Mayo Clinic proceedings
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · Aug 2010
Eight years of the Mayo International Health Program: what an international elective adds to resident education.
To examine the educational benefits of international elective rotations during graduate medical education. ⋯ The MIHP provides the structure and funding to enable residents from a variety of specialties to participate in international electives and obtain an identifiable set of unique, valuable educational experiences likely to shape them into better physicians. Such international health electives should be encouraged in graduate medical education.
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · Aug 2010
Editorial CommentPatient-computer dialogue: a hope for the future.
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · Aug 2010
ReviewVitamin D deficiency in adults: when to test and how to treat.
Recent evidence for the nonskeletal effects of vitamin D, coupled with recognition that vitamin D deficiency is common, has revived interest in this hormone. Vitamin D is produced by skin exposed to ultraviolet B radiation or obtained from dietary sources, including supplements. Persons commonly at risk for vitamin D deficiency include those with inadequate sun exposure, limited oral intake, or impaired intestinal absorption. ⋯ Average daily vitamin D intake in the population at large and current dietary reference intake values are often inadequate to maintain optimal vitamin D levels. Clinicians may recommend supplementation but be unsure how to choose the optimal dose and type of vitamin D and how to use testing to monitor therapy. This review outlines strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat vitamin D deficiency in adults.
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · Aug 2010
Biography Historical ArticleStamp vignette on medical science. Robert F. Curl Jr-Nobel Laureate in Chemistry.
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Mayo Clinic proceedings · Jul 2010
Peripheral artery disease: current insight into the disease and its diagnosis and management.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD), which comprises atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta, iliac, and lower-extremity arteries, is underdiagnosed, undertreated, and poorly understood by the medical community. Patients with PAD may experience a multitude of problems, such as claudication, ischemic rest pain, ischemic ulcerations, repeated hospitalizations, revascularizations, and limb loss. This may lead to a poor quality of life and a high rate of depression. ⋯ The goals of therapy are to improve symptoms and thus quality of life and to decrease the cardiovascular event rate (myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiovascular death). The former is accomplished by establishing a supervised exercise program and administering cilostazol or performing a revascularization procedure if medical therapy is ineffective. A comprehensive program of cardiovascular risk modification (discontinuation of tobacco use and control of lipids, blood pressure, and diabetes) will help to prevent the latter.