April 27, 2009 - Results of a new Mayo Clinic study support an association between anemia experienced early in life and the development of Parkinsons disease many years later. The findings were presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Seattle on April 30.
"We were surprised to discover that chronic anemia or low levels of hemoglobin were linked to the risk of Parkinsons disease 20- to 30-years later", says Walter A. Rocca, M.D., an author of the study and a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic.
March 11, 2009 - Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children who require multiple surgeries under anesthesia during their first three years of life are at higher risk to develop learning disabilities later. Several studies have suggested that anesthetic drugs may cause abnormalities in the brains of young animals.
This is the first study in humans to suggest that exposure of children to anesthesia may have similar consequences. The finding is reported in the April 2009 issue of the journal Anesthesiology.
February 02, 2009 - Men who experience erectile dysfunction at a young age - from 40 to 49 - are two times more likely to develop heart disease compared to men without erectile dysfunction, according to a new Mayo Clinic study.
Overall, researchers found that men with erectile dysfunction have an 80 percent higher risk of heart disease compared to those without erectile dysfunction.
August 12, 2008 - A new Mayo Clinic study found that individuals with earlier onset, longer duration and greater severity of diabetes appear to be more likely to have mild cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal aging and the earliest features of Alzheimer's disease.
"There is an obesity epidemic in this country. Since obesity is a risk factor for diabetes, this study provides more evidence of the importance of reducing obesity," said Rosebud Roberts, M.D., a Mayo Clinic epidemiologist and author of this study.