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Blog Topic: Heart Month 2013

  • basser

    Reveal Your #INVISIBLEGENES

    November 22, 2017

    In addition to celebrating five years of remarkable progress in the understanding, prevention, and treatment of BRCA-related cancers, the Basser Jean Bash featured the launch of the #invisiblegenes hereditary cancer awareness campaign which encourages genetic testing and counseling so that carriers can take preventative measures.

  • ai

    Penn’s New Artificial Intelligence Assistant

    November 20, 2017

    Penn's Jason Moore — director of the Institute for Biomedical Informatics — is developing something like an assistant for medical researchers to bring the buzzed-about tools of artificial intelligence into the regular toolbox for investigators who aren’t computer programmers.

  • sage julia

    Preemies 4 Prevention

    November 17, 2017

    Wanting to make a difference in the lives of other premature babies and families struggling to deal with the effects of prematurity, this month, two teens born prematurely will launch an initiative to help put an end to the leading cause of death in newborns.

  • calendar

    Birthing New Findings

    November 15, 2017

    A team led by Penn Medicine’s Mary Regina Boland, PhD, an assistant professor of Informatics in Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, looked at previously documented associations between specific diseases and being born at a certain time of the year, probing deeper to pinpoint the links between them.

  • copoisoning

    Surviving the “Silent Killer”: How Seamless Coordination Saves Lives

    November 13, 2017

    As temperatures drop, the number of visits to emergency rooms across the country tends to spike in the opposite direction. From tumbles off of ladders while decorating and holiday baking burns, to icy falls and omnipresent flu germs, the “most wonderful time of the year” doesn’t always live up to its moniker. Yet, there’s one seasonal threat that we tend to forget about until a tragic story hits the news: carbon monoxide (CO), often dubbed the “invisible killer” or “silent killer.”

  • vape

    Smoking and Vaping: Cessation and Prevention in the Modern Era

    November 10, 2017

    Even though overall smoking numbers have declined, Penn's Susan Pizzi worries that millennials and teens are being enticed into the smoking culture through the modern technology of e-cigarettes, which are not yet regulated by the FDA.

  • pregnancy

    A New Take on the Gift of Life

    November 06, 2017

    Uterine Factor Infertility (UFI) is a devastating and prevalent condition that affects five percent of women worldwide and 50,000 women in the United States. Whether congenital or acquired, women with UFI are unable to carry and deliver babies. But, advancements in women’s health and transplant surgery are helping to create new solutions for these women and their families.

  • mags

    The Not-so-Famous Way to Get Health Info

    November 03, 2017

    The truth is, celebrity news stories attract a lot of eyeballs. So it’s not surprising that media outlets continue to use that angle for stories on health and disease, with headlines like “14 Celebrities with Breast Cancer” or “Stars Who Have Battled Cancer.” What is surprising is that it may not be what patients actually want to read when they’re looking for health information.

  • horse image

    When Eadward Muybridge Came to Penn

    November 01, 2017

    Deep within the annals of Penn Medicine’s two-and-a-half centuries is a fun little story that ties together horse racing, an eccentric man with a Rip Van Winkle beard, The Matrix, and the University of Pennsylvania. It starts, as many good stories do, with a (possibly apocryphal) bet.

  • bra day

    Women Help Women at BRA Day 2017

    October 30, 2017

    Held annually on the third Wednesday of October – in the heart of Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day is more than just an educational opportunity. It’s also a chance for women to help other women. That task was on the minds of both patients and survivors at Penn’s BRA Day event, held this year in the Smilow Center for Translational Research on October 18th.

  • volunteer

    An Ounce of Volunteering is Worth A Pound of Cure

    October 27, 2017

    Over the past two years, Jack Sheridan has seen his cardiovascular vital signs – total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) – decrease dramatically. Yet, during this time, he hasn’t exercised more or changed his diet. His weight has remained the same as have his medications. So what’s his secret? He volunteers.

  • kenya

    Building Tomorrow’s Global Health Leaders

    October 25, 2017

    Like many countries in eastern and southern Africa, Kenya has a high rate of pediatric HIV, with nearly 100,000 children living with the virus. Rosa Chemwey Ndiema hopes to put Kenya on the path to virtual elimination of the virus through research on how to better involve community leaders to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV—and that brought her to Philadelphia this summer to learn from renowned physicians and researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine.

  • concussions

    Changing How We Detect and Treat Sport Concussions

    October 23, 2017

    With another season of scholastic football in full swing at school districts across the country, a growing number of physicians and athletic trainers are re-evaluating how they diagnose and treat head injuries suffered during practices and games.

  • meds and money

    A Healthy Bottom Line: LDI's 50th Anniversary Symposium

    October 20, 2017

    Since the 1980s, the costs of health care in the Unites States has risen from nine percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product to now nearly twice that amount. With a population that is steadily increasing and aging, it appears that trend is not likely to slow anytime soon. The challenge is a tricky balancing act: providing the best possible care while controlling costs within an extraordinarily complex system of insurance networks, pharmaceutical companies, care providers, and so much more.

  • mito

    What Might a Future “Bioenergetic Medicine” Look Like?

    October 18, 2017

    What could medicine look like someday if, instead of focusing primarily on the organ affected by a disease — neurologists examining brain diseases, pulmonologists focusing on lung diseases — our system was centered on how cells process energy?

  • epic

    Getting to Know You

    October 16, 2017

    Starting today, Penn Medicine hospitals in Philadelphia are asking patients to share more information in their electronic health records. For example, in addition to reporting their sex at birth, patients are now offered the opportunity to provide specific information about their gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as their ethnicity and preferred spoken and written language.

  • main apothecary image

    The Evolution of the Apothecary for the Apothe-curious

    October 13, 2017

    A long, long time ago in a public health era far, far away, there was a world where CVS or Walgreens storefronts weren’t on every corner and drug regulations were nonexistent. This was the time of apothecaries – those fascinating druggists who meticulously mixed herbs and minerals, adding a dash of animal fat here and a bit of earwax there, all with the intent of curing the ailments of their fellow man.

  • tom

    A Tale of Two Toms

    October 11, 2017

    This is the tale of two Toms. One Tom is famous, a singer, an international legend. The other Tom is local, a tech guy, an avid cyclist. Other than their first names, they don’t seem to have much in common, except one big thing – they both suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

  • fop

    Piecing Together the Puzzle of a Rare-Among-Rare Bone Disorder

    October 09, 2017

    About 850 people worldwide have been diagnosed with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive (FOP) in the last five decades. Contrast that to the fewer than 100 individuals with progressive osseous heteroplasia (POH) who have been identified around the world since Penn Medicine's Fred Kaplan first described it in the early 1990s. “That makes FOP an ultra-rare genetic disease and POH ultra-ultra rare,” he said.

  • app

    The App Doctors Want You to Delete

    October 06, 2017

    Debbie Cohen, MD, director of the Clinical Hypertension Program at Penn Medicine, doesn’t mince words when talking about the smartphone apps and kiosks in malls and pharmacies that take blood pressure. “People shouldn’t be using them,” said Cohen. “The readings can be completely inaccurate.”

  • mohler

    Lessons Learned from a Vascular Medicine Pioneer

    October 04, 2017

    When he was in fifth grade, Emile Mohler III built a wooden incubator with his father’s help, and picked up 25 fertilized chicken eggs at a Federal Poultry Research facility in Beltsville, Maryland. He wanted to see how the chick embryos progressed each day before hatching. Thus began a life of scientific experimentation and discovery.

  • notes

    Meeting the Dietitian — My GDM Experience

    October 02, 2017

    Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is the most common type of diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy; it is also one of the most common pregnancy complications, affecting up to 18 percent of expecting women. Yet most women don’t learn much about the condition until after they are diagnosed. At 33 weeks into my pregnancy, I failed a glucose tolerance test and was diagnosed with GDM. Nothing really prepares you to hear a bad diagnosis.

  • heart

    What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

    September 29, 2017

    The term “heart surgery” carries with it a certain amount of baggage: mostly some combination of grisly imagery and long, difficult recoveries. Thankfully, recent developments to both the technology and technique have resulted in a field rapidly evolving to improve the safety and comfort of one particular procedure that had, until recently, been hugely invasive.

  • screen

    Tech Habits that can Change Your Health

    September 27, 2017

    Our lives, our careers, our homes are now dependent on technology, and all the time we spend using it can have a negative impact on our health. The overuse of digital technology can hurt your eyes, your posture and your ability to get a good night’s sleep.

  • burwell

    Memories to Pass On

    September 25, 2017

    The Legacy Program, launched earlier this year by Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, seeks to help patients tell their own stories that they can share with loved ones. The monthly sessions are for patients who have received a cancer diagnosis, either recent or years past.

  • mental health

    Making Mental Health Care a Global Health Priority

    September 22, 2017

    Depression is the leading cause of illness and disability worldwide. To help raise awareness about it, the World Health Organization launched a global campaign, called “Depression: Let’s Talk,” to encourage health care providers and people who are living with mental illness to seek the treatment they need.

