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.

Editor, Karl Oestreich;  Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik

 

New York Times
Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety?
by Benoit Denizet-Lewis

While exposure therapy has been proved highly effective, few teenagers receive it. “We’re much more likely to medicate kids than to give them therapy,” says Stephen Whiteside, director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Program at the Mayo Clinic. “And when we do give them therapy, it’s unlikely to be exposure. With a few exceptions, we’re not treating people with what actually works best.” Part of the reason is that exposure work is hard. Anxious people aren’t typically eager to feel more anxious. “It’s also uncomfortable for many therapists,” Whiteside told me. “Most people go into therapy or psychology to help people, but with exposure therapy you’re actually helping them feel uncomfortable. It’s not much fun for anybody. It’s much easier to sit in a therapist’s office and talk about feelings.”

Reach: The New York Times has a daily circulation of nearly 589,000. The New York Times online receives more than 29.8 million unique visitors each month.

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

Context: Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D., L.P. is a psychologist and is  director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Program at Mayo Clinic, which uses an evidenced-based approach to understand and treat childhood anxiety.

Contact: Duska Anastasijevic

 

Reuters
Doctors may fear losing their license for seeking mental health care
by Ronnie Cohen

Nearly 40 percent of U.S. physicians are reluctant to seek mental health care out of fear that it might imperil their medical license, a recent study suggests…“The medical license application questions are getting in the way of very treatable mental health disorders and probably contributing to the high rates of suicide among physicians,” said lead author Dr. Liselotte Dyrbye, a professor of medicine and medical education at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Reach: Reuters offers 24-hour coverage of global happenings for professionals around the world. With 196 editorial bureaus in 130 countries and 2,400 editorial staff members, it covers international news, regional news, politics, social issues, health, business, sports and media.

Additional coverage: Star Tribune, Medscape, Becker’s Hospital Review

Context: Despite growing problems with psychological distress, many physicians avoid seeking mental health treatment due to concern for their license. Mayo Clinic research shows that licensing requirements in many states include questions about past mental health treatments or diagnoses, with the implication that they may limit a doctor's right to practice medicine. The findings appear in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. “Clearly, in some states, the questions physicians are required to answer to obtain or renew their license are keeping them from seeking the help they need to recover from burnout and other  emotional or mental health issues,” says Liselotte Dyrbye, M.D., a Mayo Clinic physician and first author of the article. More information about the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Contact:  Bob Nellis

 

First Coast News
New tech at Mayo Clinic helps chemo patients from losing their hair
by Janny Rodriguez

A common concern that many cancer patients have undergoing chemotherapy involves losing their hair. In response, the Mayo Clinic has implemented new technology designed to help protect their patients' hair from falling out. Dr. Sara Chumsri, a medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic said she has a hard time convincing her patients to get treatment because of this concern.

Reach: First Coast News refers to two television stations in Jacksonville, Florida. WJXX, the ABC affiliate and WTLV, the NBC affiliate.

Context: Saranya Chumsri, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic medical oncologist.

Contact:  Paul Scotti

 

First Coast News
Breast cancer vaccine trials move forward at Mayo Clinic
by Juliette Dryer

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville are moving forward with a series of clinical trials for various breast cancer vaccines. The current vaccines aim to prevent recurrence in patients who have already received initial treatment and appear disease-free. “And then to immunize, boost the host immune defenses and the hope is that can prevent the disease from coming back,” said Keith Knutson, Ph.D., a professor of immunology. Knutson has been working on a vaccine for triple-negative breast cancer for around a decade.

Reach: First Coast News refers to two television stations in Jacksonville, Florida. WJXX, the ABC affiliate and WTLV, the NBC affiliate.

Context: Keith Knutson, Ph.D., is the principal investigator of a $13.3 million, five-year Breakthrough Award grant from the Department of Defense to test a vaccine designed to prevent the recurrence of triple-negative breast cancer, a subset of breast cancer for which there are no targeted therapies. His research at Mayo Clinic focuses on the immunology and immunotherapy of breast and ovarian cancers, both the basic immunobiology and clinical translation, including clinical trials.

Contact:  Paul Scotti

Washington Post, A few low-carb recipes for your consideration by Kara Elder — Looking for a new low-carb recipe to try? Here are a few from our Recipe Finder to consider. When determining what exactly “low-carb” means, we used basic guidelines from the Mayo Clinic: Typically, those following low-carb diets stick to 20 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per day (for perspective, the daily recommended amount, based on a 2,000 calorie diet, is 300 grams).

New York Times, Shouldn’t Doctors Control Hospital Care? by Sandeep Jauhar — The very best hospitals in America are still run by physician chief executives — Toby Cosgrove at the Cleveland Clinic, for example, and John Noseworthy at the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic says that it is physician-led because “this helps ensure a continued focus on our primary value” — namely, that “the needs of the patient come first.” Indeed, a study in 2011 found “a strong positive association between the ranked quality of a hospital and whether the C.E.O. is a physician.” Overall hospital quality scores were about 25 percent higher when physicians, not business managers, were in charge. Additional coverage: Becker’s Hospital Review

New York Times, Why I Almost Fired My Doctor by Bob Brody — How physicians feel about themselves may actually translate into how patients feel about them. The more satisfaction internists take in practicing medicine the more satisfied their patients are likely to be, a study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine concluded. And the reverse also appears to be true. “Burnout and caregiver fatigue among physicians is a real and growing problem that impacts patients,” a spokesman for the American Medical Association told me. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings last year, Dr. Tait Shanafelt, director of the Mayo Clinic’s program on physician well-being, said, “Research has shown that more than half of U.S. physicians are experiencing symptoms of burnout, and the rate is increasing.”

USA Today, Once paralyzed, Chris Norton vows to walk his fiancee down the aisle — Chris Norton's long lifetime walk began in earnest on Oct. 16, 2010 — seven years ago Monday. He lay face down on the Luther College football field; his neck broken from a hard hit while covering a kickoff. His sister, Alex Norton McManus, a registered nurse, moved to Decorah to help him recover and shuttle him to therapy at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. After five years, with the assistance of his fiancée, Emily Summers, he walked across the stage to receive his diploma from Luther…If you're thinking this all sounds like a script for an inspirational movie, you're not alone. Fotolanthropy, a non-profit documentary film company, is making a movie about Norton. The title? 7 Yards: The Chris Norton Story. They've already filmed re-enactments of several key moments for the movie, including Norton's injury and recovery at Mayo, plus hours of interviews. Additional coverage: Arizona Republic

Daily Mail, Fears over flu shot are in your head: Mayo Clinic doctor explains why it is impossible to catch the flu from the vaccine by Mia De Graaf — Some cite the pain or a fear of needles. Others remember the disastrous winter of 2014, when CDC officials misjudged which strain would take hold that year, meaning the vaccine did not provide adequate protection. Others are simply not fussed - 'it's just the flu'. But one of the most often-voiced fears is of catching the flu from the flu shot. While it is understandable that people make that erroneous connection, Dr Pritish Tosh, MD, of the Mayo Clinic explains why the fear is unfounded. 'There isn't any live virus in the influenza vaccine so it's impossible to get the flu from the vaccine,' says Dr Tosh, who specializes in emerging infections and pandemics.

Express UK, Statins have power to help elderly fight off killer superbug by Sarah Westcott — The latest findings, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, analysed records of almost 30,000 people in Denmark over a 12-year period. Researchers found that the more statins the patients were taking, the less likely they were to acquire the potentially lethal bacteria. Even new users whose first prescription for statins was within 90 days had a modest four per cent reduction in risk…Dr Daniel DeSimone of the Mayo Clinic in the US, called for trials. He said: “The work raises the exciting possibility the effects of statins may also harbour important antimicrobial effects that may exert a clinically relevant benefit.

VICE, Science Says You Shouldn’t Sleep Next to Your Dog by Julian Morgans — So this thing you keep doing—this letting your dog sleep on the bed thing—you should stop that. Firstly, because a new study has proven it is detrimental to your sleep. But also because you can do better. The study comes courtesy of Mayo Clinic, which is a nonprofit medical group based in Minnesota. Researchers there took 40 adult dog owners, none of whom were suffering sleep disorders, and monitored their sleep quality over the course of seven nights. They wanted to know whether humans sleep better with dogs on the floor or on the bed, and the results aren't looking good for puppy snugglers.

BuzzFeed, 21 Totally Honest Confessions From Therapists Who Work With Kids by Anthony Rivas — For this post, BuzzFeed Health spoke with Yamalis Diaz, PhD, clinical assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the NYU Child Study Center, and Jarrod Leffler, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and director of Mayo Clinic's Child and Adolescent Integrated Mood Program.

Live Science, Sprains: Causes, Treatment & Prevention by Alina Bradford — Normally, the ligament can expand and snap back into place when a person moves. Sometimes, though, the ligament is pushed beyond its normal capabilities and causes a sprain. Any joint can be affected by a sprain if the ligament is suddenly pushed, twisted or impacted. The most common type of sprain is an ankle sprain, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Romper, When Is The First Ultrasound Of Your Pregnancy? Here's What To Plan For by Candace Ganger — During the first trimester, your doctor uses an ultrasound — which is described by The Mayo Clinic as " fetal ultrasound, or sonogram, is an imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of a baby in the uterus" — to confirm a "viable" pregnancy via heartbeat, as well as to look for other early onset of abnormalities that range from a number of things. If you go to see your doctor before that six to eight week mark, they'll likely schedule an ultrasound for later and when the fetus is large enough to be detected.

Romper, How Soon Can You Get A Positive Pregnancy Test? Science Explains by Cat Bowen — The Mayo Clinic cautioned against testing too early as very early miscarriages, sometimes referred to as chemical pregnancies, often resolve themselves before you would miss your period, and then you bleed as you would normally. This wouldn't be an upsetting occurrence if you hadn't tested early, because you'd never know. The Mayo Clinic suggested that these may happen more frequently than you'd expect, given the unpredictable nature of early pregnancy.

LifeZette, Talking to Your Kids About Tragedy: What to Say (or Not) by Katie Begley — The Mayo Clinic, a leading authority in medical research and care, recommends “taking time to think about what you want to say.” This can be a difficult conversation for parents to initiate; having a plan will make it easier to get started…For younger children, the Mayo Clinic advises parents to “speak in a calm and gentle voice using words your child understands.” Young children may not fully understand what is being reported in the news media or what they are hearing.

Reader’s Digest, 6 Scary Signs of a Brain Aneurysm Everyone Should Know by Judy Koutsky — A brain aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel in the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic. It's been described as looking like a berry hanging from a stem. While most aneurysms don't rupture or create health problems, those that do trigger bleeding into the brain—a hemorrhagic stroke. Make sure you're aware of the seven signs of stroke it's easy to ignore.

SELF, My Leaky Bladder Was Ruining My Life, So I Took Action by Liza Wyles — We need to talk about peeing when we sneeze. I never expected to be thinking about a leaky bladder in my thirties, but there I was, peeing myself whenever I ran, jumped, or sneezed… The Mayo Clinic defines stress incontinence as urine that leaks when you "exert pressure on your bladder by coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, or lifting something heavy."

Newsweek, Can Men Get Breast Cancer? Yes, And Checking For Lumps Can Save Them by Melissa Matthews — Kathryn Ruddy, breast medical oncologist at the Mayo Clinic, says that many of her male patients do feel isolated following a diagnosis. “Breast cancer is so associated with women in the press and in our culture because breast cancer is so much more common in women, it can be difficult psychologically and psychosocially,” she says…Ruddy says that among the estimated 2,000 men who are affected each year, the prognosis is usually poor. In many cases, the cancer has already spread by the time it is diagnosed. As Ruddy explains, male breast cancer is understudied and solid guidelines to instruct men about when to do a breast self-exam are lacking. Although, self-exams are no longer a recommended screening tool, Ruddy believes they may be the best course of action for men who are at increased risk.

Newsweek, Beer for Women Claims It Can Help With Menopause, But Science Says You’re Just Drunk by Maria Perez — A New Hampshire brewery owner claims this beer could be the beverage of choice for women who are dealing with menopause… “None of these products and herbs have been proven to work,” said Dr. Stephanie S. Faubion, director of the Women’s Health Clinic and Office of Women’s Health at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. “It’s a cute little gimmick, but alcohol could actually worsen menopausal symptoms like hot flashes.”

Oprah, The New Midlife Crisis: Why (and How) It's Hitting Gen X Women by Ada Calhoun — Jacqueline Thielen, MD, of the Women's Health Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, says that life for a woman in 2017 is "just much more complicated," and worries that overwhelmed women often turn to controversial things like subcutaneous hormone pellet therapy or pricey "vaginal rejuvenation," which can cost several thousand dollars and involve shooting lasers into your vagina (one more thing I guarantee you our mothers did not have on their to-do lists). "By the way," Dr. Thielen says playfully at the end of our call, "how long do you think perimenopause lasts? Do you know?"

FOX News, Why gun control won't end mass murder by Tammy Bruce — We still don’t know what factors drove Stephen Paddock to meticulously plan a mass murder that killed, at this writing, 59 people and wounded 527. While psychotropics help innumerable people around the world, rarely is there any transparency about or investigation into mind-altering prescription drug use and its possible impact on perpetrators of mass violence. The Mayo Clinic warns, “Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half take two.” Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center researchers say, “Antibiotics, antidepressants and painkilling opioids are most commonly prescribed.”

Popular Science, Is living forever going to suck? by Alexandra Ossola —… Of course, humans aren’t mice or monkeys. But researchers can still learn a lot from these animal models. Some types of signals haven’t changed much as humans have evolved, and “it’s a good bet they will be operating in people,” says James Kirkland, a professor of aging research at the Mayo Clinic…Pharmacological interventions can more easily fit into people’s lifestyles. And, luckily, there are a few promising candidates—Kirkland estimates that there are 50 drugs or interventions that affect the appropriate pathways, with peer-reviewed studies on about a dozen of them.

Medical News Today, Low calcium may raise cardiac arrest risk by twofold by Honor Whiteman — These results remained after accounting for a number of possible confounding factors, including cardiovascular risk factors, medication use, and demographics. "This is the first report to show that low serum calcium levels measured close in time to the index event are independently associated with an increased risk of SCA in the general population," says Hon-Chi Lee, of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, in an editorial linked to the study. Additional coverage: Gears of Biz, Cardiovascular Business, Science Daily, Daily Mail

Business Insider, Silicon Valley’s favorite diet could help with weight loss and even life extension – but there’s one big pitfall by Erin Brodwin — Like vegetables, our bodies our also made up of a lot of water – roughly 60% of our weight. Every cell, tissue, and organ relies on that fluid to function. When you don’t get enough, it’s no surprise that you can feel tired. “Even mild dehydration can drain your energy,” according to the Mayo Clinic. So drink up! The Mayo Clinic recommends that most adults consume about 14 cups a day. If you’re fasting you might want to up that intake. And keep in mind that just like with any diet, the beginning is typically the most challenging.

Star Tribune, Mayo Clinic is invested in Rochester, but there's more work to be done Lee Schafer — A visit to Rochester, home of the Mayo Clinic, always seems to result in a new vocabulary word to learn. Last week it was “seconded,” which means to loan an employee. It would take an awfully rich organization to decide to loan an executive like Lisa Clarke to the Destination Medical Center (DMC) Economic Development Agency (EDA), the group in charge of enhancing Rochester as a global destination for medical care, and of course it is. Her employer is the Mayo Clinic. Clarke also chairs the board of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, but as a volunteer assignment Mayo doesn’t fund. The new interim president of the chamber is Kathleen Harrington. She was from Mayo, too.

KARE 11, DNA data helping doctors prescribe drugs by Cory Hepola — Our DNA can tell us just about everything. Spit in an ancestry kit, and you can find out where you're from. But what if your DNA could help your doctor, before you ever get sick? "That's what everybody wants," said Dr. William Mauck with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. "They want the right medication at the right time for the right patient, and the right dose." Right now, doctors at the Mayo Clinic are studying this.

Twin Cities Business, Australian Medtech Firm with Minnesota Presence Deepens Ties to Mayo Clinic by Don Jacobson — Australian digital medtech firm Medibio Ltd., which is expanding its presence in Minnesota, has doubled down on its ongoing collaboration with the Mayo Clinic. Only five months after announcing a three-year joint development agreement with the Rochester clinic to produce new products for use by mental health professionals in addressing psychiatric conditions, Medibio (ASX: MEB) revealed it has deepened its ties to Mayo with yet another deal.

Twin Cities Business, Mayo-Boston Scientific Collaboration Advances with New Heart Surgery Device by Don Jacobson — An intellectual property collaboration between the Mayo Clinic and Boston Scientific to speed the development of new medical devices was announced with fanfare last year: The two parties promised to create innovative solutions to “pressing medical problems” with funds made available thanks to a two-year suspension of the 2.3 percent federal medical device tax. At the top of the list of touted projects was a new type of catheter designed to allow heart surgeons to become much more efficient when performing aortic valve replacements. Now, in a sign of progress for the collaboration, the company and the clinic have jointly filed a patent application for the new device.

South Florida Reporter, 3 Things To Know About Home Genetic Testing (Video) — Home genetic testing is growing in popularity around the world, and doctors at Mayo Clinic say it can be an educational asset as long as people understand what the tests do and don’t do. “Most of these kits are what I would consider to be informational or infotainment,” Dr. Matthew Ferber says.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5 signs you should ask your doctor about depression — You have unexplained pain: The Mayo Clinic says that unexplained pain such as back pain or headaches can sometimes be the first or only sign of depression. In fact, pain and depression can create a vicious cycle. If your depression is causing pain, this can make you further depressed, which increases your pain. In addition, depression-related pain that continues over time can create additional problems such as stress, low self-esteem and difficulty sleeping.

Southeast Sun, Breast cancer doesn’t have to be a scary word by Cassie Gibbs — The Mayo Clinic suggests having your first mammogram as early as 40. “Mayo Clinic supports screening beginning at age 40 because screening mammograms can detect breast abnormalities early in women in their 40s,” the organization’s website states. “Findings from randomized trials of women in their 40s and 50s have demonstrated that screening mammograms decrease breast cancer deaths by 15 to 29 percent.” For women who may not be old enough to have a mammogram, learn how to perform a self-exam. Many women have caught their cancer early because they felt a lump and immediately met with a doctor.

Weekly Standard, Tuesday Morning Quarterback: Ban Youth Football by Gregg Easterbrook — Autopsying brains is difficult and expensive, and few dying people ask that their brains be studied. Researchers need to obtain a large randomized sample of brains from many people who did and did not play contact sports, and who did and did not exhibit dementia, and that is easier said than done. This 2015 study, led by Kevin Bieniek, a postdoctoral student at the Mayo Clinic’s graduate school, found an association between contact sports and CTE, and also between CTE and two genetic markers. More such study is needed: For now, knowing that a high percentage of deceased persons who displayed the symptoms of brain harm did, in fact, have brain harm doesn’t settle much.

MedPage Today, High Blood Pressure in Early Midlife Tied to Later Dementia Risk by Katie Kneisel — "The real issue in this paper is that hypertension is not a risk factor in midlife men, but is a risk factor for younger middle-aged women and slightly more elderly but still middle-aged men," David Knopman, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told MedPage Today. "While the impact of hypertension on women is the focus of the paper, the crux of the claim is the inability to demonstrate an association of hypertension in young middle-aged men. So is the absence of association in men just a quirk of this study population? Or, is there an analytic bias?" questioned Knopman, who was not involved in the study.

MedPage Today, Lenalidomide Boosts Overall Survival After Stem Cell Tx by Kristen Jenkins — In an accompanying editorial, Joseph R. Mikhael, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, called the study results "impressive" and said that "maintenance lenalidomide is indeed a new standard of care for most patients. With the development of even more potent and yet more tolerable agents in the future, we are drawing closer to the ultimate goal of transforming multiple myeloma to a chronic, if not curable, disease."

Modern Medicine, Reducing the burdens of technology can restore joy to physicians — Of the many reasons contributing to increasing rates of physician burnout, technology often rates as one of the greatest frustrations. A recent Mayo Clinic study on physician satisfaction with their electronic health records (EHRs) showed that only 36% of 6,375 physicians interviewed were satisfied with their use. Furthermore, a majority of respondents indicated their systems were causing a clinical burden, resulting in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment.

Medical News Today, Despite concerns, vasectomy and prostate cancer not linked by Tim Newman — In other words, because a man with a vasectomy has already seen a urologist, he is more likely to return at a later date for prostate-specific antigen testing. And because he is being tested, a diagnosis of prostate cancer becomes more likely. When talking about the tiny increase in risk that they measured, study co-author Dr. Bimal Bhindi - of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN - says, "It shouldn't stop you from gaining something that is otherwise very effective for family planning purposes."

Alzforum, ApoE4 Traps Insulin Receptor Inside Neurons — Scientists led by Guojun Bu, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, believe they have found an important link between the E4 isoform of apolipoprotein E and insulin resistance in the brain. In the September 27 Neuron, they report that ApoE4 competes with the hormone for binding to its receptor on neurons, leading to insulin resistance. To make matters worse, ApoE4 then ensnares insulin receptors in early endosomes, preventing their speedy return to the cell surface. Clogging up, then sequestering, insulin receptors unleashes a double whammy on normal insulin signaling, the scientists show.

Life Science Daily, NIH renews Mayo Clinic research award by Douglas Clark — The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently earmarked a $48.8 million grant for renewal of the Mayo Clinic’s Clinical and Translational Research Award. Officials said the five-year funding allotment would begin immediately, supporting Mayo researchers in translating discoveries to address unmet patient needs while engaging physicians and scientists at all levels. “We are pleased at this news and the continued confidence from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences,” Sundeep Khosla, the grant’s principal investigator and director of Mayo’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science, said. “This will allow us to build on the last decade of success and especially to bolster our educational programs for researchers and our community engagement efforts for clinical research participants.”

Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News, Expect the Unexpected Inside Those Scopes — Bret Petersen, MD, professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn., said he was not surprised at the findings of imperfections inside scopes, “based on what we do with them,” but the results also “generate a lot of important questions.” The most important issue is whether the scratches, shredding, moisture and so forth correlate with the presence of bacteria and its potential transmission to patients. “Linking the findings with culture positivity would be very interesting,” he said.

Medscape, Uterine-Sparing Procedures for Leiomyomas Have Trade-offs by Bridget M. Kuehn — Bijan Borah, PhD, a health economist and associate professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues published their findings online October 10 in Obstetrics & Gynecology. "[T]he real-world evidence on the comparative effectiveness between alternative procedural treatments for leiomyoma-related bulk symptoms is sparse," the authors write. "Specifically, extant evidence demonstrates substantial variation in the reintervention rates and reproductive outcomes between different leiomyoma treatment procedures."

AZFamily.com, Balancing school and sleep — How to balance school and sleep? Dr. Lois E. Krahn, M.D., a neurologist and psychiatrist with the Sleep Disorders Center at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, offers a few healthy habits that could help many in college sleep more soundly.

ASU Now, Five outstanding ASU students chosen to attend Mayo medical conference — With government leaders still undecided on the subject of national health care and the fate of millions of Americans hanging in the balance, the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation held its annual Transform 2017 conference in late September at its headquarters in Rochester, Minnesota. Five Arizona State University students were selected to attend and be privy to a series of talks, debates and networking sessions with some of the world’s leading health-care professionals. ASU and the Mayo Clinic have been working together for 12 years on programs that range from nursing to medical imaging to regenerative and rehabilitative medicine to wearable biosensors.

Alzforum, Artificial Human Blood Vessels: A Model for Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy? The CAA field has experienced its share of challenges studying disease mechanisms directly in patients. Guojun Bu at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, noted that, though helpful, observations of postmortem brain tissue or, in a few cases, tracking markers in accessible tissues such as cerebrospinal fluid, have yielded only limited, correlative data.

Post-Bulletin, Do the check right by Anne Halliwell — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and people all over the nation will attempt to raise money and awareness of the disease. But many women do not know how to detect signs of cancer in their own bodies, according to Dr. Sandhya Pruthi at Mayo Clinic's Breast Diagnostic Clinic. While most women begin getting mammograms at age 40 or 50, Pruthi says women should begin examining themselves for signs of breast cancer much sooner — and do it correctly. What brought that 30-year-old girl into my office?" she said. "She found the lump."

Post-Bulletin, Work remains to end polio once and for all by Dr. Robert Jacobson and Dr. Indrani Nagpaul-Chaudhry — Oct. 24 is World Polio Day, a day to celebrate what's been accomplished in eliminating this crippling disease in the United States and the western hemisphere and to consider what work we need to do in the few countries where the disease still persists. Since 1985, when Rotary International and its partners began work to eradicate polio, the number of polio cases globally has gone from about 350,000 to just 37 in 2016. More than one million Rotary members have donated their time and personal resources to end polio. Rotary members work with UNICEF and other partners to prepare and distribute mass communication tools to reach people in areas isolated by conflict, geography, or poverty… —Dr. Robert Jacobson is a Mayo Clinic pediatrician and is medical director of the Population Health Science Program with the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery. Dr. Indrani Nagpaul-Chaudhry is a pediatrician at Olmsted Medical Center.

Post-Bulletin, Mayo donates $78,000 to Salvation Army by Brett Boese — Mayo Clinic donated $78,000 this week to the Rochester Salvation Army, according to Mayo spokeswoman Kelly Reller. Salvation Army Major Jim Frye called it "an important donation" that will be used to support Good Samaritan Health Clinic, Caring Partners Adult Day Program and Transitional Living & Counseling. "We are so grateful to Mayo Clinic for their continued support," Frye said in a written statement. "These programs are life-changing to those individuals and families utilizing our services. By contributing to the Salvation Army, Mayo Clinic is helping bring hope and to meet the needs to so many."

Post-Bulletin, Opioid overuse doesn't begin in the ER, study finds by Anne Halliwell — When it comes to emergency room physicians, there's a perception that they hand out opioids "like candy," said Mayo Clinic researcher Molly Jeffery. That perception, though, is wrong. Jeffrey, the scientific director for the Mayo Clinic Division of Emergency Medicine Research and author of a recent study on opioid prescriptions, said that you're less likely to be overprescribed opioids in the ER than in your family doctor's office. "There's definitely a sense among physicians in other specialties and the general public that in the emergency department, they just hand them out like candy," Jeffery said.

KIMT, Mayo Clinic research shows the older you get, the easier it is to gain weight - especially middle-aged women by Calyn Thompson — As we get older, it’s natural to gain weight. Researchers at Mayo Clinic said it’s even easier for middle-aged women. Their research shows that women in their 50s and 60s gain an average of 1.5 pounds per year. Ekta Kapoor, the lead author of the study, said that’s because the older you get, the easier it is to gain weight and the harder it is to lose it. “But it applies even more so for mid-life women,” Kapoor said, “so women who enter menopause, exercising, and eating healthy are more likely to maintain a normal weight as they go through this transition versus those who are not." Additional coverage: Medscape

Healthcare IT News, Mayo Clinic, Oxford to collaborate on research and innovation by Bernie Monegain — Mayo Clinic is partnering with the University of Oxford, and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to boost medical research and patient care in all areas of innovation. The institutions will collaborate on research, teaching and clinical care to drive advances in medicine. Additional coverage: American Nursing Informatics Association

Healthcare Analytics News, How Mayo Clinic Plans to Use Data to Fight Pointless Lab Tests by Ryan Black — Data and smooth operating are the chief weapons in the Mayo Clinic’s war against the wrongful ordering of laboratory tests. CareSelect Lab, the medical practice and research group’s collaboration with National Decision Support Company (NDSC), aims to use analytics and interoperable capabilities to reduce the number of unnecessary lab tests. Announced in late September, the system will integrate with hospital electronic health records (EHR) systems and weigh data against more than 1,500 Mayo Clinic-curated care models to enhance physicians’ ability to order the right tests for their patients. “There are 3 components,” Curtis Hanson, MD and chief medical officer of Mayo Medical Laboratories, told Healthcare Analytics News™ during the Transform conference. “Making sure that you’re ordering the right test, [having] the analytics at the back end to make sure you’re getting more complete information for the patient, and understanding populations of patients, so you know better what to do.”

