BaylorHealthMay 2012

WORTH THE WAITWhy 39 weeks is best for your baby PAGE 7

YOUR CANCER HOSPITALNew center focuses on comfort and relaxation PAGE 2

DALLAS EDITION

Visit BaylorHealth.com/Dallas for informative videos, interactive quizzes, online event registration, and much more.

Man Up for Your Health

Men are notorious for avoiding the doctor. But WAYNE REYNOLDS is alive today because he sought treatment when he needed toPAGE 4

REAL PATIENTS. REAL STORIES.

Wayne is pictured with his wife, Martha.

Health

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Your Baylor Cancer HospitalA new destination for cancer care in North Texas

Discover the New Baylor Cancer HospitalTo learn more about Baylor Cancer Hospital and cancer care services, visit BaylorHealth.com/DallasCancer or call 1.800.4BAYLOR.

113That’s the number of patient beds in the new Baylor Cancer Hospital.

Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, 3500 Gaston Ave., Dallas, TX 75246. Patient Information: 214.820.0111. Volunteer Opportunities: 214.820.2441. Giving Opportunities/Baylor Health Care System Foundation: 214.820.3136. Visit BaylorHealth.com or call 1.800.4BAYLOR for information about Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas services, upcoming events, physician referrals, career opportunities and more.

Baylor Health Care System Mission: Founded as a Christian ministry of healing, Baylor Health Care System exists to serve all people through exemplary health care, education, research and community service.

President and CEO, Baylor Health Care System: Joel Allison. President, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas: John B. McWhorter III. Marketing/Public Relations Director: Jana Pope. Editor: Lauren Dysert. Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas Board of Trustees: J. Kent Newsom, Chair; Dighton Packard, M.D., Vice Chair; Robert Mennel, M.D.; C.T. (Sparkey) Beckham; John B. McWhorter III; Michael Ramsay, M.D.; Judge Oswin Chrisman; Ronald D. Murff; Gretchen Williams; Michael L. Graham; Donald H. Wills; James H. Gray, M.D.; Timothy Owens. Ex-Officio Members (Medical Staff Officers): Carolyn Matthews, M.D., President; Ravi C. Vallabhan, M.D., Past-President; Christie Columbus, M.D., President-Elect.

The material in BaylorHealth is not intended for diagnosing or prescribing. Consult your physician before under taking any form of medical treatment or adopting any exercise program or dietary guidelines. Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas or Baylor Health Care System. Photographs may include models or actors and may not represent actual patients. BaylorHealth is published by McMurry six times a year for friends and supporters of Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. © 2012 Baylor Health Care System. If you are receiving multiple copies, need to change your mailing address or do not wish to receive this publication, please send your mailing label(s) and the updated information to Robin Vogel, Baylor Health Care System, 2001 Bryan St., Suite 750, Dallas, TX 75201, or e-mail the information to robinv@baylorhealth.edu.

2 BaylorHealth.com

JAN. 17 WAS AN EXCITING DAY at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. After years of planning, design and construction, the new Baylor Cancer Hospital welcomed its fi rst patients.

The 113-bed dedicated cancer hospital, opening in phases throughout this year, is linked via skybridge to the 10-story Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, an outpatient center that opened in March 2011. Combined, the two facili-ties off er inpatient and outpatient cancer care services conveniently under one roof and form the largest outpatient cancer center and fi rst dedicated cancer hospital in North Texas.

A MORE COMFORTABLE STAYBaylor Cancer Hospital off ers advanced cancer care in surroundings that are comfortable and relaxing for patients, family members and caregivers during all phases of treatment.

“Those undergoing cancer treatment often have a lengthy stay,” says Alan Miller, M.D., Ph.D., chief of oncology for Baylor Health Care System and medical director of Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas. “We need to accommodate these patients in an envi-ronment off ering them the best chance of beating their cancer.”

Two inpatient fl oors, including the blood and marrow transplant unit, opened in January. Opening next will be the oncology evaluation and treatment center on the fi rst fl oor, which provides evening and weekend scheduled urgent care specifi cally for established cancer

patients at Baylor Dallas.For example, if a can-

cer patient suddenly develops a symptom or side eff ect, such as nausea or a loose sur-gical drain, “rather than going to an emergency department and waiting, they can come directly to the evalua-tion and treatment center for a fl uid or medication infusion, or to have the drain replaced,” Dr. Miller says.

OUR MANY SERVICESTwo more fl oors in the cancer hospital will open this summer. A fl oor off ering palliative care will open this fall.

“Palliative care is an extension of care

focusing on quality of life,” Dr. Miller says. “Recent data shows many patients getting palliative care along with cancer therapy survive longer than those with-out palliative care.” This is a special fl oor of the hospital with private and spacious rooms for patients and their loved ones to be together.

The cancer hospital will also have its own pharmacy, radiology services, a concierge dining service, many private rooms, and access to the chapel and healing garden across the skybridge at the outpatient cancer center.

Dr. Miller sees the opening of Baylor Cancer Hospital as just the beginning. “Whether it’s bricks and mortar, or new programs and treatments, we will con-tinue off ering innovative services to can-cer patients in North Texas and beyond.”

Patient rooms are spacious and comfortable, with a television, desk and family seating area.

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DON’T SHOULDER THE PAINBaylor Dallas off ers innovative solutions for shoulder pain

WHEN YOUR SHOULDER HURTS, your whole world hurts. The pain aff ects every move you make.

“Not only is the shoulder the most mobile joint in the body, it’s also the most complex,” says Sumant G. “Butch” Krishnan, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas who special-izes in shoulder surgery.

Like the hip, the shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint. But the shoul-der socket is more shallow, so it needs extra support—a group of muscles called the rotator cuff —to hold every-thing in place.

DEMYSTIFYING SHOULDER SURGERYCauses of shoulder pain range from rotator cuff injury to dislocations, traumatic injury and arthritis.

“Our goal is to take away pain and restore function,” says Dr. Krishnan.

“Patients spend one night in the hospital, start rehabilitation the next day, and wear a sling for four weeks,” he says. “They can get back to their lives right away, resuming most of their activities by three months.”

So when should you stop “shoulder-ing” the pain and see your doctor? “The No. 1 signal is nighttime pain,” Dr. Krishnan says.

COMPLETE SUCCESSSeveral years ago, Patty Heitz, 66, of Arlington, underwent rotator cuff surgery elsewhere but developed a severe staph infection. She came to Baylor Dallas, where she had two successful procedures: one, using an “antibiotic spacer” prosthesis, to clear the infection, and two, a reverse shoulder replacement.

Then the avid golfer tore the rota-tor cuff in her opposite arm. After recovering from this second repair

in April 2011, Heitz was back out on the golf course in September. On her third outing, she struck gold with a hole-in-one!

“In the spirit of ‘golf honesty,’ I had to take a par on that hole, because my fi rst shot was a mulligan [do-over],” she says. “However, for me, after all the surgeries and physi-cal therapy sessions, this was such a joyous victory.”

What Is a Reverse Shoulder Replacement?In a reverse shoulder replacement, the ball-and-socket anatomy of the shoulder is switched. The metal ball descends from the shoulder blade, and the plastic socket implant is placed at the top of the humerus (arm bone). This design restores function for patients with weak or degenerated rotator cuff muscles who might still experience pain with a con-ventional shoulder replacement.

Do You Have Shoulder Pain?If you’ve been injured or have shoulder pain, don’t wait another day. Call 1.800.4BAYLOR for a referral to an orthopedist on the medical staff at Baylor Dallas.

1893The year the fi rst shoulder replacement was performed, with a prosthesis made of platinum and rubber.

Patty Heitz is back to doing the things she loves after shoulder surgery.

BaylorHealth.com 3

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Like Reynolds, you may think you’re too busy for an annual physical, screening test or minor medical procedure. But “sacrifi cing an hour or an afternoon or even two or three days of your life is a lot more effi cient than sacrifi cing weeks and months of your life” for treating more-advanced disease, Reynolds says.

Here’s what you can do to guard against common diseases that strike men:

THREAT: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASEStrategy: Get your numbers in line

“The number-one killer of men is cardiovascular disease,” says Shaun McMurtry, M.D., a family medicine physician on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine. When fatty plaque deposits build up in blood vessels, they can cause heart attack or stroke.

Just like tracking business goals, you can’t measure your progress if you don’t know your numbers. Keep an eye on your blood pressure, cholesterol and weight.

“Generally speaking, you’re not going to feel bad from high blood pressure or cholesterol,” Dr. McMurtry says. “So you don’t know you have them until you get the screening done.”

Improving your diet and exercise habits can help modify weight and cholesterol and blood pressure levels. If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, medication may help reduce your heart disease risk.

THREAT: CANCERStrategy: Talk to your doctor about necessary screenings

Lung, prostate and colon cancer are the top three cancers in men. “Screening is the biggest way to catch colon cancer in its early stages,” Dr. McMurtry explains. “Anytime you can catch a cancer early, before it spreads, you have a better outcome.” If everyone older than 50 would get recommended screening tests, colon cancer deaths could be reduced by as much as 60 percent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

“It’s important to have regular visits with your primary care doctor

so you know if you need to screen earlier,” Dr. McMurtry

says. You can also discuss the risks and benefi ts of

screening for prostate cancer by means of a digital rectal exam or prostate-specifi c antigen testing.

Smoking is the culprit for about 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men. “If you don’t smoke, don’t start,” Dr. McMurtry says. “If you do, quit.”

See your doctor if you experience symptoms such as chest pain, chronic cough, coughing up blood or unexplained weight loss.

THREAT: DIABETESStrategy: Be physically active and lose a little bit of weight

Being overweight and inactive are two major risk factors for type 2 diabetes. “Losing weight and exercising have been proven to decrease your risk of developing diabetes,” Dr. McMurtry says. Losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can delay or prevent diabetes, according to a National Institutes of Health study. Even without weight loss, exercise can help lower blood sugar, other research has shown.

“Diabetes aff ects every system in the body,” Dr. McMurtry says. Uncontrolled high blood sugar puts you at risk for heart disease, stroke, vision loss, kidney disease, erectile dysfunction, and nerve damage that causes a loss of feeling in the feet and legs.

It can be hard to make time for your health in the midst of work and family responsibilities, Reynolds acknowledges. “But if I’m gone, I can’t take care of my family. Your physical health is more important than anything else.”

Acting now can preserve your ability to enjoy life in the future. “You need to catch these health conditions in their early stages,” Dr. McMurtry says, “so you can prevent complications as you get older that can limit your ability to be active.”

you can’t measure your progress

you can catch a cancer early, before it

Watch Wayne’s StoryTo hear more about Wayne’s story, visit BaylorHealth.com/Healthcast today.

REAL PATIENTS. REAL STORIES.

SSmart strategies to defuse men’s top health threats

Live Longer, Live Stronger

Wayne Reynolds survived colon cancer, thanks to his good sense to see a doctor when he did and the support of his wife, Martha.

Watch Wayne’s StoryTo hear more about Wayne’s story, visit BaylorHealth.com/Healthcast today.

Smart strategies to defuse health threats

Live StrongerSmart strategies to defuse Live StrongerSmart strategies to defuse

Wayne Reynolds survived colon cancer, thanks to his good sense to see a doctor when he did and the support of his wife, Martha.

4 To download a tipsheet about men’s health at midlife, visit BaylorHealth.com/Healthcast

Staying in shape is a priority for Wayne Reynolds. “I’ve always been extremely health conscious,” says the 55-year-old bank senior vice president. Because of bleeding polyps when he was 35, Reynolds had several colonoscopies in his 30s and 40s before getting an all-clear report when he was 48. Later, when bleeding cropped up again, internal hemorrhoids were diagnosed. But Reynolds felt that it wasn’t a big enough deal to want to take time away from his busy work and family life.

When Reynolds fi nally scheduled repair surgery in 2010, the surgeon discovered Reynolds also had a tumor in his colon. It took almost a year of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to treat the stage-three cancer.

“If I had acted sooner, I might have been diagnosed with stage-one colon cancer,” Reynolds says. “It’s best to err on the side of current inconvenience instead of long-term inconvenience.”

Although he still struggles with chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy, making it diffi cult to feel his feet and be as active as he would like, today Reynolds’ cancer is gone and he is relieved.

FdBL051201_BUMC.indd 4 3/19/12 4:24 PM

Like Reynolds, you may think you’re too busy for an annual physical, screening test or minor medical procedure. But “sacrifi cing an hour or an afternoon or even two or three days of your life is a lot more effi cient than sacrifi cing weeks and months of your life” for treating more-advanced disease, Reynolds says.

Here’s what you can do to guard against common diseases that strike men:

THREAT: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASEStrategy: Get your numbers in line

“The number-one killer of men is cardiovascular disease,” says Shaun McMurtry, M.D., a family medicine physician on the medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine. When fatty plaque deposits build up in blood vessels, they can cause heart attack or stroke.

Just like tracking business goals, you can’t measure your progress if you don’t know your numbers. Keep an eye on your blood pressure, cholesterol and weight.

“Generally speaking, you’re not going to feel bad from high blood pressure or cholesterol,” Dr. McMurtry says. “So you don’t know you have them until you get the screening done.”

Improving your diet and exercise habits can help modify weight and cholesterol and blood pressure levels. If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, medication may help reduce your heart disease risk.

THREAT: CANCERStrategy: Talk to your doctor about necessary screenings

Lung, prostate and colon cancer are the top three cancers in men. “Screening is the biggest way to catch colon cancer in its early stages,” Dr. McMurtry explains. “Anytime you can catch a cancer early, before it spreads, you have a better outcome.” If everyone older than 50 would get recommended screening tests, colon cancer deaths could be reduced by as much as 60 percent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

“It’s important to have regular visits with your primary care doctor

so you know if you need to screen earlier,” Dr. McMurtry

says. You can also discuss the risks and benefi ts of

screening for prostate cancer by means of a digital rectal exam or prostate-specifi c antigen testing.

Smoking is the culprit for about 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men. “If you don’t smoke, don’t start,” Dr. McMurtry says. “If you do, quit.”

See your doctor if you experience symptoms such as chest pain, chronic cough, coughing up blood or unexplained weight loss.

THREAT: DIABETESStrategy: Be physically active and lose a little bit of weight

Being overweight and inactive are two major risk factors for type 2 diabetes. “Losing weight and exercising have been proven to decrease your risk of developing diabetes,” Dr. McMurtry says. Losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can delay or prevent diabetes, according to a National Institutes of Health study. Even without weight loss, exercise can help lower blood sugar, other research has shown.

“Diabetes aff ects every system in the body,” Dr. McMurtry says. Uncontrolled high blood sugar puts you at risk for heart disease, stroke, vision loss, kidney disease, erectile dysfunction, and nerve damage that causes a loss of feeling in the feet and legs.

It can be hard to make time for your health in the midst of work and family responsibilities, Reynolds acknowledges. “But if I’m gone, I can’t take care of my family. Your physical health is more important than anything else.”

Acting now can preserve your ability to enjoy life in the future. “You need to catch these health conditions in their early stages,” Dr. McMurtry says, “so you can prevent complications as you get older that can limit your ability to be active.”

Sources: American Heart Association, National Cancer Institute

Watch Wayne’s StoryTo hear more about Wayne’s story, visit BaylorHealth.com/Healthcast today.

REAL PATIENTS. REAL STORIES.

SSmart strategies to defuse men’s top health threats

Live Longer, Live Stronger

Wayne Reynolds survived colon cancer, thanks to his good sense to see a doctor when he did and the support of his wife, Martha.

4 To download a tipsheet about men’s health at midlife, visit BaylorHealth.com/Healthcast

Staying in shape is a priority for Wayne Reynolds. “I’ve always been extremely health conscious,” says the 55-year-old bank senior vice president. Because of bleeding polyps when he was 35, Reynolds had several colonoscopies in his 30s and 40s before getting an all-clear report when he was 48. Later, when bleeding cropped up again, internal hemorrhoids were diagnosed. But Reynolds felt that it wasn’t a big enough deal to want to take time away from his busy work and family life.

When Reynolds fi nally scheduled repair surgery in 2010, the surgeon discovered Reynolds also had a tumor in his colon. It took almost a year of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery to treat the stage-three cancer.

“If I had acted sooner, I might have been diagnosed with stage-one colon cancer,” Reynolds says. “It’s best to err on the side of current inconvenience instead of long-term inconvenience.”

Although he still struggles with chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy, making it diffi cult to feel his feet and be as active as he would like, today Reynolds’ cancer is gone and he is relieved.

BaylorHealth.com 5

7 Essential Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your HealthWhether you’re a man or a woman, aiming to prevent a troublesome diagnosis is better than waiting to treat it. Talk to your doctor about protecting yourself. Here are seven questions to open the dialogue.

1. What’s my blood pressure? Is it healthy? If your blood pres-sure is high, ask about medication and behavioral changes to reduce it.

2. What’s my cholesterol? Is it healthy? If your cholesterol is high, ask what you can do to reduce it.

3. What’s my blood glucose? Is it healthy? High blood glucose is a sign of diabetes. Ask about modi-fying your blood glucose through exercise and diet changes.

