April 19, 2019

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights for April 19, 2019

By Emily Blahnik
Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights for April 12, 2019

Washington Post, CTE researchers discover possible step toward diagnostic test for living patients by Jacob Bogage — Medical researchers have made what they cautiously characterized as a possible first step toward diagnosing the neurodegenerative illness chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in living patients, according to an article published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Using an experimental PET scan, researchers from institutions that include Boston University and Mayo Clinic Arizona were able to detect abnormal deposits of tau protein, the key indicator of CTE, inside the brains of living former NFL players. They determined the former NFL players had more tau protein than subjects of similar age who did not play football. To this point, medical professionals have been able to detect tau deposits only when examining a brain after death. Additional coverage: New York Times, Chicago Tribune

Washington Post, Want to stay fit? Keep watch on your heart rate. — …During moderate exercise, your breath should speed up a bit, and you’ll begin to sweat after about 10 minutes, according to the Mayo Clinic. You should be able to talk, although not sing. During vigorous exercise, it’s hard to say more than a few words.

USA Today, Is my food safe? Gluten found in 32% of food labeled gluten-free, new study says by Zlati Meyer — …Even if a restaurant menu says an item is gluten free, new research says there's a good chance some gluten will end up on your plate. Thirty-two percent of restaurant foods labeled gluten-free contain gluten, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology…. An estimated 1 out of 100 people worldwide has celiac disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. Plus, Mayo Clinic research in 2017 found that 3.1 million Americans avoid gluten, though they don’t have celiac -- a number that tripled between 2009 and 2014.B

WGN TV, Why more women need to pay closer attention to the symptoms of fibroids by Courtney Cousman — Fibroids is a debilitating health issue that has many women suffering in silence. Some may think their symptoms are normal, while others put off treatment… “African American women have more severe disease with uterine fibroids. They develop disease at an earlier age,” Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, consultant and professor of obstetrics and gynecology for the Mayo Clinic, said… Stewart has led several studies on fibroids, but said, “It’s an understudied area especially given how prevalent the problem is."

Forbes, Five Tech Trends From HIMSS 2019 That Are Transforming Health Care by Matt Ferrari — …The most poignant part of the conference was an account given by Cris Ross, CIO of the Mayo Clinic on his stage 3 cancer diagnosis. Even somebody like Cris, who is keenly aware of how technology can transform health care, gained a whole new perspective on the importance of aggregating the data from his whole life onto one record that every health care provider he met could access.

Forbes, Healthcare In The Age Of Personalization Part 6: People Experts - We Need You by Glenn Llopis — The industry needs to be better at selling itself beyond the obvious medical careers. Cathy Fraser is chief human resources officer of Mayo Clinic, and she shared some of those challenges with the talent shortages. She said she visits middle schools and high schools and asks the students why they’re interested in healthcare. They all say they want to be doctors and nurses. But there are so many other ways to help people live healthy lives. “One of the best things we also can do is treat healthcare as a vertical, as an industry, it is not a function,” said Fraser.

Forbes, 3 Cheers For Late Bloomers by Richard Eisenberg Rich Karlgaard, the Silicon Valley-based publisher and futurist at Forbes Media and author of the fascinating new book Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed With Early Achievement, has had an enormously successful career. But things didn’t start out so well for this archetypal late bloomer. That’s one reason he wrote the book and why he now has advice for others like him — including late bloomers in their 50s and 60s…You say age diversity is the hidden gem in the workforce. Why? Age diversity is one of the most powerful, but barely explored, forms of diversity in the workforce. I’ll give you an example. I was talking to the head of liver transplant surgery at the Mayo Clinic. He’s my age [64]. Liver transplant is the hardest of all organ transplants; bleeding can break out anywhere. He noticed his dexterity and hand-eye coordination wasn’t getting better starting in his 50s and could foresee the day when it would get worse. Yet his diagnostic abilities — to know what to do if something didn’t go as planned — had never been better.

Yahoo! Lifestyle, If Your Hands Are Always Freezing, This Might Be Why by Kelsey Ogletree — … I have a condition called Raynaud's syndrome, which affects the blood vessels in your extremities making them hypersensitive to fluctuating temperatures… "No one knows why it happens, but there is an exaggerated response in the blood vessels of some patients," says Ashima Makol, M.D., a rheumatologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "Certain triggers like cold exposure, or anxiety and stress, cause the blood vessels to go into spasms and temporarily limit blood supply."

Yahoo! Lifestyle, 4 scary health issues that should be on your college-bound child’s radar — Sending your child off to college can be anxiety-provoking on so many levels. Among other things, you won’t be there to make sure they’re being safe and are eating and sleeping well. And, for the first time, you also won’t be on-hand to help take care of them when they’re sick. Mononucleosis: This is often called the “kissing disease” because the virus that causes mononucleosis is transmitted through saliva, per the Mayo Clinic.

US News & World Report, 10 Things to Know About Minnesota by Casey Leins — …5. The Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center based in Rochester, was the state's top employer in 2018, with nearly 42,000 Minnesota employees.

NBA.com, Nike Hoop Summit Half Time Show
— Interview with Dr. Diane Dahm during half-time show.

New York Daily News, Measles outbreak leaves Israeli flight attendant in coma with encephalitis by Jami Ganz — An Israeli flight attendant was battling measles just before falling into a coma, health officials confirm. The woman, whose name has not been released, is 43 years old and currently suffering from encephalitis. Also known as inflammation of the brain, encephalitis is a possible complication of measles, and according to Mayo Clinic, is potentially life-threatening. Before the bout with measles, the woman was reportedly healthy.

Reader’s Digest, 9 Medical Reasons Why You’re Hands Are Shaking by Jessica Migala — Possible cause: Hyperthyroidism. … Along with a heartbeat that feels as if it’s going to pound out of your chest and unintentional weight loss, you may also notice “a fine trembling” in hands and fingers, says the Mayo Clinic. Possible cause: Essential tremor. … which causes “involuntary and rhythmic shaking” and is often genetic, according to Mayo Clinic.

Reader’s Digest Canada, 7 Silent Signs of a Herniated Disc You Could Be Ignoring by Jessica Migala — Most of the time, a slipped disc is not an emergency. However, rarely the condition can trigger something called cauda equina syndrome: The disc compresses a group of nerves in the lower spine and unless you get emergency surgery, you could be at risk for incontinence. Call your doctor right away if pain and weakness impair your ability to function normally, if you experience incontinence or bowel problems, or if you have numbness in the inner thighs and backs of legs, recommends the Mayo Clinic.

Golf Digest, Masters 2019: Bittersweet memories of the late Bruce Edwards temper a gorgeous morning by John Feinstein — Shortly after Bruce was diagnosed in February of 2003, he asked me if I would write a book about him and about his relationship with Watson; his experiences as one of golf’s first truly professional caddies and the ordeal he was going through with ALS .By then, he was already having trouble talking. The disease had been diagnosed late because Bruce, like most caddies, didn’t have health insurance and didn’t want to go to a doctor. It was Watson who finally ordered him to go to the Mayo Clinic and told him, “have them send the bill to me.”

Philadelphia Inquirer, At age 70, the ‘Ultrageezer’ broke three hours in the marathon. His secret? ‘Just run!’ by Tom Avril — …His success is so startling that it was featured this month in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers from the University of Delaware and the Mayo Clinic conducted a battery of tests, proclaiming his cardiovascular fitness “remarkable." Yet there is clearly something else beneath his smiling exterior driving him to hit the pavement day after day.

Post-Bulletin, Women at Work: The silver lining of cancer treatment? The people at Mayo Clinic — Through my six-month journey, I have traveled the halls of Mayo Clinic, checked in at multiple desks, and recited my name and birthdate more than I have my entire lifetime. Although the cancer, surgery and recovery time have been downers, the people I have met along the way have been the silver lining. For starters, every single woman I began each appointment with was amazing. Appointment after appointment, I waited for one of them to be curt, rude or unpleasant. But, no matter whether my appointment was at the beginning of the day or end of the day, they treated me like I was their most important patient of the day.

Post-Bulletin, Earthfest: Addition to Mayo Clinic Building showcases new approach to energy efficiency by Amanda Holloway — The three-story addition underway at Mayo Clinic’s Generose Building in Rochester is a showcase — and an experiment — in a new way to reduce energy consumption…. Karen Finneman Killinger, a member of Facilities Project Services and leader of the Generose project team, says that energy efficiency is often not seriously considered until after the building design phase. “By having the goals and shared accountability laid out at the beginning, we’ll be able to work together to reduce the building’s energy consumption in ways that might otherwise have been overlooked,” she says.

Post-Bulletin, Brothers build genetic testing firm in Rochester by Jeff Kiger — A Rochester biotechnology firm is gaining momentum on the heels of new data as it moves into the individualized medicine market. Geneticure Inc., created by John Marshall High School graduates and brothers Scott and Dr. Eric Snyder, is a genetic testing firm designed to find the best medicine “fit” for a patient. Its inaugural test analyzes a patient’s blood to determine the best drug to treat hypertension, a common but potentially deadly condition that afflicts an estimated 100 million Americans.

Post-Bulletin, Rituximab Maintenance Therapy for Autoimmune Pancreatitis — The dramatic response to steroids makes autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) unique among pancreatic disorders. However, some cases are steroid-resistant, and relapse is common after steroid withdrawal. Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Dr. Mark Topazian discusses a recent study which concludes that rituximab maintenance therapy can prolong remission.

KTTC, Walk of remembrance held to honor organ, tissue, and eye donors by Sarah Gannon — April is Donate Life month and Friday was the fifth annual Walk of Remembrance honoring organ, tissue, and eye donors. Due to weather, the walk was held inside of the Francis Building at Mayo Clinic Saint Marys. Friday’s special ceremony was to pay tribute to organ donors with this year’s theme being “Life is a Beautiful Ride”. Rochester mayor, Kim Norton proclaimed Friday to be Donate Life Day in Rochester. Additional coverage: KAAL, KIMT

KIMT, Southern Minnesota women live lifelong dream as Mayo Clinic pilots by Katie Lange — It's not your typical day at the office for two southeastern Minnesota pilots. Instead of flying people to and from vacation the duo transports some of Mayo Clinic's most important cargo: it's patients and medical teams. I was lucky enough to have the crew take me up for a quick flight and get a birds-eye view of their career high in the sky. While it's common to think of a helicopter or ambulance when you hear about being transported to a hospital sometimes ground transport takes too long and bad weather means helicopters can't fly. Mayo Clinic has a leg up when it comes to patient care as they have a fixed-wing plane. In fact, two local women fly the plane.

KIMT, Rochester Carillon rings for Notre Dame as ‘A perfect way to kind of express grief and solidarity’ by Calyn Thompson — Bells across the nation are ringing in support of Notre Dame, including the Rochester Carillon. Austin Ferguson is the carillonneur of the Mayo Clinic. On Monday he played “La Marseillaise,” the national anthem of French national anthem, as well as a couple of songs from Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame…“I can't really do much, I'm just one person that's thousands and thousands of miles away from France,” Ferguson said, “but music has a way of, it's a perfect way to kind of express grief and solidarity and things like that.”

MPR, Amid Rochester's growth, an eye on sustainability by Catharine Richert — From the outside, One Discovery Square looks a lot like every other new building in downtown Rochester — sleek, high ceilings and a short walk to Mayo Clinic's campus. But Jeremy Jacobs, real estate director for the developer behind the project, said its hidden features — like more insulation and high-efficiency windows — make the building green enough to earn a LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Tenants have to meet energy requirements, too. "Every tenant needs to use LED lighting, and every tenant has to have a minimum efficiency on their HVAC equipment," said Jacobs, who works for Mortenson. "That enables us to get the certification we need to be a part of what the city of Rochester is doing as a green city."

Med City Beat, Mayo Clinic partnering with Oxford University to open clinic in central London — Mayo Clinic is taking its model of care across the Atlantic. The Rochester-based medical center is partnering with the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to bring a new state-of-the-art clinic to central London.  The joint venture, set to open this summer, is the first test in a partnership connecting two of the world’s leading brands in academia and medicine.  “We will begin with the clinical offering in London, but it won’t end there,” said Dr. Stephen Cassivi, Mayo’s medical director for the collaboration.

Star Tribune, Minnesota is a laggard in raising tobacco age to 21 — More than 30 Minnesota cities or counties have already adopted Tobacco 21, suggesting there’s a groundswell of support for such an initiative. Tobacco use is also still the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the state, with an annual death toll of more than 6,300 people, according to retired Mayo Clinic physician Richard Hurt. Voting yes involves little if any political risk.

Star Tribune, After injuries, FDA orders pelvic mesh off the market by Joe Carlson — Dr. Emanuel Trabuco, chairman of the urogynecology division at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, said there’s a range of different treatment options for POP, both surgical and nonsurgical, that don’t involve the use of the vaginal mesh “kits” sold by the device companies. He said the overall concern over mesh complications may have unfortunately caused women to avoid any type of care. “Other treatment options are available to treat stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, and women shouldn’t be scared to talk to their physicians,” Trabuco said. He also noted that the clinical data support the idea that mesh kits for POP have a different risk profile than mesh for urinary incontinence, even though the devices appear similar.

Star Tribune, Minnesota Historical Society helps those with memory loss make meaningful connections by Jackie Crosby — The Minnesota Historical Society used state funds from the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and received two grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services totaling $296,000.  Levan and her staff worked with Charter House, the Mayo Clinic’s continuing care retirement community in Rochester, as well as Rakhma Homes, which provides assisted living for people with Alzheimer’s in four Twin Cities neighborhoods.

Star Tribune, UnitedHealth sees big potential for OptumCare health provider business by Christopher Snowbeck — UnitedHealth Group is taking its growing network of walk-in health care clinics in a new direction with the opening in Las Vegas earlier this year of the company’s first cancer center. Executives at the Minnetonka-based health insurer discussed the growth potential for a business called OptumCare during a first-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, which included the company’s first public comments about the new cancer center. UnitedHealth Group recently hired Dr. Wyatt Decker, the former chief executive at Mayo Clinic’s hospital in Arizona, to run OptumCare, which primarily consists of large medical groups, urgent-care clinics and surgery centers. Additional coverage: Forbes

News4Jax, Jellyfish invade Jacksonville Beach Sunday by Roxy Tyler — Jellyfish don't go after humans, but someone who swims up against or touches one — or even steps on a dead one — can be stung all the same. While jellyfish stings are painful, most are not emergencies. Most jellyfish stings can be treated without seeking a doctor's help. If you get stung, Mayo Clinic suggests you: Carefully pluck visible tentacles with fine tweezers. Soak the skin in hot water. Use water that's 110 to 113 F.  If a thermometer isn't available, test the water on an uninjured person's hand or elbow — it should feel hot, not scalding. Keep the affected skin immersed or in a hot shower for 20 to 45 minutes.

ActionNewsJax, 17 staff members at Duval County hospital fall ill with influenza-like illness, per health official by Courtney Cole — Seventeen employees at a local hospital fall ill with the an influenza-like illness… Action News Jax Courtney Cole worked Wednesday afternoon and evening to figure out which local hospital has the affected employees. Mayo Clinic said they have no way of knowing which of their staff members had the flu, because employees don't have to release that information.

WJCT Florida, Katie Ride For Life by Heather Schatz — Dr. Martin Mai talking Donate Life Month/Katie Ride on WJCT’s First Coast Connect.

South Florida Reporter, Are Eggs And Aspirin Good Or Bad For Your Heart? (Video) — Are eggs and aspirin good or bad for your heart? Two recent studies may have prompted some people to wonder. One of the studies found that the more eggs you eat, the greater your risk of cardiovascular disease. The other study showed that elderly people should not take a daily dose of aspirin to reduce their risk of heart attack because the aspirin may increase their risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. So who can eat eggs and who should take aspirin? Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, sets the record straight.

South Florida Reporter, The ABCs of the DTaP Vaccine (Video) — Giving children the diptheria, tetanus and acellular (DTaP) vaccineis one of the most important parts of keeping them healthy and protecting them from illness throughout their lives. Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a Mayo Clinic pediatric infectious diseases specialist, says the consequences of not following the DTaP vaccine schedule can be devastating.

Florida Times-Union, Good News: MDA awards Mayo docs ALS grants — Eight grants will be awarded, two of which will go to local researchers from Mayo Clinic.

WEAU Eau Claire, Teen Car Control Class teaches evasive maneuvering skills at CVTC by Jessica Bringe — Area teenage drivers got behind the wheel on Saturday to tackle a variety of challenging road conditions that could cause panic and potential crashes. The Teen Car Control class at Chippewa Valley Technical College can only take up to 30 students with around 40 volunteers needed to help coach and monitor the track. Students between 16 and 19 years old took to a test track to become safer drivers by experiencing situations that could cause panic and over-correction possibly resulting in accidents. The class is put on in-part by Mayo Clinic Health System. R.N. Kim Strasburg says the course advances a student's driving age by two to three years. Additional coverage: WQOW Eau Claire

WKBT La Crosse, Mayo Clinic Health System expanding efforts to detect breast cancer earlier by Alex Fischer — Mayo Clinic Health System expanding efforts to detect breast cancer earlier with MBI testing. Additional coverage: La Crosse Tribune

La Crosse Tribune, Successful Aging Program being set is April 30 by Emily Pryek — Viterbo dietetic students will lead “A Look Into the Way We Cook,” a Successful Aging Program, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, in the Mayo Clinic Health System Marycrest Auditorium, second floor, 700 West Ave. The free presentation will explore eating and cooking habits in the ’50s, ’70s and present day, as well as an introduction to kitchen tools and equipment that save time and energy.

Albert Lea Tribune, Rising costs of diabetes medications makes management a challenge for many patients by Sarah Kocher — As the prevalence of diabetes increases, so have medication prices. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 100 million Americans had diabetes or prediabetes as of 2017. And while diet and lifestyle can be effective in helping manage type 2 diabetes, it is hard to maintain that long-term, said Dr. Sumit Bhagra, an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea... With advances in medicine, Bhagra said some medications — like insulin, previously thought of as a last resort — are starting to be used sooner rather than later… When patients let him know they cannot afford to pay for their medications, Bhagra said he may prescribe an older, less expensive medication or a temporary regimen to fit both the patients’ needs and pocketbooks.

Albert Lea Tribune, ‘Health Talk Series’ will host speaker on the topic of arthritis — Suffer from joint pain and stiffness caused by inflammation of one or more of your joints? Arthritis is the leading cause of pain and disability worldwide, and it typically worsens with age, according to a press release.  Arthritis will be the focus of a free “Health Talk Series” for seniors scheduled from 2 to 3 p.m. April 23 at in the community chapel at St. John’s on Fountain Lake, 1861 Eagle View Circle in Albert Lea. This is the first of a three-session program and is free and open to the public, according to the release. Aparna Jain, family medicine provider at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea and Austin, will share information and answer questions regarding arthritis.

KEYC Mankato, Dermatologist Shares Importance of Using Sunscreen by Sarah Meilner — Dr. Nikoo Cheraghi a dermatologist with the Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato joined KEYC News 12 This Morning to talk about the importance of sunscreen and some of the misconceptions people may have about it.

Mankato Free Press, Our View: Children's health needs to stay in the spotlight —Teaching young children about the needs of their bodies and minds is a proactive approach that potentially helps them be healthier all their lives. This region typically focuses on education and preventive tools when it comes to tackling numerous issues, so it’s a positive sign that this method also applies to kids’ health. Earlier this month nutrition experts visited the new Boys & Girls Club of Mankato where participants learned how to make nutritious food. Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato piloted its “Teaching Kitchen” at the club to teach kindergarten through eighth graders snack and meal ideas they could make at home.

Red Wing Republican Eagle, VIDEO: Inaugural flag ceremony in Red Wing promotes impact of organ donation by Michael Brun — A flag raised Monday, April 15, 2019, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing serves as a visual reminder of the impact one person can make when they register to be an organ donor. A single donor can help up to 75 people, according to Life Source, a nonprofit organ donation organization serving Minnesota, portions of western Wisconsin and the Dakotas. Mayo Clinic Health System staff gathered for an inaugural ceremony in Red Wing to raise a "Donate Life" flag at the medical center. The event coincided with National Donate Life Month in April.

New Ulm Journal, Nurse practitioners seeing obstetrics patients in Springfield, Lamberton — Ashley Schmitt and Christie Vogel, Mayo Clinic Health System in Springfield nurse practitioners in Family Medicine, are now seeing obstetrics (OB) patients in both Springfield and Lamberton through the OB Shared Care program. The program is an integrated health care model that allows patients to see their family medicine provider in partnership with obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYNs) within Mayo Clinic Health System during pregnancy and delivery.

MedTech Dive, Doctors see some promise, confusion for patient monitoring devices: study David Lim — The findings highlight the promises and challenges with new medical technology. Karl Poterack, Mayo Clinic's medical director of applied clinical informatics, said at the HIMSS health IT meeting earlier this year that doctors often don’t know how to interpret such data, face challenges integrating it with electronic health records and face a lack of high-quality research on outcomes. Challenges remain on the patient side as well: only 52% of consumers in the survey said they would use a connected health device if recommended by their doctor. That number drops to 31% if a health insurance company or pharmacist made the recommendation.

CatholicPhilly.com, ‘Instant Family,’ ‘Faith Under Fire’ among Christopher Award winners — Other TV and cable winners were: PBS’ “The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science,” which detailed the partnership between the Mayo family and the Sisters of St. Francis in 1883 that led to the creation of an institution world-renowned for medicine, compassion and spirituality.

Journal Record, Children’s Hospital, Mayo plan collaboration — Mayo Clinic's Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and the Children's Hospital at OU Medicine are collaborating within a consortium to provide solutions for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare and complex form of congenital heart disease in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped.

Des Moines Register, From fluoride to vaccines, resistance to proven health protocols has us sliding backward by Rekha Basu — Measles were eradicated 19 years ago in the U.S., yet there were 387 cases of them between January and March. That's primarily because people who never were vaccinated traveled abroad, contracted the disease and brought it back, where it spread among others who were never vaccinated.… On a parallel issue, Americans stopped losing their teeth to decay after communities began adding fluoride to their drinking water in the late 1940s. In the 1900s, the No. 1 reason for admission to Mayo Clinic was tooth infection, says an Iowa health department official; everyone had dental decay or lost teeth... The anti-fluoridation movement isn’t religion-based, but …some of its most visible advocates approach the issue from an individual rights perspective,…  Additional coverage: Post Bulletin

Thrive Global, 4 Ways Cats Can Improve Your Mental Health by Jim Bevin — 3. They are amazing sleeping partners: Your cat can be your favorite sleeping partner. They can drive your anxiety and loneliness away helping you drift off to sleep. According to research on sleep study by Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine, more than 41% of cat owners agree that they sleep better when they have their pet cat beside them sharing their bed.

SELF, Here's How Often You Should Really Clean Your Yoga Mat by Jessica Toscano — Your skin plays host to microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and even microscopic mites. This might sound gross, but it doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad for your health. These microorganisms are usually harmless, Elitza Theel, Ph.D., a microbiologist in the laboratory medicine and pathology department at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, tells SELF. They are, however, capable of transferring onto your yoga mat while you pretzel yourself into different poses.

Bustle, The 5 Best Massage Chairs by Jen Fiegel — A great massage chair is the next best thing to seeing a massage therapist — and it wins major convenience points. The best massage chairs offer a variety of pressures, styles, and many work on your legs, neck, and arms in addition to pulsating against your back.  While science has done plenty of studies on the benefits of massage therapy by a trained practitioner, "to my knowledge, there haven't been any large studies on the effects of massage chairs in a home setting," says Brent A. Bauer, M.D., medical director of Rejuvenate Spa, part of the Mayo Clinic's Healthy Living Program.

Refinery 29, Tilted Uteruses: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know by Cory Stieg — About one in four people with uteruses have ones that are tilted, according to the Mayo Clinic. The clinical terms are "retroverted" or "anteverted" uteruses, and it refers to the direction that the uterus tilts, explains Fahimeh Sasan, DO, an Ob/Gyn in New York City and founding physician at Kindbody, a women's health and fertility clinic.

Oncology Nurse Advisor, Neoadjuvant Strategy Improves Survival in Pancreatic Cancer Resection by Bette Weinstein Kaplan — Pancreatic cancer is all too pervasive; it afflicts approximately 55,000 Americans annually, and prognostic indicators show that number is increasing. Although a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is devastating, one study demonstrated that in some instances patients may live up to 5 times longer than the commonly predicted survival times of 12 to 18 months. The determining factor appears to depend on a presurgery strategy, according to surgeons at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Mark Truty, MD, is a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic who often treats patients with pancreatic cancer. He is also the lead author on a paper that discusses how surgeons at Mayo extended survival time for some patients with pancreatic cancer. Additional coverage: Medscape, Healio

Healthline, Why Nearly 1 in 5 People Thought to Have MS Have Been Misdiagnosed — There are approximately 70 MS clinics in the United States. These clinics, as well as a list of neurologists who specialize in MS, can be located at the Consortium of MS Centers. The NMSS provides a resource on its website to help find an MS specialist. The Mayo Clinic offers a variety of MS-specific campuses in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota.

Healthline, PET Scans May Help Detect Alzheimer’s Before Symptoms Begin by Matt Berger — “In a perfect world, it could be like that,” Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, told Healthline. “It’s premature now, but maybe down the road somewhere.” However, that might be a ways off, primarily because we’d need to have effective therapies for Alzheimer’s first, Petersen said. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough of a point to providing these scans for most people. In a perfect world where we have a way of treating or preventing Alzheimer’s though, a diagnostic tool that finds the amyloid plaques as they start to build up could be a game changer. That’s because there’s a 10- to 15-year lag between when amyloid starts building up and when a person starts showing signs of Alzheimer’s, according to Petersen.

FOX 2 St. Louis, Mayo Clinic publishes a guide for raising healthy children by Lauren Velasco — The Mayo Clinic is publishing their Guide to Raising a Healthy Child and Dr. Angela Mattke is here to tell us all about it. The guide is helping parents to make smart decisions regarding their children's health and safety during the preschool and elementary school years. It's written by experts at the Mayo Clinic.

Science Daily, Magic mouthwash effective treatment for mouth sore pain caused by radiation therapy — "Magic mouthwash," an oral rinse containing diphenhydramine, lidocaine and antacids, significantly reduced pain from oral mucositis, mouth sores, in patients receiving radiation therapy for cancers of the head and neck when compared to plaecbo. These were the findings of a multi-institution, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III clinical trial, led by Robert Miller, M.D., an emeritus Mayo Clinic radiation oncologist. Dr. Miller and his colleagues published their findings on Tuesday, April 16, in JAMA. "Our group published a study in 2012 showing that an oral rinse of doxepin reduced oral mucositis-related pain, compared to placebo," says Dr. Miller. "However, there were no large randomized controlled trials studying the potential benefits of magic mouthwash."

MD Linx, Device based on deep-learning detects hyperkalemia using two ECG leads — Two electrocardiography (ECG) leads plus artificial intelligence may be all that's needed to detect hyperkalemia in at-risk patients with renal disease, researchers suggest. "Over 30 million Americans with renal disease or heart failure are at risk for potentially life-threatening hyperkalemia due to their underlying diseases or the medications used to treat them," Dr. Paul Friedman of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, told Reuters Health by email. "It has been long known that with marked hyperkalemia, ECG changes exist," he said. "What was not known was whether more subtle changes— before they were associated with potentially devastating elevations of blood potassium—could be detected. This led to a series of studies, initially in people on dialysis, that have to date demonstrated that the ECG can be effectively used to determine if a high blood potassium level is present." Additional coverage: Cardiovascular Business

MD Linx, Is cannabis exacerbating the sleep crisis? by Jonathan Ford Hughes — Bhanuprakash Kolla, MD, a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist who specializes in sleep medicine and addiction, says that even though at least one state, Minnesota, has approved medicinal cannabis for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM) does not recommend cannabis for sleep disorders. With scant comprehensive research available about the effects of cannabis on sleep, as well as poor quality control of the drug, Dr. Kolla says that he and other sleep physicians have doubts about the safety of the drug for sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea.

Healio, 3 ways to reduce burnout — Data indicate that rates of physician burnout are declining, but it remains a significant issue for clinicians, a speaker at the American College of Physicians Internal Medicine Meeting told attendees. A study recently published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggested that 43.9% of physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout in 2017, down more than 10% from a similar report 3 years earlier, Richard M. Wardrop III, MD, PhD, professor and vice chair of education and faculty development at the University of Mississippi Medical Center said.

Healio, Differentiating between migraine treatments — Migraine impacts about 10% of the U.S. population, or nearly one in four U.S. households, according to the Migraine Research Foundation. “There is no more grateful patient than a headache patient that you have helped feel better and given them some of their life back,” Michael Cutrer, MD, neurologist, Mayo Clinic, told attendees. “Fortunately, as time as gone on, there are more and more potentially effective treatments for these patients,” he said, as he launched a discussion of migraine treatment types and related considerations.

MedPage Today, Myokines May Play Part in Benefits of Bariatric Surgery by Kristen Monaco — Alterations in myokines were seen in severely obese youths who underwent bariatric surgery, researchers reported, perhaps playing a role in the benefits expected from the procedures. In a small study of 12 adolescent girls with severe obesity who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, there were significant changes in several laboratory parameters 6 months after surgery, reported P. Babu Balagopal, PhD, of Nemours Children's Specialty Care and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Jacksonville, Florida and colleagues.

Alzforum, Plaques Age Glial Precursors, Stoking Inflammation Tools — Scientists have started asking whether senescent cells accumulate in the brain. Miranda Orr, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, found that neurons containing tangles had entered a senescent state in both postmortem AD brain tissue and rTg4510 mice (Sep 2018 news). Darren Baker, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, reported that tau pathology caused senescence of astrocytes and microglia in PS19 mice, which express human mutant P301L tau. He did not examine OPCs. Both sets of researchers found that clearing away the aged cells prevented or slowed neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits in mice.

La Prensa, Vacunas, controversia y su papel en la salud pública — Para el doctor Gregory Poland, director del equipo para Investigación de Vacunas de Mayo Clinic en Rochester, EU, en la mayor parte de las situaciones es una decisión personal. “Sin embargo, en aquellas situaciones en las que una enfermedad no solamente repercute sobre un individuo, sino también sobre los demás, las vacunas se convierten en requisito. Por ejemplo, en los escolares, en los militares y en los proveedores de atención médica que pueden propagar enfermedades a los pacientes. Muchos argumentan que todos tenemos la responsabilidad moral de vacunarnos por nosotros mismos, nuestras familias y nuestras comunidades”.

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Editors: Emily BlahnikKarl Oestreich

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