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.

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Karl Oestreich, manager enterprise media relations

Bloomberg Radio

Mayo CEO Says Better Healthcare Strengthens Economies (Audio)

Dr. John Noseworthy, president and chief executive officer of Mayo Clinic, says investment in healthcare allows individuals benefit from the prosperity they deserve. The 2014 World Economic Forum is addressing how developing and emerging economies can learn from developed nations and leapfrog to a better future.

Reach:  Kathleen Hays is the host of “The Hays Advantage” on Bloomberg Radio, a weekday program that brings in-depth insight and analysis to important economic, market and policy issues. Recognized as one of the top economic reporters and anchors in the country, Hays has covered the U.S. economy and the Federal Reserve for more than 20 years. She joined Bloomberg in 2006 after years as an on-air and online economics correspondent at CNN, CNNfn, and CNBC, where she served as a host, correspondent and commentator for numerous programs. The Hays Advantage appears on Bloomberg 1130-am in New York City, on 1200-am and 94.5-fm in Boston and on SiriusXm satellite radio on Channel 119.

Context: John Noseworthy, M.D. is Mayo Clinic President and CEO.

Public Affairs Contact: Sharon Theimer

Fox Business

Can our health-care system sustain the expansion of Medicaid?

Mayo Clinic CEO Dr. John Noseworthy on the future of health care.

Reach: FoxNews.com has more than 13 million unique visitors each month. Fox Business Network is headquartered in News Corporation's studios in midtown Manhattan with bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco (Silicon Valley), Washington, D.C. and London.

Context: John Noseworthy, M.D. is Mayo Clinic President and CEO.

Public Affairs Contact: Sharon Theimer

USA TODAY

Fish on the brain: Can eating it keep Alzheimer's at bay?
 By Nanci Hellmich

…Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, says there have been conflicting reports on this topic but this latest research "would suggest there is a positive relationship between omega-3 fatty acid-rich diets and the preservation of brain volume in aging. The take-home message is to eat a heart-healthy diet that includes fish. I'd also recommend physicalexercise and engagement in intellectual activity."

Reach: USA TODAY  has the highest daily circulation of any U.S. newspaper with a daily average circulation of 2.9 million, which includes print and various digital editions.

Public Affairs Contact: Nick Hanson

ABC News
Higher Risk of Death From Heart Attack Linked to Hospital Hours (Video)

When it comes to a heart attack, the difference between life and death may hinge on timing, according to the Mayo Clinic. Researchers found a 5 percent higher chance of death — almost 2,000 more deaths a year — within 30 days of the heart attack if a person arrived at the hospital at night or on the weekend… “There are fewer staff and resources at night and on weekends — that’s true,” said Dr. Atsushi Sorita, the study’s lead author.

Reach:  ABCNews.com is the official website for ABC News. Its website receives more than 16.9 million unique visitors each month.

Additional coverage: USA TODAY, Toronto Star, HealthDay, NBC News, East Idaho News, TIME, WRCB Tenn., Health Newsline, HealthCanal, News-Medical, The Globe and Mail, Coshocton Tribune, Cincinnati.com, Ad Hoc News (Berlin), Aetna InteliHealth

Context: More people die and emergency hospital treatment takes longer for heart attack victims who arrive at the hospital during off-hours (nights and weekends), compared with patients who arrive during regular daily hours, according to a Mayo Clinic study published online in the British Medical Journal on Jan. 21. Read, view and listen to more about the study on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Public Affairs Contact: Traci Klein

Orlando Sentinel
As women seek preventive breast-cancer surgery, hospitals move to combine procedures
by David Breen

…Now surgeons at Florida Hospital Celebration Health have joined others throughout the country by offering what had been separate surgeries — mastectomy and breast reconstruction, and removal of the ovaries — in a single session…Dr. Sarah McLaughlin, a surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, sees a growing trend toward combining the procedures, estimating that she takes part in six to 10 of them a year. It's a preferable option for many patients, she said, provided they are strong enough to deal with a surgery session that can last five to six hours.

