Mayo Clinic Talks

This episode is shared from Mayo Clinic Q&A and was recorded in March 2022 Guest: Gregory A. Poland, M.D. (@drgregpoland) Host: Halena M. Gazelka, M.D. (@hmgazelkamd) Hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 continue to decline, leading to some optimism about the way forward from pandemic to endemic. But experts still urge caution as the omicron subvariant, named BA.2, has quickly become the dominant strain in the U.S. "When you look around the nation, all of the metrics, with the exception of BA.2, have fallen precipitously," explains Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "But we need to be very cautious about pretending that the pandemic is over." Dr. Poland explains that each time there has been a waning number of COVID-19 infections, people have let down their guard and relaxed precautions, which has led to another surge. Dr. Poland still recommends masking in crowded indoor settings and urges people to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 to reduce the chance of infection. "We're just coming down into a quiet period," says Dr. Poland. "But every time we've seen this set of markers in the past, we've had a new variant that's caused a surge. The question is, will it be BA.2, one of the newer variants that have been identified, or something completely unexpected? We just don't know." On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the latest COVID-19 news including potential changes to booster recommendations, data on vaccine protection for pregnant women, and the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5.  

Guest: John B. Kisiel, M.D. (@DrJohnKisiel) Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. (@ChutkaMD) Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly occurring cancer for both men and women and ranks second to lung cancer as a cause of cancer mortality. Yet it’s estimated that up to one quarter of eligible adults in the United States have never been screened for colorectal cancer and nearly one third are not up to date with their screening. We now have a variety of accepted screening tests for colorectal cancer and each carries its own risks and benefits. This podcast will review colorectal cancer screening, including when we should start screening, the various available screening tests, as well as their advantages and limitations. Our guest for this episode is gastroenterologist, Dr. John Kisiel from the Mayo Clinic. Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.

Guest: Greg Vanichkachorn, M.D., M.P.H. (@DoctorGregVan) Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. (@ChutkaMD) While most patients who have COVID-19 completely recover within a few weeks, there are some patients who continue to experience symptoms that can last for months. These patients may require our care for an extended period of time.  Although much has been learned about COVID-19 over the past couple of years, there is still a great deal that’s not known. The topic for this podcast is post-COVID syndrome and our guest is Greg Vanichkachorn, M.D., M.P.H., a preventive medicine physician and specialist in Public Health. We’ll discuss the typical symptoms, duration of symptoms, and who is most likely to develop post-COVID syndrome. Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.

This episode is shared from Mayo Clinic Q&A and was recorded in March 2022 Guest: Gregory A. Poland, M.D. (@drgregpoland) Host: Halena M. Gazelka, M.D. (@hmgazelkamd) Last week marked two years since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. While infection rates and hospitalizations in the U.S. continue to decline, there are some areas of concern globally. "China, Hong Kong, Ireland, the U.K. and Denmark are seeing surges back up again," explains Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "These countries, many of us experts believe, prematurely dropped mask-wearing and nonpharmaceutical interventions, and really have stopped pushing and encouraging people to get vaccinated. I think that's a mistake." Dr. Poland explains that public health measures — and vaccination and boosters — are still the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19. "What can I say but what we have said all along," implores Dr. Poland. "Hands, face, space and vaccines. It works." On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the latest COVID-19 news, including a study on the true death toll of COVID-19, an update on the BA.2 variant and the latest on vaccines for children under 5.

Guest: Dawn Marie R. Davis, M.D. Host: Sanjeev (Sanj) Kakar, M.D. (@sanjkakar) Did you know that skin cancer is the number one cancer in the United States, with an estimated 3.5 million cases a year? In fact, your lifetime incidence is 1 in 5, or 20%. In this week’s podcast, Dawn Marie R. Davis, M.D., a Pediatric and Adult Dermatologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, discusses all things skin cancer. She provides tips and tricks in the management of common forms of skin cancer that providers need to be aware of when patients present with skin lesions. Dr. Davis also discusses the role of skin-protecting creams and their applicability to persons of all skin colors. Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.  

Guest: Ronald C. Petersen, M.D., Ph.D. Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. (@ChutkaMD) Nearly six million people in the United States age 65 and older have Alzheimer’s Disease; of these about 80% are 75 years old and older. It is a devastating disease, not only for the patient, but also for the family of the patient involved. Unfortunately, currently available treatment for Alzheimer’s has been disappointing. Cure or even stability of the cognitive loss is not possible. The topics for today’s podcast include mild cognitive impairment and dementia, focusing on Alzheimer’s Disease, and our guest is Ronald C. Petersen, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and specialist in Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias. We’ll discuss the evaluation, the current available treatment as well as what might be on the horizon in the management of this disease. Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.

Guest: Sharonne N. Hayes, M.D. (@SharonneHayes) Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. (@ChutkaMD)   Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for individuals in the United States. Many assume this is primarily a disease of men, but it also continues to be the leading cause of mortality in women, accounting for one of every three female deaths. There’s also evidence that symptoms of cardiovascular disease may be somewhat different than in males. As a result, women are often given a different evaluation and may receive different treatment than males. To help us sort this out, our guest for this podcast is Sharonne N. Hayes, M.D., a cardiologist and specialist in women’s heart disease from the Mayo Clinic. We’ll discuss the misconceptions of cardiovascular disease in women, the variety of symptoms they may develop and treatment considerations that may be different than men typically receive. Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.  

Guest: Eli Muchtar, M.D. Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. (@ChutkaMD) Amyloidosis is an uncommon disease, possibly even considered rare. It has a variety of presentations and some varieties tend to occur in association with other diseases. The presenting symptoms depend on the organ system involved. Unless we think of the condition, we may miss the opportunity to diagnose it early. As a result, many patients are diagnosed with amyloidosis at a rather advanced stage. The topic for this podcast is amyloidosis and our guest is Eli Muchtar, M.D., from the Division of Hematology at the Mayo Clinic. We’ll discuss the common organ systems affected by amyloidosis, how it’s diagnosed, the available treatment and the research currently taking place in amyloidosis. Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.

This episode is shared from Mayo Clinic Q&A and was recorded in February 2022 Guest: Gregory A. Poland, M.D. (@drgregpoland) Host: Halena M. Gazelka, M.D. (@hmgazelkamd) As the U.S. moves beyond the omicron surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, key indicators are dropping. "Both the acute indicators — number of cases — and the lagging indicators — hospitalizations and then deaths — are all dropping slowly, but they're surely dropping," says Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.  Experts warn that caution is still needed to protect yourself in certain situations, including masking in crowded indoor settings and making sure you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. While the latest surge wanes, COVID-19 research continues.  On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the latest COVID-19 news, including a new study on the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the heart and why Pfizer is delaying the request for emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5.

Guest: Sevann Helo, M.D. (@Helo_MD) Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. (@ChutkaMD) Approximately one in seven couples is considered infertile. In a significant number of these couples, male infertility plays a role. Many of these couples will initially present to their primary care provider for help. Depending on our practice, we may not see all that many patients with this concern and, as a result, we might not be comfortable with the evaluation of the infertile couple. Today’s podcast will review infertility in males and hopefully give us a better understanding of the causes of infertility and how to evaluate the infertile male. Our guest for today’s podcast is Sevann Helo, M.D., a urologist at the Mayo Clinic. We’ll discuss what it takes for fertilization to take place, risk factors for infertility in males, the evaluation of the male for infertility, potential treatment options and effectiveness of treatment. Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.