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.

Editor, Karl Oestreich;  Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik

 

New York Times
Men Get Osteoporosis, Too
by Jane E. Brody

Men remain inadequately tested and treated after low-trauma fractures “even though their risk of a subsequent fracture is markedly increased,” said Dr. Sundeep Khosla, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, echoing Dr. Adler’s concerns. In fact, Dr. Khosla said, there is now evidence that even following a “high-trauma fracture,” as might happen in a car accident, they should have the strength of their bones checked. “Just because men escape the sudden bone loss women experience at menopause, that doesn’t mean men don’t lose bone as they get older,” he said.

Reach: The New York Times has a daily circulation of nearly 649,000 and a Sunday circulation of 1.18 million.

Context: Sundeep Khosla, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist. Dr. Khosla's research focuses on the mechanisms of age-related bone loss, sex steroid regulation of bone metabolism and the detrimental effects of diabetes mellitus on bone. Dr. Khosla's research group in his Osteoporosis and Bone Biology Laboratory is examining how fundamental aging mechanisms in bone lead to increased skeletal fragility.

Contact: Bob Nellis

 

KIMT
Public granted rare access to the Historic Plummer Building
by DeeDee Stiepan

This weekend, the public will be granted access to areas of Mayo Clinic that few people have seen. On Saturday, an open house at the Historic Plummer Building will be held from 10:00am-2:00pm.“We have an amazing library, we have the room named in honor of Dr. Plummer filled with beautiful paneling, plastered ceilings, oil paintings of the founders,” explains Matthew Dacy, the Director of Heritage Hall the Museum at Mayo Clinic. “These are things never before open to the public and so we want everyone to come in and enjoy the beauty and significance of this wonderful building.”

Reach: KIMT 3, a CBS affiliate,  serves the Mason City-Austin-Albert Lea-Rochester market.

Additional coverage:
KIMT, Plummer’s political past

Context: Mayo Clinic’s annual Heritage Days took place Oct. 1-7. The festivities were held across all Mayo Clinic locations. This year’s theme, “Defining Innovation,” places special emphasis on the career and life of Henry Plummer, M.D. Heritage Days’ mission is to thank all members of the Mayo Clinic community for their tireless efforts in offering the best care and service to patients. The week is also a time to reflect on Mayo’s history and values. More information about Heritage Days can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact: Kelly Reller

 

HealthDay
Certain Parents More Likely to Skip Kids' Flu Shot
by Amy Norton

Researchers found that of nearly 9,000 U.S. kids, those who'd received certain alternative therapies were one-quarter to 39 percent less likely to have gotten a flu shot in the past year. The findings do not prove a cause-and-effect connection, however. No one knows whether any alternative medicine providers advised parents against having their kids vaccinated, said Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious disease expert who was not involved in the study. But, he added, some alternative-therapy practitioners do tend to "reject certain aspects of evidence-based medicine." So it's possible they sometimes influence parents' decisions on flu vaccination, said Poland, a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America and a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn.

Additional coverage: CBS News, KTTC

Reach: HealthDay distributes its health news to media outlets several times each day and also posts its news on its website, which receives more than 39,000 unique visitors each month.

Context: Gregory Poland, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic infectious disease expert. Dr. Poland and his team within the Vaccine Research Group aim to improve the health of individuals across the world by pursuing challenges posed by infectious diseases and bioterrorism through clinical, laboratory and epidemiologic vaccine research.

Contact: Bob Nellis

 

Reader’s Digest
7 Silent Signs You Could Have Endometriosis
by Colette House

During retrograde menstruation, endometrial cells get out of the uterus through the fallopian tubes and implant on tissues inside the abdomen, says Gretchen Glaser, MD, a physician in gynecologic surgery at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Pay attention to these endometriosis symptoms and talk to your doctor if you’re concerned. “When women find that they have to stay home from school or they have to stay home from work, they’re vomiting, or that they can’t function essentially during their period, that’s a good time to get checked out,” says Glaser. These are other unusual menstrual cycle symptoms to watch for.

Reach Reader's Digest has more than three million readers each month and its website has more than 2.4 million unique visitors each month.

Context: Gretchen Glaser, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic gynecologic surgeon.

