Category Archives: heart/cardiovascular

When good drugs have bad effects: Seniors are susceptible to medication interactions

Posted on April 12, 2017 by

BY AMBER SMITH An 83-year-old woman arrived at the hospital emergency department with a loss of energy, low blood pressure and slowed heart rate. While a myriad of medical problems could cause such symptoms, ultimately hers came from an adverse … Continue reading →

Posted in aging/geriatrics, drugs/medications/pharmacy, health care, heart/cardiovascular, poison center/toxicology | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Syracuse University student died at a Carrier Dome basketball game – and lived to tell about it

Posted on March 13, 2017 by

February 4 was “pretty much a typical morning” for Alex McMillan, 20, an economics major at Syracuse University. An alto sax player, McMillan would be at the noon basketball game against Virginia as part of the Sour Sitrus Society. He … Continue reading →

Posted in emergency medicine/trauma, genetics, health care, heart/cardiovascular, patient story | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

To avoid withdrawal, she nearly died: Former addict warns of the dangers of antidiarrheal drug

Posted on October 3, 2016 by

BY JIM HOWE Katharine “Kate” Rayland never intended to become addicted to – and nearly die from – an over-the-counter drug designed to prevent diarrhea. She developed a potentially fatal heart problem and landed in the intensive care unit at … Continue reading →

Posted in addiction, adolescents, brain/neurology, community, digestive/gastrointestinal, drugs/medications/pharmacy, emergency medicine/trauma, health care, HealthLink on Air, heart/cardiovascular, illness, patient story, poison center/toxicology, public health, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Once fatal, now curable: Story of infective endocarditis ‘a miracle of medical progress’

Posted on September 26, 2016 by

Upstate cardiologist Harold Smulyan, MD, and infectious disease expert Donald Blair, MD, tell the tale of infective endocarditis in the August 2015 issue of the American Journal of the Medical Sciences. They call the nearly complete conquest of the disease … Continue reading →

Posted in aging/geriatrics, death/dying, drugs/medications/pharmacy, health care, HealthLink on Air, heart/cardiovascular, history, illness, infectious disease, pathology, research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

An aspirin a day: Can a pill protect you from colorectal cancer?

Posted on August 3, 2016 by

Aspirin has long been recommended to help prevent heart disease and reduce stroke risk in some patients. Now the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says evidence shows the anti-inflammatory pill can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. But before adding … Continue reading →

Posted in aging/geriatrics, cancer, digestive/gastrointestinal, drugs/medications/pharmacy, health care, heart/cardiovascular, illness, prevention/preventive medicine, research, stroke

Heart of a warrior: She cherishes each moment after surviving a medical emergency

Posted on March 31, 2016 by

BY JIM HOWE A woman who did her best to stay fit nearly died. That experience taught her never to take her health for granted. Debra Becker of Liverpool was a runner. She practiced yoga and worked out regularly, including … Continue reading →

Posted in health care, heart/cardiovascular, illness, patient story, physical therapy/rehabilitation, surgery, women's health/gynecology

An audience with the pope reverberates at Upstate

Posted on December 11, 2015 by

Jake Braithwaite, 26, and Brendan Coffey, 30, are chaplain interns at Upstate University Hospital, Braithwaite in neurology and Coffey in cardiology. The two men have taken vows of chastity, poverty and obedience in the multiyear process of becoming Jesuits. They … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/neurology, community, heart/cardiovascular, mental health/emotional health, spiritual care

Surgery, chemo battle preschooler’s kidney tumor

Posted on October 29, 2015 by

Three-year-old Ariana LaVaute attended the Skaneateles Labor Day parade on Sept. 1, 2014, and then helped her father trim shrubs in their yard. A few days later, her activity level and appetite diminished. Seemingly overnight, her belly became enlarged. Ariana’s … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, community, heart/cardiovascular, medical imaging/radiology, patient story, surgery, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics

Ronald Angona, Jr. receives President’s Award

Posted on October 16, 2015 by

Upstate Medical University presented 16 awards at its fall convocation Sept. 16. The President’s Award for Outstanding Voluntary Faculty Service, College of Health Professions, was given to Ronald E. Angona, Jr. Below is his biography, as it appears in the … Continue reading →

Posted in alumni, community, education, health care, heart/cardiovascular, history, volunteers

Cellphone-assisted diagnosis saved a newborn, guided a career

Posted on August 19, 2015 by

Rahul Dudhani, MD, remembers when he was new to Syracuse and had a chance – but influential – encounter in June 2012 at Café Kubal. He was a few weeks away from starting his surgical training at Upstate, and enjoying a … Continue reading →

Posted in community, emergency medicine/trauma, heart/cardiovascular, medical student, surgery, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics