The holiday season is a time of celebration and excess, but Mayo Clinic experts say too much salt, caffeine and alcohol can lead to a little-known condition called "holiday heart" that can have significant consequences.

Dr. Amy Pollak, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, explains how "holiday heart" can put too much stress on the heart. "Holiday heart" may sound like another joyous part of the holiday season. "But, in the cardiology world, 'holiday heart' actually refers to this effect of the stress of too much alcohol, too much salt, higher blood pressure on the heart," says Dr. Pollak. Dr. Pollak says all that stress on the heart can cause an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation.

What is seasonal affective disorder?

Many people go through short periods when they feel sad or unlike their usual selves. Sometimes, these mood changes begin and end when the seasons change. Many people feel "down" or have the "winter blues" when the days get shorter in the fall and winter and feel better in the spring when longer daylight hours return.

Sometimes, these mood changes are more serious and can affect how a person feels, thinks, and behaves. If you have noticed significant changes in your mood and behavior when the seasons change, you may be experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

In most cases, SAD symptoms start in the late fall or early winter and go away during the spring and summer, known as winter-pattern SAD or winter depression. Other people experience depressive symptoms during the spring and summer months, known as summer-pattern SAD or summer depression. Summer-pattern SAD is less common.

Constipation Awareness Month is observed annually in December to raise awareness about the health condition. It aims to educate the public about constipation, which is generally defined as fewer than three bowel movements per week, and its connection to other health issues. 

Dietary supplements can be beneficial at any age, but they can also have unwanted side effects, such as unsafe prescription drug interactions. They could also not work at all.

It’s important to understand the supplements you are taking and why you are taking them. Talk with your doctor if you are considering taking a supplement.

Twenty years ago, getting a pancreatic cancer diagnosis was often devastating. The cancer usually wasn’t caught until later stages, partly because the pancreas is tucked behind the stomach, making it hard to detect tumors. Plus, many of the warning signs — abdominal discomfort, back pain, unintended weight loss and fatigue — are easy to overlook or write off as something else entirely, and they often arise late in the game.

Today, however, the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer has more than doubled from where it was two decades ago. If the disease is caught early and the tumor is small and confined to the pancreas, as is the case in about 16 percent of diagnoses, the survival rate is around 44 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. 

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