A surgical procedure aims to lower high blood pressure in certain patients with resistant hypertension -- where medications and lifestyle changes have not succeeded. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney damage and other problems, notes endovascular surgeon Wei Li, who explains the renal denervation procedure and which patients might benefit in this week's "HealthLink on Air." Li is an associate professor of surgery at Upstate.
Also on this week's show, a new vaccine is available for a virus called chikungunya. Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Katie Anderson explains what chikungunya is and who may want to consider this vaccine. She is also a faculty member in microbiology and immunology at Upstate.
And, mitochondria, organelles that generate energy for living cells, are being studied for their role in heart health. Gargi Mishra explains the research she and colleagues are doing on this topic. Mishra is a graduate student in biochemistry and molecular biology at Upstate Medical University, working toward her MD and PhD degrees in the laboratory of Xin Jie Chen.
Listen to Healthlink on Air every Sunday at 6 a.m. on WRVO.