  • addiction

    Breaking the Cycle of Addiction

    September 20, 2017

    “For a lot of these patients, it’s been a revolving door,” Barnett said. “It’s a tough population. We treat them, they leave, and they come back to be revived again. There’s more hope now that they’ll get treatment.”

  • brain1

    Life after Brain Injury

    September 18, 2017

    Every brain injury is different. Traumatic brain injury may result in some physical changes, such as seizures and temporary paralysis, but the majority of the lingering difficulties experienced by brain injury survivors are unnoticeable to the average passerby, often leading to painful and dangerous stigma.

  • doc patient

    Training Doctors for the Hardest Talk

    September 15, 2017

    When a doctor tells a patient there are no realistic paths for curative treatment, the doctor needs to be confident about that. Yet with so many experimental therapies, promising new drugs, and clinical trials offering hope to even the sickest of patients, how can any doctor, even the best doctor, be sure?

  • migraine

    Medicating for Migraines

    September 13, 2017

    In part one of this post, we talked about the nature of migraines — where they come from, and what models physicians are using to approach them. In this part, we look at the complexities inherent to medicating something that’s such a moving target.

  • aromatherapy blog pah

    Soothing “Sniffers” and Holistic Healing

    September 11, 2017

    “How to Keep Fat Burning Post-Workout.” “Your Clean Eating Grocery List.” “25 Essential Oil Remedies for Every Ailment.” In the (paraphrased) words of Sesame Street, one of these articles is not like the others...or is it? The focus on mind and body wellness no longer ends at 30-day exercise challenges, detox nutrition guides, and a few yoga poses and mindfulness tips. Complementary therapies, such as aromatherapy, have made their way into hospitals as legitimate pain and anxiety management methods, including at Pennsylvania Hospital.

  • menopause

    The New Midlife: Why 60 is the New 40

    September 08, 2017

    It wasn’t long ago that the hot flashes and night sweats that came with menopause signaled an unofficial end to one’s sex life, and in some sense was a big blaring reminder that the end was approaching. But the average lifespan of a woman today is 81, and the average age of menopause is 51 – making the post-menopausal stage of life considerable.

  • rader blog

    Human Genetics Studies Reveal New Targets to Reduce Heart Disease

    September 06, 2017

    Again and again, it’s the rare among humans that help the rest of us. The exploration of human genetics is revealing new targets to combat heart disease among atypical variants. Mutations in genes that play a role in heart health are the inspiration for a cluster of new heart drugs.

  • donation

    The Ins and Outs of Organ Donation

    September 01, 2017

    Twenty-seven European countries have shifted from an “opt-in” organ donation system to an “opt-out” (or “presumed consent”). But what works in one country may not work in another, especially when talking about a place like the United States.

  • laces

    How Penn Researchers Simplify Science

    August 30, 2017

    When it comes to presenting information in an easy to understand way, clinicians and researchers at Penn Medicine often turn to analogies – much like our 9th grade bio teachers did – to help explain the complexities of what they do, to boil down seemingly common but not always easily defined treatments and diseases, and give some relatable context to their research.

  • yoga

    Combining Yoga with Medical Studies Helps Students Connect, Recharge, Remember

    August 28, 2017

    By mindfully moving and breathing with the body parts that earlier in the day they had learned about in lectures and examined up-close in donated cadavers in the lab, first-year medical students at Penn gain a deeper appreciation of these structures in a living body.

  • cch care

    Reducing Avoidable Readmissions by Extending Care Beyond the Hospital

    August 25, 2017

    Underlying chronic conditions or unexpected accidents can undermine a patient’s quest to be in good health, prompt a visit to an emergency room, or create the need for an inpatient stay. Sometimes, hospitalization just can’t be avoided. For that reason, Chester County Hospital’s Continuum of Care Program helps patients lessen the likelihood of being readmitted to the hospital down the road.

  • surgery

    Cut and Dry Insights to Prevent Surgical Site Infections

    August 23, 2017

    In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published guidelines on surgical site infection prevention. The update to that guideline began over five years ago, but Ebola, Zika and other national and international healthcare emergencies delayed its completion. The news blog checked in with Penn Medicine's Craig Umscheid to see what the major takeaways are from this guideline and how it can improve the safety of surgical procedures.

  • socks

    Saving Our Sox for the Homeless

    August 21, 2017

    Anyone who’s ever been a patient in a hospital is most likely familiar with nonslip socks. Some patients take the socks home with them — but, most often, the socks are left behind and then thrown out after just a single wear. A new initiative at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is slowly changing that scenario, repurposing the socks for the homeless.

  • perelman

    Happy 100th Birthday to Ray Perelman!

    August 21, 2017

    August 22 marks Raymond Perelman’s 100th birthday. Whether you’re a long-time alumnus, a recent graduate, or Philadelphia resident, you’re no doubt familiar with the exceptional generosity of Ray and his late wife, Ruth. Their historic gift of $225 million named the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine and has helped boost student financial aid, recruit the best physicians and scientists, and accelerate innovative research.

  • White Coat 2017

    New Perelman School of Medicine Students Embrace the Future and Honor the Past

    August 18, 2017

    The Perelman School of Medicine’s White Coat ceremony has become an annual rite of passage for new medical students. One by one, students are garbed in short white clinician’s coats, given a stethoscope, and as they walk across the stage they symbolically take their first steps on a long journey to becoming a doctor.

  • doc

    The Value — and Rarity — of Accurately Understanding a Cancer Diagnosis

    August 16, 2017

    In a recent study of 208 patients, nearly half did not know their stage of cancer. One in four patients were unsure whether they were free of cancer or in remission. The review established a baseline of patient comprehension, and identifies several groups more likely to need extra conversation or support at initial diagnosis, throughout survivorship, and in incurable disease.

  • connectome

    Using Data to Map the Human Brain

    August 14, 2017

    The Human Connectome Project (HCP) is one of many ways researchers are working together to discover and share knowledge about the human brain.

  • scan

    Coaching the Pros

    August 11, 2017

    Even professionals need coaching. It’s why the best major league pitchers still need a coach to visit the mound from time to time. Sometimes another experienced set of eyes can spot something even the pros missed, hopefully heading off problems before they become bad habits. In medicine, it works much the same way.

  • thrombolysis

    College Grad's Return Flight from Thailand Lands Her in the Hospital

    August 09, 2017

    Julie Park graduated this year from Rowan University, but she almost didn’t make it to graduation. Last January, she sprained her ankle. A week later, she flew from her South Jersey home to Thailand for vacation. Although her ankle hurt during the trip, she didn’t think it merited going to a hospital while out of the country. What she didn’t realize at the time was that such indecision could have cost her life.

  • self

    “Snowflakes” and Selfies: Misconceptions of Millennial Self-Care

    August 07, 2017

    Between “killing” entire industries (chain restaurants, breakfast cereal, napkins, etc.), documenting the aforementioned murders via Snapchat, and finding new ways to combine healthcare and the arts, us Millennials are rather busy—but we leave plenty of time in our full schedules to worry. So I took to Twitter to ask my peers about the health concerns that keep them up at night.

  • phone

    The Complicated Issue of “See Something, Say Something” in Science

    August 04, 2017

    Mobile technology provides researchers with new cost-effective ways to gain a much more nuanced understanding of risky behaviors. However, the “big data” collected from these technologies in real time also opens up a plethora of ethical questions and challenges that plague health care professionals and medical ethicists alike.

  • cancer

    Ferreting Out Causes of Resistance to Cancer Drugs

    August 02, 2017

    According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the number of people beating a cancer diagnosis reached nearly 14.5 million in 2014 and is expected to rise to almost 19 million by 2024. Now, that’s good news, but it doesn’t mean that cancer researchers — in the lab or clinic — are resting on any laurels.

  • scale

    To Weigh or Not to Weigh?

    July 31, 2017

    When it comes to health advice, the internet tends to contradict itself. The benefits of food get flipped around, and longstanding fitness tips can suddenly be deemed ineffective. Self-weighing is another one. Don’t jump on the scale – it’s counterproductive and will drive you crazy. Or, step on it – it’s motivating and keeps you in check. So, which is it?

  • OR

    Life Inside the OR: An Outsider’s Perspective

    July 28, 2017

    When I started my career seven years ago, it hadn’t crossed my mind that at some point I would spend nearly 12 hours – overnight hours, to be exact – inside an operating room for anything other than a potential surgery of my own. That is, until I had the opportunity to don paper scrubs, a facemask and hair net, and observe a life-changing procedure –with a film crew in tow.

About this Blog

This blog is written and produced by Penn Medicine’s Department of Communications. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive an e-mail notification when new content goes live!

Views expressed are those of the author or other attributed individual and do not necessarily represent the official opinion of the related Department(s), University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine), or the University of Pennsylvania, unless explicitly stated with the authority to do so.

Health information is provided for educational purposes and should not be used as a source of personal medical advice.

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