The pituitary gland is a hormone-producing gland at the base of the brain. Sometimes known as the "master gland," the pituitary gland produces and regulates hormones that help the body function. Pituitary tumors are abnormal growths that develop in your pituitary gland. 

Some pituitary tumors result in too many of the hormones that regulate important functions of your body. Some pituitary tumors can cause your pituitary gland to produce lower levels of hormones. Most pituitary tumors are noncancerous (benign) growths that remain in your pituitary gland or surrounding tissues, and don't spread to other parts of your body. There are various options for treating pituitary tumors, including removing the tumor, controlling its growth and managing your hormone levels with medications. Your health care provider also may recommend a wait-and-see approach.

In this Mayo Clinic Radio podcast, Dr. William Young Jr., a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, will discuss pituitary tumors. Also on the program, Dr. Emanuel Trabuco, chair of Mayo Clinic's Division of Urogynecology, will explain treatment options for stress urinary incontinence in women. And Dr. Joy Wolfram, a Mayo Clinic researcher, will share how nanomedicine seeks to improve cancer care.

Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

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Some pituitary tumors result in too many of the hormones that regulate important functions of your body. Some pituitary tumors can cause your pituitary gland to produce lower levels of hormones. Most pituitary tumors are noncancerous (benign) growths that remain in your pituitary gland or surrounding tissues, and don't spread to other parts of your body. There are various options for treating pituitary tumors, including removing the tumor, controlling its growth and managing your hormone levels with medications. Your health care provider also may recommend a wait-and-see approach.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. William Young Jr., a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, will discuss pituitary tumors. Also on the program, Dr. Emanuel Trabuco, chair of Mayo Clinic's Division of Urogynecology, will explain treatment options for stress urinary incontinence in women. And Dr. Joy Wolfram, a Mayo Clinic researcher, will share how nanomedicine seeks to improve cancer care.

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

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

Use the hashtag #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows or subscribe to the podcast.

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

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Pituitary tumors / treatment for stress urinary incontinence / nanomedicine appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Listen: Mayo Clinic Radio 12/17/16

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health estimate that more than half a million people in the U.S. have Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that most often begins gradually but can worsen over time. Symptoms can include diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss. On Mayo Clinic Radio, learn about treating Crohn’s disease from Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Dr. Edward Loftus Jr. Also on the program, endocrinologist Dr. William Young Jr. explains why the pituitary gland is known as the “master gland," and pediatrician Dr. Esther Krych shares the latest infant sleep recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The post #MayoClinicRadio Podcast: 12/17/16 appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Here's the Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post Treating Crohn’s disease: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Listen to the program on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 9:05 a.m. CST, and follow #MayoClinicRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows.

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

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Treating Crohn’s disease appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Listen to the program on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 9:05 a.m. CST.

Miss the show?  Here's the 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: Crohn’s disease / pituitary gland / infant sleep recommendations appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

More than 1 out of 4 Americans has high blood pressure. For millions of them, a little-known condition is to blame; primary aldosteronism or PA. It's caused when nodules on the adrenal glands increase the production of a specific, and even toxic,  hormone. The good news - the right treatment may cure their hypertension permanently and even save their life. Dennis Douda has more on how the condition is diagnosed and treated. A word of caution: There are graphic surgery images in the video. [TRT 2:21]

To read the script, click here.

Journalists: The video package and additional b-roll are available in the downloads. (TV stations: The graphic surgery images are at 1:35 & 1:55 in the video.)

Members of the media wishing to interview Dr. William Young may call 507-284-5005 or write to newsbureau@mayo.edu to make a request. 

The post Little-Known Condition Causes 5%-10% of High Blood Pressure Cases appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

"Anytime a physician prescribes a medication, there are going to be some risks associated with that medication," says William Young, Jr., M.D., the chair of Mayo Clinic's Division of Endocrinology.

Dr. Young says advertising for testosterone medications to treat so-called low T, particularly during televised sporting events, is prompting men to seek out prescriptions for a medication most of them don't need. "So successful has the marketing for this testosterone therapy been that, according to Drugs.com, an independent medicine website, sales of the testosterone gel Androgel in 2013 exceeded sales of Viagra," according to a statement from the UCLA newsroom regarding a new study of the cardiovascular risks of testosterone therapy.

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

The joint study by UCLA, the National Institutes of Health and Consolidated Research Inc., found the risk of a heart attack shortly after beginning testosterone therapy roughly doubled for men under 65 with a history of heart disease. The study, in the Jan. 29 online edition of the journal PLOS ONE, is the largest to date examining heart disease in men using testosterone supplements.

"In terms of truly low testosterone, it’s actually a very small fraction of the male population in the Unites States that’s truly affected by this. One of the problems of making this distinction is that testosterone levels fall with age."  TRT :14

Dr. Young says, although only a small percentage of men may actually need testosterone medication, there are some symptoms which signal that it might be worth having a conversation with your doctor.

 /// SOT - Symptoms of Possible Low T (Dr. William Young Jr., Mayo Clinic Endocrinologist)

"I think men who have a definite change in their sex drive, libido, men who need to shave less frequently, are losing muscle mass, body hair, are noticing their testicles are getting smaller or if they’re noticing the enlargement of their breasts, these are signs and symptoms that they should talk about the possibility of low testosterone with their physician."  TRT :24

On the other hand, Dr. Young says, boosting testosterone levels unnecessarily may raise a man's risk of other health problems besides heart attacks.

 /// SOT -  Health Risks of High Testosterone (Dr. William Young Jr., Mayo Clinic Endocrinologist)

"If the levels are too high, that triggers the bone marrow to make more red blood cells, which makes the blood more thick and can predispose to stroke. High testosterone levels can also promote the growth of the prostate gland."  TRT :15

Dr. Young says patients suspected of having low male hormone levels may be put on a temporary treatment trial of testosterone medication to see if it brings improvement. However, he says, it’s common to discover that patients with complaints of severe fatigue do not get the desired boost in their energy levels with testosterone therapy,  because low testosterone was not the cause of their fatigue.

The post Mayo Clinic Expert Says Heart Risks From Unnecessarily Treating “Low T” Serious Concern appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.