Mayo Clinic Health Matters

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Early detection and new therapies for carotid artery stenosis Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

Carotid artery stenosis is a narrowing of the large arteries or vessels on the sides of the neck that carry blood to the head and the brain. This narrowing is usually the result of a buildup of fatty deposits known as plaque within the arteries. Stenosis can worsen over time to completely block the artery and cause strokes.

"Most of the time, there are no signs or symptoms. And that is a problem because it is a silent disease that progresses over time until there is an acute rupture of the plaque," says Dr. Luis Savastano, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon. "And when that happens, a clot can form in the surface, and the clot can be pushed downstream to the brain. And that is what causes the stroke."

But with early detection and new targeted therapies, injury to the brain can be minimized. On the Q&A podcast, Dr. Sevastano discusses new techniques and the tools used to treat carotid artery stenosis and find the root cause of a stroke.

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Sorting out car seat safety with the Mayo Mom Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

The best way to keep your children safe in the car is to secure them in a properly installed car seat. But more than half of all car seats may be improperly installed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So many car seat options are on the market, and many parents find this overwhelming. It's important to buy the right type of car seat, properly install it, and ensure the seat and straps fit your child. The type of seat your child needs depends on several things, including your child’s age, size and developmental needs.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, a special edition of "Ask the Mayo Mom" focuses on summer and car seat safety. Dr. Angela Mattke a Mayo Clinic pediatrician and host of "Ask the Mayo Mom" is joined by Dr. Meghan Cain, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center, and Nicole Guerton, a trauma center injury prevention coordinator at Mayo Clinic Children's Center and a certified child passenger safety technician.

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COVID-19 vaccination rates stalling, infections from the delta variant rising Jun 23, 2021

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Summer and fall are going to be a dangerous time for people in the U.S. who have not been vaccinated for COVID-19, according to Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.

"I really think this exponential rise in the number of sequences that are delta must be taken seriously," says Dr. Poland. "We are seeing a surge again, in hospitalizations in the UK, because of the delta variant in people who have not been vaccinated or who only got one dose of vaccine. This is a really critical message for the public to hear because in the U.S. we are stalled in vaccination rates."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland talks more about a possible COVID-19 surge and being emotionally ready for the pandemic to be over. He also answers listener questions about COVID-19 reinfection, the latest on antiviral development for COVID-19, and the latest news about COVID-19 vaccines affecting menstrual cycles and sperm quality.
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

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Barriers to care for LGBTQ community Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

June is Pride Month, which is celebrated annually to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, and the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender queer and gender nonconforming people have had on history. LGBTQ people often experience barriers to accessing health care and preventive services, which can result in disparities in both cancer risk and treatment.

"Many of those disparities are rooted in stigma and discrimination that have really historically been an issue for this population," says Dr. Jewel Kling, chair of the Division of Women's Health in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Kling discusses cancer screening, prevention and treatment for LGBTQ people, and the importance of finding a trusted healthcare provider.

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Cardiology pumps AI into patient care Jun 18, 2021

Show notes

When it comes to technology, Mayo Clinic is a leader in bringing the tools and science of artificial intelligence, or AI, into practice. In health care, AI is simply a way of programming a computer to process and respond to data for better patient outcomes.

Mayo's AI work in Cardiovascular Medicine uses computer algorithms applied to EKG to aid in early risk prediction and diagnosis of serious and complex heart problems. Early applications have used AI and EKG technology to show the difference between numerical and biological age, to screen for atrial fibrillation, and to detect a weak heart pump before a patient is symptomatic.

"The use of AI will help us detect diseases earlier, so that we can begin treatment sooner, and can better utilize health care resources," says Dr. Paul Friedman, chair of the Department of Cardiology at Mayo Clinic.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Friedman discusses the latest research and applications for using AI in cardiology.

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Reports of heart inflammation in young people after second COVID-19 vaccine Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is holding an emergency COVID-19 meeting this week to discuss COVID-19 vaccine safety as it relates to news that young people may develop myocarditis after receiving a second dose of a messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle, is usually caused by a viral infection. But it can result from a reaction to a drug or be part of a more general inflammatory condition. Signs and symptoms include chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath and arrhythmias.

"There have been about 789 cases reported," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "And that can happen for a whole variety of reasons."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland details the concerns about the myocarditis reports. He also discusses the latest news on the COVID-19 delta variant, and he explains what scientists are calling the "two-track pandemic."
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

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Mayo Clinic experts discuss new Alzheimer’s treatment option Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved aducanumab to treat Alzheimer’s disease, which is a progressive brain disorder that is the most common cause of dementia.

Aducanumab targets amyloid plaques in the brain that are believed to be an essential component of Alzheimer’s disease. But what does the approval of a new Alzheimer's drug mean for patients?

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Ronald Petersen, a Mayo Clinic neurologist and director of Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and Dr. David Knopman, a Mayo Clinic neurologist, discuss the challenges ahead to identify the appropriate patients for treatment with aducanumab.

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Atrial fibrillation treatment improves quality of life for patients Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

Many people may be living with a serious heart condition and not know it. Because the signs and symptoms of atrial fibrillation can be vague, people often think they are simply out of shape or just getting older.

Atrial fibrillation, sometimes referred to as "a-fib", is an irregular and often rapid heartbeat that can increase the risk of strokes, heart failure and other cardiac problems. During atrial fibrillation, the heart's two upper chambers — the atria — beat chaotically and irregularly, and out of coordination with the two lower chambers — the ventricles. Atrial fibrillation symptoms often include heart palpitations and shortness of breath.

Treatments for atrial fibrillation can include medications and other interventions that try to alter the heart's electrical system.

"Patients really do feel tremendous improvement in their quality of life when we keep them in normal rhythm," says Dr. Christopher DeSimone, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist who specializes in cardiac electrophysiology. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. DeSimone discusses symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation.

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Why discussing racism with children matters Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

Children are always watching and learning behaviors from those around them, and parents are usually a child's first role model. But when it comes to discussing racism with children, parents and caregivers may wonder how to begin the conversation about race and bias, and what is age-appropriate to discuss with their children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these three strategies for helping children understand and deal with racial bias:

Talk to your childrenand acknowledge that racial differences and bias exist.
Confront your own biasand model how you want your children to respond to others who may be different than them.
Encourage your children to challenge racial stereotypes and racial bias by being kind and compassionate when interacting with people of all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups.

This edition of the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, which focuses on the importance of discussing racism with children, features an #AsktheMayoMom episode hosted by Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic Children's Center. Joining Dr. Mattke is Dr. Nusheen Ammeenuddin, chair of Diversity and Inclusion for Mayo Clinic Health System and chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on Communications and Media.

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A dangerous phase of the COVID-19 pandemic for those who are unvaccinated Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

If you've been vaccinated for COVID-19, you're able to go shopping, eat in restaurants and travel on airplanes without the same worry of becoming infected with COVID-19 that existed just months ago. But for those who are unvaccinated, getting infected with COVID-19 — even with just minor symptoms — should be a concern, according to Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.

"For those who have been vaccinated, life is resuming back to a sense of normalcy," says Dr. Poland. "But for the unvaccinated, they now live in a dangerous phase of the pandemic, where we're seeing circulating variants that are much more transmissible and may cause worse cases of the disease than what happened last year at this time. I think the people who are unvaccinated may not realize that."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland also offers information on more COVID-19 studies underway and he talks about COVID-19 vaccine research protocols that will be able to help scientists with other vaccine research, such as HIV vaccine research. Also, he answers listener questions, such as, "Does someone who has already been infected with COVID-19, really need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or would just a booster be needed?"
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

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