication strategies ― Using drugs to manage chronic pain usually works best as part of a larger plan that may include regular exercise, physical activity, physical therapy, counseling, stress management, massage and other components. Visiting a comprehensive pain rehabilitation center may be worth considering, especially for those who have struggled to find effective pain management. Reducing or eliminating unhelpful medications, often with a planned tapering of the drugs, is a common occurrence in pain rehabilitation programs.

Blood pressure guidelines refined for older adults, those with diabetes or kidney disease

Blood pressure guidelines have been refined for older adults and people with diabetes or kidney disease. The March issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers these changes and why they were made.

High blood pressure is a common and serious health problem in the U.S. High blood pressure can lead to significant health risks including heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney failure and other organ damage. Older adults are particularly at risk. More than half of adults over age 65 and close to 80 percent of adults over age 75 have high blood pressure.

Normal blood pressure is considered to be less than 120/80 mm Hg. For some, high blood pressure tends to develop over many years without an exact cause. For others, an underlying condition, such as kidney or thyroid disease, causes high blood pressure.

The goal of treating high blood pressure is to keep it within a range that avoids damage to the arteries, heart, kidneys and brain. That range varies somewhat for subsets of patients.

The most recent guidelines, from the Eighth Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, were published in 2014. For those with high blood pressure, guidelines recommend blood pressure lower than:

• 150/90 mm Hg for healthy adults age 60 and older. This is slightly higher than previous guidelines.
• 140/90 mm Hg for healthy adults younger than 60.
• 140/90 mm Hg for adults with diabetes or kidney disease. This also is slightly higher than previous guidelines.

One of the underlying principles of the new guidelines is that more aggressive treatment isn’t always better at improving health, nor is it backed by solid evidence, especially in the case of older adults and those with diabetes or chronic kidney problems. Less aggressive treatment goals reduce the intensity of treatment, which also makes for fewer side effects.

It’s good to remember that guidelines are based on data derived from large numbers of carefully selected people ― and there are varying opinions on which blood pressure goals are best for optimal health. Patients should work with their providers to determine the best strategies to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and other consequences of high blood pressure.

Fostering thankfulness, improving well-being

Scientists are finding that people who are habitually grateful reap greater happiness, more positive relationships, increased sense of fulfillment and even sleep better, according to the March issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

While everyone feels grateful at times ― for a gift, extra help, a rewarding job, or natural beauty ― transient moments of thankfulness aren’t enough to explain the wider concept of gratitude. Gratitude, especially as it correlates to a higher sense of well-being, focuses on noticing and appreciating the positive aspects of life. Practicing gratitude means being content in the moment, despite the imperfections of life.

Mayo Clinic doctor Amit Sood, M.D., has authored several books on training the brain to decrease stress, increase resilience and live meaningfully. Here are some of his suggestions to foster gratitude.

Start the day with gratitude: Begin the day by thinking of five people to whom you are grateful. The day starts on a more positive note when it begins with grateful thoughts.

Be thankful for simple things: Throughout the day, mentally note things easily taken for granted, electricity, running water, clean clothes or a cup of coffee.

Look for the positive in the negative: Try to see struggles as necessary forces that focus energy on what’s really important. Be thankful for a flexible mind that allows adversity to help you learn and grow.

Acknowledge your riches: If you are feeling bad, count your blessings, such as health, home, freedom, a job or loved ones.

Keep a gratitude journal: As you contemplate people and things you’re grateful for, write them down. Do it before you sleep so the last thoughts of the day are positive and sleep is restful. Refer back to the journal on rough days.

Say thank you: Express gratitude to others in words and deeds. Say thank you in person for a kind action or write a note to express gratefulness for having a person in your life.

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Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today’s health and medical news. To subscribe, please call 1-800-333-9037 (toll-free), extension 9771, or visit http://www.HealthLetter.MayoClinic.com

About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to medical research and education, and providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic or https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/.

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Hypertension is the most common condition seen in primary care and leads to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and death if not detected early and treated appropriately. New guidelines released online by JAMA today offer nine recommendations and a treatment algorithm (flow chart) to help physicians treat patients with hypertension.

Sandra Taler, M.D., a nephrologist at Mayo Clinic and a panel member appointed to the NIH Eighth Joint National Committee, says, “Guidelines are increasingly based on evidence derived from clinical research rather than from expert opinion. These guidelines are based on a careful independent review of the highest quality clinical trials in hypertension and focus on treating those patients most likely to benefit from treatment while avoiding over treatment that may increase the risk for side effects.”

She adds, “In general, the blood targets have not changed for the general hypertensive population under age 60, to keep BP below 140/90 mm Hg.  For those 60 or older, the targets have changed to less than 150/90 mm Hg based on strong trial evidence.  For those with diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease, the previous lower targets of less than 130/80 mm Hg have been increased to less than 140/90 mm Hg. The recommendations give providers four classes of drugs from which to select starting treatment for hypertension without limiting preference to a single class as done in the previous guidelines.”

More information can be found in the 2014 Evidence-Based Guideline for the Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults.

 Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Taler are available in the downloads.

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