October 4, 2013

Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News.

Thank you.

Karl Oestreich, manager enterprise media relations

Globe and Mail
Are we really supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day?
by Carly Weeks

… Don’t drink your calories However, no one should mistake the questioning of water-intake guidelines for an argument against water consumption. “I do think we need to drink more water in an effort to drink less sugary drinks,” said Dr. Michael Joyner, a physiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Circulation: The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper and has a daily circulation of more than 306,000. The Globe and Mail Online has more than 840,000 unique visitors to its website each month.

Context: Michael Joyner, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic anthesiologist. Dr. Joyner and his lab team are interested in how humans respond to various forms of physical and mental stress during activities such as exercise, hypoxia, standing up and blood loss.

Public Affairs Contact: Duska Anastasijevic

Public Radio International
Is it even possible for a human to run a marathon in under two hours?

The role of technology is another thing to consider in the breaking and creating of new records. Over years, equipment used by athletes to compete and to measure records have become more sophisticated allowing for more accurate and calibrated results. But Michael Joyner says that is not the whole story. Joyner works at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He studies the physiological limits of the human body. He says there are many factors that make East African runners great at marathons. They grow up at high altitude--8,000 to 9,000 feet. They are tiny and lightweight.

Reach: Public Radio International (PRI) is an independent non-profit multi-media organization that creates and distributes news and cultural content that builds awareness and understanding of the world's people, conditions, issues and events. PRI is heard on almost 900 radio stations across the U.S. and on digital platforms that reach millions around the globe.

Context: Michael Joyner, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic anthesiologist. Dr. Joyner and his lab team are interested in how humans respond to various forms of physical and mental stress during activities such as exercise, hypoxia, standing up and blood loss.

Public Affairs Contact: Duska Anastasijevic

NPR
Fish Guidelines For Pregnant Women May Be Too Strict, Study Suggests by Maanvi Singh

…Dr. Margaret Dow, an obstetrician and gynecologist with the Mayo Clinic, says the study's findings didn't surprise her. A 1997 study, she notes, linked moms' fish consumption with slight deficits in their kids' language and memory. But other subsequent studies haven't been able to replicate the results. "The quality of those older data were not very good," Dow says. Even so, Dow says she'll be sticking with the same nutritional advice she's always given her patients, based on the U.S. government recommendations. "This is just one study," she says. "I imagine we will probably relax the fish recommendations in the very near future ... but it's difficult to make that jump off of one study."

Reach: NPR's The Salt covers food news from the farm to the plate and beyond. NPR creates and distributes award-winning news, information, and music programming to a network of 975 independent stations, reaching 26 million listeners every week.

Context: Margaret Dow, MD. is a Mayo Clinic obstetrician and gynecologist.

Public Affairs Contacts: Kelley Luckstein, Brian Kilen

KAAL
Genomics Conference Draws Medical Experts to Rochester

Hundreds of medical professionals from across the country are spending the week in Rochester. It's for the Individualizing Medical Conference, hosted by the Mayo Clinic. "People who have conditions that have been a mystery, doctors can't figure out what's going on. One of the tools you can turn to is genomics," said ABC's Dr. Richard Besser… Basically, doctors can look at a person's genes, to help figure out how to treat them. "Who will or will not respond to drugs and who might even have a bad reaction to drugs," said Dr. Richard Weinshilboum, a professor at the Mayo Medical School.

Reach: KAAL is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting Inc., which owns all ABC Affiliates in Minnesota including KSTP in Minneapolis-St. Paul and WDIO in Duluth. KAAL, which operates from Austin, also has ABC satellite stations in Alexandria and Redwood Falls. KAAL serves Southeast Minnesota and Northeast Iowa.

Context: From Promise to Practice, the second annual Individualizing Medicine Conference at Mayo Clinic, took place Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Physicians from more than 40 states and several countries came to Minnesota to hear and learn about the latest developments and research in genomic research and how to move these discoveries into the medical practice. "Our goal is to inform practicing physicians, but other care providers, students, media and the public as well," says Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., chair of this year's conference held by Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine.

News Release: Mayo Clinic Hosts NIH Genomics Director at Individualizing Medicine Conference

Mayo Clinic News Network: Exploring Genomics in Patient Care (interview with Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, Mayo Clinic)

Mayo Clinic News Network: 10 Things That Have Happened Since Mapping the Human Genome – or, What’s Genomic Research Done for Me Lately?

Public Affairs Contact: Bob Nellis

KIMT
‘Heritage Days’ celebrating 150 years for Mayo

… Jeff Daehn has played the carillon at the Mayo Clinic for about ten years now. He is only the third to play this musical instrument for them since 1928. “It’s always interesting. It’s a rare opportunity and an honor to play and to keep this history alive and going,” Daehn said… Now, for the first time in many years, this carillon will be able to play the Westminster, or “Big Ben,” chimes every quarter hour. It is all just in time for Mayo Clinic’s 150th birthday. “It’s all about patients, it’s all about enjoying each other’s company. We will have music posters on display in the buildings,” said Matthew Dacy, Director of Heritage Hall at Mayo.

Additional Coverage:

KAAL
Mayo Clinic Celebrating 150 Years
by Brianna Long

It's a world-famous medical center, the home of two hospitals, and the future heart of the Destination Medical Center. But there is a rich history behind the Mayo Clinic. Wednesday, dozens of people came together to learn more about it. In particular, the history of the hospitals; Methodist, and Saint Marys. "Saint Marys begins its 125th anniversary, and Methodist Hospital, its 60th. We thought it would be wonderful to showcase the history of the two hospitals and how they were such a vital part of the growth of the city of Rochester.

Additional Coverage:  KTTC, Post-Bulletin, FOX47

Context: Heritage Days, a tradition for many years, celebrates the history, culture and values of Mayo Clinic. The events held across the Mayo Clinic campuses in Rochester, Florida, Arizona and the Mayo Clinic Health System recognize and thank all of the dedicated employees and volunteers who provide service to patients.

This year, Heritage Days also kicked off the Mayo Clinic Sesquicentennial, honoring 150 years of continuous service to patients. Dr. William Worrall Mayo settled his family in Rochester, Minn., in 1864 and opened a medical practice that evolved under his sons into Mayo Clinic, a global source of hope and healing.

Events for the Mayo Clinic Sesquicentennial will continue through December 2014. Visit the Sesquicentennial website at 150years.mayoclinic.org.

News Release: Mayo Clinic Celebrates Heritage Days, Sept. 30–Oct. 4

Public Affairs Contact: Kelley Luckstein

Post-Bulletin
Historic sounds return to Plummer Building carillon
by Jeff Hansel

On Monday, many gathered below the bell tower to drink in the sound of a concert by carillonneur Jeff Daehn. "Just sitting here today, for us, waiting between appointments, what a wonderful thing for us to sit in the sun with the…flowers and the music," said Jeremy Wahlstrom of Dodge Center. "The arts are great for touching the spirit of our patients and staff," said Mayo historian Matt Dacy. He remembers hearing the Mayo brothers' songs when he first joined Mayo and missed them.

Circulation: The Post-Bulletin has a weekend readership of nearly 45,000 people and daily readership of more than 41,000 people. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and southeast Minnesota.

Additional Coverage:  KARE11

Context: Since its dedication on Sept. 16, 1928, the Rochester Carillon has become a Mayo Clinic landmark. In honor of its 85th anniversary, long-lost chimes and songs returned to the carillon Sept. 28 and many new musical selections became available, all through a new computerized clock function, made possible with a generous gift from Mayo Clinic benefactors.

The computerized clock enables automatic playing of the Westminster ("Big Ben") chimes at the quarter-hour, which William J. Mayo, M.D., originally requested for the carillon. In addition, the clock is programmed to play Sicilian Mariners ("Lord Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing") at 6 p.m., and St. Clement ("The Day Thou Gavest Lord Is Ended") at 9 p.m. Like the chimes, these songs were part of the carillon’s original repertoire, but were "lost" when the previous clock function (a mechanical device installed in 1953) went out of service. Computerization of the clock now makes it possible to program a wide range of additional songs and chime settings, significantly extending the carillon’s musical selection.

Public Affairs Contact: Kelley Luckstein

MinnPost
Mayo Q&A: Once-overweight children at risk for bulimia, anorexia
by Susan Perry

… But few people, including parents and physicians, are aware that children and adolescents who were once overweight or obese are at risk of becoming anorexic or bulimic.But they are at risk — and significantly so, according to a Mayo Clinic report published in the October issue of the journal Pediatrics… In a phone interview last week, MinnPost talked with Leslie A. Sim, the report’s lead author and the clinical director of the Mayo Clinic’s eating disorders program, about the troubling relationship between obesity and eating disorders in children and adolescents. The following is an edited transcript of that interview.

Circulation: MinnPost is a nonprofit, nonpartisan enterprise which provides news and analysis based on reporting by professional journalists, most of whom have decades of experience in the Twin Cities media. According to MinnPost, the site averages more than 78,000 unique visits a month. MinnPost also has more than 25,000 followers on Twitter and its main Facebook page was liked by 9,200-plus readers.

Additional Coverage:

Chicago Tribune
Teen's weight-loss methods could be symptoms of eating disorder

Previous Coverage: Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights, Sept, 13, 2013

Context: Obese teenagers who lose weight are at risk of developing eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, Mayo Clinic researchers imply in a recent Pediatrics article. Eating disorders among these patients are also not being adequately detected because the weight loss is seen as positive by providers and family members. In the article, Mayo Clinic researchers argue that formerly overweight adolescents tend to have more medical complications from eating disorders and it takes longer to diagnose them than kids who are in a normal weight range. This is problematic because early intervention is the key to a good prognosis, says Leslie Sim, Ph.D., an eating disorders expert in the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center and lead author of the study.

News Release: Obese Teenagers Who Lose Weight at Risk for Developing Eating Disorders

Mayo Clinic News Network: Lead author of the study Leslie Sim, Ph.D., L.P., talks about the research

Public Affairs Contact: Nick Hanson

NBC Latino
Does your child play soccer or football? What to know about concussions
by Dr. Joseph Sirven

We Latinos love football and soccer. However, each of those games is associated with the risk of concussion. One million Americans have concussions annually.  A concussion is a traumatic brain injury when the brain hits the inside of the skull from the force of a hit.

Reach: NBC Latino is an English-language wesbite aimed at Hispanics featuring news and general interest information.

Context: Joseph Sirven, M.D., is chair of neurology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Dr. Sirven’s research pertains to all facets of the diagnosis and management of seizures and epilepsy.

Public Affairs Contact: Jim McVeigh

Washington Post
Teachers more likely to develop speech and language disorders, study finds
by Tara Bahrampour

Teachers more likely to develop speech and language disorders, study finds…Keith Josephs, a professor of neurology and a neurodegenerative specialist at Mayo and the report’s lead author, said the results do not necessarily mean that teachers are more likely to have SLDs, but that they may be more apt to notice when they start to lose language.

Circulation: Weekday circulation of The Washington Post averages 518,700, and Sunday circulation averages 736,800.

Context: Keith Josephs, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic neurologist and the lead author on a study, "Occupational Differences Between Alzheimer’s and Aphasic Dementias: Implication for Teachers," which appeared in the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias.

Public Affairs Contact: Nick Hanson

MPR
Mayo Clinic CEO hugs furry new partner
by Elizabeth Baier

Mayo Clinic President and CEO Dr. John Noseworthy took the stage at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York this week with a new kind of partner – Sesame Street Muppet Rosita – and announced a new initiative to promote healthy behavior and disease prevention among women and children in five Latin American countries.

