May 24, 2019

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights for May 24, 2019

By Emily Blahnik
Mayo Clinic in the News logo

New York Times, In Health Care, Too Much Privacy Is a Bad Thing by Luke Miner — Data-sharing agreements should be standardized so that doctors and hospitals don’t have to draft custom ones every time they want to share information. Some effort has already been made to reform fines by taking into account the “culpability” of the organization — the extent to which a violation is caused by negligence. We should go further and calibrate fines according to the level of verifiable harm. Finally, fines should factor in the size of the institution. A million dollars may not mean much to the Mayo Clinic, but it could cripple a small hospital.

Forbes, What Older Adults Need To Know About Measles And Shingles Vaccines by Stephenie Overman — You probably know there’s a measles outbreak. And you may have heard that there’s a shortage of the most effective vaccine to prevent shingles, a cousin of the childhood disease chickenpox. Did you know that both viruses are especially bad news for older Americans? “What’s true for both diseases is that they are more severe the older you get,” says Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group in Rochester, Minn. “We think back to childhood and most kids did fine. But above age 50, people start having complications. We have no treatment. The only recourse is prevention,” Poland says.

Forbes, How Processed Foods May Make You Eat More by Bruce Lee — Oh, ultra-processed food. You may say that you have the same calories, sugar, fat, fiber, and macronutrients as that unprocessed food over there. But are you really the same? What about the study just published in the journal Becker’s Hospital Review, Cell Metabolism? What do you have to say for yourself? … Here's a Mayo Clinic video on ultra-processed foods…

Woman’s Day, Why Menopause Causes Weight Gain and Why You Shouldn't Worry by Jo Yurcaba — Menopause is a game changer for a lot of women. Even if you eat the same way you ate when you were younger and exercise every day, you might gain weight during menopause, and that’s because, according to Dr. Ekta Kapoor of Mayo Clinic, “the rules of the game are different” once you hit menopausal age. A woman is said to be in menopause once she has gone a year since her last period, and it comes with a host of hormonal changes. Contrary to what many people might think, menopause doesn’t directly cause weight gain. Most weight gain that women experience during and after menopause is the result of aging, according to Dr. Kapoor. But the hormonal changes that happen because of menopause can contribute to weight gain.

VICE, This Is What Fish Oil Supplements Actually Do … What exactly is fish oil? — Fish oil is just what it sounds like: oil derived from processed fish, especially species like herring, mackerel, salmon, anchovies, and sardines. These oils are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Although our bodies can turn alpha-linoleic acid—another type of Omega-3 fatty acid found in things like canola oil, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts—into EPA and DHA, fish oil is one of the most efficient sources of these two Omega-3s for us. Omega-3 fatty acids “do a lot of things in our bodies,” explained Stephen Kopecky, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic. It's hard to summarize exactly what they do, as such, but it’s safe to say that maintaining a sufficient level of these acids is vital to our overall functioning.

Newsweek, Walk Fast? Good News – You’re more likely to live longer by Kashmira Gander — Participants who said they walked briskly had longer life expectancies than the others regardless of their BMI, at 86.7 to 87.8 years for women and 85.2 to 86.8 years for men. Meanwhile, those who walked slowly had shorter life expectancies, particularly those who said they moved slowly and had a BMI of less than 20, even though this was in the healthy range. Women in this group had an average life expectancy of 72.4 years, dropping to 64.8 years for men. The authors of the study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings concluded: “Brisk walkers were found to have longer life expectancies, which was constant across different levels and indices of adiposity.” Adiposity means being severely or morbidly overweight. Additional coverage: New York Post, Daily Mail

Post-Bulletin, Mayo seeking patients from on-site workplace health centers by Christopher Snowbeck — Mayo Clinic will start taking referrals for specialty care from a company that runs on-site clinics for employers, the latest example of a Minnesota-based health system sizing up the market for patients who get health care in the workplace. With the new agreement, Rochester-based Mayo Clinic will offer services to patients with costly and risky conditions who initially were seen at clinics run by Tennessee-based Premise Health. Employers hire Premise Health to operate on-site wellness centers — destinations in the workplace that offer a combination of primary care, pharmacy, occupational health and wellness services." Additional coverage: Med City News, Becker’s Hospital Review

Post-Bulletin, Blood thinners can be lifesaving, but be aware of health risks — Dear Mayo Clinic: My mother is in her 80s and was just diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Her doctor recommended a blood thinner, but I have read that blood thinners can be dangerous. What are the risks?... For years, the standard anticoagulant used for atrial fibrillation was warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven). Although effective at preventing blood clots, warfarin is a powerful medication that can have serious side effects, including a low risk of bleeding within the brain and elsewhere in the body. If the warfarin level in blood is too high, bleeding is more likely to occur. If the level is too low, clotting is more likely to occur. Many medications interact with warfarin and may increase or decrease the blood level. As a result, people taking warfarin require regular blood tests to ensure the correct dose. — Martha Grogan, M.D., Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester

Post-Bulletin, New board named to oversee Mayo Civic Center operations by Randy Petersen — Five members selected from 18 applicants will make up a new board to oversee operations at Mayo Civic Center, plus the local convention and visitors bureau. “I think we are all extremely anxious and looking for lots of opportunities and excited to see this board come together,” Rochester City Council Randy Staver said Monday as the council approved the new board. The board members were recommended by Rochester City Administrator Steve Rymer after he and City Attorney Jason Loos interviewed 18 applicants. Those members will take the reins of the yet-unnamed nonprofit entity in an effort to reduce costs connected to the two agencies that oversee and book the Civic Center. The members are: Jacob Malwitz, an event producer for Mayo Clinic, who was selected for his experience in managing local events. He is also a member of the Experience Rochester board and served on the Mayo Civic Center Task Force, which led to the decision to change operations. Kayla Clay, a senior marketing specialist for Mayo Clinic, who was selected based on her marketing and communications experience. She previously oversaw digital marketing and communications for Encompass Health Corp. in Birmingham, Ala….

KAAL, Sun vs. Skin: What You Need to Know by Jaclyn Harold — With the brutally cold winter we just had, it's no wonder Minnesotans are getting outdoors, but soaking up the sun isn't something to take lightly. "When you go outside without sun protection on, there are ultraviolet light rays of two types: UV-A and UV-B, that your skin is exposed to," said Dr. Dawn Davis, a dermatologist at Mayo Clinic. Davis said that UV-B is a common skin exposure, the kind that is skin deep. "UV-B is short wavelength light, and it penetrates to the top levels of the skin, and over time causes inflammation to the skin to give you an acute change of inflammation, better known as a tan or a sunburn," said Davis.

KIMT, Blood donor center has immediate need for donations by DeeDee Stiepan — Mayo Clinic’s Blood Donor Program is turning to the community for help. An increase in the need for blood products has taken a toll on inventory. “We’ve been using about twice as much as we typically would do for several days so that’s why we’ve gotten into a little bit of trouble where we want to restore,” explains Justin Kreuter, MD, Director of the Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Program. Blood donations they receive stay local and are used to supply Mayo Clinic’s surgical patients as well as trauma patients. Dr. Kreuter says while they’re always keeping track of how much blood they’re collecting and supplying, situations like this can come up where there just happens to be an increased need. He explains they like to keep a two-week supply of each blood type on hand to accommodate for fluctuations. Currently, they’re inventory is down to just a one-week supply for certain blood types.

KIMT, Becoming a paramedic: 'it's never going to be the same day' by Isabella Basco — After 2,000 hours of labs, fieldwork and classwork, 10 paramedic students graduated from the Mayo Clinic Ambulance Paramedic Program. It's a short walk for these graduates to get their diploma. But it's been a marathon for these men and women to become paramedics ready to save lives at a moment's notice.

KIMT, After 23 years, Minnesotans skill raising money for Kid’s Cup by Brooke McKivergan — Tom Torkelson joined the Kid’s Cup tournament 23 years ago, and hasn’t missed even one since. Every dollar raised at the tournament goes straight toward the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center and Olmsted Medical Center, so all of the money stays local. Each year, golfers are asked to raise a minimum of $500, but many times golfers go above and beyond. Tom says over the years he’s played, he has raised around $25,000.

KTTC, Former doctor, sculptor, and philanthropist leaves lasting legacy on bike trails — A crowd will gather Friday night to remember a former Mayo Clinic doctor and sculptor who left a lasting legacy along Rochester’s bike trails. Dr. Richard Brubaker passed away last October. Shortly after, one of his metal sculptures, titled “The Artist” was installed outside the Rochester Art Center. Brubaker donated five pieces that are now scattered across the Med City’s trail system. Additional coverage: FOX 47

KTTC, Rochester city leaders respond to growth in short term online rentals by Beret Leone — With being home to Mayo Clinic, Rochester is known for getting plenty of visitors – nearly 3 million a year. However, those visitors aren’t always wanting hotels or motels, but rather short term online rentals, such as Expedia or Air Bnb. On Monday in a meeting, Rochester city leaders listened to a list of recommendations to give the short term online marketplace a better sense of direction. Its a task that city leaders say stems from ensuring health and city welfare.

FOX 47, Mayo Clinic and UMR students celebrate commencement — Students with the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science are celebrating today, as they graduated after years of hard work. The Mayo Clinic boasts a medical school that is top 10 in the country with one of the nation’s most competitive selection processes. The executive dean believes this year’s class can lead positive change in medicine and research in the future. “The needs of our patients come first. We’re hopeful that we’ve installed that value system in the students we’re graduating,” said Mayo Clinic’s Fredric Meyer.

MinnPost, Could technology help address Minnesota’s serious psychiatrist shortage? by Andy Steiner — Minnesota has, Fritsma Mogen reported, some 600 board-certified psychiatrists. Of those 600, she explained, “We know that approximately 80 percent are employed in the seven-county metro area or in Olmsted County, where the Mayo Clinic is located.” The remaining 20 percent are elsewhere in the state, mostly in Duluth and St. Cloud.   “This leaves 48 of Minnesota’s 87 counties with no practicing psychiatrists,” Fritsma Mogen said. The counties without psychiatrists are — you guessed it — mostly rural. “That creates serious access issues for the people who live there and represents a severe shortage.”

Minnesota Medicine, Enhancing the discussion by Linda Picone — Mayo conversation aids help patients and clinicians sort through choices…together.

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, 2019 Women in Business Awards: Lisa Clarke, Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency by Carrigan Miller — The Minnesota Legislature created in 2013 the Destination Medical Center initiative to drive development and investment in Rochester, home to health care giant Mayo Clinic. The DMC Economic Development Agency, the engine behind the program, plucked Lisa Clarke from Mayo to serve as the agency's executive director. The pick made sense. Clarke had worked for the health care provider for 20 years, serving in roles that ranged from internal communications to community relations across its many

Star Tribune, The non-exercise exercise program that helps you stay fit by Daphne Miller — Exercise physiologists are increasingly interested in NEAT exercising, which doesn’t refer to not working up a sweat while you exercise — although that is one of its traits. NEAT stands for “non-exercise activity thermogenesis.” It’s the energy a person burns when not sleeping, eating, resting or deliberately exercising. It’s also referred to as the “exertion of daily living.” With the advent of wearable devices that make it possible to measure energy expenditure rather than just count steps, researchers are discovering that dozens of non-exercise activities can be slipped into our daily routine and, when added together, become the equivalent of a stint at the gym or a morning jog…Endocrinologist James Levine coined the term NEAT when he was director of the Obesity Solutions initiative at the Mayo Clinic. “Anybody can have a NEAT life,” he said.

KARE 11, Woman wins battle for rare disease council in Minnesota by Adrienne Broaddus — A Hopkins woman, Erica Barnes, was a part of making it happen. Barnes said the funding is $150,000 over four years. It will allow the University of Minnesota to staff that council. The council will consist of 18 people, including Mayo Clinic rare disease specialists and other and experts from across the state…We first introduced you to Barnes in 2016. That is when her journey of rare disease advocacy was starting. She created Chloe's Fight,  A Rare Disease Foundation to fund U of M research on rare genetic childhood diseases. Erica Barnes’ daughter Chloe died from Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare degenerative neural disorder similar to ALS, but moves at a more rapid rate in a child. Barnes watched as her daughter slowly lost her spunk and function when she was one. Chloe underwent a bone marrow transplant at Mayo Clinic but died six weeks later.

KSTP, Twins, Mayo Clinic team up to get people outdoors and active — The Minnesota Twins and the Mayo Clinic are teaming up for a program they hope gets more people outdoors and active. Mayo Clinic Monday Miles started Monday. For a total of 10 Mondays, running through late September, Target Field will open so people can walk, jog or run the quarter-mile long warning track along the outfield wall.

KSTP, Twin Cities couple cooks up possible solution to son's rare disease by Ellen Galles — Two Twin Cities parents are using a special diet to help treat their son's rare disease.  It started as a hunch, and now has led to a Mayo Clinic pilot study. Two-year-old Leo St. Martin was diagnosed with Pompe disease when he was just four months old. This means a complex sugar called glycogen builds up in his organs, and his body doesn't have the right enzyme to break it down.  The build-up can lead to organ failure. In Leo's case, his heart tissue was thick and swollen. "His heart had gotten so big, it was crushing his left lung," Leo's mother Anne St. Martin said. Additional coverage: KAAL

First Coast News, Daddy is getting a kidney! Girl's father receives much-needed relief by Jeanne Blaylock — His wife, Lena, has always hoped people will remember they can live with just one kidney. She kept telling people that if you are type O or type B+ blood type and very healthy, that's a good start.  Farhat registered with the kidney donor program at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville Business Journal, The List: Mayo Clinic doc talks pancreatic cancer by Junior Skepple — An estimated 57,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year. Dr. Kabir Mody's research focus is on investigating novel therapies for pancreatic, biliary, and liver malignancies.

ASU, Mayo Clinic and ASU MedTech Accelerator's first cohort gets expert insights and industry knowledge — An interlocking breathing tube that prevents death by accidental removal. An app that provides peace of mind concerning your sexual health. A wearable health-monitoring device that tracks movement in real time to expedite healing and prevent further wrist injuries. These are just a few of the novel ideas coming out of the Mayo Clinic and ASU MedTech Accelerator, a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University designed specifically to provide early-stage medical device and health care technology companies with personalized business development plans and collaborative opportunities to accelerate go-to-market and investment possibilities. The program began accepting applications back in January and held its official launch April 22 at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, where the six companies chosen to participate in the first cohort presented their elevator pitches to a room full of Mayo and ASU personnel.

Arizona Business Journal, New report shows which Arizona hospitals are the safest by Angela Gonzales — Arizona ranks No. 34 in the nation on a hospital safety report card issued by the Leapfrog Group. The ranking, released May 15, comes as Leapfrog found 161,000 avoidable deaths occur in hospitals nationwide each year. The report doesn't break out the number of avoidable hospital deaths by state, said Erica Mobley, director of operations for Leapfrog, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit representing the nation's largest and most influential employers and purchasers of health care. Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix stands out among all Arizona hospitals and even nationwide. Of the 2,600 graded hospitals across the country, Mayo Clinic Hospital is among only 41 hospitals that have earned straight As since Leapfrog began issuing the report cards in 2012, Mobley said.

AZ Big Media, Here are the 2019 Arizona Healthcare Leaders of the Year by Michael Gossie — Mayo Clinic: Mayo Clinic has developed and implemented electronic consultation for providers in the rural areas of Arizona. This allows customers in non-populated areas of the state to have access to sophisticated medical consultation. This improves access and health outcomes. Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. In Arizona, Mayo Clinic serves more than 100,000 patients each year with an integrated, team-based approach. The clinical practice is focused on adult specialty and surgical care in more than 65 medical and surgical disciplines.

Albert Lea Tribune, Raising Kids in a Digital Age workshop planned in Austin — The issues facing children today are very different from even just a few years ago. The internet and technology, while useful in many ways, create challenges for parents, educators and caregivers.  Join presenter Angela Mattke, M.D., Mayo Clinic pediatrician and medical editor of Mayo Clinic Guide to Raising a Healthy Child, as she shares resources to help navigate the world of technology. “Raising Kids in a Digital Age” will be from 6 to 7 p.m.  May 30 in the community room at the Austin Public Library, 323 Fourth Ave. NE in Austin.

KEYC Mankato, Mayo Clinic Health System Encouraging Families To Slim Screen Time With New Program by Kelsey Barchenger — Margie Bach, Nurse Practitioner in family medicine, Mayo Clinic Health System, joined KEYC News 12 This Morning to talk about the “Slim Your Screen Time” program. The eight-week program runs from June 1 to July 31 and encourages participants to complete 30 or more activities from a list of over 100 ideas over the course of two months. Additional coverage: KNUJ-Radio, WKBT-TV, Belle Plaine Herald,

SW News Media, Mayo Clinic in New Prague opens Urgent Care June 1 by Michael Strasburg — Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague is excited to announce expanded same-day services with the opening of Urgent Care on June 1 in the specialty clinic on the medical center’s campus. Urgent Care is replacing the health system’s Express Care, which is located in Coborn’s grocery store. The same providers and nurses from Express Care in Coborn’s will help staff Urgent Care. Express Care in Coborn’s will be open until June 1. "We are so pleased to meet the community’s needs for more same-day health care options available weekdays, as well as after hours and on the weekends," said Dr. Martin Herrmann, medical director at Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague, in a press release.

Fairmont Sentinel, Mayo-Fairmont connects with public by Judy Bryan — Mayo Clinic Health System-Fairmont held its third annual stakeholder breakfast forum Wednesday at Red Rock Center in Fairmont…The event allows Mayo leadership the opportunity to connect with local business people, volunteers, educators, mental and physical health care providers, government officials and others.

Northfield News, Mayo Clinic shares status updates at Waseca stakeholder breakfast by Bailey Grubish — There were community members from all sectors of Waseca and Janesville in attendance at the Mayo Clinic Health System-Waseca stakeholder breakfast Wednesday.

La Crosse Tribune, Mayo Clinic names Michael Morrey to top administrative post in southwest Wisconsin by Emily Pyrek — Mayo Clinic Health System has appointed Michael A. Morrey as regional head of administration for southwest Wisconsin, a position Morrey has held in the interim since the January retirement of former Joe Kruse.

La Crosse Tribune, Mayo Clinic to host 'Successful Aging' program — Katherine Hansen, physician assistant, orthopedics, will discuss osteoarthritis at 2:30 p.m. Wedmesdau, May 22, at Marycrest Auditorium, on the 2nd floor of the Hospital Building, 700 West Avenue S. The presentation is part of the Successful Aging program designed by Dr. Thomas Loepfe, Mayo Clinic Health System geriatrician, to educate seniors on health-care topics that will help them to improve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Each seminar in the program is held monthly. Hansen will review the definition of osteoarthritis, its epidemiology, risk factors, impact on daily life, diagnosis, and treatment and management options.

WEAU Eau Claire, UW-Eau Claire students researching addiction and alcoholism by Tajma Hall — A group of UW-Eau Claire students are looking into the science behind addiction and alcoholism with a focus on the older generations. Dr. Doug Matthews, Professor of Psychology studies alcohol addiction. Samantha Scaletty is one of three students working with Matthews through a funded internship program. "We got a grant from the Mayo Clinic and so we get rats at the age of about 28 days and we let them live all the way up to the end of their life span and we give them doses of alcohol, varying doses and we see how that has effects on their brain," said Samantha Scaletty, Sophomore and Neuroscience major.

WKBT La Crosse, Suicide Task Force looks to lower Wisconsin suicide rate by Alec Giannakopoulos —"There's a biological component that's not always just something we can take of by our own thoughts and motivation and sheer will," stated Christine Hughes, Counselor for Mayo Clinic Health System. Medical and social experts spent the day presenting to the task force what they believe needs to be addressed in potential legislation.

Space.com, Space Tourism Is About to Push Civilian Astronaut Medicine Into the Final Frontier by Meghan Bartels — For decades, access to space has been limited based on a set of preconceived beliefs about human bodies — but capitalism is chipping away at those restrictions…"Historically, space medicine was the purview of doctors that took care of highly selected populations of astronauts — individuals that are exceptionally healthy, exceptionally fit, exceptionally stress-tolerant, have no medical conditions of any sort," lead author Jan Stepanek, a physician specializing in space medicine at the Mayo Clinic, told Space.com.

Yahoo! Finance, Exact Sciences Advances Pipeline Capabilities with Mayo Clinic — Early research using blood-based methylated DNA markers, identified through the longstanding collaboration between Exact Sciences and Mayo Clinic, demonstrates a potential to achieve 92% sensitivity and 92% specificity for detecting the most common type of pancreatic cancer. Researchers presented the findings at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2019, the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

Parade, Everything You Need to Know About Pneumonia by Lisa Mulcahy — Pneumonia may indeed result as a complication of a less severe illness like the flu, if that flu hangs on without getting better. When do you know you might have developed pneumonia? According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms to watch out for include: Chest pain when breathing or coughing, cough, often with phlegm, feeling tired, spiking a fever, sweats and chills, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, shortness of breath.

Becker’s Hospital Review, 10 things to know about Optum, the $101B healthcare company keeping hospital execs up at night by Molly Gamble — Here are 10 things to know about Optum, a subsidiary of Eden Prairie, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group…8. Wyatt Decker, MD, has served as CEO of OptumHealth since April. He previously spent more than 20 years at Mayo Clinic, most recently as chief medical information officer for the Rochester, Minn.-based health system and CEO of its Arizona campus.

MedPage Today, Lack of Payment for Cardiac Rehabilitation — In this exclusive MedPage Today video, Raymond J. Gibbons, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, discusses the importance of cardiac rehab and how the cardiac rehab payment model needs to change. Following is a transcript of his remarks…

MedPage Today, Podcast: AAN 2019 Top Science — Dr. Sean Pittock, from the Mayo Clinic, presented findings from the PREVENT trial, which involved patients with NMO and aquaporin-4 antibodies, who were randomized to receive either eculizumab or placebo. Their hypothesis was that this anti-complement C5 drug could target the mechanism causing the disease.

Building Design & Construction, ASU Health Futures Center combines a novel design and approach to learning by Jonathan Barnes — The notion of open learning environments in higher education is trending, leading to the design of more collegiate buildings worldwide that are meant to remove barriers between students, faculty and disciplines. Arizona State University’s Health Futures Center riffs on this popular design and educational idea, aiming to be a connecting place for interdisciplinary innovation, research, and medical simulation. Ground recently was broken on the facility, which is located adjacent to the Mayo Clinic campus, in northeast Phoenix. The $80 million health care services facility will have a flexible framework, meant to support research and collaboration between the Mayo Clinic and ASU. The 142,000 SF building project’s groundbreaking was in April 2019; it is expected to be completed by late 2020. It is the first building on a new campus for ASU.

FOX 5 Las Vegas, Valley mother to host blood drive to help her ailing daughter by Enzo Marino — A valley mother has plans to host a blood drive in hopes of supplying her daughter and other families suffering with a lack of blood donations.  Four-year-old Layla O'Bryant suffers from Cerebellar Ataxia. Basically, the antibodies in her bloodstream have been attacking her brain stem. Blood transfusions have helped her in the past, but blood donations have been lacking…Layla was diagnosed with Cerebellar Ataxia. "There is no test for this, there is no treatment or cure for Cerebellar Ataxia," O’Bryant said. Then a pediatric neurologist at the Mayo Clinic told O'Bryant to try Intravenous Immunoglobulin otherwise known as IVIG. It worked. Just like that, Layla was right back on her feet.

HIT Consultant, Verily Launches Baseline Health System Consortium with Duke, Mayo, Vanderbilt by Jasmine Pennic — Verily, an Alphabet company, today announced a new Project Baseline initiative, the Baseline Health System Consortium, comprised of Verily, Duke University Health System, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, Regional Health in South Dakota and the University of Pittsburgh. Verily launched Project Baseline in 2017 with the Project Baseline Health Study to develop the technology and tools to help researchers create a more comprehensive map of human health. Additional coverage: Associated Press, Becker’s Hospital Review,

Healthcare News, Health Self-monitoring Market including top key players like Fitbit, Garmin, Lumo Body Tech, Mayo Clinic, Ovia Health, Google, Samsung, Apple, Microsoft by Marvella Lit —Self-monitoring is a new trend in personal health where individuals use electronic devices and software technologies to collect, process and display a wide range of personal data to help them monitor and manage their personal health…The Top key players of this Market is: Fitbit, Garmin, Lumo Body Tech, Mayo Clinic, Ovia Health, Google, Samsung, Apple, Microsoft.

Healio, Wellness education, yoga may be effective interventions in patients with mild cognitive impairment — Wellness education appeared to be the most effective intervention for managing patients with mild cognitive impairment, according to findings recently published in JAMA Network Open. “There is a dearth of literature examining the effectiveness of various behavioral interventions compared with each other but an increase in support for the use of multicomponent interventions in dementia prevention efforts,” Melanie J. Chandler, PhD, of the division of psychology at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and colleagues wrote. Researchers randomly assigned 272 patients (mean age, 75 years; 160 men) who met the National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer’s Association criteria for mild cognitive impairment in an approximately 1:1 ratio to withhold either computerized cognitive training, memory compensation training, patient and partner support groups, wellness education or yoga for 2 weeks. Additional coverage: MedPage Today

Being Patient, 5 Proven Ways to Cut Dementia Risk, According to the World Health Organization by Linda Freund — Dementia affects around 50 million people worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases each year, according to the WHO (a figure that is expected to triple by 2030). But there are concrete things individuals can do to chip away at their dementia risk. The World Health Organization (WHO) curated its top recommendations into a recent report that’s jam-packed with dozens of data-backed ways to delay cognitive decline. “There are a few things that we can do that maybe will not, say, prevent Alzheimer’s disease definitively, but may delay its onset, slow its progression if it develops,” said Dr. Ronald Petersen, Director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Calgary Herald, Nieman: Compassion needed to understand impact of rare disorders by Dr. Peter Nieman — About 80 per cent of patients with POTS are female and the onset can occur anywhere between ages 15 and 50 according to the Dysautonomia International organization, a resource geared toward providing facts and ongoing education for patients and doctors. The exact prevalence of POTS is unknown, but the estimate based on research out of the Mayo Clinic and published data obtained from PubMed, suggests a number of 170 per 100,000. There is no cure for POTS. The longest followup study comes from the Mayo Clinic where pediatric patients were followed up between 2003 and 2010.

BBC News, Chiari malformation: ‘I went from travel-obsessed to bedridden' by Kelly-Leigh Cooper — Over the space of a couple of months during her final year of high school, Hailey Dickson's world turned upside down. … As a last resort, her mum decided to take her 1,600 (2,500km) miles across the country to the specialist Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The first test they did, measuring electrical impulses in her body, established straight away that the movements were involuntary. Then a contrast MRI screening eventually showed their cause.

Pain News Network, Have We Reached the Stem Cell Tipping Point? By A. Rahman Ford — One morning while watching TV, I was astonished by one of the commercials that ran.  It was an ad for stem cell therapy.  That was when it dawned on me – stem cells had finally hit the mainstream.  It was no longer a procedure of myth and mystery that people saw as strange or taboo.  It was now real, obtainable and, dare I say, normal. … The Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and the University of Miami have also entered the field to provide options to patients who have exhausted mainstream remedies.  “We have patients in our offices demanding these treatments,” said Dr. Shane Shapiro of the Mayo Clinic. “If they don’t get them from us, they will get them somewhere else.”

MDEdge, Bariatric surgery found to be effective in IBD patients by Doug Brunk — “Obesity is increasing in patients with inflammatory bowel disease at a rate similar to that seen in the general population,” the study’s primary author, Nicholas P. McKenna, MD, said in an interview in advance of the annual Digestive Disease Week. “While bariatric surgery is a well-accepted therapy for obesity in patients without IBD, its use in patients with IBD is less well studied.” For the current study, Dr. McKenna, a resident in the department of surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues collected data on 33 patients who underwent bariatric surgery with a pre- or postoperative diagnosis of IBD across three academic centers between August 2006 and December 2017. They evaluated IBD characteristics and medications; postoperative complications; the need for future IBD-related surgery; and weight loss at 6, 12, and 24 months.

Healio, GEMINI: Entyvio safe in long-term IBD study — Entyvio therapy is safe for the long-term treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, according to the final results of the GEMINI trial, presented at Digestive Disease Week. “This is the longest study of continuous vedolizumab (Entyvio, Takeda) exposure to date,” Edward V. Loftus, Jr., MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said in his presentation. “This looked at both safety and efficacy of vedolizumab for both UC and Crohn’s disease, and this is the final analysis of that data.”

Neurology Live, Rodolfo Savica, MD, PhD: Dyskinesias in Atypical Parkinsonism — At the 2019 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roldofo Savica, MD, PhD, and colleagues presented data on the incidence of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in patients with atypical parkinsonism compared to that of patients with Parkinson in a similar population-based cohort. Ultimately, using data from 337 patients with atypical parkinsonism, of which 44.5% (n = 150) were treated with levodopa (median dose, 600 mg; range, 300 mg to 900 mg). The results showed that 11.3% of levodopa-treated patients developed dyskinesia, which Savica, an associate professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic, told NeurologyLive® that this is compared to a rate of roughly 30% of those with Parkinson disease and that the vast majority of the atypical patients respond well to treatment adjustments.

Neurology Live, Historical Perspective of Alzheimer Disease — Drs Ronald C. Petersen and Alireza Atri provide a historical overview on the management of Alzheimer disease and comment on the likelihood of seeing new therapy emerge for the condition in the near future.

Gaylord Herald Times, Gaylord native elected CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona — Dr. Richard Gray has been elected as CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. “We are thrilled to announce Dr. Gray as Arizona’s sixth CEO. He is both a renowned surgical oncologist and an established leader with extensive experience and accomplishments across clinical practice, research and education,” said Samuel Di Piazza, chair, Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees. “Like others who have come before him, Dr. Gray is a testament to our long-held tradition of succession in physician leadership. He is fully committed to the values that Mayo Clinic was built upon and equally inspired by all that Mayo Clinic has yet to be.”

ABC 6 Philadelphia, Weighted blankets can reduce stress and anxiety, study says — You've probably seen weighted blankets in stores and wondered what they're all about. According to several small studies, people using the blankets reported better sleep, and less stress and anxiety. And in one small study, volunteers reported less pain. Experts say the blankets may cause the same response as a big hug - a surge of feel-good hormones. "A decrease of cortisol, which is sort of our stress hormone, and an increase of serotonin and dopamine - two neurotransmitters that really affect our mood," says Dr. Adam Perlman, an internist at the Mayo Clinic. Additional coverage: South Florida Reporter

Zocalo Public Square, The Minnesota invention that rescued a boy with a hole in his heart by Irwin Speizer — The answers to the family’s prayers actually lay within a 100-mile radius of St. Paul. The Mayo Clinic and the nearby University of Minnesota were then the only institutions in the world performing open-heart surgery at the time…Meanwhile, just 10 miles away at the Mayo Cinic, Dr. John H. Kirklin pursued a mechanical solution that had so far proved elusive. As a medical student, he had long dreamed of the possibilities of open-heart surgery, including a treatment for the very ailment afflicting Brabeck. In a paper he co-authored on the first 50 years of open-heart surgery, Dr. Richard C. Daly, a Mayo cardiovascular surgeon, related comments Kirklin later made about the challenges of open-heart surgery in the 1940s and 1950s: “My fellow residents and I filled pages of notebooks with drawings and plans of how we would close ventricular septal defects and repair the tetralogy of Fallot once science gave us a method to get inside the heart. ”

Philly Voice, How to identify and help someone with an eating disorder by Tracey Romero — About 20 million women and 10 million men will have an eating disorder in their lifetime, the National Eating Disorders Association estimates. The Mayo Clinic reports that “most eating disorders involve focusing too much on your weight, body shape and food, leading to dangerous eating behaviors. Eating disorders can harm the heart, digestive system, bones, and teeth and mouth, and lead to other diseases.”

El Comercio, “He nacido dos veces”: cómo es sobrevivir a un trasplante doble de pulmón —“Vimos que seguía empeorando y me vio una alergóloga. Ella no se conformó y pidió hacerme una tomografía. Allí salió que tenía una pequeña fibrosis [cicatriz en el pulmón] y entonces empezamos con el tratamiento, pero tampoco mejoraba”, cuenta a El Comercio. Debido a su rápido deterioro, sus médicos le recomendaron viajar al extranjero para hallar una mejor opción de tratamiento. Así llegó a la Clínica Mayo, en Estados Unidos.

El Tribuno, La OMS alertó sobre el aumento de los casos de demencia en el mundo: la entidad dio pautas para reducir el riesgo de deterioro cognitive — “Analizamos la literatura médica para examinar qué podríamos decir con cierta seguridad a la gente respecto a las modificaciones del estilo de vida que repercuten sobre la aparición posterior de discapacidad cognitiva, deterioro cognitivo leve y demencia”, explicó el doctor Ronald Petersen, director del Centro para Investigación sobre la Enfermedad de Alzheimer de Mayo Clinic, quien participó en la elaboración de las guías.

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Editors: Emily BlahnikKarl Oestreich

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