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

 

Chicago Tribune
Is bone broth the next hot health trend?
by Alison Bowen

Jason Ewoldt, a dietitian at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program in Rochester, Minn., said patients often ask him about something new they've read about. People often think, he said, "if a little bit's good, maybe a lot is better." But far from assuming what's best is tripling your bone broth intake after reading about its benefits, he said, "that's not necessarily the case." He said some people consider bone broth a magic elixir, crediting it with improving joint function and gut health.

Reach:  The Chicago Tribune has a daily circulation of more than 384,000 and a weekend circulation of more than 686,000.

Context: Jason Ewoldt is a dietitian at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, which 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

 

HealthDay
Was football safer back in the day?

In a finding that suggests football used to be a less dangerous sport, a small study shows that men who played in high school in the 1950s and 1960s may not be at increased risk for dementia or memory problems…"What we can say is, for that era, football did not increase the risks of neurodegenerative disease compared with other sports," said senior researcher Dr. Rodolfo Savica, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

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

Additional coverage: NWI Times, Healthline, KTTC, WebMD, KIMT, CBS News, Medical News Today, WTAJ Pennsylvania, MSN

Context: A Mayo Clinic study published online recently in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that varsity football players from 1956 to 1970 did not have an increased risk of degenerative brain diseases compared with athletes in other varsity sports. The researchers reviewed all the yearbooks and documented team rosters for Mayo High School and Rochester High School, now called John Marshall High School. The high school football players were compared with non-football playing athletes who were swimmers, basketball players and wrestlers. More information on the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact: Susan Barber Lindquist

 

Reuters
Rural U.S. babies hardest hit by opiate addiction at birth
by Lisa Rapaport

These babies may have central nervous system issues like seizures and tremors, gastrointestinal problems and feeding difficulties, breathing challenges, as well as unstable body temperatures. “It is clear that neonatal abstinence syndrome is a growing problem across the country,” said Dr. William Carey, a pediatric researcher at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center in Rochester, Minnesota. “While some state-level data has suggested that neonatal abstinence syndrome disproportionately affected rural counties, this is the first study to show that rural communities throughout America are particularly affected by this epidemic,” Carey, who wasn’t involved in the study, added by email.

Reach: Reuters has 196 editorial bureaus in 130 countries and 2,400 editorial staff members and covers international news, regional news, politics, social issues, health, business, sports and media.

Additional coverage: Yahoo! Sports

Context: William Carey, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic pediatrician with Mayo Clinic Children's Center. Mayo Clinic Children's Center pediatric and adolescent medicine specialists provide comprehensive care for the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of diseases and conditions.

Contact: Kelley Luckstein

 

Tonic
The First Legit Study of Stem Cells and Arthritis Had Surprising Results
by Evy Pitt Stoller

According to a study led by the Mayo Clinic's Shane Shapiro, an orthopedic and sports medicine physician, the recent use of bone marrow stem cells in painful, arthritic joints has dramatically increased, while exactly how well the treatment works—or how safe it is—has yet to be made clear. "So many of these therapies are going on without the science to back it up," he says. "We weren't comfortable offering this treatment to patients until we or someone else had studied it in a rigorous fashion."

Reach: Tonic is a website hosted by Vice covering health and wellness, science, health issues, world health news and other topics.

Context: Researchers at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Florida have conducted the world’s first prospective, blinded and placebo-controlled clinical study to test the benefit of using bone marrow stem cells, a regenerative medicine therapy, to reduce arthritic pain and disability in knees. The researchers say such testing is needed because there are at least 600 stem cell clinics in the U.S. offering one form of stem cell therapy or another to an estimated 100,000-plus patients, who pay thousands of dollars, out of pocket, for the treatment, which has not undergone demanding clinical study.“Our findings can be interpreted in ways that we now need to test — one of which is that bone marrow stem cell injection in one ailing knee can relieve pain in both affected knees in a systemic or whole-body fashion,” says the study’s lead author, Shane Shapiro, M.D., a Mayo Clinic orthopedic physician. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact: Kevin Punsky

 

Twin Cities Business
Mayo Researchers Land Patent For Non-Invasive Pancreatic Cancer Test
by Don Jacobson

The same Mayo Clinic research team that developed the Cologuard DNA-based stool test for colorectal cancer has also been working on similar technology for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. After encouraging early studies, they have now landed a patent for their methods. Dr. David Ahlquist, a Mayo Clinic medical professor and consultant in its division of gastroenterology and hepatology, led the team that, late in the last decade, developed the genomic science behind the Cologuard test, which Mayo licensed in 2009 to Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ: EXAS) of Madison, Wisconsin. Now, in a patent dated November 29, Ahlquist and Mayo colleagues Dr. John Kisiel, William R. Taylor, Tracy Yab and Douglas Mahoney were also granted rights to their method of “Detecting Neoplasm,” through which bio-samples, such as those collected from stool, can be analyzed for pancreatic cancer-related DNA biomarkers.

Reach: Twin Cities Business is a monthly business magazine with a circulation of more than 30,000 and more than 74,000 readers. The magazine also posts daily business news on its website.

Context:  David Ahlquist M.D. is a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and co-inventor of the Cologuard test.

Contact: Joe Dangor

 

ActionNewsJax
Air Force veteran hopes to meet donor's family after lung transplant in Jacksonville — A Georgia Air Force veteran got a double lung transplant at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville hours after his wife was told he was going to die… An hour after doctors said he wasn’t going to make it, two healthy lungs became available. The 21-year-old woman’s lungs were a match for Terry Junn. Doctors flew them into Mayo Clinic from Mississippi and Terry Junn went into surgery.

Reach: WAWS-TV/30 is the Fox affiliate. WTEV-TV/47 is the CBS affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida.

Related coverage: 
ActionNewsJax, Veteran gets double lung transplant in Jacksonville hours after doctors said he was going to die

Context: A lung transplant is a surgical procedure to replace a diseased or failing lung with a healthy lung, usually from a deceased donor. A lung transplant is reserved for people who have tried other medications or treatments, but their conditions haven't sufficiently improved. At Mayo Clinic, a team of doctors and staff work together to evaluate and treat people who may need lung transplants. Mayo Clinic's Transplant Center staff at Mayo Clinic's campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota works together to evaluate and treat people who may need a lung transplant. Mayo Clinic offers common recommendations, evaluation processes, treatment, post-surgical care and follow-up care for lung transplant candidates at Mayo Clinic's campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Mayo Clinic uses technology to help make patient information available as needed at all three locations.

Contact: Paul Scotti

CBS News, Rising price of opioid OD antidote could cost lives by Karen Pallartio — Escalating prices of the drug naloxone may threaten efforts to reduce opioid-related deaths across America, a team from Yale University and the Mayo Clinic warns. “The challenge is as the price goes up for naloxone, it becomes less accessible for patients,” said Ravi Gupta, the study’s lead author. Gupta, a fourth-year Yale medical student, with Dr. Joseph Ross of Yale and Nilay Shah of the Mayo Clinic concluded, “Taking action now is essential to ensuring that this lifesaving drug is available to patients and communities.”

Today.com, 8 tips to keep skin healthy during the winter by Dr. Natalie Azar — It’s not the cold air, but the indoor heat that can cause underlying skin conditions, like eczema, to flare up. According to Mayo Clinic, atopic dermatitis or eczema is a condition that makes your skin red and itchy.

New York Times, When Bathroom Runs Rule the Day Jane E. Brody — The American Urological Association says effective treatment should start with a thorough evaluation to help pinpoint the exact nature of the problem and factors that contribute to it. Before consulting a doctor, the Mayo Clinic recommends keeping a bladder diary for a few days, “recording when, how much and what kinds of fluids you consume, when you urinate, whether you feel an urge to urinate, and whether you experience incontinence.”

Science magazine, Why are scientists shooting stem cells into space? by Kelly Servick — Abba Zubair, a stem cell researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, has an even grander vision of future therapy: stem cell treatments grown aboard the ISS. His work focuses on hemorrhagic stroke, bleeding caused by ruptured blood vessels in the brain. He is preparing clinical trials to test another cell type, known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), to rescue injured neurons. But he estimates it will take 100 million to 200 million such cells to treat a human, and they are difficult and time-consuming to grow. Based on earlier evidence that stem cells proliferate happily in microgravity, Zubair plans to test whether a trip to space will coax his MSC populations to expand. If so, his research will tackle an ever bigger question: Can sterile, clinical-grade cells be grown in the orbiting lab?

Washington Post, A sub-two-hour marathon, once seen as ‘impossible,’ could happen much sooner than experts thought by Kelyn Song — In 1991, Michael Joyner, an expert in human performance at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., published a paper in the Journal of Applied Physiology stating it might be physiologically possible for a 1:57:58 marathon runner. Joyner, 58, wrote in Sports Illustrated earlier this year that if lucky, the sub-two-hour marathon would happen in his lifetime.

Wired, Inside Nike’s Quest for the Impossible: a Two-Hour Marathon by Ed Caesar — The easiest way to express the difference between potential and performance in the marathon is through two numbers. The first is 1:57:58, which Michael Joyner, a polymathic anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, calculated in 1991 to be the physiological limit for a man in the marathon, the best time possible for a perfect athlete in perfect conditions. The second number is Kimetto’s world record, 2:02:57. In the five-minute gap between those two numbers lie all the things that slow runners down.

Huffington Post, ‘This Is Us’ Finale: Do Mothers Cause Eating Disorders? by Lee Wolfe Blum — “Moms are probably the most important influence on a daughter’s body image,” said Dr. Leslie Sim, clinical director of Mayo Clinic’s mom’s eating disorders program and a child psychologist. “Even if a mom says to the daughter, ‘You look so beautiful, but I’m so fat,’ it can be detrimental. “Research has shown time and time again that the same-sex parent is the most important role model for a child. “Zero talk about dieting, zero talk about weight! Zero comments not only about your daughter’s weight, obviously, but zero talk about your weight and even other people’s weight,” says Sim.

Huffington Post, The Rise In C-Sections Could Be Changing Human Evolution by Catherine Pearson — An intriguing new study out of Austria suggests that as C-sections have become more common, they might also be altering the course of human evolution. More babies are being born with heads that are too big for their mothers’ pelvises ... which leads, the theory goes, to more C-sections…And yet some OB-GYNs don’t think the prediction is all that far-fetched. “It seems like a very reasonable theory,” Dr. Mari Charisse Banez Trinidad, an obstetrician at the Mayo Clinic, told The Huffington Post. “Look at obesity rates in our country and worldwide. As our weights are increasing, so are our babies’ weights. It’s not a far-off proposition that if you have bigger babies, they won’t fit as easily through the pelvis. And if you have pelvic disproportion, C-section is the safest way to deliver.”

US News & World Report, What Is Scleroderma? by Anna Medaris Miller — The disease, which essentially causes scar tissue to build up on the skin and sometimes other organs, has no known cause, no cure and varies widely between patients. "It's a mind-boggling disease," says Dr. Leroy Griffing, a rheumatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. "Scientifically, it's absolutely intriguing." In most cases, scleroderma limits mobility, particularly in the hands. "They're unable to grip, to bend their elbows, to make a fist, to do tasks of daily living," Griffing says. "The extreme of that is they end up with ulcers that don't heal and they end up with amputations."

CNN, Are statins a key to preventing Alzheimer's disease? by Jacqueline Howard — This isn't the first time researchers speculated about an association between statins and Alzheimer's disease. However, there has not been a consensus among researchers. "It's been controversial in the literature as to whether statins actually reduce cognitive decline with aging and, in particular, Alzheimer's disease, or whether they can be harmful," said Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, who was not involved in the new study. Additional coverage: News4Jax

HealthLeaders Media, Mayo Clinic Joins Efforts to Prevent Physician Suicide by Alexandra Wilson Pecci — Researchers from Mayo have teamed up with the ACGME and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to provide resources for medical professionals, who are often afraid to seek help. Three prominent healthcare organizations are joining forces to prevent suicide among physicians and medical trainees. Mayo Clinic, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) introduced a library of educational resources, which are available on the ACGME website.

SELF, 12 Potential Reasons You're Having Heart Palpitations by Korin Miller — According to the Mayo Clinic, heart palpitations can feel like your heart is skipping beats, fluttering, beating too fast, or pumping harder than usual. “If you feel your heart beating at all, that can be a palpitation,” Wood explains. You might feel heart palpitations in your throat, neck, or chest, and they can occur when you’re active or resting, and whether you’re standing, sitting, or lying down, the Mayo Clinic says.

SELF, Alan Thicke Died Of A Heart Attack At 69—The Symptoms You Should Know by Korin Miller — The Mayo Clinic lists the top symptoms of a heart attack as pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing sensation in your chest, nausea, heartburn, shortness of breath, breaking out into a cold sweat, fatigue, and lightheadedness… Sharonne Hayes, M.D., a cardiologist and founder of the Mayo Clinic's Women's Heart Clinic, tells SELF that nausea and vomiting like Thicke experienced are common heart attack symptoms in both men and women. “Up to 20 percent of heart attack patients experience nausea,” she says, noting that vomiting can accompany that.

Boston Globe, On health care, Mass. looks to Minn. for some new ideas by Priyanka Dayal McCluskey — It’s the birthplace of Garrison Keillor and Prince, the land of 10,000 lakes, and home to some of the cruelest winters in America. But Minnesota is also considered a national leader in health care, and Massachusetts officials have headed there to see what they can learn… Both states are also home to well-known brands in health care, including the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The two hospitals typically jockey for the top spot on US News & World Report’s annual hospital rankings.

Tampa Bay Times, Mayo Clinic Q&A; supplemental oxygen in flight; motion sickness help — I'm flying to a family reunion, and my doctor suggests I take supplemental oxygen with me on the airplane because I have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. I don't normally use supplemental oxygen, so why would I need it on an airplane?... People who have COPD or diseases that can cause low oxygen levels may need in-flight oxygen supplementation even if they don't use oxygen at home. Give yourself enough time, preferably weeks or even months ahead, to confirm you have everything you need and answer any questions you might have. If you bring a portable oxygen concentrator, be sure you bring enough batteries to comfortably last more than the length of the trip, in case there are unanticipated delays...Clayton T. Cowl, M.D., Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Radio Vision Network, Morning Coffee: The Mayo Clinic Diet — Morning Coffee host Keith Reynolds talks with Dr. Donald Hensrud about The Mayo Clinic Diet.

Renal & Urology News, Cancer Survivors With STEMI at Increased Risk for Noncardiac Death — Cancer survivors with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have increased acute in-hospital and long-term noncardiac mortality risk but no increased acute or long-term cardiac mortality risk with guideline-recommended cardiac care, according to a study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reviewed data on 2346 patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Star Tribune, Poised to offer paid parenting leave, Minnesota govt. sets a very good example by Tina Smith — For working families, paid family leave also is an economic issue — without it parents can’t afford to take time off. Yet only 12 percent of American workers have access to paid family leave. More than 60 percent of families rely on two incomes, and women are breadwinners or co-breadwinners in 66 percent of families with children.Some argue that providing paid family and medical leave should be left up to employers, and that if employers want to attract and keep the best people, they will step up. In fact, this is what many of Minnesota’s large employers do today. Target, Mayo Clinic, General Mills and many others offer paid parental leave because it’s good for their employees and good for business.

Star Tribune, Twin Cities mental health provider seeks state OK to double-bunk young patients by Jeremy Olson — At least a temporary increase in beds was recommended last month by Gov. Mark Dayton’s Mental Health Task Force, which was formed to address problems in the state’s mental health system. While other services could reduce the need for costly inpatient care, discussing them does nothing for the patients languishing right now in emergency rooms and other locations while awaiting inpatient psychiatric care, said Dr. Bruce Sutor, the clinical practice chair for psychology and psychiatry at Mayo Clinic. Sutor served on Dayton’s task force and, separately, co-wrote a letter offering Mayo’s support for PrairieCare.

Star Tribune, Private plan for Twin Cities-Rochester high-speed rail draws pushback by Janet Moore — The fact that Rochester is home to the famed Mayo Clinic is unspoken but implicit in the marketing of the line. Meadley refers questions about the health care giant’s involvement to Mayo officials. But, she notes, “Do you think all the stakeholders and investors would be moving forward if all the right players weren’t interested?” Mayo Clinic Spokesman Karl Oestreich said in a statement, “Mayo Clinic is pleased with the private investor interest in the project, but has not provided financial assistance for the project.”

Healthcare Business News, Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Arizona joins Mayo Clinic Care Network — Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center and Mayo Clinic announced today that Summit Healthcare has joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a growing network of organizations committed to working together in the best interests of their patients. Summit Healthcare remains independent, but as a member of the network, it has access to Mayo Clinic knowledge and resources to complement its expertise and enhance its local care. Physicians at Summit Healthcare and Mayo Clinic can collaborate – with no additional charge to patients – so that more patients can receive their care close to home while gaining additional peace of mind.

White Mountain Independent, EDITORIAL: Summit Healthcare-Mayo Clinic collaboration marks advancement in local care — The Mayo Clinic, a world-renowned medical nonprofit headquartered in Rochester, Minn., has an exclusive list of 45 hospitals in its care network. And Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center will join that group, hospital officials announced Wednesday. The Mayo Clinic has led the way in health care innovation — its model of consultations across disciplinary lines and other advancements has led to its distinction as one of the top medical institutions in the world.

Becker’s ASC Review, Mayo Clinic shows overlapping surgeries can work at a high volume referral center: 5 key notes by Laura Dyrda — A new study published in the Annals of Surgery examines overlapping surgeries at a high volume referral center. The researchers examined overlapping surgeries at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The analysis included surgeries from January 2013 to September 2015 that were logged in the University HealthSystem Consortium. There were 10,765 overlapping surgical cases; the study authors matched 10,614 of those cases with 16,111 nonoverlapping cases.

Becker’s Hospital Review, Naloxone price hikes could hurt efforts to reduce opioid-related deaths in US —"The challenge is, as the price goes up for naloxone, it becomes less accessible for patients," said Ravi Gupta, one of the report's lead researchers, according to the Chicago Tribune. Mr. Gupta — along with fellow researchers Joseph Ross, MD, associate professor of medicine and public health at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Conn., and Nilay Shah, PhD, of Rochester, Minn-based Mayo Clinic — argued the government must step in to ensure naloxone is affordable.

Lifezette, Put a Little Fat in Your Diet by Carleen Wild — In an article published this week in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, physicians from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona said low-carb diets (LDCs) show an advantage over low-fat when it comes to weight loss. The diets included in the article were Atkins, South Beach, and Paleo, and they stated they were safe for up to six months. "The best conclusion to draw is that adhering to a short-term, low-carb diet appears to be safe and may be associated with weight reduction," Heather Fields, M.D., an internal medicine physician at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and lead researcher on the study, said in a media release.

Healthcare IT News, Spear-phishing caused majority of 2016 cyberattacks, but ransomware is rising by Jessica Davis — The most effective phishing simulations were business- or office-related, the report found. However, they are also the most difficult for users to detect and then report. Mayo Clinic found similar results from its No Phishing Campaign, JoEllen Frain, Mayo's director of Behavioral Management in the Office of Information Security told HIMSS Privacy and Security Forum attendees on December 5. "When you're trying to initiate a phishing program or reengineer a phishing program, you have to be clear with your objectives and encourage all end users to report suspicious email," Frain said. "If they're deleting (malicious emails), they're not giving us the intelligence."

ScienceLine, Not just a dream by Cici Zhang — For decades, space hibernation has been a featured solution for long-term space travel in science fiction. And now, as visiting and even colonizing Mars looks increasingly realistic, scientists are getting close to testing the real-life feasibility of space hibernation…Space hibernation, explains Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist Matthew Kumar, is an induced state of deep sleep similar to animal hibernation. An astronaut’s body temperature would be very low – probably about 86-90 degrees Fahrenheit (30-32 degrees Celsius). That doesn’t sound much lower than the body’s resting temperature of 37 degrees Celsius, but for every one degree drop, the body’s metabolic rate drops by seven to eight percent. So at a low body temperature, an astronaut’s metabolic rate — the rate at which her body consumes calories — would be much lower than normal, too.

News-medical.net, Later high school start times linked to positive outcomes among teens — "Our review intended to bring some rigor to evaluating how later school start times affect various aspects of high school student health and performance," stated lead author Timothy I. Morgenthaler, MD, past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "Many people believe that school start times are one of the big reasons students do not get enough sleep; a CDC study found that 85.6 percent of U.S. high schools started before 8:30 a.m., which is the earliest time recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Because of this, there is a push to move school start times later."

The Sun UK, Most effective diets ‘are high-protein and low-carb like the Atkins’ – but should not be used for more than six months by Tom Towers — A study found people following the low-carb diets lost between 2lb 8oz and 9lb more over six months than those on low fat alternatives…Dr Heather Fields, of the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, said: “The best conclusion to draw is adhering to a short-term low-carb diet appears to be safe and may be associated with weight reduction.

ABC15 Arizona, Mayo Clinic cardiologist talks about familial high cholesterol disease — Dr. Regis Fernandes, Mayo Clinic Cardiologist, joined the hosts of Sonoran Living Live to discuss familial high cholesterol disease. 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.

KTTC, Human milk collection depot opens at Mayo Family Clinic Southeast by Alanna Martella — Monday was the grand opening of a human milk collection depot at Mayo Family Clinic Southeast, right here in Rochester. As part of the Mother's Milk Bank of Iowa, which is a network that collects, processes, and distributes milk, the depot will accept donated breast milk from approved donors for babies that are vulnerable or at-risk."It brings an awareness to the value of human milk and it provides ease of donation. It's convenient for donors to be able to deposit milk here, as opposed to shipping it. There's also affiliated laboratory services that can be done here, as well," said Elizabeth LaFleur, a lactation consultant at Mayo Clinic.

KTTC, Salvation Army receives donation to support Warming Center — The Rochester Salvation Army has received a grant that could help save lives on the coldest nights of the year. Mayo Clinic has donated $12,000 to help support the Salvation Army's Warming Center. The shelter will open when a Wind Chill Warning is issued and the wind chill is expected to be at least 25 degrees below zero.  The shelter provides a place to spend the night, along with shower facilities and a meal.

KIMT, New tool can prevent unnecessary hospitalization and tests for patients with low-risk chest pain by DeeDee Stiepan — A research team at Mayo Clinic began introducing a shared decision-making tool called Chest Pain Choice that they found helped patients better understand their symptoms and risk. The extra step only takes about a minute and was shown to prevent unnecessary hopitalization or extra testing for patients reporting low-risk chest pain. “What we worked with the patients to determine was, “does this need to be done in the emergency setting today, or is this something that could be done in the next three days?” explains Erik Hess, M.D. the lead author of the study and Emergency Medicine Physician at Mayo Clinic.

KIMT, Give blood this holiday season by Adam Sallet — It’s known as the giving season and this year officials are asking you to think about others and give blood. Mayo Clinic tells us they constantly are looking for donors for any type of blood and this season you never know who may need a live-saving transfusion. Just one unit of blood can help multiple people and can also save lives. Plus, it doesn’t take long. Appointments last around an hour and in the end you get a big cookie.

Post-Bulletin, Mayo Clinic adds wings to its transport fleet by Brett Boese — Mayo Clinic's scope of operations is expected to roughly double by 2034 as part of the ambitious $6.5 billion Destination Medical Center project. Flying just below the radar of that explosive growth — up to 45,000 new employees in Rochester — is an increased need for medical transportation. There's where the shiny, new Beechcraft King Air 350C parked in Mayo's renovated hangar at the Rochester International Airport comes into play. Mayo recently unveiled a customized $8.5 million plane to transport high-risk patients to its facilities around the country. It's the only such medical plane operating in the Midwest and the specialized 52-inch cargo door — meant to accommodate stretchers — is believed to be the only one in existence in the Lower 48 states.

Post-Bulletin, Doulas 'not being utilized to full potential' by Brett Boese — When Cassie Liss got pregnant roughly two years ago, the Rochester woman knew she wanted a doula to help her through the birthing process. There was just one problem — the idea initially flummoxed her husband. While Cassie worked closely with doulas as a certified nurse midwife at Mayo Clinic, her husband, Dave, had no idea what the under-the-radar professional had to offer his wife during one of the most intimate, stressful times of their lives. He's not alone. Only about 5 percent of births in Olmsted County are assisted by doulas, Cassie says. Mayo Clinic doesn't offer on-site doulas and Olmsted Medical Center offers them only on the basis of need, though both institutions do offer referrals.

Post-Bulletin, Letter: New federal law helps patients and medical researchers — The 21st Century Cures Act mentioned in the Dec. 7 article under the headline "Mayo Clinic applauds passage of medical research funding" is not only a victory for patients, but also a win for early career researchers. Our fiscally constrained environment has made it increasingly difficult for young researchers to secure funding to put their innovative ideas to work. The act includes an initiative to ensure funding opportunities, training and mentorship programs are available for new researchers and policies are developed to enhance workforce diversity…Mary Woolley, President and CEO of Research America

Post-Bulletin, Gonda Singers to perform Christmas tunes — The Gonda Singers will present a concert of holiday music from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday in the Nathan Landow Atrium of Mayo Clinic's Gonda Building. The singers are Mayo employees and community volunteers who have been singing together for at least a decade. The group recently received the Mayor's Ardee Award for arts volunteers.

WQOW Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic completes $19 million construction project in Eau Claire by Kaitlyn Riley — Mayo Clinic Health System completed construction on the fifth floor of the Luther Building and will open the area to patients Jan. 4. Mayo Clinic Health System said the $19 million project was funded by invested community donations received over the past 30 years. The construction is the culmination of a 15-year campus plan and the final phase of the Luther Building. Construction began on the fifth floor in February. "Many years of community giving has made the completion of the Luther Building possible," Randall Linton, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System for northwest Wisconsin said. Additional coverage: WEAU Eau Claire

WKBT La Crosse, Health Science Academy students use FitBits for class — Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse is teaming up with the Health Science Academy to provide students in the program with FitBit fitness trackers. Students will use the FitBits during the school year to help them monitor their exercise, as well as their number of steps, amount of calories they're eating and how much sleep they're getting. The students will then use that data as part of their classes in the academy.

Albert Lea Tribune, Mayo Clinic Health System celebrates with open house — Mayo Clinic Health System will host an open house to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of the first Express Care Clinic, according to a press releae. The public is invited to visit from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Albert Lea Express Care Clinic, located within Hy-Vee, 2708 Bridge Ave. in Albert Lea, to commemorate the 10th anniversary. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the Express Care team and talk with Mayo Clinic Health System administrators about the offerings of Express Care. Refreshments will be provided.

Mankato Free Press, Despite bans, youth e-cig usage still a concern by Brian Arola — The rising youth e-cigarette rates show there still isn’t enough education on the potentially damaging effects of vaping, said Sara Shorter, nurse practitioner in pulmonology at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.“Over the years we’ve seen the rates of tobacco use drop because of education,” she said, acknowledging “it took a long time.” Similarly persistent education steered toward youth could have be just as effective in depressing e-cigarette usage, she said. It could also help dispel misconceptions people have about e-cigarettes.

KEYC Mankato, Eating Healthier For The Holidays by Shawn Loging — The holidays are a time many expect gifts under the tree but for others, the best part is all the food. A clinical dietitian with Mayo Clinic Health System-Mankato provides some tips for eating during the holidays without wanting the Grinch to steal away the Christmas food. Mayo Clinic Health System-Mankato Clinical Dietitian Grace Fjeldberg said, "Don't skip meals, I think that's the biggest mistake we often make because we're saving up for that holiday feast that's coming around the corner."

KEYC Mankato, Children Wearing Winter Jackets In Car Seats Hazardous by Angela Rogers — Now that we're dealing with wind chills, it's important to remember to bundle up the kids before heading out the door. Local medical professional explains how to keep the children warm and safe! Ruth Bolton has been in the medical field for more than 30 years... and she knows the cold weather makes it hard on parents to keep their kids safe from the elements. "I think the biggest thing that I worry about is the things that are going to get frostbitten. And especially we're getting below zero here all of a sudden—is the digits. The fingers and the toes, and the ears and the nose," Dr. Bolton said.

WQOW Eau Claire, Fitbit program motivates Wisconsin students to stay active — A partnership between Mayo Clinic Health System and the La Crosse School District's Health Science Academy is helping students get active, through technology. The wellness program "Getting Fit with Fitbit" is helping HSA students in several area schools track information such as steps per hour, water intake and even sleep. Plus, the popularity of the Fitbit serves as a way to motivate the teenagers into staying active. "The kids were really excited about the Fitbit program, and they took to it right away," Heidi Odegaard, Health Promotion Coordinator for Mayo Clinic Health System said. "Kids love technology, so integrating this in to their schoolwork was just a great idea altogether."

WEAU Eau Claire, Date of 2017 dragon boat race set — Mayo Clinic Health System has announced the third annual Half Moon Dragon Boat Festival will be held on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. Jay Edenborg, director of Public Affairs for northwest Wisconsin, talked with WEAU 13 News about the event, which helps promote and support hospice services for people in the final stages of life. The interview was included in Friday’s evening newscasts.

WEAU Eau Claire, Healthy Holiday Options by Courtney Everett — Holidays are often a time when tasty family recipes make an appearance. While everyone wants to enjoy a traditional treat, Mayo Clinic Health System health educator Katie Johnson shares ways to stay on track this season with some healthy alternatives.

WXOW Eau Claire, Avoiding frostbite in freezing weather by Molly Presscott — The Midwest is poised to experience some of its coldest temperatures in nearly a decade, and along with the freezing weather, comes the threat of frostbite. Mayo Clinic Health System says frostbite is an injury caused by the freezing of skin and underlying tissues, and can happen in just minutes. Symptoms start with cold skin, that eventually leads to numbness, and paling and hardening of the skin. Of this, exposed flesh is the most vulnerable. "Make sure you are wearing nice thick gloves thick socks, good shoes to keep to keep water out," Mayo Clinic Health System physician Robert Luchsinger said. "If you are starting to get symptoms, get inside and start getting warmed up as soon as possible."

Imperial Valley News, Mayo Clinic announces 2016 Distinguished Alumni Awards — Kai-Nan An, Ph.D., Albert Czaja, M.D., James Eisenach, M.D., and David Feliciano, M.D., have been named recipients of the 2016 Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award. The award honors individuals who exemplify Mayo Clinic’s ideals and mission. The honorees were recognized on November 15 at the Mayo Foundation House in Rochester.

Threefold Online, Music stimulates brain, increase productivity by Karlee Arnold — Several students at John Brown University stated that music impacts their productivity. A large majority of these students said it impacts them positively. In an interview with the New York Times, Dr. Amit Sood of the Mayo Clinic provided scientific evidence backing up this report. “In biological terms, melodious sounds help encourage the release of dopamine in the reward area of the brain, as would eating a delicacy, looking at something appealing or smelling a pleasant aroma,” Sood, a physician of integrative medicine, said.

Quad Cities Online, No elliptical for you, grumpy! — Exercise intensity often is measured by heart rate. For a normal person, that maximum heart rate is typically their age subtracted by 220. The American Heart Association says that "moderately intense" exercise is typically 50 to 69 percent of a person's maximum heart rate, roughly 90 to 124 beats per minute for a 40-year-old. Dr. Gerald Fletcher, cardiologist and professor in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Jacksonville, Fla., says as a general rule of thumb "if you're not able to carry on a conversation (while exercising), that may be a bit too much."

Healio, Gait analysis could be used to predict cognitive decline — “Previous studies reported that slower gait speed might predict cognitive impairment and dementing illnesses, supporting the role of gait speed as a possible subclinical marker of cognitive impairment,” Rodolfo Savica, MD, PhD, of the Department of Health Sciences Research at the Mayo Clinic, and colleagues wrote. “However, the predictive value of other gait parameters for cognitive decline is unclear.” Savica and colleagues conducted an analysis of a population-based sample to assess whether specific gait parameters were associated with and/or were predictive of cognitive function. In their analysis, researchers studied 3,426 cognitively normal patients aged 70 years to 89 years from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging.

Herald & Review, 3-D imaging improves breast cancer screening — “Digital breast tomosynthesis, also known as 3-D digital mammography, delivers a series of detailed breast images, allowing your provider to better evaluate your breasts layer by layer,” says Dr. Megan Meyers, a Mayo Clinic Health System radiologist.“ Digital breast tomosynthesis is U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved, and more than 100 clinical studies have shown that, by using this technology, doctors are able to screen for breast cancer with much greater accuracy, regardless of your age or breast density.” Additional coverage: KARE11

WKNO Memphis, Stay Tuned for More "Inflammation" — According to Dr. Brent Bauer of the Mayo Clinic, inflammation "appears to play a role in many chronic diseases." When our bodies respond to an infection or injury, it engages its “crisis team” of white blood cells to prevent infection. The area may swell, feel warm or achy as the healing process takes place. Acute inflammation is healthy and necessary for our life. Dr. Bauer states inflammation plays a possible role in heart disease and even cancer, but more research is needed.

Customer Think, 5 Brilliant Marketing Campaigns in Healthcare and What You Can Learn From Them by Rick Delgado — Sharing Mayo Clinic Blog. The Mayo Clinic is known for seeing a wide array of patients on a daily basis. In an effort to connect patients and share stories, the clinic created the Sharing Mayo Clinic blog that highlights stories from patients, families, and staff around the world. The blog has been incredibly successful at building a global community and building on the Mayo Clinic’s reputation for caring about its patients and providing them with the best possible care. Sometimes, the most effective marketing is to put a face to the story and showcase the more human aspects of healthcare in a way that is relatable to other people.

State-Journal Register, Nerve block procedure offers relief to headache sufferers by Dean Olsen — The SphenoCath is one of three devices on the market that target the nerve bundle in the nose, said Dr. Rashmi Halker, a neurologist and headache specialist at Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus in Phoenix. The group of Mayo doctors Halker works with also offers the phenopalatine ganglion block. Elias said he has performed the procedure on about 20 chronic headache patients in the past three months, with all of them reporting some level of relief. Halker said she has performed the SphenoCath procedure on hundreds of patients. The results she has seen are "mixed," she said. Other types of nerve blocks - in the form of injections - can be offered as alternatives, she said.

KTBS Shreveport, Are statins a key to preventing Alzheimer's disease? by Nicole Cross — This isn't the first time researchers speculated about an association between statins and Alzheimer's disease. However, there has not been a consensus among researchers. "It's been controversial in the literature as to whether statins actually reduce cognitive decline with aging and, in particular, Alzheimer's disease, or whether they can be harmful," said Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, who was not involved in the new study.

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

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

Tags: 3D labs, ABC15 Arizona, ActionNewsJax, Albert Lea Tribune, alzheimer's disease, arthritis, Becker's ASC Review, Becker’s Hospital Review, blood donation, bone broth, Boston Globe, breast cancer screening, c-section, CBS News, chest pain, Chest Pain Choice, Chicago Tribune, Christmas, CNN, concussions, Customer Think, cyber security, dementia, destination medical center, Distinguished Alumni Awards, DMC, doulas, Dr. Abba Zubair, Dr. Amit Sood, Dr. Brent Bauer, Dr. Bruce Sutor, Dr. Clayton Cowl, Dr. Donald Hensrud, Dr. Erik Hess, Dr. Gerald Fletcher, Dr. Heather Fields, Dr. Leroy Griffing, Dr. Leslie Sim, Dr. Mari Charisse Banez Trinidad, Dr. Matthew Kumar, Dr. Megan Meyers, Dr. Michael Joyner, Dr. Nilay Shah, Dr. Rashmi Halker, Dr. Regis Fernandes, Dr. Robert Luchsinger, Dr. Rodolfo Savica, Dr. Ronald Petersen, Dr. Ruth Bolton, Dr. Shane Shapiro, Dr. Sharonne Hayes, Dr. William Carey, e-cigarette, eating disorder, Express Care Clinic, Fitbit, football, frostbite, gait, Gonda Singers, headache, Healio, Healthcare Business News, Healthcare IT News, HealthDay, HealthLeaders Media, Healthline, heart attack, Heart Attack Symptoms, heart palpitations, Herald & Review, high cholesterol, high-speed rail, holiday stress, holidays, Huffington Post, inflammation, Jason Ewoldt, KARE11, KEYC Mankato, KIMT, KTBS Shreveport, KTTC, LifeZette, Livingston County News, lung transplant, Luther Building, Mankato Free Press, marathon, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Mayo Clinic Care Network, Mayo Clinic Children's Center, Mayo Clinic Diet, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mayo Clinic Health System - Albert Lea, Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic Health System La Crosse, Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato, Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Mayo Clinic Phoenix, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Medical News Today, mental health, migraine, milk collection depot, motion sickness, nalaxone, News-Medical.net, News4Jax, Nutrition, NWI Times, Opioid Epidemic, overlapping surgeries, pancreatic cancer, parental leave, physician burnout, Post Bulletin, Radio Vision Network, Renal & Urology News, Reuters, Salvation Army, science, ScienceLine, scleroderma, SELF, Sharing Mayo Clinic, space hiberation, Star Tribune, State-Journal-Register, statins, stem cells, STEMI, stress, Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center, Tampa Bay Times, The Sun UK, Threefold Online, today.com, Tonic, Twin Cities Business, U.S. News & World Report, Uncategorized, Washington Post, WEAU-Eau Claire, WebMD, White Mountain Independent, winter skin, Wired, WKBT La Crosse, WKNO Memphis, WQOW Eau Claire, WTAJ Pennsylvania, Yahoo! Sports