Mayo Clinic Health Matters

More than 12,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a liver transplant, and 1 in 5 of those on the national waiting list will die or become too sick before an organ becomes available. Due to the shortage of available deceased donor organs, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is expanding its living liver donation program. While living donors traditionally have been people who know the recipient, such as a family member or friend, the Mayo Clinic program now include non directed and paired donation options. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Timucin Taner, a Mayo Clinic transplant surgeon, discusses the process of living liver donation and shares information on becoming an organ donor. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Eric Berg has had seizures due to epilepsy since he was 12 years old. This past year, his seizures increased in frequency, affecting his day-to-day life and his ability to work. With encouragement from his fiancee, Eric sought treatment at Mayo Clinic. At Mayo Clinic, experts are using a new way to treat some seizure disorders: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS. This treatment uses a magnetic field to stimulate certain areas of the brain. While often used to treat depression, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation also is showing promise in treating seizures. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Eric Berg shares his story. His physician, Dr. Jeffrey Britton, a neurologist and chair of the Division of Epilepsy at Mayo Clinic, also joins the podcast and explains how repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is used to treat seizure disorders. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday will look different for families across the country this year. As the pandemic worsens, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends no Thanksgiving travel, instead asking Americans to stay home and celebrate only with their immediate household to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, explains the need to stay home and stay safe this holiday season. Also on the podcast, Dr. Poland discusses emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines and how these vaccines will be distributed across the country.Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

COVID-19 patients may experience a mild case of the illness, and others may experience the most severe symptoms, which can lead to death. There are some patients who recover at home but are monitored as they're healing. For instance, these patients need to check their vital signs daily, including oxygen saturation levels, body temperature an blood pressure. Dr. Tufia Haddad, a Mayo Clinic oncologist and medical director of the Center for Connected Care's Remote Patient Monitoring program, at Mayo Clinic, says the program is a way to deliver patient care between clinical visits to make sure their health is improving. In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Haddad details how the program works for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Autism spectrum disorder is a condition related to brain development that affects how a person perceives and socializes with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication. The disorder also includes limited and repetitive patterns of behavior. The term "spectrum" in autism spectrum disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity. This special edition of the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast features an #AskMayoMom episode, which is hosted by Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic Children's Center. Joining Dr. Mattke to discuss interventions and resources for children with autism is Dr. Maja Katusic a Mayo Clinic developmental-behavioral pediatrician. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

While testicular cancer is rare compared with other types of cancer, it is the most common cancer in American males ages 15 to 35. Testicular cancer is highly treatable, even when cancer has spread beyond the testicle. Several treatments or a combination of treatments are available, and long-term survival rates are greater than 90%. As a part of men's health and the Movember Foundation's focus on testicular cancer, Dr. Matthew Ziegelmann, a Mayo Clinic urologist, joins the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast to discuss diagnosis and treatment of testicular cancer. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When it comes to medical care, men are less likely to seek care than women. While men may typically avoid seeing their health care provider, some problems often prompt them to take action. One complaint that can bring men to the doctor's office is erectile dysfunction, which is the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex. Since erectile dysfunction also can be a sign of an underlying health condition that needs treatment, and it is a risk factor for heart disease, it is important for men to talk to their health care provider. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Sevann Helo, a Mayo Clinic urologist, discusses men's sexual health and treatments for erectile dysfunction, as well as male infertility. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

While the number of COVID-19 cases continues to surge, there is positive news on the vaccine front. In early clinical trial data, two vaccines have now shown at least 90% effectiveness in reducing the risk of infection from the virus that causes COVID-19. While more time and research is needed to understand how long the immunity from a vaccine lasts, experts believe a vaccine could be approved for emergency use authorization before the end of the year.On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, discusses the latest on current COVID-19 clinical trials. Dr. Poland also explains what public health experts mean by community spread of the virus and why that leads to exponential growth in cases of COVID-19.Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the central nervous system and causes seizures. More than 3 million Americans and more than 65 million people worldwide have epilepsy - a key reason that November is recognized as National Epilepsy Awareness Month. Thankfully, treatment with medications or sometimes surgery can control seizures for most people with epilepsy. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Joseph Sirven, a Mayo Clinic neurologist, discusses the importance of raising awareness of epilepsy to lessen the stigma, Dr. Sirven also highlights the latest in treatments and research. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

An estimated 47 million Americans are living with cardiometabolic diseases, according to the American College of Cardiology. Cardiometabolic diseases are interrelated conditions that include cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and hypertension, as well as metabolic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Patients with cardiometabolic diseases have a higher risk of not only developing COVID-19, but also developing complications related to COVID-19. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, discusses lifestyle factors that affect cardiometabolic diseases and how COVID-19 can damage the heart. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy