Washington Post, A rare skin disease left a man isolated and alone. Surgery is helping to give him back his life. by Lindsey Bever — Dusica Babovic-Vuksanovic, a physician who specializes in genetic syndromes and leads the Neurofibromatosis Clinic at the Mayo Clinic, said neurofibromatosis is rare, affecting 1 in about 3,000 people in the United States. Babovic-Vuksanovic said the disorder is difficult to manage because it can present in different forms and on different parts of the body, causing usually benign but sometimes rapid-growing tumors to form on nerve tissue. It can cause disfigurement, muscular and skeletal problems, nerve damage and pain. In rare cases, she said, the growths can develop into cancerous tumors. In cases in which there appears to be excessive skin, Babovic-Vuksanovic said that extra tissue is usually associated with a tumor known as plexiform neurofibroma. Treatment for neurofibromatosis is temporary and typically involves surgery, but Babovic-Vuksanovic said a clinical trial is underway at Mayo Clinic and other larger medical centers for a medication that may help shrink the tumors.

Washington Post, Laughter really is the best medicine? In many ways, that’s no joke. by Marlene Cimons — “When people are funny, they attract other people, and community connectedness is the social currency for longevity,” says Edward Creagan, professor of medical oncology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. “Nobody wants to be around negative, whiny people. It’s a drain. We’re attracted to funny people.” Laughter stimulates the body’s organs by increasing oxygen intake to the heart, lungs and muscles, and stimulates the brain to release more endorphins, according to the Mayo Clinic. It also helps people handle stress by easing tension, relaxing the muscles and lowering blood pressure. It relieves pain, and improves mood. Laughter also strengthens the immune system. “When we laugh, it decreases the level of the evil stress hormone cortisol,” Creagan says.

Washington Post, Why your emotions and senses go haywire on a plane by Hannah Sampson — …Background noise is a constant, says Clayton Cowl, chair of the division of preventive, occupational and aerospace medicine at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. "There's a lot of white noise in a plane,” he says. “It’s not at a frequency type that would cause hearing loss, but it certainly is something that over time your senses adapt to.”… “For most travelers — the vast, vast majority of travelers — the body’s adaptation to flight is a seamless process, and we all know that most of the time, it’s not a big deal,” Cowl says. “There are a few subtle adaptations that we do when we’re flying that we’re not aware of. The body’s amazing; it does accommodate.”

New York Times, Diagnosis: The Man’s Blood Pressure Dropped, and He Was Acting Strange. What Was Going On? by Lisa Sanders, M.D. — … What kind of disease could cause both neurological and psychiatric symptoms? … two weeks after the man’s first seizure, the doctor got the answer he’d been looking for. It came from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., one of the few labs able to test for immune-mediated diseases of the brain. He had an autoimmune encephalopathy; his symptoms were caused by an antibody that was first described in 2000, called Caspr2. The disorder caused by this rogue antibody is usually seen in men over 65 who, like this patient, develop fluctuations in blood pressure or heart rate, changes in personality, insomnia and problems with balance. The patient was relieved to finally get a name for his strange collection of symptoms. He and his wife flew to the Mayo Clinic to start the treatment. His improvement has been slow, and even after three years, he isn’t fully recovered.

Reuters, Father's smoking during pregnancy tied to asthma in kids by Lisa Rapaport — This suggests that the risk of asthma from tobacco exposure is unlike allergic asthma, which is driven by allergies or allergic sensitization via IgE antibody, said Dr. Avni Joshi, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center in Rochester, Minnesota, who wasn’t involved in the study. The study wasn’t designed to prove whether or how prenatal smoking exposure might directly cause so-called epigenetic changes, or how those changes cause asthma in children...Still, the message to parents should be clear, Joshi said by email. Additional coverage: Physician’s Weekly

Reuters, Burnout Nation: How companies are de-stressing workforces by Chris Taylor — No matter who you are or what you do, let me take a wild guess: You feel a little burned out right now. Was I right? If so, you are one of the two-thirds of Americans who report feeling burned out on the job, according to a recent Gallup poll. That breaks down into 23 percent who are burned out very often or always, and another 44 percent who feel that way sometimes. Those numbers are epidemic…Across the nation for physicians it is even worse: a whopping 54 percent, according to Mayo Clinic researchers.

NBC News, Patient dies from fecal transplant containing drug-resistant bacteria by Sara G. Miller — While the FDA offers guidance on the procedure, there is not a standardized protocol for what infectious agents donors and their stool should be tested for, said Dr. Sahil Khanna, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic who performs fecal transplants. Khanna called the patient death from a fecal transplant "heartbreaking." He told NBC News that Mayo Clinic was not involved with the two cases described by the FDA. To Khanna's knowledge, this is the first report of a death linked to FMT. "When we talk about FMT for treating C. diff, we say it has the potential to save lives," he said.  Additional coverage: Business Insider

CBS News, Once afraid of IVs, girl invents teddy bear pouches to hide them by Christopher Brito — A 12-year-old girl from Connecticut is using her own experience with IVs to help other kids undergo treatments with a friendlier face. Ella Casano, who has an autoimmune disease, covers IVs with a teddy bear and she now wants to donate her "stuffed animal pouch" called Medi Teddy to young patients. Casano was diagnosed with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) when she was seven years old, her business website said. According to the Mayo Clinic, ITP happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys platelets, which are cell fragments that help blood clot.

Good Housekeeping, Is It an Anxiety Attack or a Panic Attack? Here’s How to Know, According to Experts by Stephanie Dolgoff — In contrast, those who have anxiety attacks tend to carry around a low level of anxiety most of the time. The feeling of anxiousness ramps up during an attack and then eventually (anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks) it settles back down to a normal-for-them level. Generally, panic attacks have more severe physical symptoms, whereas anxiety attacks are more of a "slow burn," says Craig Sawchuk, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. So why the confusion? Because panic attacks and anxiety attacks overlap in a few ways, and some unlucky people experience both. Plus, people use the terms interchangeably. "When people say ‘I’m having a panic attack,’ ‘I’m having an anxiety attack,’ or just ‘I’m freaking out,’ we know what they mean," says Sawchuk. "The question is, at what point do either one meet clinical criteria?"

Modern Healthcare, 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives – 2019 — The 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives program (previously 50 Most Influential Physicians Executives and Leaders) honors physicians working in the healthcare industry who are deemed by their peers and an expert panel to be the most influential in terms of demonstrating leadership and impact. It took power to make reform happen; now, it will take influential leaders to make reform work… Rank: 21 — Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, President and CEO, Mayo Clinic.

Post-Bulletin, What's the story with WuXi?  by Jeff Kiger — Despite the name coming up often in national and international business and political news, there hasn't been any details yet about a joint venture that Mayo Clinic has with a leading Chinese pharma and biotech company based in Shanghai. New WuXi Life Science Investment Limited and Mayo Clinic formed WuXi Diagnostics in early 2018 as a joint venture...Dr. William Morice, chair of the Mayo Clinic Dept. of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and president of Mayo Medical Laboratories, was interviewed at the 2018 WuXi Global Forum by WuXi AppTec Communications about the next milestones for joint venture. "The near-term milestone honestly has to be to build a solid foundation from which to grow between the two organizations. It’s really exciting to take a vibrant and vast-growing company like WuXi and marry it with a very established institution like Mayo. We also want to look ahead and understand how to leverage the strengths of both organizations early on to transfer knowledge," Morice was quoted as stating.

Post-Bulletin, Mayo seeks applications for Shared Value Award by Sara Dingmann — Mayo Clinic is seeking applicants for its Shared Value Award, which provides funds to a collaborative project that addresses social challenges that affect health in Olmsted county. From the qualifying pool of applicants, three finalists will be selected by Mayo Clinic's Contributions Committee, and the winner will be determined by Olmsted County community members through online voting. Voting takes place online and will be available from Aug. 30 until Oct. 21.

KIMT, Mayo again ranked one of the best children’s hospitals by Mike Bunge — Mayo Clinic Children’s Center is once again named one of the best children’s hospitals by U.S. News and World Report… "Our ranking among the top children's hospitals reinforces our commitment to delivering quality care to children and their families not only through cutting-edge interventions, such as the Fetal Care Center, proton beam therapy for childhood cancer, and stem cell treatment in clinical trials for children with heart disease, but also through the integrated, multispecialty team approach for children with health problems of all kinds," says Dr. Randall Flick, medical director of Mayo Clinic Children's Center. "We are very proud of this ranking and credit our staff who continue to strive for excellence and improve patient care for the millions of patients we treat each year from around the world."

KIMT, Dream it and achieve it: Chris Norton wheelchair camp shows kids, families what is possible by Annalise Johnson — The message is simple: never give up. At no cost to families, the Chris Norton Foundation is hosting a wheelchair camp at Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch for kids who use wheelchairs and their families. Chris Norton suffered a severe spinal cord injury at age 18 while playing football for Luther College in Decorah. He was transported to the Mayo Clinic and was told he had a 3% chance of ever regaining movement and feeling below his neck. Since then, Norton has continued to defy the odds. Videos of him walking went viral. First, with his then-fiancé Emily to receive his Luther College diploma, and again with Emily at their wedding ceremony.

KTTC, Relationship between the Mayo Clinic and Sisters of Saint Francis gains new chapter — The Sisters of Saint Francis gathered at the new Hilton hotel Tuesday afternoon, to view the new meeting rooms dedicated to them. The partnership between Mayo Clinic and the sisters dates back to the hospital’s beginnings, and the sisters say they are glad to keep the time honored connection going. They got a tour of the new Hilton, while cutting the ribbon to the new Franciscan meeting rooms. Ramona Miller, the Sisters of Saint Francis President, says it’s wonderful to be in the new hotel, seeing the rooms named after them, feeling a sense of pride. Additional coverage: FOX 47

Star Tribune, Twin Cities companies have a lot riding on FDA's decision on drug-coated stents by Joe Carlson — Amid the uncertainty, hospitals across the country — including Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis — have cut back on using the paclitaxel-eluting stents for the legs —an intervention that had been rapidly gaining in popularity before the specter of early death was raised. The Mayo Clinic recently imposed a voluntary moratorium on all paclitaxel-eluting devices for the legs.

Star Tribune, Mankato doctor recognized for nutrition work by Brian Arola — For Dr. Ryan Brower, food is medicine. Coming to Mankato three years ago, the family medicine resident at Mayo Clinic Health System's Eastridge clinic brought a passion for nutrition with him. He's since centered his work both in clinic and the community around building people's understanding of how healthy eating fits within a patient's pursuit of overall wellness, the Mankato Free Press reported. The work earned him state recognition this year, with the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians naming him the 2019 family medicine resident of the year. Brower gave credit for the award to the residency program he's in, and the people who advise and work alongside him. Additional coverage: Associated Press

First Coast News, Double lung transplant recipient honoring donor with each new breath by Lindsey Boetsch — When you wake up in the morning, you're breathing. When you go to bed, you're breathing. It's something we don't think about. But, 33-year-old Maria Sanchez has struggled with Cystic Fibrosis her whole life and the task of breathing was not easy for her.  Now, she's joined the rest of us in not worrying about her next breath. You become desperate," Sanchez said. "And you know that the time is coming. Where the inevitable, death, is knocking at your door."   She was diagnosed with CF when she was just a baby. Unfortunately, the disease progressed. It got to the point where her tuneups took longer and she wasn't able to bounce back as quick.

Arizona Republic, Increasing red meat consumption tied to higher risk of early death, study says by Ryan Miller — Heather Fields, an internal medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic, told CNN that the study contributes to a growing body of research that shows the potential negative effects of eating more red meat. "Keeping these findings in mind, we can now shift focus on which foods we can add to the diet to improve longevity and decrease risk of chronic diseases," she said. Fields was not involved in the study. Additional coverage: USA Today

AZ Family, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine gets players back on the field by Heidi Goitia — Few things can rattle a young athlete's confidence like a serious injury, which is why it's so important the injury is taken care of quickly and thoroughly. That combination is what got Pinnacle High School football player Anthony Ament back on the field in near record time. Ament has been playing football since he was little and hopes to one day go pro. So when he got hurt about a year ago, he feared the worst... But the Mayo Clinic's doctor Anikar Chhabra was a game changer. He performed a successful ACL repair and took on Ament's mental treatment just as aggressively.

KEYC Mankato, Previous patients of Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato share their stories at award luncheon — Tuesday, previous patients of Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato shared their stories at a luncheon. That includes one man who chose to undergo a relatively new procedure for a hernia operation. It's something John Tanke knew was coming for a long time. His family has a history of hernia operations. When doctors told him about the da Vinci Surgical System, a robot, controlled by a surgeon, that can perform surgery, he decided it was the right option for him.

KEYC Mankato, What’s happening at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota this summer by Kelsey Barchenger — Join Mayo Clinic Health System providers and Museum staff to learn more about safe summer habits: sun safety, hydration, bike safety, and more! Bring your bike helmet, decorate it, and get it fitted. Get your car seat checked by a certified car seat technician, sample infused water, and enter your name in a drawing for a new bike helmet. This event is developed in partnership with Mayo Clinic Health System and is free to the public. The event does not grant access to Museum indoor and outdoor exhibits; daily admission and Museum membership required.

Austin Daily Herald, Senior center hosting seminar on changes in sleep patterns with doctor from Mayo by Sara Schafer — Have you ever had problems sleeping? Along with the other changes that happen as we get older, changes in sleep patterns are part of the aging process. At 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dr. Kubas will be here from the Mayo Clinic to enlighten us and answer questions about sleep. It is normal as we age to have a harder time falling asleep and more trouble staying asleep than when we were younger. Although it is a common belief that we need less sleep as we age, in fact our sleep needs are consistent throughout adulthood.

Chippewa Herald, Mayo Clinic in Menomonie awards scholarships — Five graduating seniors from area high schools recently received $500 scholarships from Mayo Clinic Health System–Red Cedar in Menomonie to pursue education in a health care-related field.

Red Wing Republican Eagle, Aneurysm survivor donates blood at every opportunity by Michael Brun — Janelle Nordine said she is blessed to be alive.  The Prescott woman survived a brain aneurysm and stroke 16 years ago. Today she said she is doing well and living her life to the fullest. Part of that is helping ensure others can live their lives, too. The 64-year-old is a prolific blood donor. For the past few years, she said she has given blood around every eight weeks — as frequently as the rules allow… Nordine, then 48 years old, said she was at church around Christmas time when the pain started. "I got the most horrific headache," she recalled. "It was indescribable."…Nordine said doctors quickly determined she was experiencing a ruptured aneurysm. That's when a bulging blood vessel bursts and bleeds into the brain. She was airlifted to Mayo Clinic in Rochester where she also had a stroke.’

La Crosse Tribune, Blanket donation to La Crosse hospitals brings family full circle by Kyle Farris — “A couple older ladies brought the blanket in on a cart, and it was the first time I smiled that whole time,” Fortun said Wednesday, 12 years removed from her son Carter’s heart operations. “Knowing that someone else cared enough to make that blanket … was such a big light for me. When I got home, I said that I need to do that for other people.” Fortun, who teaches sixth-grade language arts at Onalaska Middle School, has spent the past 12 years doing exactly that. She and her students have made and donated more than 1,000 tie blankets — gifts meant to comfort those who desperately need some. Wednesday brought the family’s story full circle. Fortun and Carter, who just finished sixth grade, hauled nearly 50 blankets to Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, a day after they did the same at Gundersen. Additional coverage: WKBT La Crosse

La Crosse Tribune, Big Blue Dragon Boat Festival returns Saturday in La Crosse's Copeland Park by Emily Pyrek — A seven-year tradition of athleticism and altruism returns Saturday morning, as up to 50 teams of breast-cancer survivors and supporters take on the waters of the Black River for the Big Blue Dragon Boat Festival. A partnership between Mayo Clinic Health System and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse…Funds raised by paddlers…support both the Center for Breast Care and healthy living programs at local Boys & Girls Clubs. During the past six years, the event has brought in $360,000.

WKBT La Crosse, Boys and Girls Clubs of greater La Crosse prepare for 2019 Big Blue Dragon Boat festival by Jordan Fremstad — Fifty teams are preparing for a 300-meter race in the 2019 Big Blue Dragon Boat Festival.  Children from the Boys and Girls Club are preparing for this weekend's race. They are recognizing the importance of teamwork. "What does it take? A lot of spirit, a lot of energy and drive," said Sue Karpinski, well-being specialist with Mayo Clinic Health System.

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire man survives 2 heart events in 1 year — You can call Keith Glasshof the “comeback kid.” The 79-year-old Eau Claire resident came back from heart disease twice in one year. Glasshof was visiting his daughter in Milwaukee when an April snowstorm dumped eight inches of snow. Glasshof shoveled the driveway and went for a walk. That’s when he says something felt a little funny. “I didn’t feel any pain,” Glasshof says. “I just felt different across the top of my chest.” Glasshof resolved to call his primary care physician, Dr. Randall Casper, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire when he got home.

WEAU Eau Claire, Telemedicine could be one way to improve rural health care — In La Crosse, one of the ways Gundersen Health System and Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare are addressing the issue is by telemedicine. Where patients in rural areas can see specialists or doctors remotely by webcam and other specialized equipment. "Telehealth has the promise of delivering cutting edge technology in healthcare to people who live in remote areas, from prevention screening all the way to the end of life. And if we can leverage technology to do that, it's better for patients," said Mayo Clinic Health System Southwest Region Vice President Dr. Paul Mueller.

HealthDay, Is Interval Training the Fountain of Youth? by Len Canter — HIIT has many benefits, not the least of which is being able to get the results of a regular 30-minute workout with less heavy exertion and making exercise more enjoyable. Mayo Clinic researchers found an even greater plus. There's nothing like HIIT to stave off the aging process, thanks to changes it creates at the cell level, effects that can't be achieved with any kind of medicine. What's more, as positive as the changes were for younger people studied, they were even greater among people over 65. Additional coverage: U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report, Measles Vaccination in Other Countries: A Different View by Lisa Esposito — Dr. Robert Jacobson, a primary care pediatrician at Mayo Clinic and medical director of the immunization programs for primary care practices within Mayo Clinic Health System in Minnesota, described what does and doesn't work to improve vaccination uptake. Research shows that recommendations from pediatricians and other clinicians do make a difference, Jacobson said, and stronger recommendations work better. A presumptive attitude by the doctor or nurse that immunization is part of the health care visit with kids and parents is more persuasive than being tentative in suggesting vaccination, experts say. Some well-intentioned approaches have been less successful, Jacobson noted.

U.S. News & World Report, A Patient’s Guide to Parkinson’s Disease — For Laurada Byers, the 70-year-old founder of the Russell Byers Charter School in Philadelphia, the problems started with a foot that seemed to have a mind of its own…“Nobody ever told me that I shouldn’t take the pill with food,” but that’s exactly what she was doing. The proteins in the food she was eating were interfering with the efficacy of the medication, “essentially canceling each other out.” Because it seemed the medication wasn’t working, and the cause of her symptoms remained elusive, Byers went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for further testing. Once there, she says she “had the shortest visit in the history of the Mayo. I walked into this doctor’s office and he asked me to walk down the hall. After he saw me walk, he said, ‘yes, you have Parkinson’s.’” Taking her medication well away from meal times made it much more effective, and she says her case has progressed relatively slowly and hasn’t been as severe as some.

Everyday Health, Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea Linked to Accelerated Aging, New Study Finds by Katherine Lee — “The findings add to the growing list of reasons to treat sleep apnea,” notes Eric Olson, MD, a sleep medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Sleep apnea has been linked to an array of cardiovascular and neurobehavioral problems, and this study shows another significant health problem that is linked to this sleep disorder, he says. “It’s a good start, [but] it needs to be replicated for more patients.”

Business Insider, The best hospitals in the US, ranked by Clarrie Feinstein — To make the list, the hospitals have performed at a high standard, improving the lives of many. Read on to see the top 20 hospitals in the US, according to US News. …1. Mayo Clinic: The Mayo Clinic is located in Rochester, Minnesota and was founded in 1889. Mayo Clinic Health System now owns 19 hospitals in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.  According to US News, Mayo Clinic is nationally ranked in 15 adult specialties and seven pediatric specialties.

Runner’s World, Do You Walk Fast Enough to Ward Off an Early Death? by Jordan Smith — Do you always pass slow walkers on the sidewalk, even if you are not in any real hurry? That may bode well for your lifespan, according to new research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.  In the study, researchers took self-reported walking speeds and body mass indexes (BMI) of nearly 475,000 participants, and followed up with them for nearly seven years. There were around 12,800 deaths in that time.

American Medical Association, Why student-loan forgiveness is making primary care more attractive by Timothy M. Smith — The U.S. physician shortfall could reach as high as 122,000 doctors by 2032, say estimates issued by the Association of American Medical Colleges this spring. As many as 55,200 of these could be primary care physicians, pointing to the need to better understand what drives medical school graduates to choose one specialty over another. A recent study of graduating osteopathic medical students starts to do just that, indicating that increased educational debt directly influences physician practice choices while student-loan repayment and forgiveness programs can encourage new physicians to choose primary care specialties…. The “analysis showed that incentives to enter primary care can substantially help shape graduates’ choices,” says the study, written by senior author Kenneth G. Poole Jr., MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, along with physician colleagues from Mayo, University of Kansas Medical Center, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine and University of Texas Southwestern.

Yahoo! Finance, New Transitional Care Programs Expected to Benefit Rural Residents Across Idaho — The Idaho Hospital Association provides an endorsement of Allevant Solutions, LLC, as it recognizes a need and an opportunity for member hospitals to provide this benefit to local patients.  Modeled on the Mayo Clinic's successful efforts in Wisconsin and Minnesota and created by Mayo pulmonologist and Allevant Medical Director, Mark Lindsay, M.D., the program is designed to provide access to high quality post-acute services to rural America, the most persistently underserved area of modern healthcare.

Government Executive, America’s Loneliness Epidemic: A Risk to Individuals and Organizations by Michael Stallard — The power of connection is on full display at Mayo Clinic, America’s top-ranked hospital and arguably the best hospital in the world. From the time of its founding in 1889, Mayo Clinic has been intentional about cultivating connection and community. Dr. Charlie Mayo, one of the earliest leaders, communicated an attitude that valued connection and warned about the dangers of isolation when he stated: “Our failures as a profession are the failures of individualism, the result of competitive medicine. It must be done by collective effort.” One of the ways this is manifest is in Mayo Clinic’s practice of compensating physicians through paying a salary rather than by an activity-based system.

Hospitality Net, The Future of Medical Spas Explored — …This same holistic approach, striving to optimize the guest experience at each touchpoint, has enabled Lisa Clarke of the Destination Medical Center's Economic Development Agency to overhaul the infrastructure surrounding Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The clinic itself had an outstanding reputation but lacked hoteliers to provide a safe haven between treatments and an accessible, engaging environment to detract from the physical and emotional burden of undergoing treatment.

Washington Times, Brain chipping for good -- brain chipping for bad by Cheryl K. Chumley — The Mayo Clinic, working with Medtronic Plc., recently tested and published findings of a device that monitors the brain’s electrical current and determines the strength of the memories that are being generated. If the electrical current down memory lane doesn’t seem strong enough — if the memory seems as if it isn’t receiving enough electricity to withstand time — the device gives a tiny zap. The signal is strengthened. Researchers found the Mayo device regularly boosted the memories of human test subjects, who were given before-after word recall quizzes, between 15% and 18%.

WXIA Atlanta, Why do we experience nightmares? by Jerry Carnes — There’s nothing worse than a nightmare that jars you from a good night’s sleep and keeps you awake wondering “why?” According to Dr. Pablo Castillo, a neurologist specializing in sleep medicine with the Mayo Clinic, 5% of all adults have nightmares once a week. About one-third of all people experience a nightmare sometime during their childhood…“Nightmares are a REM sleep phenomena and often occur in the second half of the night,” says Dr. Castillo.

HIT Consultant, Fundamental Surgery Appoints Mayo Clinic Surgeon to Global Medical Panel by Fred Pennic — Today, Fundamental Surgery, the innovative surgical training platform that combines virtual reality with haptics (the sense of touch), announced Dr. David R. Farley as the newest member of their Global Medical Panel. Dr. Farley is a surgical consultant in the Department of Surgery at Mayo Clinic, who holds the academic rank of professor of surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science with a focus on general, endocrine, breast and minimally invasive surgery disciplines… FundamentalVR announced a three-year strategic collaboration and joint development agreement with Mayo Clinic, the U.S. leading academic medical center, which will see both companies jointly develop market-leading surgical VR simulation and education products.

Becker’s Spine Review, Minnesota seeks to expand stem cell research through state initiative — 4 insights by Eric Oliver — Regenerative Medicine Minnesota is a bipartisan effort to improve research, technology, education and patient access to regenerative medicine-based treatments…Andre Terzic, MD, PhD, director of the Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine, said the grants work to support the future of healthcare. "Minnesota is being recognized as the Silicon Valley of regenerative medicine," Dr. Terzic said.

Becker’s GI & Endoscopy, 12 GI-focused ASCs, centers opened in the first half of 2019 by Rachel Popa — Here are 12 GI-focused ASCs opened or announced in the first half of the year…8. Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic opened a gastroenterology center on the St. Mary's Hospital portion of its campus.

Becker’s Orthopedic & Spine, 4 key updates in biologics for spine by Alan Condon — 3. Selby Chen, MD, assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., discussed the importance of finding alternatives to spinal fusions, including biologic and biophysical treatments for degenerative disc disease.

India Times, Solution For Failing Memory? Surgically Implanted Brain Chips Coming Very Soon by Gwyn D’Mello — Last year, two groups working one this problems posted some amazing results with these kinds of memory-aid devices. Their work could do wonders to help head-trauma victims recover their short term memory capabilities In a video from one trial at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, a patent is subjected to a basic word memory test. However, he's dejected when he's only able to recall 3 of the 12 words told to him. Miraculously though, in a second trial, he manages to recite all 12 words without hesitation. "No kidding, you got all of them!" a researcher in the video says. This device is the work of Michael Kahana, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, in partnership with medical technology company Medtronic Plc. When connected to the left temporal cortex, it monitors electrical activity in the brain and forecasts whether a lasting memory will be created.

Times of India, Weight loss: Can you simply lose weight by standing? — As per a study headed by Dr Francisco Lopez-Jimenez of preventive cardiology at the Mayo Clinic with a participation of more than 1000 people, it was observed that standing accounts for more calories burned than sitting. By standing, a person burns about 0.15 more calories per minute. This means that a person weighing 65 kilos will lose 54 calories if he stands for 6 hours every day.

Calgary Herald, Keenan: Why men should learn to forgive by Tom Keenan — A recent Mayo Clinic newsletter listed a wide range of physical benefits that can come from forgiving someone. These include lower blood pressure, a stronger immune system, and improved heart health. On the mental health side, forgiveness may bring healthier relationships, fewer symptoms of depression and improved self-esteem.

Maclean’s (Canada), The world is broken—and human kindness is the only solution by Anne Kingston — From politics to health care to economics, a rising movement is calling for compassion as a remedy for systems on the brink…;.Mayo Clinic endocrinologist Victor Montori makes a more forceful call for insurrection in his 2017 book Why We Revolt: A Patient Revolution for Careful and Kind Care, a scathing critique of “industrial medicine” that argues health care has been co-opted by economic interests. (He founded The Patient Revolution, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing careful and kind patient care, in 2016.) The problem isn’t only greed, Montori says; it’s a fixation on performance standards. Yet performance metrics also pave the way for change, evident in acceptance of mindfulness and now, increasingly, compassion.

MedPage Today, Clinical Challenges: Cemiplimab in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Andrew Bowser — The latest data on cemiplimab (Libtayo) confirm its effectiveness in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) while hinting at a reduced efficacy in patients who had already undergone multiple surgical procedures -- suggesting a potential benefit for using this checkpoint earlier rather than later, an expert said at the 2019 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. "This challenges some of the standard treatment approaches in oncology for locally advanced CSCC, where we often think about exhausting local therapies first," said Katharine Andress Rowe Price, MD, of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, in a podium presentation at the meeting. "These data would suggest that we should perhaps move treatment with cemiplimab earlier in the disease course."

MedPage Today, Long-Term Surveillance Safe for Small Renal Tumors by Charles Bankhead — …The results are consistent with those of a Mayo Clinic surveillance program that has grown to encompass about 600 patients, said Matthew Tollefson, MD, of Mayo in Rochester, Minnesota. In particular, the Canadian study showed an annual tumor growth rate of about 2 mm, and the tumor growth rate in the Mayo program has ranged between 1 and 3 mm. “Basically, I would say that this study is supportive of this approach that has been catching some steam to observe small renal masses,” he told MedPage Today. “Studies like this support the importance of recognizing that the majority of these small tumors are very indolent and can be managed over quite a long period without any actual treatment,” Tollefson added.

MedPage Today, Expert: Science Shaky on Cannabis for OSA by Salynn Bowles — Although one state has authorized medical cannabis as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the science supporting it remains shaky and physicians should be very cautious about recommending it, a sleep medicine specialist said here. "The evidence is starting to come in, but it is still limited," said Kannan Ramar, MD, of the Mayo Clinic Rochester, speaking Tuesday at SLEEP 2019, the joint meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research Society. Ramar was lead author of an official AASM position statement published last year, issued after Minnesota approved OSA as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis.

Healio, Patient-reported outcomes differed between men, women with glenohumeral instability — Results showed initial presentation, pathology and baseline patient-reported outcome scores differed between men and women with glenohumeral instability. Justin A. Magnuson, BA, Carolyn M. Hettrich , MD, MPH, and colleagues analyzed prospective baseline data for sex-related differences among 1,010 patients (81.3% were men) with glenohumeral instability in the Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) Shoulder Instability cohort using demographic characteristics, patient-reported outcomes, radiographic findings, intraoperative findings and surgical procedures performed. Researchers used the frequency, etiology, direction, severity classification system to categorize patients.

Healio, Parathyroidectomy improves depression symptoms in primary hyperparathyroidism — A cohort of adults with primary hyperparathyroidism and depression experienced an improvement in both somatic and cognitive depressive symptoms after undergoing successful parathyroidectomy…“Investigations demonstrating improved neurocognitive function after parathyroidectomy have not found a consistent association with preoperative biochemical parameters of [primary hyperparathyroidism],” Ann E. Kearns, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, diabetes, nutrition and metabolism at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.

Healio, IBD, type I diabetes may predispose individuals to RA — Findings from a time-dependent analysis of comorbidities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy controls suggest that inflammatory bowel disease and type I diabetes may predispose individuals to RA, according to recent data presented at the EULAR Annual Congress. Vanessa Kronzer, MD, of the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues investigated 821 patients with RA who were matched with three controls each.

Healio, What imaging is best to diagnose the source of hip-spine pathology symptoms? — The most commonly used imaging is a standing and a sitting lateral of the pelvis and spine. This could be done with standard radiographic techniques or with advanced 2-D or 3-D imaging techniques, such as those available with EOS Imaging equipment. Additional information may be gotten by having the patient obtain a third radiograph that is done while the patient is leaning forward. Finally, some companies offer patient-specific planning for THA with information obtained from CT.

Genome Web, Regeneron, Mayo Ink Pact to Sequence, Genotype 100K Patient Samples — Mayo Clinic and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals are collaborating to sequence the exomes and genotype 100,000 DNA samples from patients who have consented to partake in research and have submitted samples to Mayo’s biobank. "Research findings from this database may lead to new knowledge about which genes put people at risk for certain diseases, and which ones affect how people respond to treatment," Keith Stewart, director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, said in a statement.

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Editors: Emily Blahnik, Karl Oestreich

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