Contact: Kelly Reller

Washington Post, This could be the worrisome reason why new cancer patients are not using a lifesaving medicine by Carolyn Y. Johnson — A surprising number of older cancer patients are delaying use of lifesaving leukemia drugs for months after they are diagnosed, possibly because of the high initial cost under Medicare, according to a new study…. "Eventually, people find a way — this is a very important drug, so eventually people find a way to pay for it. ... I think that's probably what's happening," said S. Vincent Rajkumar, a professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic. "It probably takes several months to work out a solution, but people will find a way."

Slate, We Don’t Know Whether Roller Coasters Cure Kidney Stones by Susan Matthews — Researchers made a 3-D–printed model of a kidney, placed real kidney stones inside, and took the contraption on a roller coaster 20 times to see whether the jostling of the ride helped pass the stones. The conceit is immediately understandable; it’s basically a blue-ribbon science fair project. A hypothesis is offered by professional scientists, evidence is marshaled to support said hypothesis, and the whole thing is written up in a peer-reviewed journal. … All in all, this research shows how one man’s stones in one man’s “kidney” (made out of silicone) reacted to a ride on one roller coaster. But there are a lot of other factors involved in why someone does or doesn’t pass kidney stones. “Size alone doesn’t explain it,” said Ivan Porter II, a nephrologist at the Mayo Clinic. Some people will pass stones naturally while others never will. Movement alone doesn’t explain it, either. “We already have anecdotal evidence that there are certain things that move people around that help,” said Porter.

CBS News, UK woman dies of sepsis just days after gardening scratch — A scratch while gardening spiraled into a fatal bout of sepsis for a mother of two from the United Kingdom, her family says. Lucinda Smith’s family, reported The Telegraph, said the 43-year-old went to see her doctor earlier this year due to pain in her shoulder that occurred shortly after she suffered a minor hand scrape while gardening … Anyone can develop sepsis but seniors and people with weaker immune systems are more vulnerable, say Mayo Clinic experts. Early treatment of sepsis, usually with antibiotics and large amounts of intravenous fluids, improves chances for survival.

Shape, Brilliant Ways to Make Any Cereal Healthier and More Balanced by Shannon Bauer — Lisa Dierks, M.F.C.S., R.D.N., L.D., nutrition manager at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program in Rochester, MN, recommends Cheerios because they are low in sugar and have 3 grams of fiber per serving. They are also low in calcium and vitamin D so choosing dairy milk (for those who can tolerate it) bumps up those values. Powdered peanut butter (such as PB2) adds needed protein with less sugar than a peanut butter–flavored cereal.

Reuters, For kids, psoriasis tied to more central body fat by Kathryn Doyle — Other metabolic syndrome symptoms include low levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol; high levels of triglycerides, a “bad” blood fat; and elevated blood sugar levels. “We know that being overweight or obese is a risk factor for developing psoriasis,” said Dr. Megha M. Tollefson of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who was not part of the new study. “Being overweight or obese is also a risk factor for many other conditions, including metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.” It’s hard to say exactly how “dangerous” an elevated waist-to-height ratio is, Tollefson told Reuters Health by email.

PRWeek, Mayo Clinic's John Noseworthy on comms' role in healthcare by Sean Czarnecki — Mayo Clinic's CEO tells Sean Czarnecki how a trusted name in healthcare has evolved digitally and centered communications on its newsroom while retaining integrity.

Men’s Health, How to Fix Your Stiff Neck In 60 Seconds by Lisa Whitmore — A knot in any muscle is a nuisance, but it’s especially frustrating when the offender is lodged in your neck or upper back. And while getting a massage can work out the kink, chances are you don’t have time on your way to work to let the professionals get their hands on it. Relax: You can actually knead away the cramp yourself in one minute, courtesy of Allyn Kakuk, D.P.T., a wellness physical therapist at the Mayo Clinic. Here’s how. Additional coverage: JOE

Glamour, You Can Now Test Yourself for STDs at Home by Suzannah Weiss — According to the Mayo Clinic, if you get a positive result from an at-home test, you should get tested again at the doctor's office or a clinic to confirm it, since the false positive rate is especially high. And, of course, at-home tests won't get you treatment. They're just the first step toward figuring out if you need it. Then, you need to discuss your results with a doctor.

GenomeWeb, Mayo Clinic Implements Pharmacogenomic Testing Into Electronic Records for Real-Time Alerts by Monica Heger —The Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine has designed a system for integrating pharmacogenomic testing into patients' electronic medical records in such a way as to provide real-time alerts to physicians who are prescribing medications. The researchers described the system in a publication in Genetics in Medicine last month. Pedro Caraballo, lead author of the study, told GenomeWeb that advances in genomic technology has led to many new discoveries about how genomics relates to health and disease and decreasing costs have made it possible to use next-generation sequencing in clinical settings. "However, translating all that information to patient care has been extremely difficult," Caraballo, also a clinical informaticist and internist at the Mayo Clinic, told GenomeWeb.

MedPage Today, How Does Arrhythmia Differ in Chemo-Induced Cardiomyopathy? by Nicole Lou — That pattern was similar among other cancer survivors without anthracycline-related cardiomyopathy and a control group of device recipients without a history of cancer, Joerg Herrmann, MD, of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues, reported in a study published online in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology. "These findings would argue that the arrhythmia profile is not different for long-term cancer survivors with anthracycline-related cardiomyopathy and thus these patients should undergo device implantation in keeping with current guidelines," the authors wrote.

Science Daily, Ovarian removal to prevent ovarian cancer should not be an option for premenopausal women, research finds — A Mayo Clinic research team has found evidence suggesting that the controversial practice of ovary removal in premenopausal women to prevent ovarian cancer should be discontinued in women who are not at high risk of cancer. … "This study provides new and stronger evidence against the use of bilateral oophorectomy for prevention in young women," says Walter Rocca, M.D., lead author of the study. "Bilateral oophorectomy should not be considered an ethically acceptable option for the prevention of ovarian cancer in the majority of women who do not carry a high-risk genetic variant." Additional coverage: KTVZ Oregon, News4Jax

Live Science, Can Marijuana Cause Deadly Drug Interactions? by Rachael Rettner — Marijuana may also interact with drugs that are broken down by enzymes in the liver known as cytochrome P450 enzymes, according to the Mayo Clinic. That's because a compound in marijuana called cannabidiol can inhibit these enzymes. Therefore, marijuana may prevent other drugs from being broken down properly, and as a result, levels of these other drugs may be increased in the blood, which "may cause increased effects or potentially serious adverse reactions," the Mayo Clinic says.

AOL UK, The real reason it's hard to keep the weight off by Rachel Bunge — You worked hard to lose weight, but a few months later it starts to creeps back on. Six months later and you've regained most of the weight - and may have gained more besides. …A study from the Mayo Clinic found that losing weight gradually may help you to keep it off. People who gradually lost up to 20 pounds over several months seemed to maintain a reasonable resting metabolism.

Healthcare Informatics, A Look at Mayo Clinic’s Daring Enterprise Analytics Leap by Mark Hagland — Leaders at the Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic have been making tremendous progress lately in an area of great interest across U.S. healthcare: they have been building an enterprise-wide data analytics program. And that was the subject of a presentation on Sep. 28 by Dwight Brown, Mayo’s director of enterprise analytics. Brown spoke on the topic at the Health IT Summit in New York, sponsored by Healthcare Informatics. Brown offered his presentation, “The Mayo Clinic, Data Mapping and Building a Successful Advanced Data Analytics Program,” to healthcare leaders gathered at the Convene conference center in New York’s Financial District. Joining him was Sanjay Pudupakkam, principal and owner of the Wellington, Fla.-based Avatar Enterprise Business Solutions, which partnered with Brown and his colleagues at Mayo in building their enterprise analytics foundation.

Becker’s Hospital Review, Mayo Clinic Health System's northwest Wisconsin CEO Dr. Randall Linton to retire by Anuja Vaidya — In April 2017, the president and CEO of the northwest Wisconsin region for Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic Health System, Randall Linton, MD, will retire. "Mayo Clinic Health System in northwest Wisconsin has thrived under Dr. Linton's leadership," said Bobbie Gostout, MD, vice president, of Mayo Clinic in a statement. "He and his team have built an organization that is a healthcare leader within the region, with a strong patient focus, sound business practices and clear focus on serving communities in the region. He leaves northwest Wisconsin well-positioned for his successor, and we thank him for his many years of outstanding service."

Becker’s Hospital Review, Coastal hospitals prepare supplies for Hurricane Matthew by Mackenzie Bean — With Hurricane Matthew scheduled to hit the East Coast later this week, Jacksonville, Fla.-based hospitals are readying supplies and reviewing emergency action plans, according to News4jax…UF Health, along with nearby Memorial Hospital and Mayo Clinic, are designated as non-evacuation hospitals, meaning they will shelter patients at their facilities and ride out the storm. Mayo was constructed to withstand a category 5 hurricane and Memorial houses a majority of its patients above the first floor in case of flooding.

NeuroScientistNews, Paper offers insight on antidepressant-induced female sexual dysfunction — The paper, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, discusses treatment options and the research backing them for women who face sexual dysfunction while on antidepressants. Stephanie Faubion, MD, director of the Office of Women's Health, of Mayo Clinic, and Jordan Rullo, PhD, LP, report that the onset of sexual side effects develops within one to three weeks of beginning an antidepressant regimen. However, the benefits of the antidepressants themselves do not appear until approximately two to four weeks into treatment, which may cause women to lose interest in a medication that may seem to do more harm than good.

News-medical.net, Mayo Clinic's biorepository earns CAP accreditation for high-quality operations — "This is a further demonstration that the biomedical community can trust us to provide quality samples preserved through methods that meet or exceed industry standards," says Stephen Thibodeau, Ph.D., program director of the Mayo Clinic Biorepository. "Rigorous processes in handling samples lead to solid studies with valid results. This will help us meet the growing need for qualified biospecimens crucial to developing targeted, personalized diagnostics and therapies." CAP accreditation ensures that Mayo Clinic's biorepository is in line with international best practice guidelines for handling human blood and tissue samples. This peer-based inspection model includes an on-site inspection and meeting a comprehensive checklist of requirements aimed at reducing errors and ensuring quality.

Daily Mail, Why only women with the 'Angelina Jolie gene' should have their ovaries removed — It is advised women with a mutated breast gene - such as BRCA1, made famous by Angelina Jolie - have the operation to remove their ovaries to reduce their risk of cancer. However, women with an increased risk due to factors such as family history should avoid the procedure altogether, researchers found. … Researchers from the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, assessed whether or not the procedure was linked to an increase in risk of 18 chronic health conditions. They followed two groups of 1,653 women for around 14 years. The groups were split between those who had underwent the procedure and women the same age who had not.

Daily Mail, What exactly IS botox and is it really safe? A doctor answers your pinching questions by Stephen Matthews — Some turn to cosmetic surgery while others consider botox injections to rid them of their visible ageing signs. But many fear the injections could cause damage to the rest of the body after research found the toxic chemical - which freezes cells in the face - can spread across the body. However, Alison Bridges, from the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, also says the injections are most effective in younger people. But this doesn't mean those over the age of 65 should avoid the injections, they should just be aware of the limitations, she says. She advises facial fillers should be used to soften the skin before to increase the chances of botox working.

Denver Post, Cancer patients may not be using a lifesaving medicine because of Medicare’s high costs — A surprising number of older cancer patients are delaying use of lifesaving leukemia drugs for months after they are diagnosed, possibly because of the high initial cost under Medicare, according to a new study … “Eventually, people find a way – this is a very important drug, so eventually people find a way to pay for it. . . . I think that’s probably what’s happening,” said S. Vincent Rajkumar, a professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic. “It probably takes several months to work out a solution, but people will find a way.”

SELF, 12 Things That Can Make Your Period Irregular by Amy Marturana — Endometriosis…Women with endometriosis tend to have very heavy periods. Some may also have very painful periods, while others don't experience pain at all. Since the condition usually develops a few years after a girl's first period, those suffering from it may just think their periods are normal. In some women, endometriosis tissue may build up or even spread over time, which can amplify symptoms and cause periods to become more painful or heavier than usual. The condition can also cause spotting, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Star Tribune, Rochester airport keeps international flights with $7.3M upgrade by Mark Brunswick — “Rochester is a destination city for people all over the world, including those traveling to and from our world-class Mayo Clinic,” U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in a statement announcing the grants. “Today’s investment will help make for a smoother, safer trip through the Rochester airport for international travelers.”… Maintaining the airport’s international status will be a critical element in Rochester’s efforts to remake itself under the Destination Medical Center plan, a Mayo Clinic-driven effort to maintain the city’s prominence in health care, medicine and research.

Star Tribune, Mayo Clinic News Network: Kids and codeine cough meds are a bad combination — There are health risks for children who are given codeine for coughs or pain. “Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration convened an advisory panel to consider the use of codeine specifically for suppression of cough and found little evidence of benefit,” said Dr. Randall Flick, director of Mayo Clinic Children’s Center and a member of the panel. In fact, codeine can cause more problems in kids than it solves. “Over the past few years, several deaths have been associated with the use of codeine in children, typically, but not always, after tonsillectomy,” Flick said.

Twin Cities Business, OneOme Lands $5.25 Million In Financing Round by Burl Gilyard — Minneapolis-based OneOme LLC has drawn $5.25 million in new financing; 80 percent of the round is debt, 20 percent is equity. OneOme was founded in 2013, backed by Minneapolis-based Invenshure LLC, an incubator and venture investor, and Rochester-based Mayo Clinic…The company began selling its product in July; prospective customers are primarily large health care providers. RightMed is already in use at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine. The technology underpinning OneOme’s software is licensed from the Mayo Clinic. In another Minnesota connection, Owen said that its DNA analysis is done with lab equipment produced by Alexandria-based Douglas Scientific LLC.

KIMT, Study looks at antidepressants and sexual activity by Adam Sallet — One in six women in the United States take these pills but they can have an impact on other aspects of your life. For women, taking antidepressants can lead to sexual dysfunction but Mayo Clinic researchers are trying to figure out how to combat that. After finding out whether it’s low desire, arousal, or orgasm dysfunction, doctors say they can take steps to treat the condition through exercise, scheduling sexual activity or adjusting medication dosage.

KIMT, Vireo Health Chief Medical Officer discusses medical cannabis at Mayo Clinic conference by DeeDee Stiepan — “It’s just really exciting to be here to see providers starting to open their awareness towards medical cannabis as a therapeutic option for some of the sickest patients in Minnesota,” says Stephen Dahmer, M.D. with Vireo Health. Vireo Health is the parent company to Minnesota Medical Solutions, which operates a medical cannabis dispensary out of Rochester. The medical cannabis panel was apart of the 18th annual Internal Medicine Review for Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and Primary Care Physicians that is hosted by Mayo Clinic.

Alzforum, Fluid NfL Shines, Tau PET Dims, in the Hunt for FTD Biomarkers — More longitudinal data may help pin down exactly when NfL begins to crest, van Swieten said. In transgenic mice, NfL rises before symptoms appear, he noted. Likewise, data from the Advancing Research and Treatment for Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Consortium (ARTFL) also finds differences in NfL levels between asymptomatic carriers and controls, implying the marker precedes symptoms, Brad Boeve of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told Alzforum.

Life Science Daily, Mayo Clinic research highlights features of liver disease amid increase in cases by Tracy Rozens — New research from the Mayo Clinic highlights the clinical features of a type of debilitating liver disease that has increased in case numbers recently as part of an effort to help understand the progression of a disease that lacks effective medical treatment. Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic condition that damages the ducts that carry digestive bile from the liver to the small intestine. The cause of the disease is unknown. “This is an uncommon but serious liver disease. We don’t have a good grasp of what causes it, but it affects 30,000 people across the U.S.,” Dr. Konstantinos Lazaridis, head of Mayo Clinic’s Genomic Hepatobiology Laboratory, said in a recent interview with Life Science Daily.

Sioux City Journal, Cardiologist to women: Know your risk factors, make care plan to prevent heart disease by Dolly A. Butz — Patricia Best, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, will speak at the conference about new research that examines whether giving hormonal therapy closer to the time of menopause may benefit a woman's cardiovascular health. Women usually develop heart disease about 10 years later than men do. …“At the time of menopause the lipid profile gets worse," Best explained. "Basal motor symptoms have also been associated with heart disease -- hot flashes and other things, so that estrogen withdrawal also seems to be part of the increased risk for coronary disease. There's an accelerated process of coronary artery disease at that time period."

Healthline, Is a Grain-Free Diet Healthy? by Jenna Flannigan — Cutting all refined grains from your diet is a reasonable and healthy choice, according to Angie Murad, a registered dietitian nutritionist with the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program. But she emphasized that whole grains are important to a well-balanced diet. “I really worry about people who exclude entire food groups,” Murad told Healthline. “Having grains is fine. Choosing the right type of grains is a bigger factor.”

KAAL, Mayo Career Fair Emphasizes Many Opportunities by Meghan Reistad — Mayo Clinic is working to remind students there are many options in health care careers through the Mayo Clinic Health Care Career Festival. About 900 students from 50 different local schools showed up, learning about different careers through hands-on learning. "Our future workforce is right now in our high schools, and if we don't get them excited about their future, find a career their passionate for, then how can they be effective members of our community and one day (and) be our health care providers if they're not passionate for it? We need them to be excited, we need them to find something they enjoy getting up for work on Monday mornings,” said Jon Ninas. Additional coverage: KTTC

KAAL, Making the Most of a Second Chance by Ben Henry — You wouldn’t know it by watching number 15 play right side hitter for the RCTC Yellowjacket volleyball team, but Jessica Nelson was in a horrible car accident two years ago that almost ended not only her volleyball career but also her life. "I was on my way home from my grandma's house and I turned on to a gravel road and that's the last thing I remember," said Nelson. "I had my seat belt on but somehow my legs got out the window and so the car rolled over my legs, crushing them."… Nelson said doctors at Mayo Clinic gave her a second option that would eventually turn into more pain than the accident itself; an apparatus with pins drilled into the broken bone. Mayo Clinic took out the 3 ½ inches of infected bone and what the apparatus did was pull down the bone to fill the void – over more than a year's time – while healthy, new bone grew.

Post-Bulletin blog, Furst Draft: Mayo doc performs pop classics at Gonda — I had no idea that Dr. Ed, who's an ace race horse handicapper as well as accomplished author and doctor, is also a recital-caliber pianist. He'll perform in the Gonda atrium at noon on Thursday…Among his many leadership positions, notable awards, books he has written, and patients he has served, Dr. Creagan is an accomplished pianist.

Internet Health Management, Mayo Clinic revamps its emergency telemedicine platform by Peter Lucas — The Mayo Clinic is moving its telemedicine practice onto a single technology platform to speed up online consultations between doctors and specialists during a medical emergency. Mayo Clinic’s emergency telemedicine program previously worked with several vendors, but now InTouch Technologies Inc., a Santa Barbara, Calif., telemedicine vendor, will be Mayo’s sole telemedicine platform provider, Mayo says. “There were numerous challenges with using multiple vendors for our telemedicine practice because each vendor had different interfaces and equipment, technical capabilities and control boards,” says Dr. Bart Demaerschalk, Mayo’s medical director for its emergency telemedicine program. “Practitioners could not use the same user name and password.”

Cancer Therapy Advisor, More Patient Education, Communication May Improve Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Care by Stephen Cho — More patient education and patient-physician communication among those with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) may improve care and satisfaction, according to a study published in Cancer. Researchers led by Ruben Mesa, MD, of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, conducted a survey that included 813 patients who had MPNs, polycythemia vera (PV), or essential thrombocythemia (ET), as well as 457 hematologist/oncologist respondents who treated patients diagnosed with these conditions. It was found that a greater proportion of physician respondents used prognostic risk classifications in contrast with patient recollections.

MD Magazine, NOAC Showdown: Apixaban Comes Out on Top in Mayo Clinic Study — Citing the breadth of the cohorts involved, Peter Nosewothy, MD, one of the paper’s authors, speaks with confidence about the results in a press release. “These data sets were very large and show that apixaban users have less major bleeding incidents; whereas, rivaroxaban had higher likelihood of serious bleeding than either of the other two NOACs. Apixaban also seems to provide better results than warfarin,” he says. Despite this, he cautions against AF patients making any unilateral decisions about their prescribed treatment without consulting their doctors. Additional coverage: Cardiovascular Business

Live Science, Brain Cancer: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment by Alina Bradford — If a medical professional suspects brain cancer, the patient is usually referred to a specialist. The specialist may check hearing, vision, coordination, balance, strength and reflexes to look for abnormalities that may point toward brain cancer. The specialist may also order a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT) or a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to find a possible tumor, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Irish Health, Burnout among doctors can be tackled by Deborah Condon — "We conducted an extensive search and compared the effectiveness of interventions across a range of burnout outcomes. It's clear that both individual strategies and structured organisational approaches are effective in achieving clinically meaningful reductions in burnout," commented the study's lead author, Dr. Colin West, of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic has introduced some of these approaches and the effects have been very positive, the researchers noted. For example, it now holds group sessions every month to allow doctors to speak confidentially about their experiences with each other. Details of these findings are published in the journal, The Lancet. Additional coverage: Science Daily, DOTMed.com

Healthcare IT News, Gone phishin': Mayo Clinic shares tips for fending off attacks by Bill Siwicki — Staff members in the office of information security at the Mayo Clinic do a lot of phishing. Which is not to say that they are loafing out of the office on a boat somewhere. They actually are trying as hard as they can to trick their colleagues throughout the prestigious provider organization into clicking on malicious e-mails – fake malicious e-mails of their own creation. And leaders at the clinic say these educational anti-phishing campaigns are a key to successful cybersecurity. Anti-phishing cybersecurity efforts must be routine, relevant and consistent, said JoEllen Frain, senior manager in the office of information security at the Mayo Clinic. “What we’ve learned is if we phish our folks, they will get good for a period of time, but if we do not keep those exercises in front of them, staff will quickly slide back into old behaviors,” Frain said.

Medscape, TMS May Ease Bradykinesia, Rigidity in Parkinson's by Megan Brooks — J. Eric Ahlskog, MD, PhD, from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, who reviewed the analysis for Medscape Medical News, noted that rTMS for PD symptoms has been investigated in more than 15 clinical trials over the last 15 years and the reported benefits in these trials have been "modest." "This poster-report similarly revealed modest improvement in the UPDRS score. The improvement vs the control group was 5 points on the 56-point Part III UPDRS motor battery," Dr Ahlskog said.

Independent UK, Burrito saunas: The 'detox' health trend where clients are cocooned in silver body suits by Kashmira Gander — A bizarre US health trend dubbed the "burrito sauna" sees people being swaddled in infrared suits, in a bid to "detox" their bodies by sweating out toxins. The infrared radiation is said to "sweat out toxins", help with blood pressure and improve skin more effectively than traditional saunas - but health experts are sceptical. “You have to rely on your own experience,” Dr Brent Bauer, director of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic, told the New York Post. “You have to take [the claims] with a grain of salt.” He added that the treatment won’t counteract a poor diet or sedentary lifestyle.

Albert Lea Tribune, Mayo Clinic Health System offers scholarships — Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea and Austin will award two $1,000 scholarships to non-traditional students in in its Albert Lea service area and two $1,000 scholarships to non-traditional students in its Austin service area who are interested in pursuing an education in health care. “Non-traditional” students, defined as those who are pursuing post-secondary education five or more years after completing high scool or receiving a general education degree.

WEAU Eau Claire, Fall into Better Health by Judy Clark — Sara Carstens and Dr. Naomie Warner with Mayo Clinic Health System were interviewed about the inaugural “Fall Into Better Health” event at Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire. The free event Saturday will run from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. near the Mayo Clinic Health System kiosk.

WEAU Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic Health System leader to retire — The president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System for northwest Wisconsin plans to retire in the spring. On Thursday morning, the health care provider announced that Dr. Randall Linton will retire in April 2017. Linton has held the position for 15 years, and served as a pediatrician for more than 20 years before that. "I am truly grateful for a very rewarding career," Linton said in a statement. "Today, the organization is financially strong and positioned to continue to meet the needs of our patients well into the future. It’s a good time to transition out of this leadership role, and I know the mission and vision of Mayo Clinic will continue to be upheld.” Additional coverage: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram

WEAU Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic Health System hosts free health fair for local families — A local health care provider hosted an event Saturday to help families stay healthy. Mayo Clinic Health System hosted the health fair at Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire. "It's important all the time to be in tune with your health, ask questions, and have a good place to go just to find out more info about services that you don't know are available that are right here in the Eau Claire area," said physician Naomie Warner.

LaCrosse Tribune, Mayo-Franciscan Heritage Days focus on women — Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare will celebrate its Heritage Days, featuring a historical display titled “Women of Mayo Clinic and Franciscan Healthcare” this week. The exhibit will include bibliographical profiles of each woman featured and will be displayed for public view from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday in Marycrest Auditorium in the La Crosse hospital. Virginia Wright-Peterson, author of “Women of Mayo Clinic: The Founding Generation,” will speak about the successes of women of Franciscan Healthcare and the Mayo Clinic at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday in Marycrest, with a book signing afterward.

Mankato Free Press, 'ALPS' challenge gets students moving by Kristine Goodrich — Activity bursts throughout the school day help students focus and reduce behavioral issues, according to the physical education teacher. Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato social worker Kate Cox, who specializes in adolescent obesity, agrees. “Getting out their wiggles and giggles helps increase brain activity, focus and memory retention,” she said. An hour of daily physical activity is recommended for adolescents, ideally split into multiple periods, Cox said. Mayo recently provided the school district with a $5,000 grant to sustain ALPS. A state grant that funded the launch and first years of the program had expired.

LaCrosse Tribune, Mayo-Franciscan Heritage Days focus on women — Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare will celebrate its Heritage Days, featuring a historical display titled “Women of Mayo Clinic and Franciscan Healthcare” this week. The exhibit will include bibliographical profiles of each woman featured and will be displayed for public view from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday in Marycrest Auditorium in the La Crosse hospital.

