The facts are alarming: Almost 50 percent of people who die suddenly from a heart attack had no prior symptoms. Many others with serious cardiovascular risk factors aren’t aware of them—or feel powerless to change long-entrenched habits that weaken their heart. The Preventive Cardiology Program at UC Irvine Medical Center…
Each year, millions of Americans develop cancerous skin lesions. The vast majority of these are easily treated and highly survivable, but some are—or could become—melanomas, which can be aggressive and potentially deadly. The causes of skin cancer vary, ranging from excessive sun exposure to family genetics. People who have numerous…
When retiree Dan Christensen moved to Orange County from his native Oregon in September 2010, he immediately began searching for volunteer opportunities. "I wanted to be somewhat intellectually stimulated so that I didn’t get rusty, so to speak," Christensen says. His wife, Susan Christensen suggested he look at UC Irvine…
Bariatric surgery is an increasingly popular way to treat morbid obesity. More than 170,000 Americans undergo the surgery each year, 10 times more than in the mid-1990s. Two recent studies by UC Irvine Medical Center surgeons compared the outcome, quality of life and cost of the two most performed procedures…
As a specialist in skin disorders and cancers, UC Irvine dermatologist Dr. Janellen Smith sees firsthand what too much sun can do. Sun exposure is the No. 1 cause of premature aging; it can also be deadly. Each year, more than one million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer, the…
When Brent Wong graduated in June with UC Irvine's first nursing science class, he didn't have to go far to land a job. Wong works as a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UC Irvine Douglas Hospital, and he's already making a big difference in the lives…
When Ken Mitchell first met UCI Health transplant surgeon Dr. Clarence Foster, he was a diabetic in kidney failure. Mitchell, a 42-year-old caterer, had to prick his finger eight times a day to test his blood sugar. His condition required four-hour dialysis sessions, four times a week. His life was…
Nearly 600,000 hysterectomies are performed each year in the United States—a rate unchanged since World War II. Uterine fibroids, benign tumors in and around the uterine walls, account for half these procedures. UCI Health radiologist Dr. Scott Goodwin wants to change that. "The interventional radiologist has a tool that may…
A full-body skin exam is a vital tool in screening patients for benign or cancerous lesions they may not see or recognize on their own, says Dr. Janellen Smith. During a skin exam, patients are inspected for any suspicious growths, moles or lesions, says Smith. These scans are often performed…
Meeting with a genetic counselor can be very helpful for pregnant patients with a family history of inherited disorders. But the best time to seek a genetic assessment is before conception. This allows couples and individuals the time they need to explore their pregnancy-related options and plan a course of…
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