Reach: The Orlando Sentinel has a daily circulation of more than 162,000. The newspaper serves central Florida. It's website has more than 1.1 million unique visitors each month.

Context: Sarah McLaughlin, M.D., is a surgeon with the Breast Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Whether you're facing noncancerous (benign) breast conditions, abnormal mammogram results, or newly diagnosed or recurrent breast cancer, the Breast Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Florida focuses on the needs of breast cancer patients. Mayo Clinic is one of the few places in the world where you can access all the specialists needed for comprehensive care "under one roof."

Public Affairs Contact: Paul Scotti

Star Tribune
Mayo wins FDA approval to test stem cell technique for heart patients
By Dan Browning

A decade-long Mayo Clinic research project on using stem cells to repair damaged heart tissue has won federal approval for human testing, a step that could have implications for millions of Americans with heart disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a multistate ­clinical trial of 240 patients with chronic advanced symptomatic heart failure to see if the new procedure produces a significant improvement in heart function, Mayo officials announced Friday.

Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation.

Additional coverage: KTTC,  Imperial Valley News, Post-Bulletin, KAAL, Medical Daily

Public Affairs Contacts: Traci Klein, Bob Nellis, Jennifer Schutz

 

Additional Mayo Clinic News Highlights This Week:

Science Friday, Medicine’s Gender Gap, Heart disease is the leading cause of death for American women. Yet by one recent estimate, only a third of the study subjects in cardiovascular clinical trials are women. Virginia Miller, a professor at Mayo Clinic, describes that disconnect in an editorial in the journal Physiology.

USA TODAY, Are you sitting down? Your heart failure risk is higher by Nanci Hellmich… Government statistics show almost half of people report sitting more than six hours a day, and 65% say they spend more than two hours a day watching TV. "If you've been sitting for an hour, you've been sitting too long," says James Levine, co-director of Obesity Solutions at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and Arizona State University. He did some of the first research on sitting disease but was not involved in this study. "My gut feeling is you should be up for 10 minutes of every hour." PDF. Additional coverage: Tucson Citizen, KARE11, International Business Times, Ashville Citizen-Times, Argus Leader, Tallahassee Democrat

Washington Post, Don’t just sit there! We know sitting too much is bad, and most of us intuitively feel a little guilty after a long TV binge. But what exactly goes wrong in our bodies when we park ourselves for nearly eight hours per day, the average for a U.S. adult? Many things, say four experts, who detailed a chain of problems from head to toe…Scientists interviewed for this report: James A. Levine, inventor of the treadmill desk and director of Obesity Solutions at Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University.

CBS News, Sunshine may chase the blood pressure woes away by Michelle Castillo, Research published Jan. 20 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology shows that light exposure has the ability to change a person's blood levels of nitric oxide (NO), a signaling molecule that protects different organs. As nitric oxide levels increase, blood pressure drops, according to the researchers…Blood pressure is typically higher in the winter and lower in the summer, the Mayo Clinic points out.

FOX News, Natural ways to relieve arthritis pain by Dr. Manny Alvarez…Hot and cold applications The Mayo Clinic makes the following recommendations: “Heat will help ease your pain, relax tense, painful muscles and increase the regional flow of blood. One of the easiest and most effective ways to apply heat is to take a hot shower or bath for 15 minutes. Other options include using a hot pack, an electric heat pad set on its lowest setting or a radiant heat lamp with a 250-watt reflector heat bulb to warm specific muscles and joints. If your skin has poor sensation or if you have poor circulation, don't use heat treatment.

Huffington Post, Alzheimer's Blogger Receives Shocking Diagnosis by Marie Marley…I was on my way to see my family doctor because I'd been experiencing confusion and memory problems. The strange thing is I got lost….According to Neal Deutch, PhD, my neurospsycologist, only 10 - 15% of people with this diagnosis eventually develop Alzheimer's. Those are pretty good odds. And the Mayo Clinic article states that some people actually get better.

Washington Post, Everybody Panic! By Radley Balko, A middle school in Portsmouth, R.I. recently sent parents an alarming e-mail about kids who are “snorting” or “smoking” Smarties, a silly fad in which kids grind up the tart candy into a fine powder, then blow out the vapor as if they were smoking…Smarties-smoking has come up before. The CBS Early Show was all over it in 2009. Also in 2009, a Wall Street Journal article on the alleged trend quoted a Mayo Clinic physician who warned that the act could lead to something called nose maggots.

USA TODAY, Should you talk to your kid about snorting Smarties? By Jolie Lee, A Rhode Island school is warning parents about students snorting the crushed-up candies -- not a very smart thing to do…Perhaps the most striking risk mentioned -- nasal maggots -- is actually a highly unlikely scenario. "It's pretty far out there," said Laura Orvidas, a pediatric ear, nose and throat doctor at the Mayo Clinic Children's Center. In order for maggots to develop, there must be dead tissue for the maggots to feed on and then there must be the "random fly" that lays eggs in there, Orvidas said.  Additional coverage: KARE11, Journal and Courier Ind., Forbes, Green Bay Gazette, News 10 Calif., WMAZ Ga.

CBS News, Middle school warns snorting Smarties may lead to nasal maggots by Ryan Jaslow… One eyebrow-raising health risk the letter pointed to was increased odds for possible maggot infestation in the nose. The email cited the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Oren Friedman, who purportedly said maggots may feed on the sugary dust wedged inside the nose. An Internet search revealed Friedman’s warning was featured in a 2009 Wall Street Journal article on children “smoking” Smarties dust to mimic exhaling a cigarette.

Wall Street Journal, Abe Stresses Resolve to Sustain Japan's Economic Growth by Yuka Hayashi…The prime minister assured the audience that Tokyo will completely liberalize Japan's electricity market and foster medical care through such technology as "generating cells at private-sector factories." He said Japan would introduce the holding company system to create giant health-care providers much like Mayo Clinic of the U.S.

Chicago Health, Doctor’s Orders: Vaccinations don’t cause autism, they save lives By Dr. Gena Vennikandam…The worry that the additive Thimerisol was the autism-causing culprit used to carry some weight. But Thimerisol has not been used in the MMR vaccine in over a decade. Over the last 30–40 years, we have refined the ingredients in the vaccine,” says Dr. Robert M. Jacobson, clinical director at the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group. “There is no such thing as immunological overload; that’s an [inaccurate] theoretical concept.”

KEYC Mankato, New Report Links More Diseases to Smoking, Doctors at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato are urging patients to heed the new report released by the Surgeon General that has now connected, among other diseases, liver and colon cancers with smoking. Stephan Thome says, "Living in Mankato we see as a community, Midwestern community, we see the common cancers. So you see patients that are affected by lung cancer, neck cancer, and esophagus. We see a lot of smoking related cancers."

KFGO N.D., Dr. Richard Hurt! "Ban Tobacco?" Dr. Richard Hurt is the director of the Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center.  He has some very new and startling revelations about the medical impacts of tobacco use.

KFGO N.D., Mayo official says tobacco products should be banned, A new Surgeon General's report, released late last week includes new findings on the health effects of smoking. Director of Mayo Clinic’s Nicotine Dependence Center, Dr. Richard Hurt says more than 480,000 Americans die from smoking-related causes every year. Hurt says the report is missing a call to action to end the sale of tobacco products.

State Journal-Register Ill., Letter: Offers suggestion to help quit smoking, I quit smoking more than 12 years ago and understand the difficulty of succeeding. I took every kind of “quit smoking” aid there was on the market, but yet the yearning to light up was strong. I failed to quit the first four times I tried. Sound familiar? Then I tried a method told to me by one of the doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. I finally accomplished kicking the tobacco habit. It immediately blocked the craving with just a simple breath of air.

CNN, Surgeon general links colon cancer, diabetes to smoking by Miriam Falco, On Friday, Dr. Boris Lushniak, the acting surgeon general, issued the 32nd report on tobacco, saying "enough is enough." His goal: eliminating the use of cigarettes and tobacco…Lushniak has his work cut out for him. He has to devise a plan to prevent teens from wanting to smoke -- most adult smokers begin smoking as teenagers, according to the Mayo Clinic. The new report backs that up, stating that 87% of smokers had their first puff on a cigarette under the age of 18.

KAAL, Surgeon General’s Smoking Warning Turns 50 by John Doetkott…"Education is key,” said Deb Skare, a tobacco cessation specialist with Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Austin. “Also increased taxes and the smoking bans in the public places, all that will help."

Star Tribune, With genetic testing, patients can see the future by Allie Shah, Denis Keegan was out of answers. The 30-year-old was suffering from kidney disease, but his doctors were struggling to pinpoint the cause. That’s when Keegan turned to genetic testing. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester extracted his DNA from a blood sample and examined his genome. …A 44-year-old woman with gall bladder cancer is among the success stories at the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine, said Dr. Alexander Parker, the center’s associate director. Her tumor was not responding to the standard medicine used to treat gall bladder cancer. Through genetic testing, doctors discovered that drugs used on leukemia patients might work for her.

Star Tribune, Hospitals report fewer preventable mistakes by Jeremy Olson, Mayo Clinic’s St. Marys Hospital in Rochester acknowledged a procedure on the wrong patient last year, something reported only 14 times in 10 years in Minnesota. A catheter was placed in the wrong patient, but in a bit of good fortune, it turned out he needed one as well. Still, Mayo responded by adding a secondary level of confirmation in its electronic record-keeping systems before doctors can order procedures… “Fortunately, nobody was injured this time and nobody got anything they weren’t supposed to get,” said Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, Mayo’s patient safety officer.

KEYC Mankato, Adverse Event Reports Declining, In the most recent adverse health report, preventable errors in hospitals and surgery centers continue to decline. Passed by the legislative session in 2003 and modified again the year after, the annual Adverse Health Events Report has been anticipated ever since. Mayo Clinic Health System - Mankato, medical director Dr. Stephen Campbell says, "I believe that most organizations embrace the adverse event report, again from a learning standpoint and not a punitive standpoint." Additional coverage: Mankato Free Press

KTTC, Study: Minnesota reporting system cuts hospital errors…"We're always striving for zero and disappointed when we don't get there," said Dr. Paula Santrach, Chair of Quality at Mayo Clinic. "But we do take every opportunity as a learning experience in order to understand how our systems work and what we can do to do better." Additional coverage: KAAL

Anesthesiology News, Drug Abuse Among Residents Uncommon, But Occasionally Fatal by Ben Guarino, Between 1975 and 2009, 28 anesthesiology residents died as a result of substance use disorder (SUD), according to a study by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) and Mayo Clinic. During the 35-year period, the study found roughly one in every 100 residents had abused drugs or alcohol—most frequently opioids, with 151 total incidents. The rate of SUD fell between 1996 and 2003, but it has risen in recent years, according to the researchers. “Although relatively few anesthesiology residents develop SUD, the incidence is continuing to increase,” said David Warner, MD, an author of the study and an anesthesiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in a statement.

Xconomy, Social Media & Cancer Drugs: Conversation, not Promotion by Laura Strong…With researchers devoted to improving our understanding of cancer biology and improving patient experiences, pharma/biotech should be engaging in these communities as well, despite concerns that federal regulators haven’t established the rules. While no company wants to wade into murky areas, there are risks to being overly cautious. As Dr. Farris Timimi, director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media (SM), said, “the biggest risk in health care SM is not participating in the conversation.”

WCPO Ohio, Should children practice strength training and conditioning? By Holly Pennebaker, A Cincinnati fitness expert says strength training and conditioning for is perfectly healthy for young kids, as long as they act like a grown up and have a desire for results. Trainer Chuck Keating agrees with the Mayo Clinic and the National Strength and Conditioning Council - working out is good for Generation M. As long as they're trained by a professional, weightlifting is a perfectly healthy habit.

Post-Bulletin, Dayton back to Mayo Clinic for hip problem, Gov. Mark Dayton says he is returning to Mayo Clinic in Rochester because of continued problems with one of his hips. Dayton said Tuesday that pain isn't a problem but he suffers some instability. Dayton fell on Tuesday at a meeting of the Capitol Preservation Commission, though a spokesman says it was after the governor caught his foot on a chair leg.

Pioneer Press, Dayton back to Mayo for continuing hip problem, Gov. Mark Dayton says he is returning to Mayo Clinic in Rochester because of continued problems with one of his hips. Dayton says Tuesday that pain isn't a problem but he suffers some instability. Dayton fell on Tuesday at a meeting of the Capitol Preservation Commission, though a spokesman says it was after the governor caught his foot on a chair leg. Additional coverage: Star Tribune, KAAL

Jackson County Chronicle Wisc., Hospitals in region undertake big capital projects…Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Healthcare in La Crosse. The La Crosse hospital opened a new cardiology-radiology unit in 2009, saying it brought together two departments and the best of technology. Besides lab upgrades, the project expanded the recovery area and provided additional patient and family waiting room space.

DailyRx. Rate of Blindness Caused by Glaucoma Greatly Improved, Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness around the world, but one new study shows how much improvement has been made, and how much more needs to be made. This new study showed that patients diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) between 1981 and 2009 had half the rate of blindness as patients diagnosed between 1965 and 1980…This study was led by Arthur J. Sit, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Additional coverage:Innovations Report, Ivanhoe

Medical Express, Probability of blindness from glaucoma has nearly halved…"These results are extremely encouraging for both those suffering from glaucoma and the doctors who care for them, and suggest that the improvements in the diagnosis and treatment have played a key role in improving outcomes," said Arthur J. Sit, M.D., associate professor of ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and lead researcher for the study.

Greenville News, Reliance on prescription drugs raises concerns by Liv Osby, About seven in 10 Americans take at least one prescription drug every day, according to Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center researchers, and more than half take two or more.…Of the drugs prescribed, 17 percent were antibiotics, 13 percent were antidepressants, 13 percent were opioid painkillers and 11 percent were cholesterol-lowering drugs, according to the study, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Mayo Clinic Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery.

KMSP Minn., Why aren't more adults getting a shingles vaccine?...According to the Mayo Clinic, "shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. Although shingles can occur anywhere on your body, it most often appears as a single stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or the right side of your torso."

FOX News, Preparing your body for the healthiest pregnancy by Jacqueline Silvestri Banks…Check your prescriptions. A study from the Mayo Clinic found that seven out of ten Americans take at least one prescription drug. While many are safe to take during pregnancy, many are not safe, or have not been studied and are best avoided.

Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, Industry Outlook: More health care burden is on employees, Mayo Clinic exec Patricia Simmons says by Katharine Grayson, Dr. Patricia Simmons, executive medical director for health policy at Mayo Clinic: Employers and payers are not idle in the behavior change that’s going on. Most health care in the U.S. is delivered in employee sponsored plans … but things are changing. More burden and more expectations and more responsibility are being placed on the employee, and they don’t always accept that willingly.”

WJXT, Guide to stress-free living, Joining us to discuss his new book about stress management is Doctor Amit Sood with the Mayo Clinic.

WJXT Fla., Stress relief from laughter? It's no joke by Mayo Clinic News Network, Whether you're guiltily guffawing at an episode of "South Park" or quietly giggling at the latest New Yorker cartoon, laughing does you good. Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that's no joke.

Chicago Tribune, Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: New approach may be needed if current psoriasis treatment no longer effective by Dawn Davis, M.D., Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What causes psoriasis, and what are the most effective treatments? I've tried a few without much success.

Chicago Tribune, Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Research examines use of viruses to fight cancer by Stephen Russell, M.D., Ph.D., Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I've read that someday it may be possible for doctors to use viruses to cure cancer. How does it work? What types of cancer could it affect?

Chicago Tribune, Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Development of inguinal hernia usually related to increased pressure in abdomen by David Farley, M.D., General Surgery, Mayo Clinic, DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What causes an inguinal hernia? Will I need surgery to repair it even if it's not painful? If so, what does the surgery involve?

Chicago Tribune, Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Vitamin B-12 deficiency more common with increasing age by Donald Hensrud, M.D., Preventive Medicine, Mayo Clinic, DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I recently read that being deficient in vitamin B-12 is common. Should I take a supplement? I'm 78 and in good health.

Medscape, Evidence Underlying Most Guidelines May Be Questionable by Laurie Barclay, M.D., Most clinical practice guidelines for interventional procedures are based on lower-quality medical evidence and fail to disclose the authors' conflicts of interest, according to a review and analysis published in the January issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.… In an accompanying editorial, Jayant Talwalkar, MD, associate medical director of the Value Analysis Program in the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Rochester, Minnesota, notes that the lack of attention to individual and organizational COI may be the greatest threat to creating trustworthy clinical practice guidelines.

Fairmont Sentinel Doctor offers warning about ‘100-day cough’ by Meg Alexander, Pertussis has a couple of other names: whooping cough and the 100-day cough. If that sounds ominous, it should. The contagious respiratory infection can seriously impact people of all ages, but especially young children. Dr. Jeff Cunningham has seen a number of confirmed cases at Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont, where he works in internal medicine and pediatrics. The majority of these patients were less than a year, a few were toddlers.

KEYC Minn., MCHS Encourages Immunizations for Whooping Cough… MCHS Mankato's Jessica Sheehy says, "If you know of someone that was diagnosed with whooping cough and you've been exposed to them recently, within the last 3 weeks or so,they would then recommend that you yourself get treatment as well which is called exposure prophylaxis."

Arizona Telemedicine Program, Telestroke: Improving Stroke Care for Rural Arizona Residents…Laying Groundwork to Reach Rural Arizonans, The two visionary physicians who developed the program are Bart M. Demaerschalk, MD, professor of neurology and director of the telestroke and teleneurology programs at Mayo Clinic; and Ben Bobrow, MD, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, and medical director of the Bureau of Emergency Medicine Services and Trauma System for the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Healthcare Informatics, Study: Telestroke Care Saves Costs, Improves Clinical Outcomes, Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have determined that telestroke care is cost-effective , with the use of more clot-busting drugs, more catheter based interventional procedures, and other stroke therapies, ultimately leading to more patients being discharged at home independently…"This study shows that a hub-and-spoke telestroke network is not only cost-effective from the societal perspective, but it's cost-saving,” Bart Bemaerschalk, M.D., neurologist and direcor of the Mayo Clinic Telestroke Program. Additional coverage: HealthCanal, Imperial Valley News, Health IT News

Becker’s Hospital Review, Mayo Clinic: How Telestroke Care Is Cost-Saving to Society by Helen Gregg, A rurally located stroke patient treated using a telestroke network will incur $1,436 lower costs, according to a new study from Phoenix-based Mayo Clinic researchers and published in the American Journal of Managed Care…"This study shows that a hub-and-spoke telestroke network is not only cost-effective from the societal perspective, but it's cost-saving," said lead study author Bart Demaerschalk, MD, director of the Mayo Clinic Telestroke Program, in a news release.

WXOW Eau Claire, 'Smart Shopping' teaches healthy shopping habits… Everyone knows a healthier diet starts in the store, but for shopping novices, where do you start? "The goal of the grocery store tours is to help people make the best choices and to help them fill their cart with the nutrients that are going to be the best for them and their family," Katie Fichter, Mayo Clinic Nutrition Educator says. Additional coverage: WEAU Eau Claire

The Chronicle Herald (Canada),  Hormones found in dietary supplements, Feeling sluggish? Having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning? Gaining weight? Many people with vague symptoms like these turn to dietary supplements that promise to jump-start metabolism by bolstering their thyroids with a mix of vitamins and minerals. Bladderwrack seaweed, iodine and an herb called ashwagondha are among the common ingredients… “This supplement could give you as much thyroid hormone as you get in a prescription drug or more,” said Dr. Victor Bernet, chairman of endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and senior author of the study.

Men’s Journal, Supplements Found Tainted With Thyroid Hormones by Valerie Ross…Even for people with diagnosed hypothyroidism, getting the dosage right can be tricky; differences between one T4 prescription pill dosage and the next are often about 12 micrograms. "People are so sensitive that small changes like that can cause big differences," says Dr. Victor Bernet, the chair of endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic Florida.

NY Times, Thyroid Supplements With a Kick by Roni Rabin, Feeling sluggish? Having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning? Gaining weight? Many people with vague symptoms like these turn to dietary supplements that promise to jump-start metabolism by bolstering their thyroids with a mix of vitamins and minerals. Bladderwrack seaweed, iodine and an herb called ashwagondha are among the common ingredients. “This supplement could give you as much thyroid hormone as you get in a prescription drug or more,” said Dr. Victor Bernet, chairman of endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and senior author of the study. He became interested in so-called thyroid-support supplements after seeing a patient with inexplicable test results.

Modern Healthcare, Univ. of Arizona transplant programs on indefinite hiatus, The University of Arizona Medical Center's heart and lung transplant programs are on hiatus as the surgeon who created them becomes increasingly entangled in litigation with the hospital…Hospital officials say a need for more experienced surgeons is one of the reasons the transplant programs are on hold. The Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale and St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix are currently the only other places in the state where patients can get those procedures done.

La Crosse Tribune, Wisconsin hospitals cut costs by $45.6 million in special project, trade group says… Although Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare is not part of the Partnership for Patients project, it is involved in the WHA’s Transforming Care at the Bedside, said Pauline Byom, Mayo-Franciscan’s quality director. “None of this is new to us,” Byom said. Mayo-Franciscan’s aseptic techniques and other practices have eliminated central-line associated bloodstream infections for years, Byom said.

Pain Medicine News, Waiting Worthwhile When Gauging TFESI’s Effectiveness, It’s best if patients and their pain physicians wait a couple of weeks to judge whether a transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) has worked, a new study suggests. A retrospective analysis of 2,024 patients who underwent TFESI at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., between January 2006 and December 2011 showed that pain relief and functional recovery at two weeks were associated with two-month outcomes more closely than those outcomes immediately post-procedure. “Even though it’s gratifying when a patient reports immediate pain relief after TFESI, the real proof is in longer-term results,” lead investigator Christine El-Yahchouchi, MD, told Pain Medicine News.

Post-Bulletin, Mayo Clinic provided $2.5 billion in 'community benefit' by Edie Grossfield, Mayo Clinic, by far Olmsted County's largest property owner and taxpayer, pays millions of dollars less in property taxes because of its tax-exempt status than if it were entirely a for-profit operation… Olmsted County and Rochester officials probably wouldn't deny that they could find good use for the nearly $14 million in additional tax revenue, but the community benefits from many more millions in charitable care and other contributions Mayo makes here, said Mayo Public Affairs Specialist Bryan Anderson.

KIMT, Increasing education on transgender healthcare by Jeron Rennie, More and more is being done in the United States to provide health care coverage to all, but sometimes having coverage is not enough. When it comes to healthcare, not everyone is treated equal. Those in the transgender community are often visiting doctors who do not know what is best for them. “It's not appropriate for me to teach my doctor what my need are,” said Julian Melson. Melson is a transgender male. That means he was born in a female body. He did not make the transition until he was nearly 40.