American Journal of Managed Care, Preventing Infection in Patients With Neutropenia: Q&A With Dr Ruben A. Mesa — Individuals who develop neutropenia are at higher risk of infection, and they should understand the symptoms to look for that might mean they need to seek urgent medical care, explained Ruben A. Mesa, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, speaking with The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®). Those individuals with neutropenia can also take preventive steps to reduce their risk of developing an infection that might result in hospitalization.

OncLive, Mesa on Guideline Updates in Polycythemia Vera and Essential Thrombocythemia — Ruben Mesa, chair of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Mayo Clinic, discusses the guideline updates in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia. Diseases like polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia are unique, says Mesa, as they are malignancies, but a lot of patients have very long survival. However, some can progress. Mesa states that the primary goal of the guidelines is the avoidance of thrombosis and bleeding in a risk-based fashion.

Cancer Network, Risk Factors in Myelofibrosis Linked With Poor Outcome After Splenectomy by Dave Levitan — Survival of patients with myelofibrosis (MF) who undergo splenectomy is adversely affected by older age, the need for transfusion, and leukocyte and circulating blast cell counts, according to a new analysis. The findings, and a score developed to assess risk, may help identify the best candidates for splenectomy. “Indications for splenectomy in MF include drug-refractory symptomatic splenomegaly, frequent transfusion need, refractory thrombocytopenia, and complications from portal hypertension,” wrote study authors led by Ayalew Tefferi, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

The Telegraph, The 39 best exercises for burning calories by Richard Jones — … All this data and proof has us scratching our heads as to the best way to optimise our precious workout time. Do I need to do strength training or will a kick-around in the park suffice? I love a round of Sunday golf but would a jog on the treadmill be a better use of my time? Fortunately, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota have ranked 39 common exercises based on information obtained from the US National Institutes of Health. The research calculated the number of calories burned during an hour of each exercise, with surprising results.

WXOW La Crosse, Flu season begins early by Emily Young — Flu Season has arrived, and it's come a bit early. Across Wisconsin, 22 hospitalizations and 10 cases of the flu have been recorded. Doctors recommend getting the flu vaccine shot as a preventative measure, because flu medications tend to have more side effects than benefits. The flu can have a particular impact on those most vulnerable. "The most susceptible are children, very young children," Dr. Chris Martinez, Family Medicine Physician for Mayo Clinic said. "So children as young as six months old typically are able to get the vaccine and then typically the elderly, so  patients older than the age of 65 are more susceptible to it."

WKBT La Crosse, Education - Garden opportunities expand by Lisa Klein — Four local organizations brought their expertise to the table to help provide a new learning environment for students in the Hamilton school building...“We all bring something unique to the table,” said Cinthia Shireman, sustainability coordinator for Mayo Clinic Health System. Mayo Clinic Health System, Shelter Development, and the School District combined their strengths with GROW La Crosse to hopefully create a new learning space.

Kansas City Star, How do docs misusing drugs fit into the opioid crisis? One example sheds light. by Andy Marso — Keith Berge, an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic, said it’s something his health system has confronted head on. Mayo recognized a pattern of anesthesia workers ending up in treatment for addiction to fentanyl, a highly concentrated opioid, more than a decade ago. Then in 2008, the health system was rocked by scandal when a catheterization lab nurse was caught stealing patients’ fentanyl and replacing it with saline. Mayo started an internal Drug Diversion Intervention and Response Team to help spot doctors abusing drugs early and get them help.

Times Record, Here’s why whole grains are the healthier choice — Want to be a healthier eater? Focus on whole grains. These unrefined grains are linked to a lower risk for heart disease, certain cancers and other health problems. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends at least half of all the grains you eat be whole grains. “The healthiest bread option is something that is made with whole grains,” said Angie Murad, a dietitian with the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program. “It needs to say whole grain.”

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