March 28, 2014

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights

By Karl Oestreich

Mayo-Clinic-in-the-News-300x80

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

TPT Almanac
Mayo CEO Dr. John Noseworthy, capitol reporters, Rochester mayor, Syrian crisis, political scientist panel

TPT's public affairs program, Almanac, broadcast its first remote program on March 21 from Phillips Hall at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. More than 400 people were inTPT attendance for the live broadcast.

Context: Twin Cities Public Television's "Almanac" program is a Minnesota institution. It has occupied the 7 o'clock timeslot on Friday nights for more than a quarter of a century. It is the longest-running primetime TV program ever in the region. "Almanac" is a time capsule, a program of record that details our region's history and culture during the past twenty five years. The hour-long mix of news, politics and culture is seen live statewide on the six stations of the Minnesota Public Television Association. Almanac was the first Minnesota TV show that virtually everyone in the state could watch together. The program's unusual format has been copied by numerous PBS stations around the country and it has led to Almanac being honored with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's award for Best Public Affairs Program. Almanac has also earned six regional Emmys awards.

Related coverage: 
Post-BulletinPublic TV's 'Almanac' broadcasts live from Mayo Clinic

InsuranceNewsNet
Public TV's 'Almanac' broadcasts live from Mayo Clinic

Public Affairs Contact: Ginger Plumbo

Star Tribune
Mayo Clinic aims for more Pentagon funding
by Corey Mitchell

The Mayo Clinic, with military ties that stretch back to the Civil War, is making a push to more aggressively pursue a larger share of the $900 million-plus spent annually by the Star-Tribune-Logo-300x45Pentagon on medical research. The medical giant has opened a Department of Defense Medical Research Office in Rochester and hired McAllister & Quinn, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm, to help procure more federal funding. Dr. Peter Amadio, medical director of Mayo’s DOD Medical Research Office, said that while Mayo has some defense contracts, there’s “an opportunity for us to do better.”

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:
Minneapolis /St. Paul Business Journal, Mayo goes to battle for military funds 

BringMeTheNews, Mayo Clinic angling for more Pentagon funds

Context: Mayo Clinic has opened the Mayo Clinic Department of Defense (DOD) Medical Research Office. The office, in Rochester, MN., is designed to be an easy to use single point of contact, linking the research needs of the DOD with Mayo Clinic investigators capable of addressing those needs, and to improve access to funding to serve DOD research and development priorities. The office oversees Mayo Clinic's portfolio of DOD-funded research, which has evolved over Mayo’s long and successful partnership with the U.S. government. Today, dozens of Mayo Clinic researchers receive funding for special projects that use new technologies and innovative solutions to support military readiness, functional restoration and rehabilitation after complex injuries, restore health and improve wellness of military populations.

“This is a continuation of Mayo Clinic’s 150-year legacy with the DOD,” says Peter Amadio, M.D., director of the office, and an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic. “The office and website are designed to strengthen this long-standing relationship and to not only match DOD research needs with the expertise of Mayo Clinic, but also accelerate the entire process from proposal development to funding to delivery of a completed project. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Public Affairs Contact: Brian Kilen

WCCO
Boy With Melanoma Raises Thousands Making Bracelets To Battle Cancer
by Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield

There are certain statistics you want your kids to be a part of. This is not one of them. Less than 10 children in this country have a form of childhood melanoma, and one of them lives in the Twin Cities metro. Graham Fowler, of Fridley, Minn., is a 10-year-old with Spitzoid Melanoma. He’s being treated at the Mayo Clinic and has had eight surgeries.CBS Minnesota

Reach: WCCO 4 News is the most-watched newscast in the Twin Cities, in 5 out of 7 newscasts.

Context: Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, develops in the cells (melanocytes) that produce melanin — the pigment that gives your skin its color. Melanoma can also form in your eyes and, rarely, in internal organs, such as your intestines. Specialists at Mayo Clinic work as a team to make a prompt melanoma diagnosis so you can begin treatment as soon as possible. Mayo Clinic's surgical pathologists and dermatopathologists are respected for their expertise in identifying melanoma stage, depth and severity, which is critical for selecting the most appropriate treatment combination.

Public Affairs Contact: Joe Dangor

Florida Times-Union (Subscription required)
Medical tourism provides big economic boost to Jacksonville economy
by Charlie Patton

In the two weeks they’ve been here, they’ve done quite a bit of sightseeing, going to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and making a day trip to Disney World….But the purpose of their Florida Times-Union newspaper logovisit isn’t fun. They came to Jacksonville because they were seeking cancer treatment for James at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute…William C. Rupp, the chief executive officer of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, which has an economic impact in the Jacksonville area of about $1.6 billion, said that about 43,000 of the approximately 1000,000 patients treated at the clinic each year qualify as medical tourists.

Reach: The Florida Times-Union reaches more than 120,000 daily and 173,000 readers Sunday.

Additional coverage:
St. Augustine Record; Travel Weekly, Can medical tourism provide a shot in the arm for Fla.? 

Context: William Rupp, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic vice president and CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida.

Public Affairs Contact: Kevin Punsky

Phoenix Business Journal
Inside the Reporter’s Notebook
By Angela Gonzales

Phoenix Business JournalPhoenix Business Journal senior healthcare reporter Angela Gonzales interviews Dr. Wyatt Decker.

Reach: The Phoenix Business Journal is published by American City Business Journals which owns more than 40 other local business newspapers.

Context: Wyatt Decker, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic Vice President and CEO at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

Public Affairs Contact: Jim McVeigh

Post-BulletinOur View: Critics of proton beam facility miss the point…It's human nature. We like new things, and no matter how expensive or even "unnecessary" a new technology might seem when it first hits the marketplace, there are always people who take the leap. They plunk down their money and happily declare, "I don't care what it costs — it's better than what I had, and I need it."

Sacramento Bee, Mayo proton center begins 'commissioning' The smell of newness hangs in the air at the Mayo Clinic Richard O. Jacobson Proton Therapy Center as it awaits its first patients. "We're planning for a little over 1,200 new patients," said Michael Herman, chair of the Department of Physics at Mayo, including 200 to 250 children. Additional coverage: Kansas City Star

NewsweekAlzheimer's Is Expensive, Deadly and Growing. So Where's the Research Money? By Abigail Jones…"I believe that this disease will be the defining medical condition of our generation—hopefully not the next generation," says Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and chair of the Advisory Council for NAPA. "If we don't get on top of it, it will bankrupt the health-care system."

HealthDayCholesterol Levels Spike During Winter Months, Study Finds, Here's something that's sure to alarm the millions of Americans who have braved the fiercest, longest winter in recent memory: A new study shows that your cholesterol levels fluctuate seasonally and are at their worst during cold winter months…The results make sense given the way people tend to respond to cold weather, said Dr. Gerald Fletcher, a cardiologist with the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. Additional coverage: Doctors LoungeHealth.comAetna Intelihealth, MedicineNetUS News & World Report

HealthDay, CT Scans Might Help Diagnose Gout in Some Cases, CT scans can help detect gout that's been missed by the current standard testing method, a new study suggests…"These were in part patients that had been falsely diagnosed with diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or labeled with a different type of inflammatory arthritis, resulting in a completely different, and often not effective, treatment approach," study author Dr. Tim Bongartz said in a Mayo news release.

MedPage TodayCT Can Help Spot Gout by Nancy Walsh, Dual-energy CT may help in the definitive diagnosis of gout, which can sometimes be missed with microscopic crystal analysis alone, a prospective study suggested. In a series of patients referred for diagnostic joint aspiration, the sensitivity of dual-energy CT was 0.90 (95% CI 0.76-0.97), while the specificity was 0.83 (95% CI 0.68-0.93), according to Tim Bongartz, MD, and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Additional coverage: Newsday (HealthDay), HealthDay, NIH HealthFinder.gov, WebMD, Yahoo! Health, MedicalResearch.com, USNews&World Report, Philadelphia Inquirer, MSN Healthy Living

HealthDay, Exercise affects men's, women's hearts differently: Study by Steven Reinberg, The formula doctors use to evaluate treadmill stress tests, and thereby assess heart health, doesn't account for important differences between men and women, a new study contends…For the new study, a team led by Dr. Thomas Allison, director of stress testing at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reviewed 25,000 stress-test results. They saw significant differences between men and women. Additional coverage: CBS News

USA TODAYAnorexic woman saved by strangers at Tenn. YMCA…They contemplated the potential awkwardness of making a wrong assumption, the rudeness of violating someone's privacy and the danger of doing nothing. Then nine of them staged an intervention. If they had waited any longer, Lauryn Lax would have died. When they took her to a hospital on an August morning in 2011, doctors thought they might have to implant a pacemaker. Anorexia nervosa had weakened Lax to the point that her heart was struggling to beat… Her parents noticed the weight loss, the dark circles under her eyes and her frigid hands. They took her to a doctor but did not want to believe the diagnosis…They sought a second opinion from the Mayo Clinic.

Businessweek, Can Technology Stop Surgeons From Leaving Sponges Inside Patients? By John Tozzi… Along with taking out the wrong kidney or operating on the wrong person, leaving a sponge in a patient is the kind of avoidable medical nightmare that health-care quality experts consider a never event—that is, it should never happen. It’s hard to know precisely how often it does. A review at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., from 2003 to 2006 found a rate of about one “retained foreign object” case for every 5,500 surgeries.

Medscape, Mutations Linked to IBS, May Lead to Treatment by Laurie Barclay, MD., Approximately 2% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a mutation of the SCN5A gene that disrupts sodium channel function, according to a genotype analysis published online March 10 in Gastroenterology…"This gives us hope that from only treating symptoms of the disease, we can now work to find disease-modifying agents, which is where we really want to be to affect long-term treatment of IBS," senior author Gianrico Farrugia, MD, gastroenterologist and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, said in a clinic news release.

KARE11, Noninvasive test could be alternative to colonoscopy by Renee Tessman, No one looks forward to having a colonoscopy, but now the Mayo Clinic has helped create a noninvasive alternative that could be ready to roll by the end of this year… The new screening is called Cologuard. It was developed by the Mayo Clinic andExact Sciences. Its noninvasive and the first such test to have sensitivity rates comparable to a colonoscopy, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Everyday Health, Sharing The Gift of Life Across Generations by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Ten years ago, David Gray gave up one of his kidneys to save the life of his sister Jane. They knew that day might come. They had already lost their father and their brother to a rare kidney disease that runs in their family…When she was recovering from the transplant operation at Mayo Clinic, Jane learned her only son Trey, then in the eighth grade, also had the disease. She calls it one of the hardest days of her life.

Roanoke Times, Unbreakable bonds: 3 generations in 1 family are living kidney donors by Kimberly Delfares… The match, Finding the perfect living donor match for a kidney transplant is a meticulous process. There is no guarantee that if a relative shares your genetic DNA they will also be a viable candidate for organ donation. The process is far more intricate than the mere matching of blood types. “A careful history and physical examination is needed along with numerous medical tests to ensure safety for both donor and recipient,” said Dr. Martin L. Mai, a nephrologist at the Mayo Clinic.

Post-BulletinThe Journey So Far: DMC born from lunch chat 6 years ago by Jeff Kiger, Destination Medical Center is such a common topic in Rochester today that it's hard to keep in mind that the concept has only been known publicly for just over a year. But the concept that grew into the $6 billion DMC initiative appears to have started with a chat at a Virginia conference center about six years ago.

Post-BulletinDMC boosts biotech opportunities by Jeff Kiger, Mayo Clinic's research has spawned many successful medical companies over the years, though none of those biotech firms have ever called Rochester home.

Post-BulletinA closer look at the DMC legislation by Heather Carlson, Tucked within last year's 382-page tax bill are 22 pages expected to have a profound impact on Rochester's future. Those pages establish Destination Medical Center, a $585 million funding package aimed at helping the city and Olmsted County accommodate the massive growth expected to come with Mayo Clinic's 20-year, $6 billion expansion plans. Additional DMC Special Section coverage: Heritage separates Mayo Clinic from other destinationsA look back at DMC's rocky ride through the LegislatureLisa Clarke wears many hats for Mayo Clinic, DMC

KTTCDMCC moves forward with plans by Courtney Sturgeon, Destination Medical Center Corporation board members met on Tuesday to officially begin the planning process of the largest economic development project in Minnesota history: Destination Medical Center… "Our contracts took a little bit longer than most people thought," said Mayo Clinic's Lisa Clarke.  "I think behind the scenes we've been putting together a very solid governing structure...I'm very comfortable with the governing structure that was put in place."

Post-BulletinOn DMC, Simmons has 'passion for Rochester' by Edie Crossfield, In addition to her work as a Mayo Clinic physician and professor in pediatrics at Mayo Medical School, Patricia Simmons has logged many hours working on Mayo's Destination Medical Center initiative. She worked through the legislative process last year, including several days at the Capitol speaking on behalf of the clinic in various committee meetings.

Post-BulletinHistory of Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic traces its heritage to the practice of a frontier doctor, William Worrall Mayo, an Englishman who settled in Rochester in 1863. His two sons joined his medical practice in the 1880s. As the family's reputation and practice grew, the Mayos invited other doctors to join them. This group of doctors initiated a new idea in American medicine — the multi-specialty group practice. Both Mayo brothers died in 1939, but Mayo Clinic has continued to be guided by the principles and ideals they instituted.

ASU Insight, ASU undergrads find success in entering medical school…We have formalized internship programs with Scottsdale Healthcare, Banner Good Samaritan, Maricopa Integrated Health Systems and Mayo Clinic,” says Scharf, “and students are good at finding work experience to gain credit. And while there are incredible research opportunities on campus, students also do research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute and at Barrow Neurological Institute.” ASU has built a close relationship with Mayo Clinic, with Mayo medical students coming to campus to pursue dual degrees, and ASU pre-med students participating in activities on the Mayo Clinic campuses. Additional coverage: ASU Insight

Post-Bulletin, Mayo Medical School students meet their match, So this is what it is like to have your fate contained in a single envelope. At exactly noon Friday, Mayo Medical School senior Sam Porter peeled back the flap of the light blue envelope and nervously scanned the letter, as his wife, Jess, looked on. It took a few seconds to find what he was looking for, and when he did, a thrill surged through him.

KIFI Idaho, Study finds disparity based on race in prostate cancer survival rates by Mayo Clinic News Network, A Mayo Clinic study reviewed data on more than 290,000 men with prostate cancer from the past 20 years and found that African-American men are at increased risk for poorer survival rate following prostate cancer treatment compared to other minority groups. The study was recently published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

WKMG Orlando, How to allergy-proof your house by  Mayo Clinic News Network,  If you have hay fever or allergic asthma, take a few steps to reduce allergens in your home. Some steps to reduce indoor allergens are complicated and time-consuming -- but there are some easy things you can do that may help. Some steps may be more effective than others, depending on what particular allergy or allergies you have.

KEYC Mankato, Spring Has Sprung...How To Deal With Your Allergies by Maytal Levi, Move over winter, spring is here. Those of you who have allergies know what that means. Sneezing, wheezing, and itching...are all a part of seasonal allergies. And according to specialists tree pollen can be seen as early as February. Dr. Kunal Shah, Mayo Clinic Health System, allergy specialist says, "Even though we live in Minnesota, we still have tree pollen that we can count as early as February."

FOX47, Mayo residents begin housing search in Rochester by Mary McGuire, Incoming Mayo Clinic residents are scrambling to find housing after learning they'll spend their next three to seven years in the Med City. Last Friday, thousands of medical students across the country learned what hospital they would be matched with. Since then, local rental property owners said they have received dozens of phone calls from incoming Mayo Clinic residents, looking to secure housing before July 1st, the kick-off date for many residency and fellowship programs.

KEYC Mankato, MCHS-Mankato Expansion Proposal Stalls in Planning Commission by Ryan Gustafson…MCHS has big plans for their Mankato campus, looking to grow both vertically and horizontally. Included in the proposal is a unique building that hopes to ease the extensive use of their doctor's time - an educational building for those learning how to treat their diabetes or other health situations. Kevin Burns with MCHS-Mankato says, "Getting people the information they need to take a more active role in their health care, so they don't' have to come into the hospital, so they can avoid the clinic visits and lowering the cost of health care and maintaining the quality of care they expect from Mayo Clinic."

Star Tribune, Zucker, Backstrom undergo season-ending surgery by Michael Russo, Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher announced that goaltender Niklas Backstrom underwent successful core muscle surgery yesterday by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia, Pa. Backstrom is expected to miss the remainder of this season and be fully recovered for the start of the 2014-15 season. The team also announced that forward Jason Zucker underwent successful surgery yesterday to repair a tendon in his left quadriceps by Dr. Michael Stuart at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.  Additional coverage: Pioneer Press

Mankato Free Press,Baby had surgery while still in the womb by Robb Murray, After the ultrasound, things were a little strange. “They had us see several different people, including a geneticist,” says Lake Crystal resident Jamie Snow of her pre-natal experience. “And she kept referring back to spina bifida.”… But luckily, new technology was available that was about to offer hope that several years ago simply didn’t exist for families and babies with spina bifida. Doctors approached the family and asked if they wanted to take part in something called “Mom’s Study Trial.” The trial involves a revolutionary surgery where the characteristic spinal defect can be partially repaired while the baby is still in the womb.

Fairmont Sentinel, Citizens earn life-saver award… "She played it so cool," said Police Chief Greg Brolsma, describing the 911 call Poolman made when she spotted Anacker's laying motionless in his driveway. "She sounded like she's done this 20-30 times." Anacker's brown coat is what caught her eye as she hurried that morning to get to work at Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Fairmont. She pulled a u-turn and picked up her phone.

HealthDay, Post-Katrina Heart Woes Persisted at Least 6 Years, Six years after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the U.S. Gulf Cost, a New Orleans hospital was still seeing more than the usual number of heart attack patients…. The study, published March 20 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, also showed the timing of heart attacks changed after Katrina hit.

KAAL, Iowa Family at Mayo is Pushing for Rx Marijuana by Brianna Long, After seeing doctors at different Iowa hospitals, they finally decided to make the four-hour journey to Rochester. "We knew that we could get answers from Mayo Clinic and we've gotten some answers," said Verona. Little Aby was diagnosed with infantile spasms. And while they now have their answers, treating it has been another problem.

FOX9 News, MEDICAL MARIJUANA: Gov. Dayton's 'regret' and latest stance by Mike Durkin, My comment yesterday, in which I referred to 'the advocates who want to legalize medical marijuana and be able to smoke marijuana plants and leaves…' was in no way intended to refer to victims of terrible diseases or their parents, who I was trying to help," Dayton said in a statement. "I regret that my words were unclear."...The governor said a new proposal to make medical marijuana available to children suffering from intractable seizures has the support of his administration, Minnesota law enforcement, the Mayo Clinic and the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota. Additional coverage: Pioneer Press, MPR, Kansas City Star, KAAL

MPR News, Dayton: Medical marijuana likely dead for the year by Tom Scheck, Gov. Mark Dayton says the prospects for a study of one type of medical marijuana have little chance of becoming law this session. Dayton said advocates for full legalization of medical marijuana rejected his compromise plan this week. Dayton proposed spending $2 million to have the Mayo Clinic study whether marijuana extracts in pill or liquid form would effectively treat children with an extreme form of epilepsy. Dayton said by rejecting the study supporters of medical marijuana have effectively killed the issue for the session. Additional coverage: KAAL, MPR, Pioneer Press, Star Tribune, Star Tribune, WCCO

Pioneer PressLetter: Save the $2.2 million, Gov. Dayton is asking for $2.2 million to engage the Mayo Clinic in a study of the implications of passing a state statute that would allow some use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. It seems to me that many studies may be already available -- that may have been done perhaps by one or more of the 16 states that have decided (with some variation) to make such use legal…While the Mayo Clinic would be happy to have such an engagement, it seems to me to be an unnecessary use of tax dollars to appropriate further opinion on the subject.

KAAL, Mayo Responds to Medical Marijuana Request by Brianna Long, Medical marijuana is getting a lot of attention at the capitol this legislative session. And now, it could be getting a lot of attention in Rochester as well. As we reported, Governor Dayton is proposing $2.2 million in research money for Mayo Clinic. The money would go into researching CBD. It's a marijuana-derived oil that doesn't have THC, so it doesn't produce a "high". Some people believe it can help children suffering from seizures, and Mayo Clinic is now saying they're on board.

Huffington Post, New Guideline Says Marijuana Pills Can Ease Some Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms…Currently, treatments for MS symptoms include drugs, physical therapy and muscle relaxants. Exercising, resting, eating a nutritious diet and keeping stress low could also help to relieve some MS symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Post-BulletinMayo Clinic to head state pot study, With a push for legalizing medical marijuana stalled this session, Gov. Mark Dayton plans to ask for $2.2 million for research into its possible benefits, a spokeswoman said Friday. Mayo Clinic would head the study, which would focus on cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, a marijuana compound that does not produce a high. Additional coverageStar Tribune

More magazine, Double Mastectomies: What Price Peace of Mind?... When researchers at the Mayo Clinic followed up with breast-cancer survivors who had chosen to have a double mastectomy, a quarter of the women said the surgery had had a negative impact on their sexual relationships and their feelings of femininity.

Chicago Tribune, Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Comprehensive eye exam can help detect glaucoma in early stages by Arthur Sit, M.D., Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I'm 53 and have never had trouble with my eyesight, but my mother has glaucoma, which I know increases my risk of getting it. Is there anything I can do to prevent glaucoma? How often should I have an eye exam?

Chicago Tribune, Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Both too much and too little iron have potential to lead to health concerns by Jacqueline Thielen, M.D., Women's Health Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I'm a 40-year old woman, and I've noticed that many multivitamins for women contain iron. Should all women take extra iron? Is it safe to do so? What are the side effects of taking a daily iron supplement?

Miami Herald, Miami Hurricanes infielder David Thompson recuperating after surgery… Thompson, a Hurricanes sophomore and former star at Miami Westminster Christian, last week developed swelling in his right arm because of venous thoracic outlet syndrome. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is defined as “a group of disorders that occur when the blood vessels or nerves in the space between your collarbone and first rib (thoracic outlet) becomes compressed.

WQOW Eau Claire, U.S. Department of Transportation to require exams by certified medical examiners… Mayo Clinic Health System providers recently certified to perform physical examinations on drivers seeking commercial motor vehicle licenses include…

WKMG Orlando, Cancer risk: What the numbers mean, By Mayo Clinic News Network,  You might wonder about your chances of developing cancer. News reports can make it sound as if every day something is found to dramatically raise your risk. Sorting through all the information and figuring out what's valid can be tricky.

Washington Post,  A common problem few women want to talk about: Fibroids cause more than just pain. By Erin Marcus, By age 50, about seven out of 10 white women and more than eight out of 10 black women in the United States have a condition about which they may not even be aware: fibroids, or noncancerous tumors in the muscles of the uterus… “I told one patient [who routinely had to miss work because of heavy bleeding]: ‘If you had such severe diarrhea that you had to stay home for three days each month, wouldn’t you consider that a different level of problem or unacceptable?’ ” said Elizabeth Stewart, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Mayo Clinic and author of “Uterine Fibroids: The Complete Guide.”

Post-Bulletin, Research projects get funding by Jeff Kiger, Six joint research projects by Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota, including "smart socks" cardiac sensors and malaria-detecting lasers, were awarded a total of $4.5 million in state funding in January. The 11-year-old Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics selects a handful of projects proposed by pairs of researchers representing Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota each year to fund. "The point of this is to act as seed money to get something started," explained Robert Nellis of Mayo Clinic Public Affairs.

ChicagoNow, Rheumatoid arthritis is lupus' evil twin by Sabrina Nixon, …Rheumatoid arthritis was once looked upon as a disorder that affected the elderly. According to the Mayo Clinic, RA can occur at any age. Those who are past 40 years of age are at risk, although the disorder is more common in women than men.

HemOnc Today, Mayo Clinic, Yale join NCCN network, The National Comprehensive Cancer Network announced Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital have been named the newest NCCN member institutions… “NCCN and the Mayo Clinic share a mission to better the lives of cancer patients,” said Robert Diasio, MD, director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.

Tennis Magazine, Del Potro undergoes wrist surgery, will be out six months, Juan Martin del Potro has undergone wrist surgery and is expected to recover "on schedule," said a statement released by his management. "During the operation, it was discovered that the damage to his wrist ligaments was worse than expected based upon the high resolution imaging obtained before the surgery," said the statement from the Mayo Clinic, where the surgery was performed.

ATP World Tour, Del Potro Eager To Return As Soon As Possible, After undergoing surgery on his left wrist on Monday in Rochester, Juan Martin del Potro returned home to Buenos Aires on Thursday to begin his rehabilitation. "The toughest thing was to decide to have the surgery, but it was the best decision,” said del Potro, who was sidelined for the majority of 2010 after surgery on his right wrist, also performed by Dr. Berger at the Mayo Clinic. “The doctor had the chance to take a better look at the injury and he saw the ligaments were broken, so it was the best thing to do.

Pioneer Press, Twinsights: Terry Ryan pays a visit to Twins spring training, Terry Ryan made it to spring training after all…Ryan, who had surgery to remove a cancerous lump from his neck on Feb. 11 and began radiation treatments eight days ago, will only be in town through Saturday evening. He underwent a 10- to 15-minute radiation treatment on Friday morning at Mayo Clinic before flying south, and he plans to be there on Monday morning for the next session in what promises to be a six-week round of radiation treatment.

WCCO, Maya Moore Talks WNBA Title, Playing In Offseason, The Minnesota Lynx will have a bit of a new look in the upcoming season as the franchise unveiled new jerseys with Mayo Clinic logos on the front last week. As the Lynx enter a new season, their aim is to defend a WNBA title. They’ve won two out of the last three and have most of their roster from last season back, including star Maya Moore.

WDIV Detroit, 7 benefits of regular physical activity by Mayo Clinic News Network, Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than exercise. The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability.

CBS News, When moms exercise, so do kids by Jessica FirgirThis finding is in line with another report published last year in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, which said mothers are spending a greater amount of time on sedentary activities than they were 45 years ago.

WJXT Fla., Zumba: What are the benefits? By Mayo Clinic News Network, Zumba is a fitness program that combines Latin and international music with dance moves. Zumba routines incorporate interval training -- alternating fast and slow rhythms -- and resistance training.

Reuters, Israel's BrainStorm gets U.S. patent for stem cell technology, Israel-based BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics said on Monday the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted the company a key patent for its autologous stem cell technology. The patent covers BrainStorm's stem cells induced to secrete elevated levels of neurotrophic factors for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases…Separately, the company said it has signed a definitive agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to conduct a Phase II clinical trial of NurOwn in ALS, pending FDA approval. The other two clinical sites slated for the trial are the University of Massachusetts Memorial Hospital and Mayo Clinic.

Newsday (AP), California doctors speed up Valley fever diagnosis…Eight years ago, the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., began using a similar test to diagnose patients with a different strain of Valley fever. Doctors still use back-up testing to confirm immediate findings. Doctors in Fresno said they also will compare the DNA results with blood tests, but they are pleased they can quickly begin prescribing appropriate drugs for patients. Additional coverage: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Olympian Calif.

Red Wing Republican-Eagle, Pointing the way to health by Michelle Brun… That’s the idea behind COMPASS (care of mental, physical and substance-use syndromes), a collaborative care model that partners patients and primary care doctors with a team of experts to address the twofold punch of chronic disease and depression — which affects up to 15 percent of people with diabetes and heart disease. COMPASS is different from the usual care model because it means more frequent communication between the patient and doctors, said Sharon Learned, nurse care coordinator with Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing.

MinnPost, Joan Vorderbruggen: reawakening empty storefronts to their community potential, In the 1980s, Block E (between 7th and 6th Streets on Hennepin Avenue) was a little hotbed of Minneapolis bohemian street life: Rifle Sport Gallery and Moby’s marked the hipster-to-gangster range of that grubby and problematic but beloved piece of real estate. Then the city demolished the block, replacing it with ill-imagined and hopeful initiatives that never took root — until now. The Mayo Clinic recently announced plans to open a 20,000-square-foot sports medicine facility in old Block E, which will now be called Mayo Clinic Square.

Christian Post, Thankful Hearts Gather in Minnesota to Celebrate How God Has Transformed 1,000 Lives Through Children’s Heart Project, The Children's Heart Project family from across the U.S. joined together at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., on Thursday to give God the glory for providing life-saving surgery to 1,000 boys and girls…Throughout the evening, the speakers emphasized that Children's Heart Project is a family and that it takes everyone from the surgeons to the host families to help the children receive the care they need. "It's not a job of one person," Dr. Fischer said. "It's a project. It takes a group effort. It takes families. It takes a team."

Renal & Urology News, Cognitive Decline Linked to Midlife Diabetes, Midlife onset of diabetes and hypertension each may contribute to cognitive impairment later in life, according to research published online in Neurology. Rosebud O. Roberts, MBChB, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues reviewed medical records and conducted neuropsychological testing and magnetic resonance imaging for 1,437 participants (median age, 80 years) in a population-based cohort without dementia. The researchers investigated the associations of diabetes and hypertension with cognition and imaging biomarkers of brain pathology.

