October 25, 2019

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights for October 25, 2019

By Emily Blahnik

New York Times, That New Alzheimer’s Drug? Don’t Get Your Hopes Up Yet by Gina Kolata — Biogen, the drug company, said on Tuesday that it would ask the Food and Drug Administration to approve an experimental drug, aducanumab, to treat people with mild cognitive impairment and the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease…Dr. Ronald Petersen, an Alzheimer’s researcher at the Mayo Clinic who consults for Biogen, pointed out that the company had not yet convinced the F.D.A. of the drug’s efficacy. “They are just allowed to file — no guarantees on approval,” he said. “But it gives the drug a chance.” Additional coverage: ABC News, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Star Tribune, Arizona ABC 15, US News & World Report, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Science Alert

New York Times, The Silent Heart Attack You Didn’t Know You Had by Jane Brody — When my Aunt Gert suffered a heart attack in her mid-70s, the examining doctor told her that it was not her first. Tests done to assess the damage to her heart revealed a section of dead muscle from a previous unrecognized heart attack. Sometime in the past, she had had what doctors call a “silent myocardial infarction,” or S.M.I., silent in that any symptoms she might have had at the time did not register as related to her heart and were not brought to medical attention… Even without medication, if everyone at increased coronary risk adhered to a heart-healthy lifestyle, “the incidence of heart disease would be reduced by 80 percent,” Dr. Rekha Mankad, cardiologist and director of the Women’s Heart Center at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., told me.

New York Times, You Got a Brain Scan at the Hospital. Someday a Computer May Use It to Identify You. by Gina Kolata — Thousands of people have received brain scans, as well as cognitive and genetic tests, while participating in research studies. Though the data may be widely distributed among scientists, most participants assume their privacy is protected because researchers remove their names and other identifying information from their records. But could a curious family member identify one of them just from a brain scan? Could a company mining medical records to sell targeted ads do so, or someone who wants to embarrass a study participant?  The answer is yes, investigators at the Mayo Clinic reported on Wednesday…After the participants agreed to the experiment, a team led by Christopher Schwarz, a computer scientist at the Mayo Clinic, photographed their faces and, separately, used a computer program to reconstruct faces from the M.R.I.’s.  Then the team turned to facial recognition software to see if the participants could be correctly matched. The program correctly identified 70 of the subjects. Only one correct match would be expected by chance, Dr. Schwarz said. Additional coverage: Wall Street Journal

USA Today, Taking blood pressure medicine at this time of day may lower stroke, heart attack risk by Joshua Bote — Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic with a focus on cardiovascular disease prevention, told USA TODAY that it is vital for blood pressure to dip at night to help the heart stay relatively healthy. He is not associated with the study. "At night, we do a lot of things to rest and regenerate our body," he said. "Our heart beats 100,000 times a day, and little bits of rest where the heart can rest is very beneficial for it." Typically, a person's blood pressure lowers on its own while sleeping and rises a few hours before waking due to a rush of hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline being released. Blood pressure for individuals with hypertension tends to not go down. "We're prone to having heart attacks as our body starts to wake up," he said.

NBC News, Fecal transplants could ease IBS symptoms – if they come from a 'super donor' by Linda Carroll — Fecal transplants may ease the painful and distressing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome — if those transplants come from people dubbed “super donors,” according to a study presented Sunday… Given the mixed results in previous studies treating IBS with FMT, “I’m not sure this study will allow us to conclude that a super donor is needed, but rather that FMT in general needs to be validated in additional studies,” said Dr. Purna Kashyap, an associate professor of medicine, physiology and biomedical engineering and co-director of the Microbiome Program at the Mayo Clinic. Indeed, it’s still unclear what role gut bacteria play in IBS, and in fact, the majority of studies show that the microbiome of people with IBS is similar to that of healthy people, Kashyap wrote in an email. With that in mind, “how do you decide what a good donor should be?” Kashyap added.

NBC News, How sun exposure can affect your microbiome by Linda Carroll — A bit of sun might help diversify the bugs in your gut, a study published Thursday suggests. Brief exposure to ultraviolet rays not only bumps up vitamin D levels, but could also lead to a more varied collection of gut bacteria, according to the Frontiers in Microbiology study… Future studies should include a lot more volunteers who are randomly assigned to either placebo or UVB exposure, said Dr. Purna Kashyap, an associate professor of medicine, physiology and biomedical engineering and the co-director of the Microbiome Program at the Mayo Clinic. Still, because the study was done in humans, “we know it’s going to be relevant,” he said.

Today, Man who lost 100 pounds diagnosed with liver disease, but really had rare cancer by Meghan Holohan — After Wally Sutt started golfing, he noticed his weight was holding him back. Bending over to pick up balls involved too much straining… "People just think they're gaining weight," Dr. Travis Grotz, a surgical oncologist at Mayo Clinic who treated Sutt, told TODAY. "It's hard for people to figure out the symptoms." Only about 2,000 cases of PMP are reported every year and doctors know little about the symptoms or causes, but think it's similar to colon cancer, Grotz added. Tumors often start in the appendix and can rupture, which then spreads cancerous cells that can attach to the lining of the organs, called the peritoneum, where they continue to produce the fluid. Sutt has stage 4 PMP (only stages 1 and 4 exist).

Associated Press, Comeback Player of Year: Cancer survivor back for Kentucky by Ralph D. Russo — After practice, Kentucky linebacker Josh Paschal likes to take a few minutes to appreciate things. Paschal is a cancer survivor, having completed treatment in August, about a year after what he thought was a blister on the bottom of his foot turned out to be a malignant melanoma. More than just an inspiration to his teammates, Paschal is a starter and key contributor on the Wildcats’ defense, leading the team in tackles for loss with five…Paschal is one of 30 nominees for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award. Winners will be chosen in FBS, FCS and non-Division I NCAA football, and revealed after the regular season in December. They will be honored at the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 28 in Glendale, Arizona. Additional coverage: USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Charlotte Observer, Washington Post

Reuters, Limited language fluency tied to repeat hospitalizations by Lisa Rapaport — “All patients, as well as their families, have questions about their care,” said Dr. Martin Zielinski, medical director for research at the Mayo Clinic Adult and Pediatric Trauma Centers in Rochester, Minnesota. “This doesn’t change no matter the context,” Zielinski, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. “What does change, however, is the patient’s comprehension about the answers they were provided or even their willingness to ask their questions.” Additional coverage: KFGO-Radio

Post-Bulletin, Mayo Clinic Q&A: How can genetic testing help with antidepressants? — Dear Mayo Clinic: I’ve heard that genetic testing can help determine which antidepressant would be best for me. How does this work?...Genetic testing is available to help narrow down your antidepressant options, ideally reducing the need for a sometimes prolonged trial-and-error period while settling on an antidepressant regimen. Although these tests can’t tell you specifically which antidepressant would work best to treat your depression, they offer clues about how your body may respond. — Dr. Richard Weinshilboum, Pharmacology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester

KAAL, Radiology technology in Mayo Clinic Albert Lea gets an upgrade — Your next visit to the doctor could cost less money and stress. "Two things that we're kind of high on is quality and safety," said Dr. Adam Cole, a diagnostic radiologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea.  Thanks to new technology, staff can now take a closer look at your X-rays. "The X-ray suite that we have is now kind of an upgraded state of the art facility," Cole said. Additional coverage: KIMT

KAAL, A new lease on life — More than 113,000 people are on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant. It’s a difficult wait, one Matthew Pasick knows all too well. By all accounts, Matthew Pasick has lived a normal life…UNC was unable to perform his surgery, so Pasick came to Mayo Clinic in Rochester. "We haven't encountered someone that needed a similar surgery. There's just a handful of these surgeries every year," said Dr. Richard Daly, Surgical Director of Heart and Lung Transplantation at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Daly explained the gravity of the procedure. "The lung transplant would be equivalent to having a big open heart surgery. The liver transplant is a big abdominal surgery. That is a lot of surgery for one person to have," he said.

KTTC, Mayo Clinic study links high dairy consumption with prostate cancer risk — A  Mayo Clinic study shows consuming dairy products may increase the risk of prostate cancer. Researchers from Mayo Clinic reviewed a total of 47 studies involving more than a million people. Those who consumed dairy products the most had a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. There was no association between eating other animal-based foods, including red and white meats and fish, to an increased risk of prostate cancer. The study also found those who followed a plant-based diet had a lower rate of developing the disease. Additional coverage: Daily Mail, The Times, The Sun, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, UPI.com, Mirror UK

KIMT, Looking for an organ donor — A Clear Lake woman who has a rare blood disorder is looking for a liver donor, and if that donor comes forward, she wants him or her to be supported financially during their recovery. At the age of 18, Cassie Masters was experiencing weight gain, but didn't know why. Despite working out and eating healthy, nothing worked, and after a hospital visit at Mayo Clinic, she found that she had Budd Chiari, where a vein can be clotted off to the liver, and doesn't allow what's been processed by the liver out. After many visits with doctors, she had a shunt put in, but recently, she was notified it wasn't working anymore, and is needing to get a transplant. "I have about two years that the doctors want me to be able to get a transplant. What they're assuming is after two years, my health will have deteoriated enough to where I will be in that situation where I'll be that person that has 90 days." She's been on the wait list since she was 18, and has come close to receiving one.

KROC-Radio, DMCC approves bus rapid transit by Andy Brownell — The Destination Medical Center Corporation Board met Friday in a special session and approved a resolution identifying the mode and route for a planned transit circulator system to serve downtown Rochester. Despite objections voiced by Rochester Mayor Kim Norton, the board voted 7-1 Friday afternoon to select a South Broadway and 2nd Street Southwest route and a bus rapid transit mode for the transit circulator to serve Mayo Clinic patients and workers in the decades to come as the city prepares for a period of rapid growth.

University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic call for life sciences startups to compete in fall 2019 Walleye Tank — The University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic announced today a call for applications to the fall 2019 Walleye Tank, to be held Dec. 6 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.  The twice yearly competition invigorates Minnesota’s entrepreneurial ecosystem around the life sciences by inviting entrepreneurs from across the state to pitch their startup companies in front of an expert panel of judges to compete for prizes and clinical consulting support. Interested startups should apply by Nov. 22.

News4Jax, Not seeing results from your workout? This could be why — Have you been hitting the gym hard, but aren’t seeing results? For the average person who works out regularly, it takes two weeks to start seeing results when you try out a new workout. But for beginners, it may take up to two months before you see any real change… For more of a challenge, Mayo Clinic suggests weight shifts, single-leg balance, and bicep curls while balancing on one leg.

ActionNewsJax, Jacksonville hospital reports case of Legionnaires' disease to health department — A case of Legionnaires' disease, a potentially deadly disease, was recently reported to the Florida Department of Health, by Mayo Clinic, a hospital in Jacksonville.  Legionnaires' disease is a serious lung infection that people can get by breathing Legionella bacteria. Mayo Clinic released the following statement, saying they are taking all necessary precautions: "A case of Legionella pneumophila has been reported to the Florida Department of Health. We are following CDC recommendations pending the outcome of further water testing. Mitigation efforts are underway to reduce the potential for exposure.  All measures are precautionary at this time as we have not identified an immediate risk to patients, staff or visitors." Additional coverage: News4Jax

KEYC Mankato, Flu vaccine will not give you the flu, doctors say by Lauren Andrego — Dr. Jennifer Johnson, a family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic Health System, says that’s a myth. “Any time we give you a vaccine, what we’re doing is trying to get your immune system to respond to that particular virus or bacteria. And as such, when your immune system works, it creates symptoms,” Johnson explained. Johnson says those symptoms can include a mild fever, cough or general fatigue.

Mankato Free Press, New 3D imaging aids plastic surgery precision by Brian Arola — A patient seeking cosmetic or reconstructive surgery places their future appearance in a surgeon’s hands. “You’re entrusting someone to basically change how people are going to look at you for the rest of your life,” said Dr. Kaveh Karimnejad, a facial and reconstructive surgeon with Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. “ … It’s a big responsibility the patient is turning over to the surgeon.” So he uses new 3D technology to give patients more assurances of what they’ll look like post surgery. Additional coverage: KEYC Mankato

Mankato Free Press, New Navigators program creates networks for newbies by Tim Krohn — Dr. James Hebl, southwest Minnesota regional vice president of Mayo Clinic Health System, said in an emailed statement the program helps in their effort to recruit and keep doctors. When physicians first come to our organization, it is important that they, along with their families, become engaged and connected in our community. The GMG Community Navigator program is a great resource to connect our new physicians and their families as soon as they relocate to our community,” Hebl said.

Mankato Free Press, Mayo donates ambulance to Mankato Public Safety by Mark Fischenich — Mayo Clinic has donated an ambulance to the city of Mankato after updating the Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service fleet. The 2010 Ford E350 Braun ambulance will be used as an emergency support vehicle by the city’s Department of Public Safety, according to department Director Amy Vokal. The vehicle will be outfitted with compartments to carry firefighter breathing apparatus, investigative equipment and other specialized gear to emergency scenes, Vokal said.

WKBT La Crosse, News 8 Investigates: Student athletes: Who's at risk? by Jordan Fremstad — Dr. Jacob Erickson, lead Sports Medicine Physician at Mayo Clinic Health System says coaches can help, but be he says they shouldn't be expected to do it all.  "The coach obviously their priority is running a practice," Erickson said. "They are coordinating a group of coaches. They have a lot on their minds and a lot of things to monitor. Their focus at looking at the practices is going to be a little different from the eyes of a trainer."

WKBT La Crosse, Suicide rate among youths skyrocketing by Tyler Job —"It's not as simple as pointing it to one or two things," Mayo Clinic Child Psychologist Sarah Trane said. Even though Trane is a trained child psychologist, she is like all of us when trying to figure out why teenagers commit suicide. "There's a lot of different factors that could be involved," Trane said. "So we don't know exactly why."

WKBT La Crosse, Study finds dog owners healthier than others by Greg White — Dogs are thought of by many to be an important part of the family. But they could be helping your health as well. A new study published by Mayo Clinic found that owning a dog may be good for your heart… "Dogs generally are animal who would influence their owners to go walk with them so it forces the owners to go and be active and as such do physical activity which transforms into the beneficial effects," said Dr. Tahir Tak, cardiologist with Mayo Clinic Health System.

La Crosse Tribune, Robot-assisted surgeries at Mayo can reduce pain, number of opioids prescribed by Elizabeth Beyer — Robot assisted surgeries could decrease the number of opioids prescribed for post-operative recovery and lessen the cost of the medical procedure through shorter hospital stays, according to Mayo Clinic Health System surgeons. “We can use smaller incisions to do very advanced type of procedures,” when working with a robot-assisted surgery tool, called the da Vinci Surgical System, said Dr. Amy Lloyd one of the Mayo Clinic Health System physicians who spoke Monday at a community forum. Additional coverage: WKBT La Crosse, WXOW La Crosse

La Crosse Tribune, Weight loss app for children sparks concern among La Crosse dieticians by Emily Pyrek — There is no denying social media and technology have infiltrated the lives of Generation Z. And in an age when there is an app for everything, it was inevitable that the diet and fitness industry would hop on the bandwagon. Rebecca Stetzer, a registered dietician at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse who works frequently with people of all ages with eating disorders, is bluntly opposed to the app. "I would recommend parents stay away from it. My top concern with this app is it is focused on weight loss and what we know of weight loss efforts in general is that they're significantly ineffective in the long run," said Stetzer, who notes the 5% or less of people are able to keep off substantial weight loss for five or more years.

WXOW La Crosse, Health benefits of eating pumpkins — Mayo Clinic Health System Registered Dietitian Jamie Pronschinske said pumpkin products can be very nutritious if they are made with real pumpkin. “Pumpkins are great sources of beta keratin which is an antioxidant which can help protect us against certain cancers and heart disease. It’s also a precursor to Vitamin A which can be good for our eyesight. I would just say be leery of some of the pumpkin products that they can be very high in sugar and fat so just limiting those types of things.”

