Advancing Your Health

Over 80% of the population will suffer from lower back pain at some point in their lives. Low back pain is a common complaint in medical offices and is a common issue causing many people to miss work and be unable to participate in daily life activities. Sometimes back pain is due to a pulled or strained muscle and many times will not require a trip to your doctor’s office. Other issues such as fractures, tumors and infections of the spine are very serious and need to be evaluated by a physician promptly. Patients should see a doctor immediately if they experience low back pain as a result of severe trauma. Patients should also make an appointment with a doctor if low back pain is accompanied by any of the following: fever, loss of bowel or bladder control, serious trauma, numbness, unplanned weight loss, personal history of cancer, back pain that persists more than 6 weeks, [...]

New research indicates that a blood test that is relatively simple can predict a patient’s risk of suffering a future heart attack. Physicians can determine what patients need more aggressive testing and treatment as well as those who are low – risk patients so they can avoid unnecessary tests. Before this research was completed it was not possible to differentiate a patient with heart disease who was at risk for a future heart attack versus a patient who was not likely to suffer future cardiac events. Therefore, cardiologists are now able to quickly treat the at risk patients and monitor those at lower risk. Emory cardiologist Arshed Quyyumi, MD and Stephen E. Epstien, MD of MedStar Heart Institute are the senior authors of this research. During the research they studied over 3400 cardiology patients who had confirmed coronary artery disease or suspected disease. Each [...]

Last week I had the opportunity to chat online with over one hundred members of the Atlanta running community to answer their questions about running and how to prevent running injuries to help not only those participating in the AJC Peachtree Road Race, but all runners in our city and state. We had so many questions from the chat that I didn’t get a chance to get to all of them, so I wanted to circle back with the participants that didn’t get answers to their questions. You’ll find my answers below in a Q&A format. If you didn’t get to attend the live chat, or just want a recap, check out the chat transcript (which you can also print), and don’t forget to check out the additional resources and questions and answers below. For those that are running in the AJC Peachtree Road Race, I wish you a healthy and successful race! [...]

Emory geneticist explains how to determine if genetic testing for the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer genes – BRCA1 and BRCA2 -- is right for you. In the wake of Angelina Jolie’s disclosure that she had a preventive double mastectomy after discovering she has the BRCA1 gene mutation, many women are asking if they should get genetic testing for BRCA.  As a genetic counselor and educator, I’m glad that Jolie is bringing attention to this issue.  However only a small percentage of women have a BRCA1 or 2 mutation, so genetic testing is not right for everyone.  Of all breast cancers, only about 5% are due to a BRCA1 or 2 mutation, while about 15% of ovarian cancers are related to mutations in one of these genes. Family history is the key to knowing if a woman would benefit from seeing a cancer genetic counselor. Family history features which suggest you should [...]

Although the risks and effects can be similar, heart attacks and stroke are two different medical problems with different symptoms. While both are vascular events, meaning they involve the blood vessels, mainly the arteries, they affect different organs in the body. However, for both heart attack and stoke victims, every minute counts! Heart attacks occur when a coronary artery is blocked, usually as a result of progressive coronary artery disease (CAD). With CAD, plaque builds up in the arteries preventing oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart. Every minute that the cardiac tissue goes without oxygen results in more damage to the heart muscle – hence the saying “time is muscle.” The key is to get the blocked artery opened as fast as possible, to prevent further damage to the heart muscle and improve chances for survival. Stroke is the third leading cause of death [...]

Have you performed your monthly mole check? If not, take time today to do it and put it on your calendar for this day every month! Checking your moles monthly can help you from developing malignant melanoma. The earlier you find suspicious moles or lesions, the better your chances of being cured. Some helpful tips to examine your moles:

• Examine your skin after a shower, in good light, in front of a mirror without your clothes on.
• Make sure to do a thorough, full body inspection. Start with your toes or your face and work your way over every surface of your body. Be sure to also check your scalp, underarms and genitals, parts that could be covered with hair.
• Look for moles or skin markings that you haven’t noticed before, or areas that have changed in appearance since your last exam. Pay special attention to lesions that bleed or don’t heal.
• Photos taken over a

The Emory Transplant Center played a role in a 6-chain kidney swap that will forever bind 6 individuals.  Maya Cosola wanted to donate a kidney to her aunt but was not a compatible match.  So she agreed to be a part of paired donor kidney exchange program that allows incompatible donor and recipient pairs to be matched with other incompatible donor and recipient pairs, allowing kidneys to be exchanged between these pairs. A match between pairs was arranged, and Maya’s kidney was flown to someone in North Carolina, and thus began the 6-chain exchange across 4 states. Share their touching story in this video from Fox 5 below:

Visit the Emory Kidney Transplant Program website for more information on the Emory Paired Donor Exchange program.

Related Resources:

• One Good Transplant Deed Leads to 6 Changed Lives

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. In recognition of May as National Stroke Awareness Month, Emory Healthcare encourages you to learn the signs, symptoms and risk factors for stroke. Mark your calendar for the following events: Community Stroke Fair When: Wednesday, May 15, 2013; 11:00 am to 2 pm Where: Emory University Hospital Midtown Medical Office Tower Lobby Why: • Learn the signs and symptoms of stroke • Ask a neurologist about stroke care • Hear about stroke rehabilitation programs • Speak to a pharmacist • Get your BMI checked • Hear about stroke rehabilitation programs Stroke Awareness Fair When:Friday, May 30 31, 2013; 10 am to 2 pm Where: Emory University Hospital Auditorium, Classrooms B and C Join us to: • Learn the signs and symptoms of stroke • Understand [...]

Children of all ages will benefit from participating in sports. Children can learn many life skills such as team work, time management, competition, conflict resolution as well help to improve social skills. While the benefits of exercising and participating in sports heavily outweigh the risks, it is very important to have every child undergo a pre – participation sports physical before beginning practice with that sport. Pre – participation exams are required for student-athletes who want to participate in middle school, high school or summer sports camps. The pre-participation exam checks for the following: • Identify any potential life-threatening conditions such as risk of sudden cardiac death. • Evaluate athlete for conditions that may need treatment prior to participation. • Identify any orthopedic conditions/concerns that may need physical therapy or other [...]

Dr. David Markham, MD, MSc

Emory Center for Heart Failure and Transplantation and Saint Joseph’s Hospital are pleased to welcome David Markham, MD, MSc, to the team as the medical director of the Heart Failure Clinic at Saint Joseph’s Hospital.

Markham is an experienced heart failure and transplant cardiologist and has performed groundbreaking work in the area of assist device physiology.

"I'm excited that Dr. Markham will be leading heart failure services and our partnership with Saint Joseph's," says Andrew Smith, MD, director of the Center for Heart Failure and Transplantation and chief of cardiology at Emory University Hospital. "He will continue the progress we've already made over the past few months with the Advanced Heart Failure Network and the consolidation of services for network patients at Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown and