Latest news with #UCDavisHealth
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What to know about chronic venous insufficiency — President Tump's health diagnosis
Earlier this week, President Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI, after he noted mild swelling in his lower legs. White House physician Dr. Sean P. Barbabella in a memo July 17 said the swelling prompted a full medical evaluation, including ultrasound tests and blood work. Those confirmed CVI, a condition the doctor described as 'benign and common — particularly in individuals over the age of 70.' Dr. Barbabella said he found no other signs of more serious cardiovascular issues like blood clots and declared the president to be in 'excellent health.' What is chronic venous insufficiency? "CVI is when the veins of the body do not work well," said Dr. Mimmie Kwong, assistant professor of vascular surgery at UC Davis Health, when veins cannot transport blood effectively, causing it to pool, especially in the legs. CVI is one of the most common vein problems in the U.S. and worldwide, affecting "about one in three adults in the United States," Kwong said. That translates to more than 30 million people in the U.S., most often older adults, according to Dr. Ali Azizzadeh, a professor and director of Vascular Surgery at Cedars-Sinai and associate director of the Smidt Heart Institute. He noted the condition is more common in women. As people age, the veins, such as in their legs, may have a harder time returning blood to the heart, he said. What causes CVI? The valves in the veins of the legs are supposed to keep blood moving in one direction: back toward the heart. But when those valves are damaged or weakened, they can stop working properly, leading blood to flow backward and collect in the lower legs. Individuals who stand or sit for extended periods, or those with a family history of vein issues, may be at a higher risk of developing the condition. 'When the calf muscles are active, they pump the veins that return blood from the legs to the heart,' Azizzadeh explained. 'With prolonged inactivity of those muscles, blood can pool in the legs.' What does CVI feel like? While CVI isn't always painful, it can cause discomfort that worsens as the day goes on. The mornings may feel the best: 'The legs naturally drain while you are lying down and sleeping overnight,' said Azizzadeh, 'so they will typically feel lightest in the morning.' As the day progresses and blood starts to pool, people with CVI may experience swelling, heaviness, aching or a dull pain in their legs. The symptoms tend to worsen after prolonged periods of standing or sitting. If swelling worsens, thickening, inflammation or dry skin can result, with more severe cases developing wounds that do not heal and can even result in amputation, Kwong said. How is CVI treated? Ttreatment is more manageable when problematic veins are closer to the surface of the skin, Kwong said. It's more problematic when deep veins are affected. The first line of treatment is usually simple lifestyle changes. 'We suggest CEE: compression, elevation, and exercise,' Azizzadeh said. Wearing compression stockings can help push blood out of the legs; elevating the legs allows gravity to help drain blood from the legs toward the heart, and regular walking forces calf muscles to pump blood throughout the body. For people with more serious cases, doctors may recommend a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat to seal off the leaky veins. Common treatments include ablation techniques, surgical removal of veins (phlebectomy), or chemical (sclerosant) injections. "All of these therapies aim to cause the veins to shut down, so they no longer cause the CVI," Kwong said. In President Trump's case, the condition appears to be mild and manageable. His doctors emphasized there was no cause for concern and that he remains in good overall health. But for millions of Americans living with CVI, recognizing the symptoms and knowing how to manage them can make a big difference in day-to-day comfort and long-term well-being. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Solve the daily Crossword
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
What to know about chronic venous insufficiency — President Tump's health diagnosis
Earlier this week, President Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI, after he noted mild swelling in his lower legs. White House physician Dr. Sean P. Barbabella in a memo July 17 said the swelling prompted a full medical evaluation, including ultrasound tests and blood work. Those confirmed CVI, a condition the doctor described as 'benign and common — particularly in individuals over the age of 70.' Dr. Barbabella said he found no other signs of more serious cardiovascular issues like blood clots and declared the president to be in 'excellent health.' 'CVI is when the veins of the body do not work well,' said Dr. Mimmie Kwong, assistant professor of vascular surgery at UC Davis Health, when veins cannot transport blood effectively, causing it to pool, especially in the legs. CVI is one of the most common vein problems in the U.S. and worldwide, affecting 'about one in three adults in the United States,' Kwong said. That translates to more than 30 million people in the U.S., most often older adults, according to Dr. Ali Azizzadeh, a professor and director of Vascular Surgery at Cedars-Sinai and associate director of the Smidt Heart Institute. He noted the condition is more common in women. As people age, the veins, such as in their legs, may have a harder time returning blood to the heart, he said. The valves in the veins of the legs are supposed to keep blood moving in one direction: back toward the heart. But when those valves are damaged or weakened, they can stop working properly, leading blood to flow backward and collect in the lower legs. Individuals who stand or sit for extended periods, or those with a family history of vein issues, may be at a higher risk of developing the condition. 'When the calf muscles are active, they pump the veins that return blood from the legs to the heart,' Azizzadeh explained. 'With prolonged inactivity of those muscles, blood can pool in the legs.' While CVI isn't always painful, it can cause discomfort that worsens as the day goes on. The mornings may feel the best: 'The legs naturally drain while you are lying down and sleeping overnight,' said Azizzadeh, 'so they will typically feel lightest in the morning.' As the day progresses and blood starts to pool, people with CVI may experience swelling, heaviness, aching or a dull pain in their legs. The symptoms tend to worsen after prolonged periods of standing or sitting. If swelling worsens, thickening, inflammation or dry skin can result, with more severe cases developing wounds that do not heal and can even result in amputation, Kwong said. Ttreatment is more manageable when problematic veins are closer to the surface of the skin, Kwong said. It's more problematic when deep veins are affected. The first line of treatment is usually simple lifestyle changes. 'We suggest CEE: compression, elevation, and exercise,' Azizzadeh said. Wearing compression stockings can help push blood out of the legs; elevating the legs allows gravity to help drain blood from the legs toward the heart, and regular walking forces calf muscles to pump blood throughout the body. For people with more serious cases, doctors may recommend a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat to seal off the leaky veins. Common treatments include ablation techniques, surgical removal of veins (phlebectomy), or chemical (sclerosant) injections. 'All of these therapies aim to cause the veins to shut down, so they no longer cause the CVI,' Kwong said. In President Trump's case, the condition appears to be mild and manageable. His doctors emphasized there was no cause for concern and that he remains in good overall health. But for millions of Americans living with CVI, recognizing the symptoms and knowing how to manage them can make a big difference in day-to-day comfort and long-term well-being.
India Today
12-06-2025
- Health
- India Today
First-of-its-kind brain computer helps man with ALS speak in real-time
In what could be one of the bioggest breakthrough in medical science and technology a newly developed investigational brain-computer interface could restore voice of people who have lost the team from University of California, Davis succesfully demonstrated this new technology, which can instantaneously translate brain activity into voice as a person tries to speak. The technology promises to create an artificial vocal details, published in journal Nature, highlight how the study participant, who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spoke through a computer with his family in real time. The technology changed his intonation and 'sang' simple melodies. 'Translating neural activity into text, which is how our previous speech brain-computer interface works, is akin to text messaging. It's a big improvement compared to standard assistive technologies, but it still leads to delayed conversation. By comparison, this new real-time voice synthesis is more like a voice call,' said Sergey Stavisky, senior author of the investigational brain-computer interface (BCI) was used during the BrainGate2 clinical trial at UC Davis Health. It consists of four microelectrode arrays surgically implanted into the region of the brain responsible for producing speech. The researchers collected data while the participant was asked to try to speak sentences shown to him on a computer screen. (Photo: UCD) advertisement'The main barrier to synthesizing voice in real-time was not knowing exactly when and how the person with speech loss is trying to speak. Our algorithms map neural activity to intended sounds at each moment of time. This makes it possible to synthesize nuances in speech and give the participant control over the cadence of his BCI-voice,' Maitreyee Wairagkar, first author of the study system translated the participant's neural signals into audible speech played through a speaker very quickly — one-fortieth of a attributed the short delay to the same delay as a person experiences when they speak and hear the sound of their own technology also allowed the participant to say new words (words not already known to the system) and to make interjections. He was able to modulate the intonation of his generated computer voice to ask a question or emphasize specific words in a process of instantaneously translating brain activity into synthesized speech is helped by advanced artificial intelligence researchers note that "although the findings are promising, brain-to-voice neuroprostheses remain in an early phase. A key limitation is that the research was performed with a single participant with ALS. It will be crucial to replicate these results with more participants."
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The latest walking trend that could help burn more calories and lower blood pressure
Lace up those sneakers! There's another walking trend that you may want to consider before your next workout. Developed in Japan, the interval walking method is a form of High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, training. It's all about bursts of brisk energy, and interval training has long been known to offer benefits — perhaps more than the traditional target of 10,000 daily steps. So, how does it work? According to Tom's Guide, the method suggests you start your walk at a low intensity - one which you could easily hold a conversation - for three minutes. After that, you should walk at a high intensity for three minutes, during which you are working hard. You then alternate between those intensities for a period of 30 minutes or even more. The benefits of interval and HIIT training are widelyestablished. HIIT work, which consists of alternating between bursts of intense work and recovery times, can help to burn a lot of calories in a short period of time. People continue to burn calories for hours after their workouts. 'These workouts typically cause you to burn more fat and build muscle. Studies have also showed that high-intensity workouts may help lower blood pressure and heart rate,' according to UC Davis Health. Interval training offers cardiovascular benefits and can improve age-related muscle loss. Researchers have previously found that people between the ages of 65 to 80 who did such training reversed age-related deterioration of muscle cells and improved muscle power. "The key is to walk at a brisk pace that gets the heart rate up and makes you work harder," Dr. Lauren Elson, medical editor of the Harvard Special Health Report Walking for Health, said in a statement. Any cardio can improve the health of your heart, strengthen the immune system, and help to manage your weight. Recent research has found that taking just 9,000 steps a day can help to lower your risk of developing 13 different cancers. Federal health authorities say that adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, in addition to two days of muscle-strengthening activity. "Walking also is a great way to get the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, as you can do it indoors or outdoors, and workouts can be adjusted to fit any fitness level," said Elson.
CBS News
25-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
UC Davis hospital wants to double number of helipads, but concerns grow over potential noise
SACRAMENTO — Air ambulances are often the quickest way for patients in rural areas to get critical medical care. The UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento currently has two active helipads, and now they want to add two more atop the new 14-story California Tower being built on campus. "We do expect some growth in helicopter arrivals," said Matt Dulcich, the hospital's director of planning. The hospital is the only level-one trauma center in the region, treating the most serious emergencies like shootings, burns and pediatric injuries. "That will really allow our patients who come by helicopter to have a direct elevator ride directly down into the emergency department," Dulcich said. And for the first time, military medevac copters and Cal Fire's new fleet will be able to land. "The new helipads will be large enough to accommodate the Firehawk helicopters, where the old ones are not," Dulcich said. The new heliport will be further away from existing homes, but the additional aircraft noise could cause a headache for some nearby neighbors. "We'll be focusing on about 100 residences that could be affected," Dulcich said. What mitigation measures is UC Davis Health taking to limit noise nuisances? The hospital is offering homeowners up to $35,000 in new acoustical windows, doors, skylights and improved insulation for those living in high-noise zones. "With each home being different and a different age and different design, we'll have to work carefully with each homeowner to determine what the best upgrades might be," Dulcich said. The hospital says some of their current facilities date back to the 1920s, and the new helipads and medical tower will help provide state-of-the-art health care for the growing region. "It will really improve patient access to new, modernized facilities," Dulcich said. The cost of the new California Tower is $3.7 billion, and it's scheduled to open in 2030.
