Browsing by Author "Alvaro Alonso"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Atrial Fibiliration Month
    (2011-09-20) Engebretson, Mark; Alvaro Alonso
    Welcome to Public Health Moment from the University of Minnesota. September is atrial fibrillation month, a time to raise awareness about this condition, which causes an irregular and often rapid heart rate. Atrial fibrillation affects more than 2 million Americans. According to Alvaro Alonzo, an associate professor of public health at the University of Minnesota, an irregular heartbeat can lead to stroke, heart failure, and an early death. Recent research by Alonzo, however, has found that the condition is preventable by, among other things, improving diet and increasing exercise. Although the results were not surprising, Alonzo said that this was the first time a large study was undertaken to show this relationship between an irregular heartbeat and cardiovascular risk factors. For public health moment, I'm Mark Engebretson.
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    Dementia
    (2009-08-20) Finnegan, John; Alvaro Alonso
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    Determining the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is the goal of a new $26 million study, funded by the National Institutes of Health.
    (2010-07-26) Finnegan, John; Alvaro Alonso
    Welcome to Public Health Moment from the University of Minnesota. Determining the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is the goal of a new $26 million study, funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study involves University of Minnesota researchers, including Alvaro Alonso, an assistant professor of epidemiology. He says it will build on the so-called ARIC study, an influential 20-year-old project that has looked at and identified risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Previous research has already shown a connection between cardiovascular disease and dementia, Alonso says. This study, when finalized in about three years, should lead to new preventive strategies and treatments for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. With another Public Health Moment, I’m John Finnegan.
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    Gout and Parkinson's disease
    (2008-01-22) Finnegan, John; Alvaro Alonso
    Welcome to Public Health Moment from the University of Minnesota. If you have gout—a form of arthritis—you may have a lower risk of acquiring Parkinson’s disease. That’s according to a study of 8,000 people in the United Kingdom. Alvaro Alonso, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, was one of the lead researchers. Of the 8,000 people studied, 1,000 had gout. Alonso said that the association between gout and lower risk of Parkinson's disease was observed among men, nonsmokers, and study participants at least 60 years old. Alonso says that people with gout have a high level of uric acid in their blood. The uric acid, he said, may serve as a protective factor against Parkinson’s disease. But further study is needed. With another Public Health Moment, I’m John Finnegan.