Bone Health Osteoporosis diagnosis: DEXA scan T score of -2.5 or diagnosed clinically - a fall from standing height resulting in fracture or evidence of spinal compression fractures Risk factors: age, female sex, previous fracture, family history of osteoporosis, medication like prednisone, smoking, excess alcohol intake, small frame... There are no symptoms of osteoporosis- can see loss of height or forward hunched posture “kyphosis” People with osteoporosis break their hip and that is what...

Episode 16: Depression & Prevention of Suicide Emily Gard, LICSW, joins us to talk about depression and suicide. Emily is a Licensed Individual Clinical Social Worker and nationally certified mental health first aid trainer with over ten years of experience in the field of social work. Emily earned her undergraduate degree from Concordia College and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Dakota. She initially worked as a chemical dependency social worker before...

Congestive Heart Failure 2 types: Systolic heart failure: pump weakens, ejection fraction (EF) less than 55% Causes: heart attack, valvular heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea, viral, high blood pressure, excessive alcohol use Symptoms: shortness of breath with activity, difficulty breathing when lying flat at night, swelling in the legs and fluid retention Evaluation: clinical exam, stress test, echocardiogram, blood tests, chest xray Treatment: medications include ACEi/ARB’s,...

What to expect when you’re… aging! Consider yourself warned! We talk about normal aging and how to minimize the impact of age on the body. From head to toe: Hair thinning - occurs in women as well as men. Additionally, patterns of hair growth change with age. Vision changes - decreased visual acuity, cataracts, and reading glasses are common Dental - false teeth, dentures. Oral hygiene becomes more difficult due to decreased dexterity of the hands. Hearing - hearing loss. Treatment is...

Episode 13 - Aging Well Aging - the sum of all changes that occur with the passage of time that lead to functional impairment and eventually death Factors affecting age: genetics, environment (stressors, habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption, diet) It’s important to thing about death in order to help decide what living and aging well means for you. Take time to have conversations with your loved ones about what matters to you (quality of life versus quantity of life, what activities...

The Waterworks for Men Guest: Dr. Darin Lang, Internist and Geriatrician at Sanford Health. Trained at Virginia Mason in Seattle and Emory University for Geriatrics in Atlanta. Darin was born and raised in North Dakota. He’s been in his current practice at Sanford Health for 15 years working in outpatient Internal Medicine, nursing home care, and as a hospitalist. He is also the Internal Medicine Department Chair and an associate professor of medicine at the University of North Dakota School...

Navigating Life Changes Life transitions can be exciting at times but can also contribute to isolation, depression, and anxiety. Some major life changes include the birth of a child, menopause, becoming an “empty nester,” retirement, loss of a loved one, and loss of independence in the elderly. We talk with Dr. Zielke, PhD, and Trishia Powell, LICSW, about identifying signs and symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety; treatment options for these symptoms, and behavioral strategies to...

A Salty Note on Sodium Chloride Salt or Sodium Chloride recommended daily intake 2300mg daily or 1 teaspoon High salt diet can contribute to high blood pressure or hypertension as well as worsen congestive heart failure or worsen swelling in lower extremities from venous insufficiency or leaky veins READ FOOD LABELS! Salty six = deli meat, pizza, canned soups, breads, tacos, cheese Also watch out for pickled items! Health Pearl: Try a foam roller to roll out aches and pains! Follow us on...

Eating for health This week we discuss nutrition and eating for health. Nutrition: healthful food to fuel your body. Positive nutrition can provide energy, boost immunity, improve overall health Harmful eating patterns can lead to diabetes, heart disease, strokes, other health conditions What matters? Calories, fat, carbs, protein? Is there a magic bullet? Whole foods - veggies, whole grains, fruits, legumes, seeds, nuts Try to target the 80-20 rule. Eat healthful foods 80% of the time...

Episode 8 - Sleep Insomnia = Sleep difficulties Multiple causes of sleep disruption: Obstructive sleep apnea, the need to urinate, medication side effects, restless leg syndrome, heart burn, worry, mood disorders (anxiety, depression), uncontrolled asthma Caffeine can disrupt sleep. If having difficulties would limit intake to before noon. Alcohol- poor sleep quality even if you feel helps you get to sleep Medications that can disrupt sleep: decongestants, antihistamines (allergy and...

Episode 7: Living Well with Dementia Dementia - changes in memory and thinking that are beyond what is normal for age. It is progressive (worsens over time). Treatment can slow progression of dementia, but there is no cure. It is felt that regular exercise, following a healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet, and staying socially and cognitively engaged can help prevent dementia. Controlling chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes can also help with...

Millions in US have diabetes or prediabetes but it is often PREVENTABLE Diabetes Type 2: High blood sugar levels because of insulin resistance. Occurs when insulin released from the pancreas is less effective at moving sugar (glucose) from the blood stream into the cells. Danger of high blood sugar levels over time- can cause blindness, numbness/pain in feet (neuropathy), kidney failure, heart attack/strokes, PAD (peripheral arterial disease), lead to amputations Risk factors: diets...

Episode 5: A Shot of Health Today we focus on four adult immunizations: tetanus, pneumonia, shingles, and influenza. Tetanus - a tetanus (Td) booster is needed every 10 years or less. Every adult should get Tdap once to protect against pertussis (whooping cough). Tetanus can be acquired from a skin puncture by rusty metal, and is also present throughout the environment, especially in soil. Pneumonia - pneumonia is a lower respiratory tract infection / infection of the lungs. It can be...

Episode 4: Urinary Tract Infections We discuss the anatomy of the urinary tract: bladder, ureters, and kidneys We discuss infection being a pathogen (bacteria) causing an illness. This is different than bacteria that live with us that do NOT cause infection (colonized or part of our microbiome) We discuss symptoms of possible bacterial UTI: burning with urination, frequency, urgency, incontinence, pelvic pain/pressure, fever, chills, flank pain (pain over the kidneys) Other possible...

Episode 3: Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease We explain the “leaky faucet” analogy for reducing risk of heart attacks and strokes. We discuss the population that benefits from aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes and the population for whom aspirin is no longer recommended. We discuss the benefits and role of statin medications in preventing heart attacks and strokes. Supplements - we talk about fish oil, Coq10, and red rice yeast extract. We explain which foods are best to...

Episode 2: Getting the most out of your clinic visit. Although you’ve probably been attending doctor appointments for years, you may not know everything that happens around your visit. Lindsey and Kirsten discuss what to expect at an office visit and how to maximize the time you have with your clinician. Setting an agenda can be a useful tool to ensure that concerns are addressed. The difference between annual exams and rechecks is discussed. New research and changing health status of...

Episode 1: Purpose of Podcast, Getting to Know Us and Medical Training Purpose/Mission To educate and inform about health matters affecting adults, from latest research updates to tips to navigate the health system and everything in between. Lindsey Dahl Bio Kirsten Juhl Bio Education Required to become MD -Four year undergraduate degree: can major in anything as long as the required premed classes are taken -Medical Degree: 4 Years of Medical School (MD) or DO school (doctor of...