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Less-invasive treatment offers woman quick recovery from cancer — Melissa Nissen, M.D., a urologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, says characteristics on the CT scan made it more suspicious that Adams’ spot was going to be a solid mass, making it a concern that it was a cancerous lesion rather than a cystic lesion. Nissen referred Adams to Jeremy McBride, M.D., an interventional radiologist at Mayo Clinic, for an ultrasound, biopsy and further workup. “It did turn out to be cancer, meaning it had the ability to spread to other parts of her body if it had been left alone and nothing was done,” McBride said.

PBS NewsHour, Can ultrasound be used to fight Alzheimer’s? by Miles O’Brien — At age 61, Judi Polak is five years into a bleak diagnosis: Alzheimer’s disease. But last year she made medical history in a clinical trial, when a team of scientists, engineers and practitioners deployed a novel device to take aim at a big barrier in the fight against her illness. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports from Morgantown, West Virginia. (Dr. David Knopman interviewed.)

Vice, Kombucha Isn't Making You Any Healthier by Cindy Kuzma — In ancient Europe and Asia, sugar and tea were relatively scarce commodities. So kombucha—a fermented tea produced by feeding sugar to bacteria and yeast—was a high-end beverage, a sign of privilege, says Zhaoping Li, professor of medicine and chief of the division of clinical nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles… While most people who home-brew don't get sick, there have been documented instances of illness either due to contamination or to high acid levels from fermentation. Experts like Li and Angie Murad, a wellness dietitian at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, advise against it, especially for older people or those with compromised immune systems from diseases like cancer and HIV.

Slate, Why Haven’t We Found a Better Name for Electroconvulsive Therapy? by Shannon Palus — The main reason why no one’s pushed for a more palatable public-facing name might be because once you understand what ECT is (and start calling it by an acronym), it just seems pretty normal. “I’ve been in this line of work for a third of a century now, and I’m not sure I understand why there’s so much negative emotion,” says  Keith Rasmussen, a psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic’s Minnesota campus.

Good Housekeeping, Do You Have a Cold or the Flu? Here's How to Find Out — If you have any of the following symptoms, you should you see a doctor right away (even if you don't think you're sick)… Your headache is extreme and your neck stiff, or you’re sensitive to bright light — signs of meningitis, says Nipunie Rajapakse, M.D., infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic.

HealthDay, 1 in 5 Heart Pacemaker Patients Prescribed Opioids After Surgery by Robert Preidt — "The explanation for this high number of opioid prescriptions could be due to various reasons including provider factors, patient factors, and social norms," said first author and cardiologist Dr. Justin Lee, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Specific factors include a doctor's pain management training and prior experiences; patients' expectations of pain control and other health issues; as well their individual sensitivity to pain, the researchers found. "We need to focus more on alternative pain management strategies to reduce the use of opioids after device procedures," Lee said in a journal news release. Additional coverage: US News & World Report, Cardiovascular Business, WWNY, Medscape

US News & World Report, Medical Marvels: Patients Get New Lives Through Physician Innovation — Jimmie Smith thought he was healthy – until a routine checkup led to a deadly diagnosis. Doctors discovered a ticking time bomb inside his body that threatened to kill him within six months… A subsequent scan detected multiple aneurysms in his aorta, making his perilous condition beyond the scope of what his doctors in Nebraska could handle. That’s how he ended up at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, nearly 500 miles from home. There he met with vascular surgeon Gustavo Oderich, an internationally recognized expert in aneurysm repair. What made Jimmie’s situation even more treacherous was the location of the aneurysms – in the curve of the aorta by his collarbone and in other tricky-to-fix spots. Basically, his whole aorta was affected. “He had a perfect storm; really the worst of the worst-case scenario,” says Oderich, Mayo’s chair of vascular and endovascular surgery. “He was lucky that he survived so many years.”

U.S. News & World Report, Study Uncovers Racial Gaps in Treatment of Multiple Myeloma by Robert Preidt — There are significant racial disparities in treatment of U.S. patients with multiple myeloma, a new study shows. Researchers reviewed nationwide data on 3,504 white, 858 black and 468 Hispanic patients treated from 2007 to 2013. The average time between multiple myeloma diagnosis and start of treatment was 2.7 months for whites; 4.6 months for Hispanics; and 5.2 months for blacks… "We noted that minorities are not getting introduced to treatment early enough to derive adequate clinical gains," said lead author Dr. Sikander Ailawadhi, an oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. Additional coverage: Healio

HealthDay, Health Tip: The 'Wall Test' For Good Posture — Proper posture can prevent pain and injury, says Mayo Clinic. To check if you have proper posture, Mayo suggests the "wall test." Here's what it involves…

Everyday Health, Hormone Therapy May Boost Women’s Brains, Study Suggests by Beth Levine — The decision gets more complicated as you get older. “We’ve suggested that any woman going through menopause before the age of 45 should use HT, for the protective effect. unless there is a medical reason not to do so. It helps not just the brain but the heart and bones as well. It’s never going to be cut and dried; it has to be weighed out in terms of risk and benefits,” says Stephanie S. Faubion MD, medical director of NAMS, and Penny and Bill George Director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health in Rochester, MInnesota.

Health Central, 9 Tips for Better Sex with RA by Sheila M. Eldred — If you or your partner have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you know that the swelling, pain, and exhaustion that come with it are often big-time libido killers. In fact, about a third of people with RA experience some type of sexual dysfunction, from decreased sex drive to premature ejaculation to painful intercourse, says Lynne Peterson, M.D., a rheumatologist at the Mayo Clinic.

Discovery magazine, Beta-amyloid and Tau: What Do These Proteins Have to do With Alzheimer’s? by Amber Jorgenson — “APP is produced in the brain and is normally metabolized by an enzyme called alpha secretase, which cuts it in half and flushes it out with no problems,” says Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. “But in people who develop Alzheimer’s disease, instead of being cut by alpha secretase, APP is cut by two other enzymes — beta secretase and gamma secretase.”

American Public Media, Why there's no cure for Alzheimer's by Maja Beckstrom — David Jones, an Alzheimer's researcher at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said the theory was a necessary step in the evolution of Alzheimer's science. Now it's time to move on — to stop seeing amyloid beta as the trigger for brain failure and instead see it as the symptom. He likens plaque to trash that piles up at overly busy hubs in neuron networks. It's a sign of the brain working overtime to compensate for injury or overuse elsewhere that could be caused by many things…Alzheimer's was improperly reduced to single molecule: "You see a protein. The protein must have caused the system to fail. You need to get rid of the protein. It's seductive and easy to understand, and it's wrong."

Undark, The Problem With Labeling Gut Troubles ‘Dysbiosis’ by Elizabeth Preston — Purna Kashyap, a gastroenterologist and microbiome scientist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, also publishes papers on dysbiosis, although he says he doesn’t like when the word is “used to describe any change in the microbiome.” Kashyap argues that anyone who’s healthy has a healthy microbiome. His own definition of dysbiosis is slightly different from Bäumler’s: it’s when “the microbial community is disrupted in a way that is having a harmful influence on the host,” he says.  “There are very few diseases where any causative link has been established in terms of the microbiome,” Kashyap says. But when research papers or news articles proclaim links between diseases and dysbiosis, he says, “patients want to test their microbiome and see if they have dysbiosis.”

Baltimore Sun, Mayo Clinic Q&A: What is sarcoidosis? — Dear Mayo Clinic: I recently was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, but I don't currently have symptoms. What causes sarcoidosis? Could it go away on its own? What should I be on the lookout for as far as symptoms that may develop? A: Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of tiny collections of inflammatory cells called "granulomas." These granulomas can deposit in any part of the body and affect almost any organ, but the most commonly affected areas are the lungs, lymph nodes, eyes and skin.

Iowa State Daily, Student speaks on living with Tourette syndrome by Morrgan Zmolek — Trevor Smith, 17-year-old president and chairman of the Tourette Advocacy Foundation, his own nonprofit group, presented “My Journey with Tourette’s” Tuesday in the Gallery Room in the Memorial Union. Smith spoke about the Tourette Advocacy Foundation and how it is aimed at increasing the understanding around Tourette syndrome… On Feb. 5, at around 5 a.m, Smith said he arrived at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to have his surgery. Smith said he’s still experimenting with the groupings or settings predetermined by his doctor to try. Smith said the severity of his tics has reduced and one of his vocal tics has even subsided.

Las Vegas Review-Journal, Mother receives cancer diagnosis after giving birth by Robyn Campbell-Ouchida — For Southern Nevada resident Elaine Arcenas, the year 2007 was flowing pretty smoothly. At 33 years old, she was enjoying her baby girl after a completely normal pregnancy and felt confident and fulfilled. But when her daughter was only 3 months old, she realized that breastfeeding wasn’t going so well and decided to stop. After her body stopped producing milk, she discovered a lump while doing a self-exam and scheduled an appointment with her OB-GYN…For an additional opinion, Arcenas decided to visit the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, where doctors wanted to look into treating her thyroid right away, instead of waiting. “They conducted a biopsy on my thyroid and decided it was best to remove at least part of it,” she said. She scheduled a lumpectomy for that January to remove the breast tumor and also scheduled a partial thyroidectomy for a couple of weeks later when she recovered from the first surgery.

Patch.com, Treasure Chest Foundation Opens 58th Program at Mayo Clinic — The Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation (POTCF) recently reached a major milestone with the opening of our 58th Treasure Chest Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.  The Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, whole-person care to everyone who needs healing.

Bustle, This Drink Will Help You Avoid Hangovers During The Holiday Season by Mia Mercado — Mayo Clinic’s general rule is to have one glass of water after every alcoholic beverage. Not only will this keep you hydrated — dehydration is both a symptom and cause of hangovers — but it’s likely to reduce the amount of alcohol you’re drinking. And drinking alcohol in excess is — if you can believe it — the primary cause of a hangover.

Express UK, Heart disease: Three dietary tips to keep the risks at bay by Adam Chapman — According to Dr Sharonne Hayes, cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, there isn’t a food that is going offer the best approach to heart health. The best defence lies in sticking to general dietary principles, he said. Here are three easy and accessible dietary rules to ward off the risk of heart disease..As Dr Sharonne Hayes explained: “Looking at everything we eat, the closer it is to mother nature - the fewer human hands, machines and additives have touched it - the better it is going to be for us.”

Montreal Gazette, The Right Chemistry: Looking for the secrets to longevity by Joe Schwarcz — We can’t avoid aging. Every passing minute brings us one minute closer to the end. Not a pleasant thought. So, it is little wonder that the term “anti-aging” has been seized by marketers of various cosmetics, health supplements, exotic juices and dietary regimens. “Anti-aging medicine” is a growing field with numerous biotech companies working on drugs designed to combat the aging process… This is not to say that there are not some intriguing possibilities that may help slow down the clock. As we age, an increasing number of our cells enter a stage of “senescence” in which they no longer divide and begin to release chemicals that cause inflammation resulting in damage to tissues. A buildup of senescent cells, sometimes called “zombie cells,” is a hallmark of aging. Can anything be done to prevent this buildup? Possibly. At least in mice. When researchers at the Mayo Clinic injected just a small number of senescent cells into young mice, their speed, endurance and strength eroded to that seen in a senior mouse in just a few weeks.

The Hindu, Mayo Clinic enters India in tie-up with AIG, Hyderabad by M. Somasekhar — Mayo Clinic, the US-headquartered, not-for-profit global healthcare major has selected AIG Hospitals as its partner to extend expertise in the fields of medical research, education and training to help patients in the country. A formal partnership was announced by D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director of the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) Hospitals and David Hayes, Medical Director, Mayo Clinic Care Network in Hyderabad today. There will be no investment from Mayo Clinic, the Rochester, Minnesota-based company in the tie-up, they said.

Herald-Mail Media, Vaping produces 'epidemic' of lung injury by Lisa Prejean — Dr. Neal Patel, a pulmonologist based in Jacksonville, Fla., whose clinical and research interests include respiratory failure, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), interventional bronchoscopy and lung cancer, answered several questions for Herald-Mail Media.

