Johns Hopkins Health - Fall 2008 - (Page 2)

Contents FALL 2008 4| QU IC K CON S U LT Pelvic Organ Prolapse This rarely discussed condition affects about 95 percent of women. It’s time to talk about it. Killer Legs Persistent pain could signal ar terial disease you’ve been feeling persistent discomfort such as cramping, numbness, heaviness or weakness in your legs or buttocks, don’t shrug it off. Peripheral arterial disease, or PAD (often called by the misnomer PVD), affects about 20 percent of people older than 70, but it also strikes much younger people who smoke or have diabetes. Even more alarming, many people are without symptoms, yet PAD can produce a sixfold increase in their risk for heart attack or stroke. “So, essentially, they’re walking time bombs,” says Johns Hopkins vascular medicine specialist Elizabeth Ratchford, M.D. e good news is that screening, diagnosis and medical treatment of PAD is getting better, including clinical trials that are focusing on noninvasive treatments. 5| Staying Tuned Today’s “noise” has created a recipe for auditory disaster. Learn how to protect your hearing and what to do when the damage is done. If 10| Device of a Lifetime An implanted device xed one patient’s ailing heart. F IRST PE RSON 11| After Lumpectomy S ECON D O PI N ION Knowledge makes a big difference for patients who face radiation following breast surgery. 6| Getting Anxious For kids suffering from anxiety, the world is a scary place. Find out what parents can do about it. Cover illustration by Chris Buzelli ON THE COVER Ratchford is the local principal investigator for CLEVER, a National Institutes of Health-sponsored study that is looking even more closely at the benefits of a supervised exercise program for people with PAD. “We believe a formal exercise program may be the best treatment for PAD,” she says. Johns Hopkins is conducting a research study on peripheral arterial disease. If you have been experiencing warning signs, call 410-955-5897 to nd out if you are eligible for a free screening. To learn more, visit hopkinsmedicine.org/heart. 20,000 | people in the U.S. have Lyme disease Because of its signature bull’s-eye rash, the tick-borne illness is easy to detect and diagnose with blood tests and then treat with antibiotics. But watch for long-term alternative treatments for so-called “chronic Lyme disease,” especially long-term antibiotics, says Paul Auwaerter, M.D., clinical director of Johns Hopkins infectious diseases. “For patients with persisting symptoms after initial treatment for Lyme disease,” he says, “long-term antibiotics were no better than placebo.” hopkinsmedicine.org 2 | johns hopkins health fall 2008 http://hopkinsmedicine.org/heart http://hopkinsmedicine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Johns Hopkins Health - Fall 2008

John Hopkins Health - Fall 2008
Contents
Pelvic Organ Prolaose
Staying Tuned
Getting Anxious
Device of a Lifetime
After Lumpectomy

Johns Hopkins Health - Fall 2008

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