Herald-Dispatch W.V., Foundation awarded grant to study best ways to treat pain, combat drug abuse by Jean Hardiman, The Family Medicine Foundation of West Virginia has been awarded a three-year Benedum Foundation grant to develop a model of treating pain, based on the most effective practices from throughout the state. It's all in an effort to decrease opioid and prescription drug abuse in West Virginia, and will be created under the leadership of consultant Dr. Jeannie Sperry, who was recently named pain psychologist and clinical director at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, a world-leading pain center.

ABC News, 9 Foods Doctors Swear By, Dark, leafy greens, Donald D. Hensrud, M.D, M.P.H., chair of the Division of Preventive, Occupational, and Aerospace Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and author of "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook," “For me the best food is dark greens, such as arugula, spinach, and lettuces. They are very low in calories, very high in nutrients, and can be prepared in a variety of ways that taste great -- many different types of salads, pasta dishes, lasagna, sandwiches, pesto, soups, or even a spinach pie! Locally in the summer is best and I always feel good about eating them, there’s no downside.”

La Crosse Tribune, Joanne Hutson: Tips can make pizza a healthier pick by Joanne Hutson is a registered dietitian in the diabetes education department at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, Pizza is one of the most popular foods in American. In fact, according to pizza.com, 93 percent of Americans have eaten pizza in the past month, pizza accounts for more than 10 percent of all food service sales, and about 3 billion pizzas are sold each year in the United States.

Minnesota Monthly, The Fast Diet Recalibrates Relationships with Food by Mo Perry, Katherine Zeratsky, a Mayo Clinic dietitian, says mindfulness is a much more powerful (and sustainable) tool than willpower when it comes to recalibrating one’s relationship to food. “If you’re going to fight the willpower fight, be prepared to lose,” she says.

Smithsonian Magazine, New Rule: Just Drink When You're Thirsty by Rose Eveleth, How much water should you drink? Eight glasses a day? Ten? The Mayo Clinic says that men should drink thirteen cups "of total beverages" every day, and women nine. But, really, you should just drink when you’re thirsty. It turns out your body is pretty good at judging when it's low on water. In fact, drinking when you’re not thirsty might even confuse your brain.

Renal & Neurology News, Large Waist Size Ups Risk of Premature Mortality…James R. Cerhan, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues analyzed pooled data from 11 prospective cohort studies for 650,386 white adults, aged 20 to 83 years, to assess the association between waist circumference and mortality.

Florida Times Union, Play time is good medicine by Meredith Rutland, Like most instruments powered by breath, the harmonica strains the player. Long, powerful notes can squeeze untested lungs until they're gasping for air.  It didn't seem like the best instrument for a just-off-theoperating-table lung transplant patient like Larry Rawdon. He saw it as a challenge and, later, as way to help him breathe easier…Six years after he discovered harmonica playing as a breathing exercise, Rawdon now teaches lung transplant patients to play the instrument at a Mayo Clinic support group.

Post-Bulletin, Most of SE Minnesota fares well in state health report by Brett Boese, Southeast Minnesota is one of the healthiest regions in the state, according to a national County Health Report released Wednesday by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Not surprisingly, Olmsted County — home of the Mayo Clinic — is rated tops among Minnesota's 87 counties in "health factors," one of two lists in the study.

BuzzFeed, A Soldier Returned Home Early And Surprised His Dad, Mom, And Sister One By One by Maycie Thornton, When Mason Miller found out he would be returning from his tour in Afghanistan early, he decided to surprise his family with a homecoming they’d never forget. After arriving back in Arizona, Mason first headed to the hospital where his dad works (at Mayo Clinic).

Mi Diario, 5 consejos para dormir más rápido, En la última entrega de la revista científica Popular Science, titulada La ciencia del sueño (Science of sleep), se publicó una interesante conversación con Bernie Miller, supervisor en el Centro de Trastornos del Sueño de la Mayo Clinic de Arizona, EE.UU., en donde se plantean 5 tips para dormir mejor y más rápido. Hoy, los compartiré contigo en este breve pero más que útil recorrido.

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