New York Times, Is Shingles Contagious? by Roni Caryn Rabin — Q. Is shingles contagious? A. Shingles, the painful and blistery rash that arises when the chickenpox virus becomes reactivated, can be contagious, but only for people who are not already immune to chickenpox. The blisters are contagious until they crust over, “and people should keep them covered,” said Dr. Pritish K. Tosh, an infectious disease specialist with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He noted that it’s important to “make sure people who are at risk not come in contact with these lesions.” Those at risk include anyone who has never had chickenpox or has not yet been vaccinated. Special caution should be taken with pregnant women or those with a compromised immune system, who may not know whether they are immune to the disease.

New York Times, Gut Check: Swallowed Capsule Could Spot Trouble, Send Alert by Carla K. Johnson — The capsule could help doctors monitor tricky-to-reach parts of the small intestine for people with Crohn's disease or to study the normal balance of microbes in the gut, said Dr. Stephanie Hansel of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who wasn't involved in the research. "We're excited about it," said Hansel, while noting that it probably won't replace the need for procedures using flexible scopes. Additional coverage: ABC News, KTTC, Star Tribune

New York Times, Is It a Migraine? Many Patients Don’t Realize What Causes Their Suffering by Gina Kolata — What do patients say about migraines? The pain can be terrible. Dr. Amaal Starling, a migraine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, comes from a family of women who get migraines — and she gets them herself. Hers began with an aura that manifested as blind spots that lasted 10 to 15 minutes. Then a pounding headache began. “Lights were so bright I couldn’t keep my eyes open,” she said. “Even quiet voices sounded like loud echoing voices and made my headache worse.” When she was in college, she began having migraines every other day and sought help at the health center. A doctor told her the headaches were caused by stress. He advised her to take less difficult courses and drink more water. Finally, in medical school, she took a pharmacology course and learned about triptans. “I went to a doctor and said, ‘I think I have migraine, I want to try triptans.’ And I told my family members to try triptans. Now we all take them.” Additional coverage: Seattle Times

New York Times, Had Two Diseases Struck at Once? by Lisa Sanders, M.D. — It was Christmas Day when the 34-year-old woman acknowledged that something was really wrong. Her husband — like her, a physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. — drew the short straw and had to work that day. Home alone with her children — the baby nearly 1, the other nearly 3 — she realized she was literally too tired to put the kids to bed…

New York Times, Roseanne Barr’s Ambien Defense Is Disputed: ‘Racism Is Not a Known Side Effect’ by Christine Hauser — Ambien is a treatment used for insomnia with a wide range of possible side effects. Some people who use it or similar medications do things while asleep that they don’t remember — such as driving, or preparing and eating food, wrote Dr. Eric Olson of the Mayo Clinic. Ms. Barr is not the first celebrity to blame the drug for her behavior, and it has featured in court cases in what some lawyers have called the “Ambien defense.”

New York Post, McCain documentary is full of emotion and surprises by Eric Hegedus and Robert Roke — The Post recently spoke by phone with the filmmakers, Peter Kunhardt and his sons Teddy and George Kunhardt…You screened the film in April for him while he recovered from surgery at the Mayo Clinic. What was his reaction? Teddy: Watching him watch the film was surreal. At the end he grabbed my hand and said, ‘You nailed it. Thank you, my friend.’ With the reality of the situation and having spent so many hours with this man in person and on my computer screen, I can’t even put it into words. Peter: Seven months passed; he’s thinner, weaker and different from when we worked with him. But we forget that because we were dealing every day with footage of him right after [he] was diagnosed. … The reality that the disease is taking its toll surprised us to some degree. Additional coverage: Washington Post

US News & World Report, Can Vaping Cause Serious Lung Disorders? by Elaine K. Howley — The Mayo Clinic reports that ARDS "occurs when fluid builds up in the tiny, elastic air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs. The fluid keeps your lungs from filling with enough air, which means less oxygen reaches your bloodstream. This deprives your organs of the oxygen they need to function." Nicknamed wet lung, it can be life-threatening; the patient profiled in the case study was on a ventilator for five days before the inflammation had reduced enough for her to be able to breathe on her own.

CNBC, You might want to check the expiration date on your sunscreen before you bring it to the beach by Angelica LaVito — Using old sunscreen isn't necessarily harmful on its own, but it won't work as well — and you probably already aren't getting as much protection as you think you are, said Dr. Dawn Davis, a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic…"If your SPF is 15 and you're only using one-third of the amount you're supposed to, you're getting SPF 5," Davis said. "If (sunscreen is) expired, the chemicals won't be as powerful at doing their job, which means you're lowering the sunscreen potential."

CNN, Using a CPAP machine can improve sex lives for some, study says by Mark Lieber — CPAP machines are among the most common treatments for obstructive sleep apnea. They rely on a hose and mask to deliver constant and steady air pressure while a person sleeps and are thought to improve a number of complications associated with sleep apnea, including daytime fatigue, high blood pressure and sexual dysfunction, according to the Mayo Clinic. Additional coverage: WENY-News

CNN Espanol, Tecnología para controlar la diabetes — La diabetes no tiene cura, es una enfermedad crónica que necesita ser vigilada. Sin embargo, nuevas tecnologías juegan un papel fundamental. Además de brindar esperanza, pueden ser las mejores aliadas, junto al endocrinólogo, para controlar mejor esta enfermedad.

El Comercio, Migrañas: ¿Qué relación tienen con las hormonas? — La Dra. Stephanie Faubion, directora de la Oficina para la Salud Femenina de la clínica Mayo y autora principal de una revisión de las migrañas en las mujeres publicada en Mayo Clinic Proceedings, explica por qué cambia el riesgo femenino para migraña en la vida y la posible función de las hormonas para el tratamiento.

CBS Los Angeles, Should Super-Caffeinated ‘Death Wish Coffee’ Give Starbucks The Jitters? — As if Starbucks didn’t already have enough problems, a new caffeine slinger coming to stores near you might give the coffee chain a competitive jolt. The Orange County Register reports Death Wish Coffee will be available at 1,627 Walmart stores across the country starting June 9...The Mayo Clinic says drinking up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day— three to four cups — is safe for adults. Anything beyond that can cause migraines, nervousness, fast heartbeat and insomnia, obviously. In severe cases, ingesting too much caffeine can cause heart arrhythmia, according to the Mayo Clinic.

HealthDay, Another Drug to Prevent Migraines Shows Promise — Galcanezumab cut in half the number of days that most patients suffered from a migraine in a month, and did so without significant side effects, researchers reported. "In contrast to what we currently have available to prevent migraine, they seem very well tolerated," said study co-author Dr. David Dodick, a neurologist with the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Ariz. "There are no unique side effects to these treatments." Dodick expects that both galcanezumab and a third migraine prevention drug will be approved by the FDA in the coming months. "I expect that, barring any unforeseen issues, there will be two more antibodies approved in 2018," Dodick said, adding that an additional drug delivered by IV should be ready in 2019. Additional coverage: MedPage Today

Reader’s Digest, 50 Ways to Have Your Healthiest Summer Ever by Charlotte Hilton Andersen — Wear wicking undies: The underwear you choose can make all the difference between walking like a cowboy after a five-day ride and strutting coolly down the street. Cotton may feel the most natural, but it holds moisture, and sweat can feel wet against your skin, says Rochelle Torgerson, MD, PhD, a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic. Technology to the rescue! New wicking and antimicrobial fabrics help keep you dry and smelling fresh even on the hottest days, she says. Check out these 10 tricks to stay cool on hot nights.

Reader’s Digest, 12 Ways Your Swimming Pool Is Making You Sick by Jessica Migala — Yes, there could be something lurking in the water and the threat of illness is real, but overall your favorite local swimming pool is probably safe. "As long as the pH and chlorine levels in the pool are being maintained, the disinfectants will kill off most germs that could make you ill," says Dan DeSimone, MD, infectious disease consultant at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Post-Bulletin, Birth control to control your migraines? by Anne Halliwell — Research has drawn a link between hormones and migraines. So would you believe that, for women, birth control is a potential treatment for the debilitating headaches? Dr. Stephanie Faubion, the director of the Office of Women’s Health at Mayo, said researchers aren’t sure why hormones have such an effect on many of the migraines women experience — but clearly, they do. Migraines are three times more common in women than in men. By the time women reach menopause, about 40 percent of them will have experienced migraines at least once.

Post-Bulletin, Half the distance, all the heat by John Molseed — At least three runners were treated for heat stroke symptoms at the shortened Med City Marathon on Sunday. The run, shortened to a half marathon, started at 7 a.m. By the time the last runners crossed the finish line, temperatures were approaching 90 degrees. Runners showing signs of heat stroke were immediately treated on site north of Mayo Civic Center, said Dr. Ed Laskowski, co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center. Heat stroke occurs when the body’s core temperature reaches more than 104 degrees. Symptoms include confusion and can lead to shutdown of internal organs, Laskowski said. Additional coverage: KRFO

Post-Bulletin, Art4Trails celebrates new art, momentum by Randy Petersen — The fruits of Richard Brubaker’s retirement are seen along Rochester’s bike trails. The retired Mayo Clinic opthamologist has already donated two metal sculptures to the city — “Sunrise, Sunset” and “Tractor Cat” — through the Art4Trails program, and a third is being installed. The first sculptures were selected as temporary displays during the Art4Trails first calls for submissions, but Brubaker opted to present them to the city as permanent displays.

KTTC, Mayo Clinic donates bottled water for disaster response to Channel One — Now that we're entering natural disaster season and the weather is getting warmer, having a stock pile of extra water on hand has never been more important. Channel One Food Bank just got a truckload of 173 pallets of bottled water, donated by Mayo Clinic. The Food Bank received the first of a number of deliveries over several weeks. Once they get all the deliveries they will have more than 300,000 bottles of water. Channel One stores water throughout the year in case it's needed during times of disaster. Additional coverage: KIMT, Post-Bulletin

KTTC, Saint Mary's University dedicates new Cascade Meadow expansion by Erin O’Brien — A new program in Rochester aims to fill a shortage of physician assistants in the area, and now, that program has a place to call home. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota dedicated a 10,000 square foot expansion to its Cascade Meadow Center Thursday with a ribbon cutting.  The addition will be home to the university's new "3+2 Physician Assistant Program".  It's a collaboration between Saint Mary's and Mayo Clinic's School of Health Sciences.

KTTC, Florida man flies his plane to Rochester to thank Mayo Clinic surgeon by Ala Errebhi — Twenty-two year-old Calvin Page of West Palm Beach, Florida said if it weren't for Dr. Mark Allen, he wouldn't be able to continue pursuing his dream of flying. Just last year, Calvin Page was treated at Mayo Clinic for infectious pneumonia. During his treatment doctors found a rare birth defect called bronchopulmonary sequestration. Dr. Allen performed the surgery to remove the abnormal lung tissue.

KTTC, Good news for Iowa baby receiving treatment at Mayo for skull fracture by Stevan Stojanovic —- Good news for the family of an Iowa baby receiving treatment for skull fractures at Mayo Clinic Saint Mary's. As of Friday, the family of McKenna Hovenga says McKenna was breathing on her own for the first time in weeks. Earlier this month, McKenna was hurt after she was hit in the head by an overthrown softball at her father's game.  A Facebook post said the family was, "crying tears of relief, joy and thankfulness." Additional coverage: FOX 29, KARE 11, WMTV Madison, FOX News, KSAZ, KMSP

Twin Cities Business, New Mayo-Backed Device for Treating Deadly Type of Stroke Nearing FDA Notification by Don Jacobson — A new medical device being co-developed by the Mayo Clinic to treat an especially deadly type of stroke is on target for an initial U.S. Food and Drug Administration application in the next quarter, according to newly filed documents. The device, called the ClearAway catheter, is being developed by a Mayo neurosurgeon at the clinic’s Scottsdale, Arizona, facility, and by MRI Interventions Inc. (OTCQB: MRIC) of Irvine, California.

Star Tribune, Duluth's Essentia Health plans state's biggest medical expansion project by Christopher Snowbeck — … The development is the largest in a string of hospital projects in Minnesota announced over the past year or so, including $217 million for improvements at Mayo Clinic’s St. Marys hospital campus in Rochester. Between 2007 and 2016, the biggest health care capital expenditure reported to the Minnesota Department of Health was $281.8 million for facility construction and remodeling at Children’s Minnesota, the state’s largest pediatric hospital. Mayo Clinic in 2001 added more than 1.5 million square feet of space at a cost of nearly $500 million. Additional coverage: Duluth News Tribune, Pioneer Press

KEYC Mankato, How Mayo Clinic Shaped the History of Health Care in Mankato — News 12 looks at Mayo Clinic’s impact in Mankato. Dr. James Hebl is interviewed.

Fairmont Sentinel, Mayo to offer Urgent Care by Judy Bryan — Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont will add another level of care this year. Mayo will transition out of its Clinic at Walmart site and open an Urgent Care location at the medical center. The move is expected by Dec. 1. Mayo currently offers various levels of care. Express Care, like that at Walmart, is a walk-in clinic that treats minor medical conditions such as allergies, bladder infections, ear and eye infections, rashes and strep throat.

Albert Lea Tribune, Before her time in Albert Lea, doctor served as an Army surgeon by Sarah Kocher — For a local OB-GYN, joining the Army was an eye-for-an-eye trade. For every year the Army paid for her medical school, she would give them a year of service. It was through that arrangement Jodi Schulz spent six months between four operating tables in Baghdad, Iraq. The operating rooms were like those in a normal hospital, really, Schulz said…“It was kind of an easy decision to say, ‘That sounds really cool to join the military,’” Schulz said. Schulz works at Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Albert Lea as an OB-GYN.

WEAU Eau Claire, Local family uses tragedy to help others with loss of newborns by Abigail Hantke — Stephanie and Nick's donation is a Cuddle Cot costing around $3,800. It looks a lot like a bassinet. However this crib-like basket is a cooling system for stillborn babies, which allows families to spend more time with their child to help them cope with their loss. “There were a lot of things we had to go through together as a couple and family,” said Nicholas. “It takes a lot to not get over it, but accept things.” This is the first Cuddle Cot at Mayo Clinic Health System. Chrissy Boe, the director of the family birth center, says the hospital couldn't be more grateful. “They took a very tragic situation and a very sad situation and turned it into a benefit to families for years to come,” Boe said. “They gave them the gift of time when it seems it’s been cut drastically too short.”

WKBT La Crosse, Mental Health event held in La Crosse by Greg White — Organizers say taking care of mental health is part of the health care puzzle. “So this is a good opportunity for us to show how we can focus on ourselves mentally and also physically because if you don’t take care of yourself inside, you’re not going to be able to be healthy on the outside,” said Alanna Artz, Communication Specialist with Mayo Clinic Health System.

WEAU Eau Claire, Mental Health Awareness Month by Jesse Horne — Psychotherapists Deb Lorasch-Gunderson and Vickie Zwiefelhofer discuss mental health issues in the community and the upcoming Sharing Hope Walk to Prevent Suicide.

Bristol Herald Courier, Mayo mindfulness: Grow happiness through focus and practice — Many people wait around for happiness to find them, when in reality it’s sometimes only a positive thought away. Being happy can be a choice you make. There are many small techniques you can try to create a happier and more enjoyable life.Research has shown you have control over your happiness,” explains Stacy Blackburn, D.O., Mayo Clinic Health System family physician. “It all relates back to your personality and also your thoughts and behaviors, which can be changed.”

Medscape, FDA Panel: 'Little Merit' in Sublingual Buprenorphine for Pain by Alicia Ault — The panel said it was also worried about a lengthy delay in onset of pain relief, at a median of 92 minutes for the 0.5-mg dose the company was seeking to market. That delay could translate into a safety problem, noted panel member Randall Flick, MD, MPH, professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. "The time to onset will inevitably prompt the user to switch to some other opioid or nonopioid, or dose earlier with the sponsor's drug," added Flick.

WUNC North Carolina, How the Mayo Clinic wants to improve our health care system — …We'll talk to the CEO of the Mayo Clinic, Dr. John Noseworthy, about his goal of reducing the amount of wasteful visits you have to take to the doctor's.

Radiology Business, Breast cancer survivors not following recommended post-surgery mammography schedule by Michael Walter — Breast cancer survivors are not receiving the recommended number of mammograms following surgery, according to a new study published by the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network...“The use of regular mammograms to detect a return of breast cancer before any symptoms appear is associated with better overall survival,” lead author Kathryn Ruddy, MD, MPH, director of cancer survivorship for the department of oncology at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, Minnesota, said in a prepared statement. “Therefore, clinicians need to make sure that their patients are fully aware of the role these annual mammograms play in screening for new breast cancers as well as for local recurrences. Creating and implementing survivorship care plans with clear follow-up instructions may help ensure that more survivors adhere to recommended screening schedules.” Additional coverage: Longview News-Journal, News-medical.net, Cure

Romper, Eating Seafood May Boost Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant, According To This New Study by Karen Veazey — The FDA noted that its studies show pregnant women avoid fish due to concerns over mercury, but that seafood contains important nutritional benefits for mom and baby. The FDA still recommends pregnant women consume two to three servings per week off the “best choice” list. The Mayo Clinic backs up that advice, noting: Seafood, which includes fish and shellfish, can be a great source of protein, iron and zinc — crucial nutrients for your baby's growth and development. The omega-3 fatty acids in many fish, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), also can promote your baby's brain development. The Mayo Clinic also advises two serving per week, but warn to avoid the same types of fish mentioned on the FDA's list, saying pregnant women should stay away from large, predatory fish like shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish.

PR Daily, 7 newsroom features that increase journalists’ engagement by Russell Working — At other times, the essentials have a narrower audience, as when Mayo Clinic posts a b-roll interview with a medical expert. Either way, the two top newsrooms from widely divergent organizations offer lessons that every communicator should consider. Above all, know your business, your industry and the news media well enough to anticipate what will draw reporters and others.  “What we’re trying to do is break through the noise and meet the media and the consumer where they are consuming content,” says Ron Petrovich, director of communications for news and news delivery at Mayo Clinic. “We develop fresh content based on our strategic priorities, but we also want to get into the news cycle as well.”

SELF, This Is Why It Seems Like Your Hangovers Are Getting Worse With Age by Claire Gillespie — Alcohol affects your body in multiple ways, according to the Mayo Clinic, which is why the hangover symptoms are so diverse. For instance, you can blame fatigue, weakness, shakiness, and mood disturbances on the way alcohol can make your blood sugar dip below a healthy threshold. Booze also expands your blood vessels, which can lead to headaches, and it hikes your urine production, which can cause dehydration that might make you want to drink all the LaCroix in a 10-mile radius.

SELF, Here Are All the Things That Can Cause Bizarre Green Poop by Korin Miller — Buckle up, because a lot of the conversation from here on out is going to center around bile. So, during the digestive process, enzymes chemically change your bile from its usual yellow-green to brown, according to the Mayo Clinic. If your bile can’t break down properly, it will often maintain some of its original yellow-green color when it leaves your body via your stool.

MedPage Today, Ustekinumab: Novel Help in Vasculitis? by Nancy Walsh — Treatment of refractory giant cell arteritis (GCA) with ustekinumab (Stelara) showed therapeutic promise as a steroid-sparing agent in a small, open-label study, Irish researchers reported…Asked for his perspective, Kenneth Warrington, MD, chair of the department of rheumatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who was not involved in the study, told MedPage Today, "GCA is a disease where we've had very limited treatment options. We've had steroids since the 1940s, but we only have one biologic recently approved for GCA, tocilizumab [Actemra], so other options are worth exploring."

MedPage Today, Hormone Levels After Menopause Tied to Heart Risks by Kristen Monaco — In regards to specific HF subtype, a higher risk for HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) was associated with a higher testosterone to estradiol ratio (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.54), congruent with the overall analysis. Also, higher estradiol levels were tied to a lower risk for HFrEF (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.93). However, no hormone levels had any significant association with the risk for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) -- a finding editorial comment authors Virginia M. Miller, PHD, and Rekha Mankad, MD, both of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., called unexpected. "By addressing a set of defined incident events, this study provides new information needed to develop mechanistic hypotheses of causal relationships of hormones with specific aspects of cardiac function," they wrote. Additional coverage: Healio, Medical Xpress

Express UK, Rheumatoid arthritis warning - four ways you could lower your risk by Matt Atherton — Obesity: Being overweight could increase your risk of rheumatoid arthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic. “People who are overweight or obese appear to be at somewhat higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, especially in women diagnosed with the disease when they were 55 or younger,” it said. You could lose weight by being more physically active, or by making some diet changes.

Q13 FOX, Healthy Living: Smokeless tobacco among teens on the rise, research shows by Marni Hughes — To combat the problem, and at the request of the Seattle Mariner's organization, King County Council passed a smokeless tobacco ban that went into effect on May 15th at all county sporting venues, including Safeco Field, Centurylink Field and KeyArena. Although there are no plans to ticket anyone caught using smokeless tobacco, Dr. Jon Ebbert with the Mayo Clinic is applauding the move calling it critically important.

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Tags: Alanna Artz, Ambien, birth control, Breast Cancer, buprenorphine, caffeine, Calvin Page, Cascade Meadow, Channel One Food Bank, Chrissy Boe, ClearAway catheter, CPAP, cuddle cots, Deb Lorasch-Gunderson, destination medical center, DMC, Dr. Amaal Starling, Dr. Benjamin Brown, Dr. Dan DeSimone, Dr. David Dodick, Dr. Dawn Davis, Dr. Ed Laskowski, Dr. Eric Olson, Dr. Jodi Schulz, Dr. John Noseworthy, Dr. Jon Ebbert, Dr. Kathryn Ruddy, Dr. Kenneth Warrington, Dr. Mark Allen, Dr. Pritish K. Tosh, Dr. Randall Flick, Dr. Rekha Mankad, Dr. Richard Brubaker, Dr. Robert Brown, Dr. Rochelle Torgerson, Dr. Stacy Blackburn, Dr. Stephanie Hansel, Dr. Virginia M. Miller, fertility, Galcanezumab, gut microbes, hangovers, John McCain, mammograms, McKenna Hovenga, Med-City Marathon, menopause, mental health, migraine, mindfulness, rheumatoid arthritis, Ron Petrovich, seafood, sexual health, shingles, stool, stroke, sunscreen, swimming pool, tobacco, Uncategorized, Vaping, vasculitis, Vickie Zwiefelhofer, WUNC North Carolina