USA Today, French Open – Nightmare scenarios torment tennis players, According to Max Trenerry, a sports psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist at the Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minn, the subliminal anxieties expressed mimic those faced by everyday people. “These aren’t very different from dreams a lot of us have when we know we have something big coming up…”

Arizona Daily Star, Dispute with top surgeon throws UA's prestigous transplant programs into turmoil…Late last year the hospital suspended its heart transplant program…That leaves one heart transplant program for adults in Arizona — at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. Phoenix Children’s Hospital is the only remaining center for pediatric heart transplants. Additional coverage: Atlanta Journal Constitution, Stamford Advocate, Connecticut Post

News4Jax, Can you exercise when you're sick? Use the 'neck rule' as your guide, Mayo Clinic says.

NY Times, Iowa State’s Legacy of Fervor and Success Is Handed Down by Pat Borzi…Jon Fleming, a retired physician and alumnus, is among about 500 people with season tickets for both teams — the men since 1983, when he commuted to games from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and the women since opening a practice here in 1986. Fleming, who said the teams had been the talk of the state for weeks, ignored flulike symptoms to attend the Kansas game.

La Crosse Tribune, Hospitals in region undertake big capital projects by Steve Cahalan…In 2012, the Mayo Clinic’s Telestroke program expanded to the La Crosse hospital’s emergency room. Computers allow a patient in the La Crosse emergency room to be seen and heard, virtually, by a Mayo Clinic stroke neurologist in Rochester in real time. The neurologist consults with the local emergency room physicians and evaluates the patient.

Forbes, Small, New University Does Something Radical -- Only Hires Professors Who Want To Teach And Only Admits Students Who Want To Learn by George Leef…Rochester, Minnesota is best known as the home of the famed Mayo Clinic. IBM also has a large presence in the city. Going back to the 1960s, Mayo, IBM, and other leaders pressed the state for a higher education institution and their efforts resulted in a community college and a branch of Winona State University in the city. Predictably, those off-the-shelf educational models didn’t do much for Rochester.

Men’s Health, The Right Time for Your Cup of Joe by Markham Heid…Stick to about 200 milligrams of caffeine after the important event. That’s roughly the amount of caffeine in 12 ounces of brewed coffee or 30 ounces of caffeinated tea, according to the Mayo Clinic.

WJXT Fla., Increase in flu-related deaths, Health officials in Coastal Georgia confirmed an adult woman died of the flu. In Florida, 12 people have died of the flu from December to January. Dr. Vandana Bhide, Mayo Clinic, talks about the risks.

Austin Daily Herald, Flu season in full swing in area, much of state by Jason Schoonover…Kathy Stratton, infections prevention and control coordinator at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin, said the flu season started peaking around the holidays — likely when groups and families got together — and the heaviest part of flu season typically lasts through February and into March.

Diario Crítica, Cremas para las arrugas: ¿Qué tan efectivas son en realidad? Muchas cremas y lociones antiarrugas prometen reducir las arrugas y evitar o revertir los daños causados por el sol. ¿Qué tan efectivas son en realidad? Los médicos especialistas de Mayo Clinic en Rochester, Minessota explican que eso depende de los ingredientes específicos y del tiempo de uso.

El Universal, Adelgaza sin morir de hambre… En un comunicado, el especialista en Medicina Interna para Atención Primaria de la Mayo Clinic, en Rochester, Minnesota, Jon Ebbert, comentó que los cereales del pan, los fideos y el arroz blanco se refinan mediante un proceso de molienda que les arranca la capa de salvado para darles una textura más fina.

LaSalud.com, Tips para una piel más joven…Los médicos especialistas de Mayo Clinic en Rochester, Minessota explican que eso depende de los ingredientes específicos y del tiempo de uso. Debido a que estas cremas antiarrugas de venta libre (sin necesidad de receta médica) no se clasifican como fármacos, tampoco requieren someterse a estudios científicos para comprobar su eficacia.

Esmas.com, Cremas para las arrugas: ¿Qué tan efectivas son en realidad?...¿Qué tan efectivas son en realidad? Los médicos especialistas de Mayo Clinic en Rochester, Minessota explican que eso depende de los ingredientes específicos y del tiempo de uso. Additional coverage: La Crónica de Hoy

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