WEAU Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic Health System hosts free health fair for local families — Mayo Clinic Health System hosted the health fair at Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire. The event included free vision screenings, blood pressure checks, and information on services available, such as bereavement services. Organizers said it's important for people to focus on their health. "It's important all the time to be in tune with your health, ask questions, and have a good place to go just to find out more info about services that you don't know are available that are right here in the Eau Claire area," said physician Naomie Warner.

Post-Bulletin, Rochester embraces first Mother's Milk Depot at OMC by Brett Boese — Olmsted Medical Center opened southern Minnesota first Mother's Milk Depot last month, prompting some celebration among young mothers in the Rochester area. Mayo Clinic says it will soon do likewise…Olmsted Medical Center opened southern Minnesota first Mother's Milk Depot last month, prompting some celebration among young mothers in the Rochester area. Mayo Clinic says it will soon do likewise. "Research shows that there are many health benefits of feeding a baby breast milk, and we are pleased that this opportunity will be available in our community," Luckstein said via email.

WEAU Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic Health System hosts free health fair for local families by Danielle Wagner — A local health care provider hosted an event Saturday to help families stay healthy. Mayo Clinic Health System hosted the health fair at Oakwood Mall in Eau Claire. "It's important all the time to be in tune with your health, ask questions, and have a good place to go just to find out more info about services that you don't know are available that are right here in the Eau Claire area," said physician Naomie Warner.

LaCrosse Tribune, La Crosse to 'Walk with a Doc' for pedestrian safety by Jourdan Vian — Doctors from Gundersen and Mayo Clinic health systems will lead area residents on a walk along the north bank trail Oct. 15 to promote pedestrian safety. The Wisconsin Bike Fed has organized the “Walk with a Doc” to demonstrate safe crossing of Copeland Avenue and other busy intersections, as well as promote walking as a healthy activity and fun way to enjoy nature.

WEAU Eau Claire, Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Oct. 3^rd — Renelle Laffe-Oldenburg, founder of Hope in the Valley, and Sara Martinek of Mayo Clinic Health System, a breast cancer survivor, discuss Breast Cancer Awareness Month events in October on Hello Wisconsin.

Barron News-Shield, Mayo plans $4.9 million project — Construction will begin this winter for new inpatient hospital rooms in the Medical/Surgical Department at Mayo Clinic Health System – Northland in Barron, according to a press release by the Rochester, Minn-based organization. The $4.9 million, 8,778-square-foot project will include 10 new rooms and feature expanded, state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly features for patients. Also during the same construction period, Mayo plans to build 5,600-square-foot “shell space” for future replacement of the hospital’s Family Birth Center unit.

News-Medical.net, Mayo Clinic recommends four ways physicians can use individualized medicine to treat patients — Sequencing a patient's DNA…This gives patients a window into their genetic blueprint, so they better understand changes in their genes, risk of disease and applications of targeted therapies. The cost to patients continues to drop, and the results can be used over the course of their lifetime. "Our vision at the Center for Individualized Medicine is to offer all Mayo patients genomics-informed therapy. Ultimately, we see value in having everyone's genome sequenced, which will have the net effect of identifying undiagnosed disease, offering choice in preventing hereditary conditions, and improving diagnosis accuracy and drug choice ─ all of which will result in better patient care and lower health care costs," says Keith Stewart, M.B., Ch.B., the Carlson and Nelson Endowed Director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine.

El Meurcurio, Mayo Clinic joint project and U. de los Andes by Christian Gonzalez — It is estimated that two out of every 100 Chileans suffer from bipolar disorder, a mood disorder, chronic, and in the development of which genetic and environmental factors influence. To establish what is the risk that a person has the disease or predict their response to treatment are some of the responses that could be obtained thanks to a bank of biological samples, in which Chilean experts are participating. This is a project created by the Mayo Clinic in the US, and which have joined the Clínica Universidad de los Andes and U. de los Andes. To date, the project has already accumulated more than 2,000 samples. "By partnering with the U. de los Andes in Chile, the biobank will expand in numbers, allowing the study of more detailed clinical classifications , " says Dr. Joanna Biernacka , co - principal investigator of the Biobank Bipolar Mayo Clinic in Rochester. More importantly, she adds, this partnership "will offer the opportunity to study the genetic differences that arise in different populations, which are related to bipolar disorder and clinical characteristics.

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