Some people may laugh about it, but snoring is really not that funny. It can disrupt your sleep and that of your spouse. And if you have sleep apnea and you stop breathing during the night, you have an increased risk of cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure or even heart attack. Doctors at Mayo Clinic are helping many patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea and people who simply snore get a good night’s rest. That’s thanks to a special dental device.

25 billion dollars. That’s how much money is spent every year in the U.S. on patients with heart failure. Much of that money is used on hospital visits. Clinicians and researchers at Mayo Clinic are hoping to change that. They’re testing a new device that can monitor patients at home in hopes of keeping them healthier and out of the hospital longer.

You’ve heard the advice many times, “eat right and exercise to improve your health.” The fact is, that advice is true. You really can make a difference. Doctors at Mayo Clinic designed the heart health and performance program to help people assess their health and learn ways to make it better.

We hear a lot about obesity these days.  And rightfully so.  It’s a growing problem, with big health consequences.  But did you know that you could have a normal body weight and still be obese?  Click the link below to hear Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, discuss normal weight obesity.

Normal Weight Obesity

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is the fourth most common congenital heart defect.  The pumping chamber on the left side of the heart doesn’t develop.  Without treatment, it can be fatal within a few days of birth.  Click the link below to hear Dr. Harold Burkhart, a surgeon at Mayo Clinic, discusses the condition and how it’s treated.

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

You’ve heard the advice many times, “eat right and exercise to improve your health.” The fact is, that advice is true. You really can make a difference.  Dr. Todd Hurst, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist discusses the heart health and performance program, and how it was designed to help people assess their health and learn ways to make it better.

Proactive Prevention Extended Interview

Cigarettes are highly addicting. But why is it that some people who try cigarettes can put them down and never get addicted while others get hooked right away? As we hear from Dr. Richard Hurt, director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, the answer lies in how your brain responds to nicotine. 

Anatomy of Addiction Extended Interview

Hypothermia can happen quickly in very cold weather or in cold water.  And it is often life threatening.  But at Mayo Clinic, emergency department doctors are using it to help keep people alive.

Over the last several years cities across the continent and the world have instituted smoking bans in public places. The bans are inconvenient for smokers, but they’re thought to be healthy for communities as a whole. We talk with Mayo Clinic lung specialist, Dr. Paul Scanlon to find out if smoking bans really do have a positive effect on your health.

Smoking Ban Podcast

Fifty years ago, many children born with congenital heart defects did not make it to adulthood. The medical expertise just wasn’t available. Today things are different, and many of these children live long, full lives. But the man you’re about to meet beat the odds. He was born with a complicated heart defect almost 50 years ago. Three surgeries as a kid kept him going, but years later his heart failed. His only hope was a risky heart transplant until he went to Mayo Clinic.