4. Is my PSA normal or abnor-mal? PSA is a protein produced by cells in the prostate gland. A PSA test alone does not give enough information to distinguish between benign prostate conditions and cancer. Ask your doctor to explain whether further testing is needed.

5. How much exercise should I get each week to stay in shape? An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

6. What changes should I make in my diet? To prevent dis-ease, eat a low-fat, high-fi ber diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

7. How can I get help to quit smoking? Quitting is the most important step you can take for better health. Ask your doctor about smoking-cessation programs and other resources for quitting.

Schedule Your ScreeningsIf you don’t have a primary care physician, call 1.800.4BAYLOR for a referral to a physician on the medical staff at Baylor Dallas.

About Your Health

woman, aiming to prevent a troublesome diagnosis is better than waiting to treat it. Talk to your doctor about protecting yourself. Here

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33.5%More than a third of U.S. adults have high blood pressure.

UNCONTROLLED HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE can lead to serious health issues, including heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Baylor researchers are studying a new approach that could help normalize blood pressure—without medication.

The Symplicity trial is testing a minimally invasive procedure known as renal denervation. The experimental procedure uses heat that is generated by radio frequency to disrupt nerve communication to and from the kidneys. This can reduce overactivity in the sympathetic nervous system, a frequent cause of chronic high blood pressure.

“The sympathetic nervous system controls blood pressure and can cause hypertension initiated by life and stress,” says David L. Brown, M.D., principal investigator at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano. “This investigational device is being tested to determine if it will disrupt

the sympathetic nervous system, which may signifi cantly lower blood pressure, stop multiple antihypertensive medications, and have an eff ect on other conditions aff ected by the sympathetic nervous system.”

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Less than 120/80 is considered healthy. To enroll in the Symplicity trial, patients must have a blood pressure level in which the top (systolic) number is above 160. They must also be taking the maximum dose of three to fi ve diff erent blood pressure medications simultaneously

but not achieving the desired lower blood pressure levels.

“In previous studies of this device in limited numbers of people, this simple procedure reduced patients’ blood pressure by an average of about 30 mmHg, a reduction that persisted throughout subsequent assessments,” says Sonia Prashar, M.S., CCRC, research coordinator at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano. Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital also is participating in the study.

Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups: One group will have the renal denervation

procedure and the other group will not. (No one but the surgical team will know who is in each group.) Patients will be given home blood pressure monitors and followed up with frequently. After six months, participants who did not have the procedure may be given the option of having it done, if they still qualify.

If the study confi rms that renal denervation can result in a large, persistent decrease in blood pressure, it could be excellent news for people who have high blood pressure that isn’t being successfully controlled with medication.

“Improving blood pressure has a profound eff ect on longevity and reducing the risk of stroke,” says James W. Choi, M.D., primary investigator for the Symplicity trial at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital. “Catheter-based renal denervation is an exciting, investigational treatment for patients with resistant hypertension who otherwise might not be able to be helped.”

Easing the PressureBaylor study investigates alternative to blood pressure medication

Do You Have High Blood Pressure?To enroll in the Symplicity trial, visit BaylorHealth.com/AdvancingMedicine.

6 BaylorHealth.com

FdBL051201_BUMC.indd 6 3/23/12 9:45 AM

IN RECENT YEARS, it has become com-mon to “schedule” a baby’s birth for reasons of convenience, even if it’s a few weeks before the full 39 to 40 weeks’ gestation. But while there are good reasons a physician might induce labor before full term, the convenience of knowing when a baby’s birth will happen isn’t one of them.

“Most of the time things turn out fi ne, but in a small number of babies there will be a problem,” says Steven Harris, M.D., an OB/GYN on the medi-cal staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and co-system leader for OB/GYN services for Baylor Health Care System.

Babies need 39 to 40 weeks of gesta-tion to fully mature, and inducing birth earlier should only be done for a valid medical reason. Babies born before 39 weeks may have problems with breath-ing, heart rate, sleeping and feeding. In addition, times of gestation could be off by a week or two, which may have an eff ect on development. For exam-ple, while a mom could be at 36 weeks according to her gestation schedule, her baby could in actuality only have grown to what is normal for 34 weeks.

TAKE YOUR TIMEBaylor Dallas is one of 26 hospitals across the country participating in a March of Dimes® pilot initiative to decrease the rate of early inductions.