Reach: Minnesota Public Radio operates 43 stations and serves virtually all of Minnesota and parts of the surrounding states. MPR has more than 100,000 members and more than 900,000 listeners each week, which is the largest audience of any regional public radio network.

Additional Coverage: TV Balla

Context: During the Healthier Futures plenary at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting on Sept. 24, Chelsea Clinton welcomed a number of guests on stage to announce a unique CGI Commitment to Action. Among the guests — Mayo Clinic’s President and CEO John Noseworthy, M.D.; Pro Mujer’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Rosario Perez; and Sesame Workshop President and CEO H. Melvin Ming who brought along Sesame Street Muppet Rosita. The commitment will use a new technology platform integrating mobile, web, and video technology along with remote training and access to specialists.

News Release: Healthy Connections: Technology Promoting Family Health

Mayo Clinic News Network: Video of Dr. Noseworthy talking with Rosita about being healthy

Public Affairs Contact: Ginger Plumbo

Dallas Morning News
More Americans exercise while they work

…Treadmill desks designed for the workplace are normally set to move at 1 to 2 mph, enough to get the heart rate up but not too fast to be distracting. It’s been a decade since scientific studies began to show that too much sitting can lead to obesity and increase the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Even going to the gym three times a week doesn’t offset the harm of being sedentary for hours at a time, said Dr. James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic.

Reach: Dallas Morning News has a daily circulation of more than 257,000 and more than 1.4 million unique vistors to its website each month.

Context: James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., is a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist who is often sought out by journalists for his expertise. Basing his techniques of non-exercise activity on years of Mayo Clinic research, he offers cost-effective alternatives to office workers, school children and patients for losing weight and staying fit. Author, inventor, physician and research scientist, Dr. Levine has built on Mayo’s top status as a center of endocrinology expertise and has launched a multi-nation mission to fight obesity through practical, common-sense changes in behavior and personal environment.

Public Affairs Contact: Bob Nellis

To subscribe: Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News.

To unsubscribe: To remove your name from the global distribution list, send an email to Emily Blahnik with the subject: UNSUBSCRIBE from Mayo Clinic in the News.

Tags: ABC. Dr. Richard Besser, American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, Anesthesiology, anorexia nervosa, Big Ben, Bob Nellis, Brian Kilen, bulimia nervosa, CGI, CGI Commitment to Action, Clinton Global Initiative, concussions, Dallas Morning News, Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, Dr. James Levine, Dr. John Noseworthy, Dr. Joseph, Dr. Keith Josephs, Dr. Leslie Sim, Dr. Margaret Dow, Dr. Michael Joyner, Dr. Richard Weinshilboum, Dr. William Worrall Mayo, Duska Anastasijevic, East African runners, eating disorders, endocrinologist, endocrinology, Endocrinology / Diabetes, fish consumption guidelines, football, FOX47, Genomics, Ginger Plumbo, Globe and Mail, gynecologist, H. Melvin Ming, healthy eating, History, International, Jim McVeigh, KAAL, KARE11, Kelley Luckstein, KIMT, KTTC, language disorders, Latin America, marathon, Matthew Dacy, Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Mayo Clinic Children's Center, Mayo Clinic Heritage Days, Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Mayo Clinic in the News, Mayo Clinic Individualizing Medical Conference, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Mayo Clinic Sesquicentennial, Mayo Medical School, Minnesota Public Radio, MinnPost, MPR, Muppet Rosita, National Public Radio, NBC Latino, neurodegenerative specialist, Neurology, Neurology, Nick Hanson, non-exercise activity, NPR, NPR's The Salt, obese teenagers, Obesity, obesity and eating disorders, ObGyn, obstetrician, Pediatrics, Pfizer, physiologist, Post Bulletin, pregnancy, pregnant, PRI, Pro Mujer, Psychology and Psychiatry, Public Radio International, rochester, Rochester Carillon, Rosario Perez, running, Sesame Street, Sirve, soccer, speech disorders, treadmill desks, Twin Cities, Washington Post, water, water consumption, Women's Health