December 7, 2018

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights for December 7, 2018

By Emily Blahnik

Reuters, Asian longhorned tick spreading in U.S by Lisa Rapaport — The Asian longhorned tick has spread across nine states since it first appeared in the U.S. last year, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...“At this time there is no evidence that the Asian longhorned tick can transmit Lyme disease,” said Dr. Bobbi Pritt, medical director of the Clinical Parasitology laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “However, a bacterium that is related to the Lyme disease-causing bacterium has been found in these ticks in Asia, so it is hypothetically possible,” Pritt, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. “Therefore, it is always important to take steps to avoid ticks when outdoors.”

Reuters, Can better cancer care lower company's health costs? by Beth Pinsker — Only a few of the few thousand employees dealing with cancer hit the $10,000 limit each year, from a workforce of 150,000. “It’s a nice message to send to the employee: They care enough about you to send you to the Mayo Clinic to make sure you get the best treatment. With the misdiagnosis rate, it easily pays for itself,” said Health Rosetta’s Chase. Top cancer centers can do advanced genetic testing on patients to identify those mostly likely to benefit from particular treatments, avoiding extremely costly new regimens for those unlikely to be helped by them.

New York Times, What Are the Effects of Vitamin B12 Deficiency? by Roni Caryn Rabin — Q. What are the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency if left untreated? A. A deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause neurological and psychiatric problems that “can progress if left untreated, and can lead to irreversible damage,” said Dr. Donald Hensrud, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Program. Fortunately, it can be reversed fairly easily with vitamin pills or injections.

New York Times, Doctors Said Hockey Enforcer Todd Ewen Did Not Have C.T.E. But He Did. by Ken Belson — The news at first seemed to shock the medical world studying the relationship between hard hits to the head in sports and a degenerative neurological disease called C.T.E. Todd Ewen, one of hockey’s most aggressive fighters, who fatally shot himself at age 49 in September 2015, did not have the disease, despite displaying a wide range of symptoms for it. That was the conclusion of doctors in Toronto. It turned out to be wrong. Ewen’s wife, Kelli, was skeptical about the Toronto doctors’ conclusion and had her husband’s brain tissue tested by doctors at Boston University’s C.T.E. Center, whose findings were checked by researchers at the Mayo Clinic.

Washington Post, New drugs, decades in the making, are providing relief for migraines. by Sarah Vander Schaaff — The new drugs are unique because they not only prevent (as opposed to abort) migraine attacks but also are well tolerated. “That’s the key,” said David Dodick, a neurologist and headache specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. “If I give you something to take and it’s effective but you can’t tolerate the side effects, you’ll stop it.” The recent shift in migraine treatment comes from a change in understanding what causes them, he said. Migraine had previously been considered a blood vessel problem. It was “really a nerve problem,” he said.

Washington Post, If you’re single with cancer, you may get less aggressive treatment than a married person by Joan DelFattore —…Using SEER data on 925,127 patients, researchers from Harvard, MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Mayo Clinic, among others, found that only 0.4 percent declined surgery when physicians recommended it, and 0.9 percent declined radiation. Unmarried patients were indeed more likely to refuse, but the proportion was small. Of 278,015 unmarried patients whose physicians recommended surgery, 1,441 refused. For radiation, it was 1,055 out of 79,303.

Washington Post, Friends can improve your health and well-being, especially during the holidays by Julie Fruga — For many of us, especially those without family nearby, spending time with friends can be a meaningful way to celebrate the holidays. As fewer people opt for marriage, friendships have become more than social relationships: Friends are proxy families, and they may be better than the real ones. Researchers have found that these personal connections may be more beneficial to one’s health and well-being than family relationships. And at a time when loneliness has become a public health crisis with young adults saying they feel lonelier than older generations, studies show that investing in friendships pays off. According to the Mayo Clinic, these bonds can help reduce stress, increase happiness and bolster self-confidence.

Washington Post, Markelle Fultz has nerve disorder that hampers shooting motion, agent says by Jacob Bogage — There might be a lingering medical reason for the continued shooting struggles of Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz. The former No. 1 overall draft pick has been diagnosed with neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, according to Fultz’s agent, Raymond Brothers (via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski). Thoracic outlet syndrome is a group of disorders that occur when “blood vessels or nerves in the space between your collarbone and your first rib (thoracic outlet) are compressed,” according to the Mayo Clinic. It is rare, with fewer than 200,000 cases occurring per year. The neurogenic, or neurological, form is characterized by a compression of the brachial plexus, “a network of nerves that come from your spinal cord and control muscle movements and sensation in your shoulder, arm and hand.” Additional coverage: New York Times

NPR, Cokie Roberts Revisits Her Memories With George H.W. Bush by Cokie Roberts — GREENE: Well - and that's one of the things even some of his critics have been pointing out in these last couple days. I mean, there have been thousands of tributes from all kinds of people. Anything that surprised you? ROBERTS: Not so much surprised me as amazed me, David - the specificity of the stories. This isn't just we mourn your loss. One after another of these messages includes a thank you for what he did, whether it's the NIH saying what he did for the Human Genome Project or the former director of the Constitution Center saying that he really saved that institution or the Mayo Clinic thanking him for helping educate about its vision, the countless, countless personal stories of graciousness and care, taking time to comfort people in distress or congratulate those who had some success. Since he was so famous for his thank-you notes, it seems especially fitting to me that his eulogies are forms of thank-you notes to him. Additional coverage: KAWC

Consumer Reports, Who Needs Screening Tests Before Surgery? by Catherine Roberts — Doctors may not always be up to date on preop testing recommendations, says John C. Matulis, D.O., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine in the division of community internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. “As guidelines change, as current best practice changes, it’s hard for everyone to keep up,” he says.

US News & World Report, What to Consider Before OK'ing an X-Ray for an Infant by Michael O. Schroder — It’s the most common reason a child under 1 may end up at the hospital: bronchiolitis. The illness tends to peak in the winter months. Symptoms start out similar to the common cold but then progress to coughing, wheezing and sometimes even difficulty breathing, according to the Mayo Clinic. Complications of severe bronchiolitis can range from a lack of oxygen that turn a child's lips or skin blue – called cyanosis – to dehydration and respiratory failure. Not surprisingly, parents and clinicians would want to do everything they can to ensure a baby is well cared for and kept safe…

ESPN, Love, Hate and why kindness matters by Matthew Berry — "Cancer may not be life-ending, but it is usually life-changing." That's a quote from my father, Dr. Leonard L. Berry…The trip to the Mayo Clinic changed his life. He co-authored a book on it in 2000 ("Management Lessons from Mayo Clinic"), but more importantly, he had a calling. Up until then, his lessons in service quality had been all about helping companies improve sales by being more focused on the customer and providing a good experience. But after the Mayo Clinic, my father had an epiphany. The Mayo Clinic was world-class, he thought. My dad knew nothing about medicine, but he knew there was still room for improvement at the Mayo Clinic ... in customer care.

ESPN, Ex-Lions GM Matt Millen needs heart transplant 'fairly soon' by Michael Rothstein — Former NFL linebacker and Detroit Lions general manager Matt Millen is in the hospital awaiting a heart transplant and needs one "fairly soon," according to a report by NBC Sports. Millen has been suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease that would eventually require the surgery…Amyloidosis occurs when amyloid builds up in bone marrow and then spreads to organs and other body tissue. As it does, it can cause organs to fail. The Mayo Clinic has reported that 70 percent of people diagnosed with amyloidosis are men between the ages of 60 and 70. Additional coverage: ABC News

Chicago Tribune, Ex-Bear Merril Hoge saw concussions end his NFL career. He now says people are overreacting to the danger of head trauma in football. by John Keilman — Merril Hoge is an odd emissary for the message that football’s concussion risk has been exaggerated. Hoge, a bull-necked former running back for the Chicago Bears, saw his NFL career end because of the injury, and later sued the team doctor for allegedly mishandling his care. But Hoge, who went on to a 21-year career as an ESPN analyst, has just written a book whose title sums up his contrarian take: “Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football.”… Critics point to one study “Brainwashed” doesn’t mention: a 2015 paper from the Mayo Clinic comparing people who played contact sports and people who didn’t. Using brain samples from subjects who suffered neurodegenerative disorders before death, researchers found CTE in about a third of people who participated in contact sports, particularly football. They didn’t find it at all in the brains of nonathletes.

Modern Healthcare, Providers welcome interstate licensing, while unions oppose it by Alex Kacik — Eighty percent of nearly 21,000 nurses surveyed by the Minnesota Board of Nursing were in favor of their state joining the compact. Yet it's unlikely any legislation will be passed in the upcoming session, said Kate Johansen, the director of government relations for Mayo Clinic.  Newly elected Gov. Tim Walz isn't likely to rock the boat, she said, especially since the compact is opposed by the Minnesota Nurses Association, which endorses many of the state's public officials. Since Mayo is a healthcare destination, nurses and doctors are limited in terms of their follow-up care of patients who live in noncompact states, Johansen said. “We deliver care in ways that are more mobile than ever,” she said. “Anything that helps streamline care is really the goal we should be pursuing. The nursing compact is tested.”

Everyday Health, New Netflix Series Explores Humans’ Bond With ‘Dogs’ by Sue Treiman — “Pets improve well-being, increase longevity, and heighten compliance with medical treatment,” says Edward T Creagan, MD, lead author of the study, professor of medical oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and an expert on animal-assisted health.

Star Tribune, Telemedicine sees a dramatic rise in Minnesota, with urban-rural contrast by Jeremy Olson — Patients in rural areas used telemedicine more to connect with doctors in other communities — either to avoid long drives for routine checkups or to get second opinions from specialists, the data showed…Mayo Clinic provides similar specialist support to smaller hospitals, including advice on managing premature births. Dr. Christopher Colby recalled how a hastily arranged video link helped him guide Mankato doctors in 2013 on whether to resuscitate a baby born at the threshold of viability at 22 weeks. “The baby survived,” he said, adding that the case inspired Mayo’s formal telemedicine neonatology program.

Star Tribune, Alzheimer's added to Minnesota's medical marijuana list by Jeremy Olson — Dr. Ronald Petersen said he would consider the option if patients or their relatives requested marijuana for Alzheimer’s — with the understanding that it might relieve agitation, but that it hasn’t been proven to treat the disease. A few of his patients are already taking it, but for conditions other than Alzheimer’s, he noted. Some studies have found that cannabis disrupts the tau proteins that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s and inhibit brain function. But they were only in animal models, said Petersen, who directs the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and serves as a science adviser to the Alzheimer’s Association. “We have cured Alzheimer’s disease time and time again” — in lab and animal models, he said. “But that hasn’t translated to humans yet.”

MPR, Minnesota OKs medical marijuana to treat Alzheimer's — Dr. Ronald Petersen leads the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mayo Clinic and Mayo's Study of Aging. He says the Health Department's action gives doctors and patients another option to treat symptoms of the disease. "The thinking is that sometimes people start to realize that they're not thinking, remembering as well as they formerly did and that may lead to an anxious state for them," Petersen said. But Petersen is careful to point out that far more research needs to be done on marijuana's efficacy as a treatment. He said with medical cannabis legal in many places, it shouldn't be too hard to find patients to observe.  "The studies can be done with humans to do a placebo-controlled study to see if for example medical marijuana may reduce anxiety and fear and improve the quality of life of patients with Alzheimer's disease," he said.

KMSP, Minnesota Dept. of Health approves medical cannabis for Alzheimer's patients by Rob Olson — “It still may help handle some of the symptoms like anxiety, fear, paranoia that can occur in Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Ronald Petersen, who directs the Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s research center. Petersen is also an advisor to the Alzheimer Association of Minnesota and North Dakota. He says interactions with other drugs is an unknown. “But nevertheless, I think cautiously, if it’s observed carefully, it may be useful for some patients,” said Dr. Petersen.

Twin Cities Business, Mayo Clinic Startup Phenomix Sciences Initiates $1M Seed Funding Round by Amanda Ostuni — A Mayo Clinic startup focused on personalizing chronic disease treatment has launched its seed round of financing. The early stage startup company, Phenomix Sciences, is seeking $1 million so that it can commercialize its current core product: a new clinical test for obesity. The test analyzes metabolomic and DNO biomarkers to determine what kind of obesity a patient has, and thereby result in more effective weight loss treatments. The Mayo Clinic-developed method is a simple blood test that can identify the obesity sub-type or phenotype with over 90 percent accuracy, explains Dr. Andres Acosta, assistant professor at Mayo Clinic and founder of Phenomix, in a statement. Additional coverage: Tech Startups

KARE 11, Less sunlight during winter months can increase depression by Kiya Edwards — For the next several weeks, we can expect fewer than nine hours of sunlight each day. That can affect your mental health. The American Psychiatric Association says around five percent of adults in the U.S. experience seasonal affective disorder, which is also known as SAD or seasonal depression. The signs are the same as those of depression. However, they tend to begin in fall and resolve in spring…Mayo Clinic says treatment may include light therapy, medications and psychotherapy.

Post-Bulletin, 'Passport, money, tickets and time' by Matthew Stolle — Rochester resident Dr. Richard DeRemee has made 77 foreign trips in his lifetime and racked up 600,000 miles of air travel crisscrossing the globe. DeRemee loves to travel — for the history, the food, the culture and the self-enlightenment. There is nothing like it. Many of the trips were made for professional reasons during a 34-year career as a Mayo Clinic medical pulmonologist, but others were done for the sheer delight and fun of going places.

Post-Bulletin, Answer Man: No bevy of Nobels for Mayo — Dear Answer Man: I have heard a rumor that you might be a candidate for a Nobel Prize for having all of the answers. I did Google this question without success but then thought better than googling. I could just ask the Answer Man. My question is, "How many doctors and researchers employed at Mayo over the years have won Nobel Prizes?" — Dear Tony: I’m still waiting for the Nobel Foundation to make a category for Ingenuity, Acumen, or Knowing It All, as I’d clearly be the best candidate. But I have something better for now– an answer for every question that comes across my desk…It’s tough to get a Nobel Prize, which is probably why even a world-renowned medical institution such as Mayo has only one win on the books. Drs. Edward Kendall and Philip Hench (two Mayo doctors) were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1950, along with Tadeus Reichstein, a Polish-Swiss chemist. Their work on adrenal cortex hormones led to the isolation of cortisone, a stress hormone we use to give short-term pain relief and reduce swelling, deliberately suppress immune response, or sometimes treat skin conditions.

Post-Bulletin, Answer Man: Corn tower question is tough can to open — The next step in Rochester’s tower tale is what will happen the site next. Could another large Med City entity buy it, possibly just for parking and to save the tower? Kiger considered that and this time actually did track down an answer. “Mayo Clinic has no interest in the facility,” according to Mayo Clinic’s Kelley Luckstein.

KAAL, Increase in People Trading in Green Cards for U.S. Citizenship by Hannah Tiede — This time of year is about family and traditions. But some of the decorations in one Le Roy home are not Christmas - related. They are a reminder of where Axel Gumbel grew up. “I'm from Germany originally and I moved here in 2000,” said Gumbel, “originally to get my degree at the University of Minnesota in Broadcast Journalism.” Then he met his wife, Jen. “Here we are 18 years later,” he said…Gumbel has four kids, a past in journalism at ABC 6 News and a current career at Mayo Clinic. “The process to get a green card was pretty tedious,” he said. “You had to fill out lots of paperwork and it was pretty expensive. It was about $2,000 at the time.”

KTTC, Families remember their loved ones at Mayo Clinic tree lighting by Holden Krusemark — Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea and Austin “Set Memories Aglow” Sunday evening, honoring the families who have lost loved ones. For the 8th year, the Austin location held its tree lighting ceremony in the front lobby, as families of patients lost gathered to remember their loved ones. Event organizers say it’s been a significant part of starting up the holiday season for these people by giving those grieving a chance to reflect and recognize the impact of their loss. “This is a great opportunity for our hospice families to come together, or anybody that has experienced the loss of a loved one, just throughout the past year or the past few years. It’s just a time to come together,” said Mayo Clinic Hospice Social Worker, Lenette Baron. Additional coverage: FOX 47

KIMT, Family of young man receiving treatment at Mayo bring donations to Ronald McDonald House by Annalise Johnson — Seth Bayles has been a patient at the Mayo Clinic for the last 9 years as he battles rare auto-immune disorders and diseases. His family has spent some time at the Ronald McDonald House during his treatment, and now the Bayles often give back to the house. On Friday, after a 5-hour drive from Wisconsin and a medical appointment at Mayo, they brought a car-load of donations collected from their home community and a Chicago church. Donated items include winter clothing, pop can tabs for fundraising, and toys. All of the donations will be given to families staying at Ronald McDonald House. "Kids here that are staying here for medical treatment and just coming away from home, like I've been there; I've done that; I know how they feel," says Seth.

KAAL, Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities — On Monday, people came together in Rochester for Maxability's event celebrating people with disabilities. It was part of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. From pianists, to comedians, to cheerleaders; local people came out to perform for the community. Maxability, Mayo Clinic, and ABC 6 News were all sponsors of the event. Morning anchor Brianna Cook was a co-host, along with motivational speaker Ben Cockram.

KIMT, President H.W. Bush and Mrs. Bush have strong ties to Mayo Clinic by Annalisa Pardo — Wednesday, December 5 is the National Day of Mourning former U.S. President George H.W. Bush after he died last Friday. The loss is being felt around the country and hits close to home in Rochester with President and Mrs. Bush having strong ties to the Mayo Clinic. Barbara Bush was on the hospital’s Board of Trustees for 13 years. The couple also often hosted Mayo benefactors at their home in New England. Perhaps their most impactful contributions are the scholarship for Mayo’s School of Medicine and a fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology at Mayo Clinic’s School of Graduate Medical Education. “The beauty in investing in education as President and Mrs. Bush did is it will go on forever. And always in the lives of young people,” Matthew Dacy, Director of Heritage Hall at Mayo Clinic said.

KROC-Radio, Rochester Landmark Special Lighting Will Honor President Bush by Andy Brownell — The Mayo Clinic plans to honor the nation’s 41st President by illuminating the top of the Plummer Building with red, white, and blue lights on Wednesday evening. Flags throughout the Mayo Clinic campus will also be lowered to half-staff in remembrance of George H.W. Bush, who passed last Friday at 94-years-old. Mayo Clinic President and CEO Dr. John Noseworthy issued a statement expressing the healthcare provider’s deepest condolences to the Bush family. He noted Mr. and Mrs. Bush had a long and close relationship with the Mayo Clinic. Barbara Bush, who passed away earlier this year, served on the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees from 1993 to 2001. For many years, the former First Couple even opened their home in Maine to Mayo benefactors for events supporting the Mayo Clinic’s mission.

Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville’s growth rewards NFL’s surprise choice — Twenty-five years ago, the National Football League surprised the sports world on Nov. 30, 1993, by selecting a small-market Sun Belt city for its newest team…Jacksonville had curbed the rotten-egg odor from industrial plants, allowing it to shed a noxious reputation that travelers associated with city while driving down Interstate 95. Mayo Clinic had chosen Jacksonville for its first location outside Minnesota. But the Jacksonville metropolitan area still had fewer than 1 million residents, a lightweight compared to other NFL cities. Against that backdrop, the NFL bet on Jacksonville’s future, adding it to Charlotte, N.C., as picks that year for expansion teams. It wasn’t a coincidence that both cities are in the Southeast.

South Florida Reporter, Health Precautions You Need To Know About Pedicures — Pedicures can feel great and make your feet look fabulous. But are they dangerous? Reports of people getting infections after pedicures have prompted some people to worry. Dr. Rachel Miest, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist, has safety tips to consider the next time you head to the spa for a pedi.

Arizona Republic, Partnership unveils program to identify, head off youth sports injuries by Ranata Clo — Jennifer Wethe knows the importance of getting treatment for a concussion as soon as possible. She also knows how often concussions can be overlooked in those critical first few moments. “What we find instead is a lot of times people making excuses: ‘Oh well they’re just dehydrated,’ or ‘They got the wind knocked out of them,’ or ‘They had a headache,'” said Wethe, the co-director of the Mayo Clinic Arizona Sports Neurology and Concussion Program. “Or any of these other things for why there might be some symptoms there instead of actually just checking them out objectively,” she said.

KTAR, 5 treatments for adult scoliosis by Laurie Stradling — Trigger point injections are helpful in treating myofascial pain syndrome, which is a chronic form of muscle pain. According to the Mayo Clinic, when sensitive areas of tight muscle fibers form in your muscles after injuries, they become “trigger points” that can cause pain to radiate outward in your back. Trigger point injections help reduce inflammation and break the pain cycle of the myofascial tissue. A small amount of an anti-inflammatory drug, mixed with local anesthetic, is injected into the trigger point.

WEAU Eau Claire, Life expectancy for Americans down again, according to CDC report by Zach Prelutsky — More than 70,000 died from drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2017, a ten percent increase from the year before. Suicide rates increased by nearly four percent as well. "I think there just needs to be more emphasis put on mental health so people aren't afraid to speak up. They aren't afraid to ask for help. And I think funding is an issue too," said Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Healthcare Clinical Therapist Theresa Helgeson.

La Crosse Tribune, Joe Kruse: Impossible to imagine La Crosse without FSPAs by Mike Tighe — Joe Kruse shudders to think about what La Crosse might be like if the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration hadn’t come to town. “It’s hard to imagine La Crosse without them. No Viterbo. No hospital,” Kruse said…FSPAs sold Mayo-Franciscan to Mayo, effective Oct. 31, for $37 million in total value, including cash, real property and other services over a 20-year period. A ceremony acknowledging the hospital transfer will take place Wednesday. “I think it is a good thing, that Mayo will continue the Franciscan heritage and principles, and it will continue to have a strong presence in La Crosse and the region,” he said, adding that Mayo has no plans at present to change the hospital’s name.

La Crosse Tribune, Despite resistance from higher-ups, FSPAs founded hospital that still flourishes by Mike Tighe — In 1995, Franciscan Skemp aligned with Mayo Clinic Health System, although not without some angst over whether to merge with Lutheran Hospital instead — moves fraught with physician politics. It was the same year that Gundersen Clinic and Lutheran Hospital formed Gundersen Lutheran Inc., according to Gundersen’s history… This past summer, as part of the sisters recalculating their mission, they transitioned Viterbo to lay leadership under the guidance of the newly created Viterbo Ministries, a parallel development with their sale of Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare to the Mayo Clinic Health System that took place officially on Oct. 31. Additional coverage: La Crosse Tribune

WKBT La Crosse, Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Mayo Clinic, celebrate transfer of ownership — Since the 1800's, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration have worked in the city that will forever be changed because of their hearts.

WKBT La Crosse, Mayo Clinic Health System welcomes first facility dog — Americans have been moved by images of late President George H.W. Bush's service dog lying by his casket.

WXOW La Crosse, Experts In Health: Carpal Tunnel — Dr. Matthew Sherrill elaborates on the common symptoms for carpal tunnel syndrome as well as treatment options.

WXOW La Crosse, Experts In Health: Body Contouring — What is body contouring? Dr. Matthew Sherrill details what is involved and how it can change the lives of those who undergo the procedure.

KSMQ via YouTube, Health Connections — In 2017, more than 700,000 people were hospitalized for the flu. Host Eric Olson and Dr. Sarah Scherger talk about the symptoms and prevention for influenza and pneumonia.

Science News, Dads, not just moms, can pass along mitochondrial DNA by Tina Hesman Saey — Mitochondrial disease researcher Paldeep Atwal spotted the paternal signature after examining DNA from a woman who came to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. DNA in a cell’s nucleus is inherited equally from both parents and contains all the genetic instructions for building a body. Mitochondria have their own DNA, too, that contains some of the genes needed for building and running the organelles. The woman’s cells weirdly contained two types of mitochondrial DNA, some from mom and some “from elsewhere,” says Atwal, who now runs a private clinic in Jacksonville. Thinking the result was a mistake, Atwal and colleagues repeated the test. “The same thing came back the second time, and that’s when we started to get a little bit suspicious,” he says. Additional coverage: Smithsonian

American Medical Association, 9 major institutions create healthier environment for physicians by Sara Berg — Mayo Clinic used group meetings improve well-being. With research linking professional burnout to higher rates of physician turnover, this preeminent name in American medicine has discovered that part of the solution lies in a little coffee talk. Mayo Clinic found that giving physicians a way to gather in small groups for semistructured, private discussions in restaurants, coffee shops or reserved rooms results in measurably lower burnout and social isolation, and higher well-being and job satisfaction. Additional coverage: Becker’s Hospital Review, Health Exec

Advisory Board, The 18 largest gifts to hospitals in the last 10 years by Jackie Kimmell — Richard Jacobson to Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota). Gift size: $100 million. Year: 2011. Purpose: To establish a proton-beam therapy program to treat cancer (Jacobson has been a patient since he was a child and previously donated $2 million to create a professorship in molecular medicine). Donor source of wealth: Industry (Jacobson is the founder and chair of Jacobson Companies, a freight-services and warehouse corporation in Des Moines, Iowa).

Live Science, This Gene Can Make Viruses Invisible to the Immune System — Up to a Point by Yasemin Saplakoglu — It's unclear why double-stranded RNA activates the immune system in the first place, but it could go back to the origins of very early life on the planet, said senior author Roberto Cattaneo, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. One theory holds that primitive cells only held RNA as genetic material. Eventually, however, cells began using DNA, while viruses predominantly began encoding genetic information in RNA. (Not all viruses store their genetic information in RNA, some store them in DNA.) So "cells began to build up an innate immune system to defend themselves [and] to recognize double-stranded RNA as an intruder," Cattaneo told Live Science.

Live Science, What Are Gamma-Rays? by Jim Lucas — Gamma-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation, as are radio waves, infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and microwaves. Gamma-rays can be used to treat cancer, and gamma-ray bursts are studied by astronomers… Gamma Knife radiosurgery uses specialized equipment to focus close to 200 tiny beams of radiation on a tumor or other target in the brain. Each individual beam has very little effect on the brain tissue it passes through, but a strong dose of radiation is delivered at the point where the beams meet, according to Mayo Clinic.

Good Housekeeping, 9 Reasons for a Late Period, According to an OB/GYN by Caroline Picard — No one exactly looks forward to getting it, but a late or missed period can sometimes stress you out more even more than when it arrives on time. And for good reason. Not only is a late period a possible sign of pregnancy (gulp), but it signals something — whether it's stress, illness, or a medication — is affecting the natural balance of estrogen and progesterone in your body… You can also purposefully delay a period using the pill, but the Mayo Clinic advises consulting with your doctor first before postponing menstruation… See a healthcare provider if you feel that you sometimes drink too much alcohol, your drinking is causing problems, or your family is concerned about your drinking, advises the Mayo Clinic.

Health, Only 1 in 8 Americans Are Metabolically Healthy. Here's What That Means for You by Kasandra Brabaw — What does or does not count as “healthy” can be difficult to define, but there are certain numbers doctors generally agree on when it comes to a person’s health. Blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides (a type of fat found in blood), blood sugar, and waist circumference are all often used to measure what’s called “metabolic health.” Metabolic health, as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III, is the absence of metabolic syndrome. A person has metabolic syndrome when they have too high or too low levels of three of the five factors, meaning that someone who has high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high triglycerides would be considered unhealthy, metabolically speaking. The three risk factors combined put a person at much greater risk for diseases like type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

HuffPost, Women Sleep Better With Dogs Than With Human Partners, Study Says by Brittany Wong — A previous study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Arizona already found that all people who slept with a dog generally got better sleep. For this one, Hoffman and her team wanted to hone in on women’s experiences because as a whole, the group tends to have poorer sleep quality than men. There was a logistical reason, too: Though the study was open to everyone, less men were willing to participate than women. (The guys were probably too busy disrupting their partners’ sleep. Ahem.) Additional coverage: Hindustan Times, Earth.comBroadly

Men’s Health, I'm a Brain Doctor, and This Is What I Do to Prevent Alzheimer's by Dr. David Perlmutter — Our most well-respected medical literature reveals powerful relationships between various lifestyle choices and risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic, for example, revealed that deriving most of dietary calories from carbohydrates was associated with an 89% increased risk for either mild cognitive impairment, or full-blown dementia. In their study, those consuming the highest levels of fat actually demonstrated a 44% reduction in risk.

MD Linx, Want to be paid a straight salary? Here’s how it’s done by John Murphy — “The advantage of the straight-salary model is that we can work as a [non-competitive] multidisciplinary team to decide what’s in the best interest of the patient,” said radiologist John Wald, MD, medical director, Public Affairs and Marketing, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. “We’re not as concerned about whether this test or that procedure will be reimbursed.” But if the Mayo Clinic is any example, providers in other hospitals and practices might also appreciate working in such an environment. Health-care centers that pay their staff members by straight salary include the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, OH, and Kaiser Permanente, in Oakland, CA.

MD Alert, Baseline left bundle branch block boosts early pacemaker implantation risk in TAVR by Marilynn Larkin — Dr. Rajiv Gulati of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, coauthor of a related editorial, said by email, "It is known that right bundle branch block on baseline ECG confers a high risk of requiring a permanent pacemaker after TAVR...because the TAVR device may compress the closely approximated left bundle branch, thereby worsening the conduction deficit." "What the (current) study could not determine is why the rate of pacemaker implant was higher in the LBBB group," he told Reuters Health. "It is possible that the device could have caused compression close to the right bundle branch in cases of low placement." "But it is also possible that selection bias was an important component," he noted. "That is, the presence of LBBB led to a heightened concern for worsening conduction abnormality and lower threshold for clinicians to recommend pacemaker implant."

MedPage Today, Revised Glucose Monitor Guidance; Rising T1D Rates; New Testosterone Injectable by Kristen Monaco — Only 12% of Americans are considered "metabolically healthy" these days. "While we can quibble about the definition of metabolic health, it is alarming that only one-tenth of the population meets criteria for appropriate waist size, glucose, blood pressure, and lipid profile," commented Adrian Vella, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in a statement.

Medscape, Neurofilament Light Protein Strongly Predicts Cognitive Decline by Sue Hughes — Neurofilament proteins are the major scaffolding proteins of axons. On neuronal damage, they are released into the CSF and blood. They are thus being investigated as biomarkers for many different neurologic diseases. "NfL in the CSF has previously been shown to be associated with cognitive decline but in patients who already had some cognitive impairment or at risk of developing Alzheimer's," senior author Michelle Mielke, PhD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, commented to Medscape Medical News. "We have now shown that CSF NfL is also a strong predictor of future mild cognitive impairment in cognitively unimpaired individuals in a community-based population, and this was the case in both patients with and without amyloid pathology," she said.

Medscape, Experts: Magic Mouthwash Should 'Vanish Into Thin Air' by Nick Mulcahy — So-called magic mouthwash, a treatment for oral inflammation and pain caused by cancer therapies, is ineffective, and clinicians would be well served by its "vanishing into thin air," concludes an essay published online November 19 in JAMA Internal Medicine…"The [current] article is correct in that there has not been high-level evidence published to date supporting the use of mixed-combination mouth rinses for cancer therapy–related mucositis," said Robert Miller, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, who was asked for comment…Miller was referring to a study that he led, a 275-patient, multi-institutional, federally funded phase 3 clinical trial. The results from that study were first presented at the annual meeting for the American Society of Radiation Oncology in 2016. The three-arm study compared a multi-ingredient rinse containing lidocaine to a rinse containing the tricyclic antidepressant doxepin and to a rinse that served as a placebo.

Healio, Apixaban reduces recurrence of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism — “Apixaban [also] was well tolerated, with superior patient satisfaction and significantly fewer study drug discontinuations compared [with] dalteparin,” researcher Robert D. McBane II, MD, consultant in the vascular and hematology divisions at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said during his presentation. “These data support the use of apixaban for the acute treatment of cancer-associated VTE.”

Elite Daily, Are Migraine Auras Dangerous? Here's What You Need To Know, According To A New Study by Georgina Berbari — For some people, migraines happen without warning, hitting their body like a ton of bricks. Others, though, can almost predict when a migraine is about to set in, all because of certain warning signals that surface along with the pain. Migraine auras, for instance, "are usually visual," according to the Mayo Clinic, but they can also include "sensory, motor or verbal disturbances" in the body. Basically, it's when your vision gets really funky in tandem with (or even before) a migraine, and while that alone probably sounds freaky, new research says migraine auras can actually be pretty dangerous if you're not careful about managing them.

Romper, Your Baby's Sleep Troubles Might Be Due To Inactivity, New Study Says by Vanessa Taylor — Getting babies to sleep during the night is a challenge within itself. New parents can attest to plenty of sleepless nights and while some are to be expected, is there one thing parents are missing? A new study found that your baby's sleep trouble might be due to inactivity. It's one thing parents can consider when looking to solutions for all those sleepless nights… Before that, though, babies wake up for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they need to be changed; sometimes they need to eat. In addition, your baby is still developing a rhythm. They might sleep 16 hours or more a day, as noted by Mayo Clinic, but they don't understand the whole sleep-all-night thing.

CURE, Immunotherapy Side Effects May Be More Prevalent in Real World Than in Studies by Beth Fand Incollingo — “Immunotherapy continues to be well tolerated, and severe side effects are less frequent than those seen with conventional chemotherapy. Still, immunotherapy can, in rare occasions, cause other serious medical problems,” said senior study author Elizabeth Jane Cathcart-Rake, M.D., a fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “It’s important to understand the full extent of cancer treatments’ side effects, and patients and providers should be aware that it can take a while to fully assess them for newer therapies.”

Radiology Business, Gadolinium: Actual Offender or Unwitting Pretender? by Randy Young — “I think it’s appropriate that we maintain our due diligence and study the potential clinical effects,” acknowledges one of those invited to the summit, Robert McDonald, MD, PhD, a neuroradiologist at the Mayo Clinic. Studies led or co-led by McDonald have found that traces of gadolinium deposition can remain in brain tissue for years after administration as MRI contrast. This effect bears continued watchfulness, he says, “but we are at risk of causing fear-mongering, which does not benefit us as providers or our patients. I now have patients who are so fearful of getting gadolinium contrast that they’re willing to compromise their health.”

Cardiovascular Business, Risk calculator predicts mortality for PAD patients using EHR data by Daniel Allar — Clinical decision support (CDS) tools using EHRs have been developed and tested for cardiovascular risk calculation, according to the authors, but there haven’t been reports about similar EHR-derived prediction tools for PAD. Mayo Clinic researcher Adelaide M. Arruda-Olson, MD, PhD, developed the model using 1,676 patients with clinically confirmed PAD from Olmsted County, Minnesota. Over five years of follow-up, 593 of the patients died, and the EHR tool predicted survival in the overall data set with a c-statistic of 0.76. A c-statistic of 1.0 represents a perfect model, while 0.50 means the model is no more accurate than a coin flip. “This study used novel methodologic approaches including deployment of phenotyping algorithms to an EHR and a digitized health information system to acquire data elements to build a new prognostic model and automated individualized risk prediction tool for patients with PAD,” Arruda-Olson et al. wrote. “This automated informatics approach enabled creation of a robust prognostic model for patients with PAD with strong discriminatory power, including c‐statistic magnitudes comparable to those reported for the Framingham Heart Studies.”

Dallas Morning News, Two nurses died of overdoses inside a Dallas hospital. What went wrong? by Sue Ambrose and Holly K. Hacker — The nurse lay in a bathroom stall, a syringe in her hand and track marks on her arm. She died from an overdose of fentanyl, a potent painkiller meant for patients. It was a rare accident two years ago at UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Clements hospital in Dallas. Until it happened again. Some 16 months later, a second nurse was found in a different bathroom at Clements, with a syringe in her arm. She had overdosed too, dying from the same drug. Experts say thefts can happen in spite of multiple safeguards…“You can have really good systems in place and still be defeated by a diversion,” said Keith Berge, a doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota who studies the issue.

Express UK, High blood pressure warning - four common warning signs of DEADLY hypertensive emergencies by Mike Atherton — You could be having a hypertensive crisis if you have severe chest pain, or feel severely anxious, warned the Mayo Clinic. The condition usually causes a pounding headache, that may also be accompanied by confusion and blurred vision. In some cases, it can even lead to seizures or unresponsiveness, it said. “In an emergency hypertensive crisis, your blood pressure is extremely high and has caused damage to your organs,” said the Mayo Clinic. “An emergency hypertensive crisis can be associated with life-threatening complications. “Signs and symptoms of a hypertensive crisis that may be life-threatening may include shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting.”

Bustle, Probiotics Aren’t Helpful For Stomach Bug Treatment, A New Study Shows by Mika Doyle — …So if you can’t take probiotics to treat a stomach bug, what are your other options? Well, if your gastroenteritis is caused by a virus, there aren’t really any specific medical treatments, says Mayo Clinic. Give your tummy a rest by not eating solid food for a few hours, says Mayo Clinic, and try sucking on ice cubs or taking small sips of water. If your stomach can handle it, Mayo Clinic suggests drinking clear soda, clear broths, or noncaffeinated sports drinks so you stay hydrated. And make sure you get plenty of rest, says Mayo Clinic. olly K. Hacker —

Bustle, What Your Body's Trying To Tell You When You Wake Up Dehydrated by JR Thorpe — The symptoms of dehydration will keep dogging you throughout the day. The Mayo Clinic explains that, beyond dry mouth, it can also make you dizzy and confused, and a study in 2018 found that even slight dehydration can influence your concentration, making you zone out when you need to focus. If you do wake up dehydrated, here are some potential reasons why.

Alzforum, 11th ICFTD Meeting in Sydney Sorts Out Clinical Subtypes — Rosa Rademakers at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, has collaborated with dozens of researchers in North America, Europe, and Australia to sequence whole genomes of people with pathologically confirmed FTD-TDP43. From 1,151 samples, the largest collection of FTLD brains to date, Rademakers has thus far sequenced genomes from 517 people with pathologically confirmed TDP43 disease who have no known pathogenic mutations in C9ORF72, PGRN, VCP, or TBK-1. Comparing these genomes against those from 838 control samples from the Mayo Clinic, the geneticists uncovered two common single-nucleotide polymorphisms on chromosome 7q36 that reached genome-wide significance for association with FTLD.

Chennai Telegram, Sauna: what is its benefit for human health by Chemmal Saheb — As you know, in the sauna, people usually go for fun, Wellness and simply to relax. However, a new study suggests that in addition to this sauna also useful for health, informs UkrMedia. In the new study, whose results were published in the journal “Materials of the clinic of Mayo” (Mayo Clinic Proceedings), says that a sauna can help to reduce the risk of several conditions such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, neurocognitive disorder, lung disease, mental disorders, and reduce mortality. In addition, the sauna soothes headaches, symptoms of skin diseases, arthritis and flu. These studies also indicate that regular use of a sauna is due to the General improvement of health.

Health Leaders, Potential Game Changer, Someday by John Commins — Genetic testing has been around for a few years, and it's being used to customize drug regimens for patients by better understanding how patients metabolize drugs. But proponents of individualized medicine are urging patience. Konstantinos Lazaridis, MD, associate director of the Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, says that genetic testing is readily available and relatively inexpensive, costing between $300 and $400 per patient, although it's not yet covered by insurance. "It provides information about how you metabolize more than 300 medications that are commonly used in practice," Lazaridis says. "What we have not proven is whether this reduces costs, and it will take some time to do that because it requires testing a lot of people to prove the financial benefit."

Healthline, There’s a New Way to Treat 'Traveler's Diarrhea' — In most cases, traveler’s diarrhea doesn’t cause serious complications, notes the Mayo Clinic, and usually goes away on its own within a few days. In more extreme cases that involve severe dehydration, persistent vomiting, a high fever, or bloody stols, it’s crucial to seek medical treatment immediately. Severe dehydration can be fatal, as you may lose a significant amount of vital fluids, salts, and minerals.

La Razon, Hallan cómo los virus secuestran el sistema inmunológico — Una enzima destinada a prevenir enfermedades autoinmunes puede ser secuestrada y utilizada por algunos virus para evitar la detección inmune, según una investigación de científicos y colaboradores de la Clínica Mayo, en Rochester, Minnesota, Estados Unidos, que se publica en ‘PLOS Biology.’ También hay buenas noticias: el mismo equipo definió la cantidad de material genético viral que se necesita para revertir el proceso y activar el sistema inmunológico contra el virus.

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

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