“We collected our baseline data in January through March of 2010,” says Christine Renfro, R.N., supervisor of labor and delivery at Baylor Dallas. The early induction rate at that time was about 7 to 8 percent per month.

The March of Dimes initiative pro-vided tools for patient and physician education on why it’s important to wait until 39 weeks, as well as ways to accu-rately document a baby’s gestational age. Additionally, departmental schedul-ing guidelines were instituted to ensure

that inductions prior to 39 weeks have approved medical indications.

POSITIVE CHANGESAfter completing the March of Dimes program in 2011, the early induction rate at Baylor Dallas is now well under 5 percent. “We even had some months that were at zero elective deliveries prior to 39 weeks,” Renfro says.

Some of the “convenience” reasons for early induction seem logical, such as timing the birth when a relative can come and visit. But “we know parents

want the best for their baby, and if they knew it might mean that their baby would be in a special care nurs-ery, or even on a ventilator, then they wouldn’t do it,” Dr. Harris says.

YOUR BABY IS WORTH THE WAITWhy delivering at full term is the goal

Are You a New Parent or Expecting?Follow labor and delivery experts from Baylor—search @SimplyMoms to fi nd us on Twitter, or search Baylor Babies to join us on Facebook.

33.5%More than a third of U.S. adults have high blood pressure.

UNCONTROLLED HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE can lead to serious health issues, including heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Baylor researchers are studying a new approach that could help normalize blood pressure—without medication.

The Symplicity trial is testing a minimally invasive procedure known as renal denervation. The experimental procedure uses heat that is generated by radio frequency to disrupt nerve communication to and from the kidneys. This can reduce overactivity in the sympathetic nervous system, a frequent cause of chronic high blood pressure.

“The sympathetic nervous system controls blood pressure and can cause hypertension initiated by life and stress,” says David L. Brown, M.D., principal investigator at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano. “This investigational device is being tested to determine if it will disrupt

the sympathetic nervous system, which may signifi cantly lower blood pressure, stop multiple antihypertensive medications, and have an eff ect on other conditions aff ected by the sympathetic nervous system.”

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Less than 120/80 is considered healthy. To enroll in the Symplicity trial, patients must have a blood pressure level in which the top (systolic) number is above 160. They must also be taking the maximum dose of three to fi ve diff erent blood pressure medications simultaneously

but not achieving the desired lower blood pressure levels.

“In previous studies of this device in limited numbers of people, this simple procedure reduced patients’ blood pressure by an average of about 30 mmHg, a reduction that persisted throughout subsequent assessments,” says Sonia Prashar, M.S., CCRC, research coordinator at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano. Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital also is participating in the study.

Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups: One group will have the renal denervation

procedure and the other group will not. (No one but the surgical team will know who is in each group.) Patients will be given home blood pressure monitors and followed up with frequently. After six months, participants who did not have the procedure may be given the option of having it done, if they still qualify.

If the study confi rms that renal denervation can result in a large, persistent decrease in blood pressure, it could be excellent news for people who have high blood pressure that isn’t being successfully controlled with medication.

“Improving blood pressure has a profound eff ect on longevity and reducing the risk of stroke,” says James W. Choi, M.D., primary investigator for the Symplicity trial at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital. “Catheter-based renal denervation is an exciting, investigational treatment for patients with resistant hypertension who otherwise might not be able to be helped.”

Easing the PressureBaylor study investigates alternative to blood pressure medication

Do You Have High Blood Pressure?To enroll in the Symplicity trial, visit BaylorHealth.com/AdvancingMedicine.

6 BaylorHealth.com

39 Weeks: The Magic Number• During the last few weeks of pregnancy, the baby’s brain, lungs and liver continue to grow.• Babies born before 39 weeks

are more likely to have vision and hearing problems later in life.• Babies born before 39 weeks have more diffi -culty maintaining

a healthy weight after birth.• Babies born before 39 weeks have diffi culty feeding and stay-ing awake long enough to feed.

35 weeks

40 weeks

Mother photo: ©Getty Images/BananaStock RF BaylorHealth.com 7

FdBL051201_BUMC.indd 7 4/10/12 10:14 AM

Baylor Health Care System 2001 Bryan Street, Suite 750 Marketing Department Dallas, TX 75201

NON-PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE

PAIDBAYLOR HEALTH

FdBL051201_BUMC.indd 8 3/23/12 9:45 AM