Sheridan Press, Recognizing Dysautonomia Awareness Month — For a person without dysautonomia, these functions happen without having to consciously think about it. However, for someone with dysautonomia, these daily functions are most likely what is often on their minds. Personally, I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome in the middle of my junior year of high school, three years ago, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. This syndrome has been life-altering in that I had to finish my junior and senior years of high school from home, and now I attend college online due to my physical inability to attend classes on campus.

Alzforum, Imaging Model Locates Epicenter of Disease, Predicts Atrophy — “I find this work to be important and interesting in that the authors provide a novel framework for single-subject outcome measures based on network physiology,” wrote David Jones, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, to Alzforum. “This provides more evidence that the key biology at play in neurodegenerative diseases of the brain involves the functional physiology of large-scale brain networks that support mental functioning.” Jones was also uninvolved in the study.

Neurology Today, Immune System Conditioning Treatment Lessens Attacks in Neuromyelitis Optica by Jamie Talan — For the current study, the scientists collected peripheral blood stem cells from 13 patients…They also sent blood samples off to the Mayo Clinic Neuroimmunology Laboratory for AQP4-IgG testing. Sean J. Pittock, MD, who is director of Mayo Clinic's Center for Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology and Mayo's Neuroimmunology Research Laboratory, had suggested to Dr. Burt years earlier that he try the conditioning regimen with NMOSD. Dr. Pittock is the senior author of the current study.

Neurology Today, Nationwide, the Shortage of Immunoglobulin Is Impacting Practice — How Neurologists Are Managing It by Gina Shaw — At the Mayo Clinic, many patients have had to change brands because of supply issues, and others have had their tapering schedules accelerated. “So far, no one that I am aware of has had any gaps in therapy,” says Eric J. Sorenson, MD, FAAN, vice chair of the department of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and past president of the AANEM. “We have had a couple of close calls; two patients on chronic therapy whom we manage long distance were scrambling to get a source in their local communities, but both ultimately did. One patient with multifocal motor neuropathy had to drive several hours to come here to get two doses while he was trying to get it locally, however.”

Healio, Data, results spark debate about anterior THA approach — With emphasis in health care today being on improved patient outcomes and reducing costs, the choice of surgical approach used for THA has become particularly controversial, especially the use of the direct anterior approach. “[The direct anterior approach] came to the forefront as a ‘less invasive’ approach,” Michael J. Taunton, MD, associate professor at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told Orthopedics Today. “It came off the heels of the other ‘less invasive’ hip and knee procedures, which have been proven to demonstrate little or no long-term benefit. So, I think many surgeons were skeptical to begin with.”

Healio, Interventions push NICU vaccination coverage beyond 90% — Raymond C. Stetson, MD, a fellow in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the Mayo Clinic, and colleagues noted that premature infants should be immunized using the same schedules for routine vaccinations that are used for normal birth weight term infants. This is supported by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the AAP, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.  Specifically, infants should be vaccinated according to their chronological age, not gestational age or birth weight. However, the researchers noted that the first dose of hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine may be delayed for infants weighing less than 2 kg at birth whose mothers had negative testing results for HepB surface antigen during pregnancy.

Medscape, Cardiovascular Risk Underestimated in Women With NAFLD by Marilynn Larkin — Women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) lose the cardiovascular protection conferred by female sex, and so their risk of cardiovascular events is underestimated, researchers say. "The main finding in this population is that NAFLD has distinct consequences in women compared to men." Dr. Alina Allen of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota told Reuters Health by email. "Specifically, women with NAFLD lose the protection normally associated with the female sex. In consequence, the excess mortality and cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks and strokes, between those with and without NAFLD is much higher in women than men at all ages."

Wapa, ¿Sabías que no tener hijos aumenta el riesgo de cáncer de mama? — Especialista de Mayo Clinic habla en exclusiva para Wapa sobre el cáncer de mama y qué factor influye en su desarrollo.

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Editors: Emily BlahnikKarl Oestreich

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