Changing Sleep Patterns As We Age
Presented by: Mehrdad Ayati, MD
Clinical Instructor, Internal Medicine
Stanford University Medical Center
April 19, 2012
You go to bed, only to start tossing and turning, with no rest in sight. Or you fall asleep, only to wake up at 3 am. Having trouble falling asleep—or staying asleep—is a common problem, especially among older people.
But what is sleep exactly? And why does it become so elusive as we age? The reasons can range from physiological factors, such as chronic pain, hormones, or gastrointestinal problems, to environmental elements like light or noise, according to Mehrdad Ayati, MD, a clinical instructor of medicine, who spoke at a presentation sponsored by the Stanford Health Library.
Impact of Cancer Treatment on Memory, Thinking, and Attention
Presented by: Shelli Kesler, PhD
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
April 18, 2012
Memory and attention problems seem to be a common complaint among cancer survivors. Many people refer to these cognitive changes as “chemo brain,” but the cause and extent of these issues is not always a direct correlation to cancer therapy. Studies show that between 20 to 75 percent of cancer patients report problems with memory, attention, and thinking.
Nutrition and Cancer
Presented by: Erika Connor, RD, CSO
Dietitian, Cancer Supportive Care Program
Stanford Hospital and Clinics
September 22, 2011
For people diagnosed with cancer, one of the first places they turn to is the Internet. But when it comes to advice on what to eat, and what foods, vitamins, and supplements are helpful or harmful to cancer progression, the barrage of information can be overwhelming and contradictory.
“There are lots of grey areas because there are always new studies coming out and we are always learning new things that can challenge what you read and what people tell you,” said Erika Connor, RD, CSO, an oncology dietitian at the Stanford Cancer Center, who spoke at a presentation sponsored by Cancer Supportive Care and the Stanford Health Library.
Chronic Pancreatitis: Diagnosis and Management
Presented by: Walter G. Park, MD, MS
Instructor, Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Stanford University Medical Center
October 13, 2011
Unlike acute pancreatitis—a sudden inflammation of the pancreas—chronic pancreatitis is a long-term condition that alters the organ’s normal structure and function, and can cause persistent, debilitating pain.
The pancreas is a gland located directly behind the stomach, and close to the spine, that serves two primary functions: to produce insulin, a hormone needed to regulate glucose metabolism, and to make digestive enzymes that help absorb nutrients in the food you eat.
Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer
Presented by: Stephanie Chao, MD
Senior Surgery Resident, Asian Liver Center
Stanford University Medical Center
November 5, 2011
Chronic hepatitis B (HBV) is a blood-borne virus that causes the most common serious liver infection in the world: 350 million people have the disease and one in four will die from its complications—cancer, liver failure, or cirrhosis (scarring of the liver).
Living Better with COPD
Presented by: Daya Upadhyay, MD
Assistant Professor, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Stanford University Medical Center
November 3, 2011
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease which blocks the airflow and makes it increasingly difficult to breathe. COPD can cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, excess mucus, chest tightness, and other symptoms.
