November 18, 2016

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights

By Karl Oestreich

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

 

Washington Post
The one thing missing from the debate over Obamacare, according to a top doctor
by Carolyn Y. Johnson

President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act while preserving some key elements has triggered rampant speculation about the future of American health care — and plunged millions of patients who benefit from the law into deep uncertainty aboutWashington Post newspaper logo the future of their coverage. Little is known about the replacement plan that will ultimately emerge. But one voice angling to shape future policy is the leader of the Mayo Clinic, neurologist John Noseworthy. “Patients are getting frustrated and fearful and anxious that they can’t have access to the care that’s best suited for them,” Noseworthy said. “How can you have a great country if our citizens can’t get access to world class health care? It’s actually not a bad time to reassess.”

Reach: Weekday circulation of The Washington Post is more than 356,000. The Post's website receives more than 32.7 million unique visitors each month.

Additional coverage: Albuquerque Journal, The Journal

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

Contact: Duska Anastasijevic

 

Forbes
Are Naproxen and Ibuprofen Sometimes Risky? A Controversial Study Of Celebrex Raises Concerns
by Matthew Herper

A study released today may mean that the painkiller celecoxib, once sold under the brand name Celebrex, is safer than prescription doses of Forbes Pharma and Healthcare logoibuprofen or naproxen. That is if the study, which is already controversial, means anything at all. … “It’s fascinating that Celebrex is not worse, and may have a small trend to being better,” says Rekha Mankad, director of the cardio-rheumatology clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. “I as a cardiologist I would prefer that nobody take any of these drugs on a long-term basis ever.” Still she says, it’s better for patients to get non-steroidal drugs like these than opioids, which are often the next option.

Reach: Forbes magazine focuses on business and financial news with core topics that include business, technology, stock markets, personal finance, and lifestyle. The magazine is published twice each month and has more than 925,000 subscribers. Forbes Online receives more than 10.4 million unique visitors each month.

Additional coverage: CBS News

Context: Rekha Mankad, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic cardiologist. Dr. Mankad's interests include gender disparities that exist in regards to heart disease, the relationship between autoimmune diseases and coronary artery disease and gender differences in valvular heart disease.

Contact: Traci Klein

 

CNN
Crawling has some fitness experts going gaga
by Jacqueline Howard

On any given morning, as the sun peeks over the horizon, Danielle Johnson can be found crawling down the hallways of her Rochester, CNN LogoMinnesota, home. It may sound bizarre, but Johnson crawls every day to strengthen her core muscle groups. "You can crawl in many ways. You can crawl on your hands and knees. You can also prop up on your toes and just hover, one or two inches above the ground, which is really going to pull in those core muscles and work those muscles effectively," said Johnson, a physical therapist at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program.

Reach: Cable News Network (CNN) is a worldwide news and information network providing live, continuous coverage of news from around the globe, 24 hours a day. CNN online received more than 55 million unique visitors to its website each month.

Context: The Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program is redefining healthy living. It’s a comprehensive, whole-body wellness experience guided by medical research and evidence-based medicine to offer guests trusted solutions to improve quality of life.

Contact: Kelley Luckstein

 

Huffington Post
A Culture of Legacy
by Marcia McMullen

The recent passing of a cultural icon in health care revealed a rare glimpse into how a successful 150-year-old brand built on a clear mission and Huffington Post Logoexacting processes which ultimately became its culture. Dr. William J. Mayo’s clarity of mission, “The needs of the patient come first.” set into a motion a defining statement that would withstand not only time, but also cultural shifts and leadership changes. One of those change leaders, Sr. Generose Gervais, OSF, administrator and executive director emeritus, Saint Marys Campus-Mayo Clinic Hospital, recently passed away at the age of 97.

Reach: The Huffington Post attracts over 38.7 million monthly unique visitors.

Previous coverage in the October 21, 2016 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights

Context: Sister Generose Gervais, long-time administrator of Saint Marys Hospital and president of the Poverello Foundation, passed away peacefully recently in the hospital she served for many years. She was 97. Sister Generose will be remembered for her tireless work on behalf of patients and the staff of Saint Marys Hospital. Her hospital ministry focused on perpetuating the Franciscan legacy, specifically nurturing the values of respect, integrity, compassion, healing, teamwork, innovation, excellence and stewardship among all Mayo Clinic staff. “Sister Generose was known for her faith, her quiet leadership, her wise counsel, her dedication to patients and staff, her sense of humor and the example of service that she lived every day,” says John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic. “Mayo Clinic was blessed by her presence for more than 60 years.” More information about Sister Generose can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network and Mayo Clinic in the Loop.

Contact: Kelley Luckstein

 

New York Times
Q&A: A look at the cancer some believe linked to Vietnam War

…Bile duct cancer is unusual because it can be prevented in some cases. Pills can wipe out liver flukes early on, but the medicine is not effective in later stages after the worms have died and scarring has occurred. Surgery is possible in some cases, but the survivalThe New York Times newspaper logo rate is only about 30 percent for five years, said Dr. Gregory Gores, a gastroenterologist and executive dean of research at Mayo Clinic. Affected countries, such as Vietnam and Laos, have not conducted extensive research to determine the extent of the problem. The world’s highest rate of cholangiocarcinoma — about 84 new cases per 100,000 people — is found in northeastern Thailand where many people eat a popular raw fish dish.

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

Additional coverage: WTOP Washington, Star Tribune, Associated Press

Context: Gregory Gores, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist.  Dr. Gores research is focused on mechanisms of liver cell death, especially apoptosis. He employs disease-relevant models to unravel the fundamental cellular processes contributing to liver injury during cholestasis and fatty liver diseases. In addition, Dr. Gores' lab is also interested in the mechanisms by which cancer cells escape from cell death in order to undergo malignant transformation and metastases.

Contact: Sharon Theimer

ABC News, The Charmer by Chris Koentges — Robert Gagno is a pinball savant, but he wants so much more than just to be the world's best player. … They would spend years asking: What does he have? It is difficult to answer precisely, even today, because autism falls on a spectrum. Robert remembers his trip to the Mayo Clinic: "It was so cool getting an MRI just because you go inside this machine and you hear noises around you that sound like jackhammers. It sounds like jackhammers are going above you, below you, next to you, it's like there's jackhammers all over the place." … "He doesn't see the world like you and I see the world," says Dr. Andrew Reeves, the neurologist at Mayo. "He just can't. I can't see where the ball's going to be like two bounces down the road. I don't know about you, but I don't do that. But he does that."

BuzzFeed, The Truth About Whether Giving Your Baby Water Could Be Deadly by Mike Spohr — If you have a baby or are expecting one, you’ve probably stumbled across something on the internet warning you that giving water to your baby could be fatal… That’s a pretty alarming concept, so BuzzFeed spoke to registered dietitian Katie Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic, who told us five things parents should know about water and their babies.

Live Science, iPad Game Helps Treat Lazy Eye in Kids by Rachael Rettner — Kids with lazy eye — or amblyopia, the medical term for the condition — may improve their vision by playing a specially designed iPad game, a new study finds…Children with lazy eye don't see as well with one of their eyes as they do with the other, and this weaker eye may wander from side to side, according to the Mayo Clinic. About 3 percent of U.S. children have a lazy eye.

Today.com, Baby born with ectopia cordis is doing well at 20 months old by Gabrielle Frank — In November 2014, Caitlin and Brian Veitz went to their OB-GYN in Bismarck, North Dakota, for what they thought would be a routine, 20-week check up. They left the appointment absolutely terrified. Their doctor diagnosed their daughter Kieran with ectopia cordis, a rare condition where the heart is outside of the baby's chest…Their doctors in Fargo referred the couple to Dr. Joseph Dearani at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Three weeks later, they went there to meet him. "No one has a lot of experience (with ectopia cordis) — a pediatric surgeon may see this once in their career," said Dearani. "We didn't have specific experience with this diagnosis, but had a fair amount of experience with conjoined twins, where sometimes you end up with a heart that is not completely in the chest cavity."

Today.com, After a freak accident and near-death experience, 10-year-old girl smiles again by A. Pawlowski — Ten-year-old Amber-Rose Kordiak is smiling again, a feat that seemed impossible after an accident that left her face sliced in half…In December of 2015, the family began treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Surgeons there used a 3-D model of her skull to plan Amber-Rose’s facial reconstruction, which included an 18-hour surgery in July. “It’s a complicated injury,” said Dr. Uldis Bite, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who is leading the team helping Amber-Rose. “She’s had multiple operations before coming here, some of which have not worked out as well as the people doing them had hoped.”

Prevention, 5 Deadliest Diseases That Aren't Heart Disease Or Cancer by Markham Heid — Viruses like hepatitis, a heavy drinking habit, and some other disorders or infections can all lead to chronic liver disease, according to resources from Johns Hopkins Medicine. So can obesity and some blood diseases, says Sharonne Hayes, MD, a professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic. While you can't do much to protect yourself from some of those risk factors, Hayes says watching your weight, eating right, exercising, and keeping your alcohol intake to one drink per day are all proven ways to protect your liver from disease.

SELF, Depression Rates Are Climbing In Teenagers And Young Adults by Korin Miller — According to the Mayo Clinic, people are considered clinically depressed if they have five or more symptoms of the mental illness over at least a two-week period. Those include a depressed mood, feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, low energy, a change in sleep patterns, over- or under-eating, low self-esteem, low self-worth, and a lack of interest in things that used to bring you pleasure.

NPR, Want To Prevent The Flu? Skip The Supplements, Eat Your Veggies by Katherine Hobson — When you're exposed to a virus like the influenza virus, a number of factors determine whether you actually get sick, and if so, how severely. One is pre-existing immunity, either from being previously exposed to a similar strain or through a vaccine, says Gregory Poland, a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America and a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic…In addition to a healthful diet and sufficient sleep, Poland recommends exercise, staying up to date on flu and pertussis vaccinations, staying away from people who are obviously sick, and washing your hands. Additional coverage: Maine Public

U.S. News & World Report, When Are Children’s Nightmares Symptoms? by Michael Schroeder — Though parents wish their children sweet dreams, most kids have occasional nightmares. These scary dreams occur during REM -- or rapid eye movement -- sleep, and children often recall at least part of the frightening or unpleasant dream upon awakening. Some adults, too, have nightmares, though it's less common than in kids. Sometimes the fix may be exceedingly simple, like turning off scary shows or videos kids probably shouldn't have been watching before bed anyway. Children tend to incorporate into their dreams whatever they may have experienced before bedtime, points out Dr. Suresh Kotagal, a pediatric neurologist and sleep specialist at the Center for Sleep Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

U.S. News & World Report, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: More Than Just Stretchy Skin and Bendy Joints by Anna Medaris-Miller — When other kids tripped, they got back up. When Lara Bloom tripped, she got sent to the hospital. When other kids opened a jar of mayonnaise, they spread the contents on their sandwiches. When Bloom opened a jar of mayonnaise, she fractured her wrist. When other kids asked why she was always on crutches, Bloom wished she knew. … "Hypermobility is just a symptom, and when you tell someone they have EDS, unfortunately that leads to a lot of other problems," says Dr. Brad Landry, a pediatric rehabilitation specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Huffington Post Canada, Kidney Stones: How Do You Prevent And Get Rid of Them? by Joy D’Souza — The pain experienced from passing a kidney stone is said to be so excruciating some have even compared it to child birth. According to the National Kidney Foundation, it is estimated that one in ten people will have a kidney stone at some time in their lives and each year, more than half a million people go to emergency rooms for kidney stone problems. … In a new study published by the Mayo Clinic, researchers found that people who developed kidney stones are more susceptible to chronic kidney disease.

Huffington Post, 4 Things I Wish I’d Known Before My Daughter’s Concussion by Erris Langer Klapper — This past summer, my teenager was accidentally elbowed in the nose, causing a fracture as well as a concussion. Although she complained for weeks of headaches, the doctors repeatedly assured her that headaches were a common symptom of nasal fractures. As her nose healed, it became apparent that something bigger was amiss, and she was diagnosed with a concussion... The Mayo Clinic defines a concussion as “a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions. Effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination.”

Huffington Post, The 9 Sneaky Things That Are Causing Your Knee Pain by Emily Gurnon — Tendonitis: Tendonitis is inflammation of a tendon, the fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bones. When it happens in the knee, it is sometimes referred to as jumper’s knee, and older people who run, bicycle or dance may be especially prone. As we age, the tendons get weaker and stiffer. But you don’t have to be an athlete to experience it. Repetitive motion in activities such as gardening can contribute to tendinitis as well. The condition causes pain just outside the joint, according to the Mayo Clinic. People suffering from it may feel the pain during running or walking quickly.

Business Insider, A biotech startup that aims to rid our bodies of cells related to aging just got a big investment by Lydia Ramsey — A biotech startup that wants to clear cells related to aging from our bodies just got $116 million to test out how its technology might work in people. Unity Biotechnology, which came out of stealth mode in February, has been studying a particular type of cells and their relationship to aging. A February 2016 study published in Nature in particular sparked a lot of interest on senescent cells. In it, researchers from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine purged mice of their senescent cells twice a week. The mice that had these cells removed ended up with healthier hearts and kidneys and fewer cataracts than the mice that were the same age but didn't have their senescent cells cleared.

HealthDay, Daily Can of Soda Boosts Odds for Prediabetes, Study Finds by Dennis Thompson — The research team found those who drank the highest amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages -- six 12-ounce servings a week, on average -- had a 46 percent higher risk of prediabetes, if researchers didn't weigh other factors. The American Beverage Association counters that sugar in beverages isn't the sole risk factor for prediabetes. "Credible health organizations such as the Mayo Clinic note that the risk factors for prediabetes include factors such as weight, inactivity, race and family history," the industry group said in a statement. Additional coverage: US News & World Report

Everyday Health, As a Nonsmoker, I Didn’t Even Know I Could Get Lung Cancer by Linda Wortman — In early 2008, at age 58, I was beginning an ordinary day of work when I received a phone call that changed the course of my life. For 35 years, I had been working as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines (now part of Delta), and I was preparing to depart for Amsterdam when I got a call from my physician ordering me to return to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where I’d been not long before for a CT scan of my chest.

Medscape, Preserved Hippocampal Volume a Marker for DLB? by Fran Lowry — Preserved hippocampal volumes appear to be a sign of increased risk of developing dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), new research suggests. "Shrinkage in the hippocampus is an early sign of Alzheimer's disease, but we have found that this region of the brain is preserved in people who develop dementia with Lewy bodies," lead author, Kejal Kantarci, MD, from Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, told Medscape Medical News.

ATTN:, A New Study Reveals Something Interesting About Memory and Gender by Laura Donovan — A new study published in The Journal of The North American Menopause Society found that middle-aged women had better memory capabilities than their male counterparts … Dr. Clifford Jack, who researches brain imaging and dementia at the Mayo Clinic, co-authored a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association in May 2015, finding that male memory is worse than female memory. Memory skills decreased for men and women after they hit 30 years old, but women still showed higher levels of memory capability than men. Jack and his colleagues came to this conclusion after studying 1,246 cognitively normal individuals between the ages of 30-95. "We see worse memory and worse brain volumes in men than women from [age] 40s onward," he told CNN.

Fierce Biotech, Illumina, Mayo Clinic unite to ramp up next-gen genetic disorder testing by Amirah Al Idrus — Diagnostics giant Illumina is teaming up with Mayo Clinic to speed up the latter’s delivery of genetic and genomic expertise on inherited diseases. Mayo Clinic will test Illumina's next-gen tools and provide feedback to help Illumina in its ongoing product development. Illumina's goal is to create an informatics system and knowledge base that can improve and automate the interpretation of genetics, according to a statement. To do this, the pair will combine their services and software and develop new tools to improve reporting workflows for Mayo Clinic’s research into inherited diseases. Additional coverage: GenomeWeb, com, Technology Networks, San Diego Business Journal

Baltimore Sun, Bus driver licensing depends on voluntary disclosure of seizures by Scott Dance — The medical examination that school bus drivers must pass before being permitted to transport children would not reveal a seizure disorder unless the person voluntarily disclosed it or showed signs of a neurological problem, said doctors familiar with the exam. Passenger safety relies on an assumption that drivers are honest, said Dr. Clayton Cowl, chairman of the division of preventive, occupational and aerospace medicine at the Mayo Clinic. The medical exams are required of anyone operating a commercial vehicle, and aircraft pilots and ship captains are subject to similar vetting.

Becker’s Hospital Review, Mayo Clinic combines ventures, business development into one department by Emily Rappleye — Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic is merging its Office of Business Development and Mayo Clinic Ventures into one Business Development Department, reports the Post-Bulletin. This new department will work with physicians, scientists and administrators to manage the organization's partnerships, business opportunities and technological innovations, according to the report. The department will be led by Jim Rogers, who previously oversaw Mayo Clinic Ventures, according to the report. Mr. Rogers, who has overseen Mayo Ventures since 2012, will work alongside Clark Otley, MD, who will be the medical director of the department, according to the report.

Silicon Republic, Lorna Ross: Innovation is all about timing, not good ideas by Colm Gorey — Dublin native Lorna Ross had no plans to get into healthcare as a designer, but as she said on stage at Inspirefest 2016, design is all about thinking of the future – but in a very optimistic way. Having started her studies working with fashion and textiles at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ross moved to London, where she shifted from the physical to the digital, to develop her skills at industrial and computer-related design at the Royal College of Art. Fast forward a number of years later and she is now the director of design at the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation – one of the world’s most prestigious medical institutions – where she uses her design experience to benefit clinical practices.

MedPage Today, Botox-Type Drugs Can Treat Many Eye Conditions by Randy Dotinga — Botox and its wrinkle-fixing sibling drugs have gained a foothold as treatments for conditions as varied as headaches and incontinence. This week, an ophthalmologist told an audience of optometrists that the medications can also treat an impressively long list of ophthalmic conditions, even severe ones that may leave patients virtually blind. "This is really where you can change people's lives in regards to some of the problems they have, especially the dystonias, these involuntary sustained repetitive muscle contractions. They can be very devastating," said Leonid Skorin Jr., OD, DO, MS, an ophthalmologist with the Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea, Minn. He spoke during a presentation at the American Academy of Optometry (AAOPT) annual meeting.

MPR, 'The Art of Waiting': What is your fertility story? — In "The Art of Waiting," Boggs shares her meditations on pregnancy, fertility and childlessness, confronting everything from the natural world to William Shakespeare to pop culture, and sharing stories of couples wrestling with and finding peace in their own reproductive realities and decisions. Boggs joined MPR News host Kerri Miller to talk about her own experience with IVF. Dr. Jani Jensen, an infertility and reproductive endocrinology specialist at Mayo Clinic also added her perspective to the conversation.

KTTC, Medical machine poses risks during open heart surgery by Francisco Almenara-Dumur — During an open heart surgery, controlling the body temperature of the patient and medicine is imperative. Since the fifties, hospitals used ice baths to achieve that. In 2012 a new method similar to air conditioning was developed. "These are devices that have a compressor and a fan and instead of having to load ice into them, they cool on their own, and they cool very efficiently," Dr. Brad Narr, Chief of Anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic, said. These heater coolers have made surgeries more efficient and reduced manual labor involved. It seems they may be doing more harm than good. "Those devices have now begun to be associated with very unusual infections," Narr said. Additional coverage: Becker’s Hospital Review

Post-Bulletin, Booming growth at Mayo Clinic is not new by Jeff Kiger — In the era awash in the dramatic Destination Medical Center predictions of historic growth, it's easy to forget that Mayo Clinic has been rapidly growing for many decades. Rummaging through old newspaper clipping files this week, it was enlightening to read many splashy DMC-like headlines in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s over photos of downtown construction projects.

Post-Bulletin, Clinic to present play about physician stress by Tom Weber — "Side Effects," a play about physician burnout, will be presented at 6 p.m. Nov. 17 at Geffen Auditorium in Mayo Clinic's Gonda Building. The play features Michael Milligan as Dr. William MacQueen, who is dealing with deteriorating health of his father and the increasing demands of his medical practice. Milligan is a playwright and actor who has appeared on Broadway. He also wrote and performed the drama "Mercy Killers" in 2015 at Mayo Clinic.

Post-Bulletin, More norovirus outbreaks reported by Jeff Kiger — Olmsted County Public Health is investigating several more possible outbreaks of norovirus in the Rochester area…Dr. Pritish Tosh, an infectious disease expert researcher at Mayo Clinic, said people need to stay home to keep from spreading the disease. "If your child becomes sick, the responsible thing is to not send to school or daycare until they are symptom-free," he said. "I realize that may be easier said than done." Additional coverage: KAAL

Post-Bulletin, Academy: Babies should sleep in parent’s bedroom by Brett Boese — The American Academy of Pediatrics unveiled its updated safe infant sleeping recommendations Oct. 24 at a national conference in San Francisco. The biggest change calls for parents to bring the crib or bassinet into their bedroom at night as a way to prevent sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. … Anita DeAngelis, Mayo's perinatal education supervisor, says the new recommendations are building upon the "Back to Sleep" campaign of the 1990s, which urged parents to have their babies sleep face-up. "Every parent that's in the hospital receives education from the nurse who is caring for the baby, hands-on as well as written materials," DeAngelis said. "It's seen as a very high priority.

Post-Bulletin, Hearing loss that occurs gradually is common, but baseline check is importantDEAR MAYO CLINIC: I'm 61 and have noticed my hearing is not what it used to be. Do I need to see my doctor, or is it OK to wait until I think I need hearing aids? Don't wait. Make an appointment to have your hearing evaluated now. Most health care providers recommend a baseline hearing check at 50 and then regularly scheduled follow-up assessments after that based on your individual needs…Gayla Poling, Ph.D., Audiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester.

KIMT, A local look at the opioid and heroin crisis by DeeDee Stiepan — On Thursday, the Partnership for a Drug Free Iowa announced a “listening post tour” across the state that will bring people together to talk about the impact of opioid addiction on a local level…An Emergency Physician with Mayo Clinic also provided insight based on what he sees on a daily basis. Dr. Casey Clements told the group that on an any given night, an average of three people will come into his emergency room intoxicated with meth. While many other speakers reiterated through the night that no one is pointing any fingers or placing any blame, Dr. Clements admits the medical community is not completely innocent. He says than 80% of heroin users started by abusing prescription pain medicine.

Medical Xpress, Research sheds light on why some rheumatoid arthritis patients respond poorly to biologics by Mayo Clinic — A Mayo Clinic study is shedding light on why some rheumatoid arthritis patients respond poorly when treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, part of a class of drugs called biologics. It comes down to proteins: specifically, a protein in the body that drives inflammation in the disease, the research found. The discovery is an important step toward better personalizing rheumatoid arthritis treatment, helping to avoid trial and error when prescribing medications. The findings were presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in San Francisco.

AZ Big Media, Daniel Von Hoff named a ‘Giant of Cancer Care’ by AZ Business Leaders — Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, Physician-In-Chief and Distinguished Professor at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), has been selected as a 2016 Giant of Cancer Care. … “It is indeed an honor to be recognized along with so many other fine physicians and researchers devoted to improving the lives of people,” said Dr. Von Hoff, who has been instrumental in developing numerous new cancer treatments. He also is Chief Scientific Officer at HonorHealth Research Institute, and Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic.

Democrat & Chronicle, Be prepared when Alzheimer’s care is part of the holidays by Susan Adams-Price — All of the chaos, preparation and travel can bring frustration and anxiety that clouds what the holidays are all about — celebration, gratitude and being with loved ones. And for caregivers, the effects of Alzheimer’s or dementia can complicate gatherings for families, as well as the person coping with the disease. … Amid the many hectic duties of being a caregiver, it may seem hard to dedicate time to maintaining your personal happiness. Angela Lunde with Mayo Clinic Health strongly urges Alzheimer’s caregivers to try and set aside 15 minutes a day to “turn your attention inward and focus your mind on the present moment.” Meditation can provide a much-needed mental break and help prevent dwelling on negative thoughts.

News4Jax, Transplant recipient uses new heart to spread love to others by Francesca Amiker — One year after a mother of five received a heart transplant that saved her life, she hopes to share her new heart by becoming a licensed foster parent. News4Jax has been following the story of Laquisha Mathis, who was told in February 2015 that she only had six months to live after being diagnosed with cardiomypothy and congestive heart failure. Mathis would pray daily, hoping doctors would find her a new heart before her old one gave out. Several months later, doctors told her that a donor heart became available and Mathis underwent successful surgery at the Mayo Clinic last November.

BBC News, The proven health trackers saving thousands of lives by Matthew Wall — AliveCor's recently launched Kardia Band, which integrates with Apple's smart watch, takes an electrocardiogram (ECG) of your heart, measuring its electrical activity as it pumps away…AliveCor is collaborating with the Mayo Clinic in the US to see if other useful indicators can be discerned from the electrical pulse patterns generated by our hearts. For example, they may be able to detect whether you have too much or too little potassium in your system, a mineral that plays a key role in keeping your heart beating in a normal rhythm.

Latin Post, Goodbye Alzheimers? Antibody-based treatment may cure dementia by Anna Gean — Currently, there are fewer than 30 million people worldwide diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's, but it seems that the figure gets higher each year. …In addition, a neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Ronald Petersen stated that "We really need a success," cause after so many failures they only have one clinical win "would galvanize people's interest that this isn't a hopeless disorder." The fifth biggest cause of death in high-income countries is Dementia and it is the most expensive because patients need to have a constant and costly care for years yet the annual funding for dementia in the year 2015 was only around $700 million, as reported by Nature.

MobiHealthNews, Mayo Clinic study shows voice-analyzing app may be useful in heart disease diagnosis by Heather Mack — that there may be a relationship between voice characteristics and heart disease, meaning that doctors might someday use voice-analyzing software as a non-invasive, complementary diagnostic tool. Today, the Mayo Clinic released results of a study carried out with Beyond Verbal, an Israel-based voice analytics company, that used a smartphone app to measure their voice signal prior to a coronary angiograph. Additional coverage: Fierce Biotech

Health24, Caffeine and its effect on your central nervous system — Caffeine, or 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine as it’s known scientifically, is one of the most popular stimulants in the world – it’s found everywhere and remains unregulated. But before you reach for that third or fourth cup of coffee of the day, read on to find out how it affects your central nervous system....The Mayo Clinic recommends about 400 mg of caffeine per day for healthy adults. So like everything in life, moderation is key.

Medical Daily, Endometrial Cancer Symptoms: What To Know About Female Reproductive Cancer After Journalist Gwen Ifill’s Death by Elana Glowatz — Gwen Ifill was known in life for breaking down barriers in journalism for other women — particularly women of color — and in death she may help women further by raising awareness of endometrial cancer. PBS announced today that Ifill, the 61-year-old co-anchor of PBS NewsHour, died “following several months of cancer treatment... The Mayo Clinic says endometrial cancer can often be detected early on — increasing the chance for survival — because “it frequently produces abnormal vaginal bleeding, which prompts women to see their doctors.” That abnormal bleeding can be between periods or after menopause. Other symptoms include pelvic pain and an “abnormal, watery or blood-tinged discharge from your vagina.”

WDSE PBS Duluth, How to Quit Smoking When You Believe You Can't — Did you know that smoking affects you mental health as well as your physical health? And not in a good way. Hear from the Mayo Clinic’s Director of Nicotine Dependence Center who joins me to discuss why you should believe you can stop smoking even if you have tried and failed several times before.

Cure, MPN Expert On How New Guidelines Will Affect Disease Treatment by Katie Kosko — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recently issued new guidelines for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). They specifically outline diagnosis, treatment and supportive care strategies for myelofibrosis (MF).Rubin Mesa, M.D., professor of Hematology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, explained the changes and what lies ahead in the treatment of MPNs during a presentation at the 34th Annual Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium™. In an interview with CURE, Mesa provided an overview of the new NCCN guidelines and what they mean for MPNs are managed and treated.

New York Daily News, Your voice can tell if you have heart disease — study by Nicole Lyn Pesce — This isn’t just talk — science is getting closer to using your voice to diagnose whether you have heart disease and other disorders. The Mayo Clinic teamed up with Beyond Verbal, a voice analytics company, to identify links between vocal features and coronary artery disease. CAD is the most common heart disease, where plaque builds up in the arteries, causing heart attacks. The study’s diagnostic tool found that a single biomarker in the voice signal was associated with a 19-fold increased likelihood of CAD.

ABC15 Arizona, Mayo Clinic shares new treatment options for atrial fibrillation — Dr. Yang, Mayo Clinic Cardiologist, joined the hosts of Sonoran Living Live to discuss. Find out about more about heart disease and treatment by joining ABC15's Rally for Red, and from Mayo Clinic staff members each month on Sonoran Living Live.

Healthcare IT News, Privacy and Security Forum Boston: What to expect by Tom Sullivan — Our team of reporters and editors interviewed nearly a dozen of the more than 50 speakers ahead of the conference to glean insights about today's most pressing security issues… Mayo Clinic associate dean of clinical practices Mark Parkulo, MD and his colleague JoEllen Frain, senior manager in Mayo’s office of information security, recommended that anti-phishing efforts must be routine, relevant and consistent. Ignore those three tips? Don't even bother expecting to be successful.

MSN, Mayo Clinic shares new treatment options for atrial fibrillation — Interview with Dr. Eric Yang, Mayo Clinic Cardiologist.

Twin Cities Business, Mayo Leaders Call For New Health Records Standards by Don Jacobson — Work now being done by Mayo and others has brought us to the brink of having genetic information about patients available to caregivers at the bedside, where they can use it to tailor day-to-day decisions about what kinds of drugs would best benefit them against cancer and many other ailments. But because there are few standards for representing those complex datasets on electronic health records (EHRs), the goal of applying precision medicine on a large scale will be hard to reach unless major changes are made in how those health records are kept. That’s the take presented by the Mayo Clinic authors of an article published late last month in the medical records industry trade journal For the Record.

KEYC Mankato, How To Prevent The Flu This Year — Interview with Heather Stehr, R.N., Employee Health – Mankato Hospital.

KEYC Mankato, New Medical Technology At The Mayo Clinic Health System In Mankato Changes Patient's Life — Interview with patient and Rhea Atherton, Physical Therapist, Mankato Specialty Clinic.

KEYC Mankato, World Diabetes Day at MCHS Mankato by Angela Rogers — Mayo Clinic Heath System Mankato is holding two free educational sessions for World Diabetes Day, and November is also Diabetes Awareness Month. More than 29 million Americans have diabetes. "But the day to day things that you have to do to treat diabetes are all done by the patient. So that patient has to be educated as far as what do they need to do to take care of their diabetes. And this is just an opportunity for them to get that education, to talk with others that have diabetes, to talk with others in the industry, and to talk to their healthcare providers," Dr. Kristi Stemsrud, an endocrinology physician, said.

Mankato Free Press, 5K to benefit boys, ROTC programs by Brian Arola — A YMCA program for boys is joining with the Minnesota State University ROTC on an upcoming 5K fundraiser. The Stride and Veterans 5K is set for Saturday at MSU. The groups held different runs last year, but decided to combine this year and split the proceeds. … Kate Cox, clinical social worker in the pediatric and adolescent clinic at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, said her husband, two sons and she will also be running next Saturday. As both a parent and a social worker, she’s seen the benefits of the Stride program. “Our clinic is so much better when we can collaborate with our community resources to help our kids do the best and be the best,” she said.

Red Wing Republican Eagle, Program to offer tips on coping with grief during the holidays by Michael Brun — Navigating the holiday season can be stressful even in the best of times. Following the death of a loved one, the holidays can be devastating. Mayo Clinic Health System’s Hospice department is offering a free program to help mourners cope with grief during the holidays. … “The holidays are wrapped up in expectations,” according to Kelley Adelsman, a spiritual care coordinator at Mayo Clinic Health System.

WEAU Eau Claire, Keep your waistline 'in line' for new year by Courtney Everett — The approaching Thanksgiving and holiday season often means lots of treats & can easily trigger overeating. Health Educator Katie Johnson with Mayo Clinic Health System discusses having healthy and tasty options available, to help reduce calories and keep your waistline "in line" for the New Year.

BYU Radio, Top of Mind with Julie Rose: Risk of Chronic Health Problems After Removing Ovaries — Guest: Dr. Walter Rocca, MD, Mayo Clinic, Ovarian cancer is so deadly that doctors sometimes encourage women in need of a hysterectomy to have their ovaries removed as a precautionary measure. Women who test positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation, tied to breast and ovarian cancer, have been known to remove their ovaries as a preemptive strike. The actress Angelina Jolie is a prominent example. A team of researchers at the Mayo Clinic have now concluded that having both ovaries removed carries significant risks for other diseases and that women under 50 should not have them removed unless they’re at high-risk for ovarian cancer.

Scientific American, Why the FDA Wants More Control over Some Lab Tests by Charles Schmidt — Because the FDA does not have the resources to oversee all the LDTs that have come to market in recent years, the agency plans to divide them into three categories, based on the likelihood that a misleading or incorrect result from a particular test could cause substantial harm...Even this targeted approach worries many industry leaders and some professional medical societies, including the American Medical Association. “It really depends on how the FDA chooses to define high risk, and that currently isn't clear,” says Curtis Hanson, chief medical officer at Mayo Medical Laboratories in Rochester, Minn., which conducts 25 million lab tests a year. “High-risk tests could amount to between 1 and 10 percent of LDTs on the market today. How is the FDA going to review and find the rare cases where you have problems and do that in an efficient way that doesn't slow progress?”

WEAU Eau Claire, Drug proven to prevent, reduce heart disease by Noelle Anderson — For the first time, a new drug has been proven to shrink plaque that is clogging arteries, potentially giving a way to undo some of the damage of heart disease. Mayo Clinic in Eau Claire along with hospitals all across the nation have been using the cholesterol lowering drug Repatha that was approved by the FDA back in August of 2015. “We've seen dramatic reductions in cholesterol, and what this new study adds, is good evidence that we can actually make plaques, hardening of the arteries inside the coronary arteries, get smaller in time through an aggressive drug treatment,” says Dr. Andrew Calvin, Cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Health Systems.

Silicon Republic, What is the future of design thinking? Probably VR by Luke Maxwell — Given three options of consumer-based, artistic-based or technology-based ideas, the “exciting” and “accessible” reality of today’s industry makes room for all. That’s according to a panel of experts at Inspirefest earlier this year, who discussed everything from college graduates to cutting edge, immersive hospital experiences. Journalist Nellie Bowles sat down Alan Siegel, president and CEO of Siegelvision; Mark Curtis, chief client officer and co-founder of Fjord; Lorna Ross, director of design at Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation; and Lara Hanlon, designer at IBM Studios, to hear their views.

Good4Utah, What Do You Know About Epilepsy? by Nicea Degering — Did you know 1 in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy in their lifetime? Mayo Clinic spoke on Midday about epilepsy in honor of November being National Epilepsy Awareness Month. They Mayo Clinic says that an estimated 3 million Americans and 65 million people worldwide currently live with epilepsy. Epilepsy it is not a mental illness.

Arizona Daily Sun, It’s sometimes called ‘the winter blues’ — Mayo Clinic Health System psychiatrist William Weggel says, “There are many people who experience winter blues. However, there are those who are experiencing more serious symptoms. The good news is that in most cases, we are able to find a treatment plan to help the patient through the winter months.”

Medical Daily, 6 Early Signs of Liver Damage: Symptoms To Know by Elana Glowatz — The Mayo Clinic lists liver disease as an underlying cause of itchy skin, as well as kidney failure, thyroid problems and cancer. “The itching usually affects the whole body. The skin may look otherwise normal except for the repeatedly scratched areas.”

Presna Libre, Ante los primeras molestias deben tratarse las hemorroides — Pero, ¿qué son las hemorroides? El médico John Pemberton, cirujano de colon y recto, de Mayo Clinic de Rochester, Minnesota, explica que las almohadillas hemorroidales son parte de la anatomía natural del cuerpo en el conducto anal y ayudan a que las heces se queden dentro y a controlar la continencia. El problema con las hemorroides surge cuando se hinchan y abultan las venas en esas almohadillas.

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