January 10, 2020

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights for January 10, 2020

By Emily Blahnik

CNN, Losing one night's sleep may increase risk factor for Alzheimer's, study says by Sandee LaMotte — In a healthy person, tau and other toxins in the brain are cleared away during sleep, sort of like taking out the garbage. Losing sleep, or having disordered sleep in which sleep cycles are disrupted, can interfere with the brain's ability to clean up. "When you get more of that deep sleep and you get the REM sleep in the normal amounts, that improves clearance of abnormal proteins which we think is good," said Mayo Clinic neurologist Dr. Donn Dexter, who was not involved in the study. Dexter is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.

CNN, What is Lyme disease? Things you should know by Jen Christensen — Lyme disease comes from four main species of bacteria. In the US it's Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii that cause the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic…The standard treatment for Lyme disease in early stages is oral antibiotics. Usually, a 14- to 21-day course is recommended, but some studies suggest that a 10- to 14-day course is equally effective, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Boston Globe, An uncommon form of dementia hits at a younger age; drug makers are searching for a treatment by Jonathan Saltzman — After Peter Larsen’s 2006 accident, Jary Larsen made an appointment for him at the Mayo Clinic because he had heard of relatives scattered across the country with early-onset dementia. To his surprise, Jary Larsen ultimately discovered that since the 1970s Mayo doctors had diagnosed at least five of his father’s first cousins — whom he had never met — with frontotemporal dementia and that they had participated in research studies… Dr. David Knopman, a professor of neurology at Mayo who has studied FTD for 30 years, said development of a treatment might have implications for research into Alzheimer’s. Both the Mayo and UCSF, where Jary Larsen works, were recently awarded a five-year grant totaling more than $63 million to advance treatments for frontotemporal dementia.

USA Today, Home for Christmas: In 1988, a surgeon sewed a new heart into a cowboy. Nearly 31 years later, he did it again. by Mark Johnson — Last March, an aging cowboy in a Stetson rolled into Froedtert Hospital in a wheelchair. Chuck Newman had come to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, to see the doctor who’d performed his life-saving heart transplant decades earlier… In mid-December, the cowboy had to check into Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He’d come down with cytomegalovirus, a common virus to which transplant patients are especially prone. “He’s well on his way to recovery so he should be home for Christmas,” said Sudhir Kushwaha, his transplant cardiologist at Mayo. “It attests to his overall toughness and strength of character. To get through one transplant you have to have a lot of fortitude.” Additional coverage: Yahoo!, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Wall Street Journal, Mayo Clinic Names Health IT Vet to Head Its Digital Health-Care Businesses by John McCormick — The Mayo Clinic has named health-care technology veteran John Halamka as the head of its digital health-care businesses. One of his focus areas will be looking at how neural networks, machine learning and artificial intelligence can improve health care. Dr. Halamka, also a practicing emergency medicine physician, will be president of the Mayo Clinic Platform, a newly created position, when he joins on Jan. 1. The Mayo Clinic Platform is a strategic initiative to improve health care through insights and knowledge derived from data. It is a part of Mayo charged with developing clinical innovations and transforming health care. Additional coverage: Fierce Healthcare, Health Leaders Media

New York Times, New Hope for Migraine Sufferers by Jane E. Brody — “It’s time to destigmatize migraine and provide sufferers with effective treatment,” said Dr. David W. Dodick, neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. “They’re not fakers, weak individuals who are trying to get out of work.”…There are now also biologic drugs, monoclonal antibodies that can be given once a month or once every three months, Dr. Dodick said. They were specifically developed to treat migraine by targeting a protein or its receptor that transmits pain signals. Additional coverage: Medical Daily, Virginian-Pilot

New York Times, Alzheimer’s Tests Soon May Be Common. Should You Get One? by Gina Kolata — Generally, even people without memory problems who have amyloid plaques in their brains are more likely to progress to Alzheimer’s, said Dr. Ronald Petersen, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. But not everyone does progress. Even when they do, it can be years before there are symptoms. Outside of research studies, Dr. Petersen said, “we do not do amyloid scans on clinically normal people, because we don’t know what to tell them.” Additional coverage: Today Online

New York Times, Tackling Inflammation to Fight Age-Related Ailments by Jane E. Brody — Another consequence of aging is the accumulation of so-called senescent cells, normal cells that stop dividing, contribute to tissue aging and secrete substances like cytokines that induce inflammation. Elimination of senescent cells can counter chronic inflammation, said Steven N. Austad, director of aging studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. A combination of two drugs, dasatinib and quercetin, was shown in a Mayo Clinic study in obese mice to remove senescent cells and permit cell growth to resume in the brain. The findings were reported in January in Cell Metabolism.

New York Times, ‘It’s Green and Slimy’ by Deb Amlen — The weekend columnist Caitlin Lovinger and I work in multiple time zones when it comes to writing Wordplay. We get the crossword puzzles ahead of time so that we can balance column writing with other tasks, and the puzzle and column both appear online the night before their actual publication dates…One of the entries was a bit stretchy, in my opinion, but still funny. I ran into a speed bump at 17A, even though I solved it fairly easily. The Mayo Clinic becomes the MAKO CLINIC with the clue “Employer of nurse sharks?,” but mako and nurse sharks are two completely different types of sharks. I get it: Nurses work at the Mayo Clinic; it just was hard for me to accept, and yes, I am overthinking it.

Vox, How to get the most out of your exercise time, according to science by Julia Belluz — …Less intense training programs with shorter intervals carried the least health benefits, while interval training studies reporting the greatest increases typically used longer (three- to five-minute) intervals. For this reason, athletes have long used the interval technique to up their game, Mayo Clinic exercise researcher Michael Joyner told Vox in 2016. “There’s observational data in athletes going back almost 100 years showing the benefits of a few bouts of really high-intensity exercise in people.” He added: “If you want to get people to their biological maximum, they need to be doing four to five times of three- to five-minute intervals.”

STAT, STAT’s most memorable photos of 2019 by Alissa Ambrose — Dr. Peter Noseworthy (center) shows data from a cardiac ablation procedure to Zachi Attai (right) at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Noseworthy and Attai, a machine learning engineer, are working together to apply artificial intelligence to heart disease treatments.

CNBC, New technology can screen for heart failure during routine physicals — The FDA has granted break through status for an algorithm that can screen for heart failure during routine physicals. Connor Landgraf, co-founder and CEO of EKO, and Dr. Paul Friedman, Mayo Clinic’s Cardiovascular department chair, join “Squawk Box” to discuss.

NBC News, Googling your symptoms? Here's how to avoid going down a self-diagnosis rabbit hole by Vivian Manning-Schaffel — 1. Limit your research to credible sources: When beginning your online research, Mehotra advises considering the quality of the sites you’re visiting. “Medical sites, WebMD or Mayo Clinic will probably give you higher quality and better-balanced information than a chat board,” he says. Both experts recommend avoiding chat rooms (without a definite diagnosis). “Take notes with an open mind, and avoid drawing conclusions before consulting with a doctor,” says Wu.

NBC News, A guide to leftovers: How to store them safely and when to toss them by Vivian Manning Schaffel — …Other common ways to sabotage your leftover game are not labeling and dating them before putting them in the fridge (so you forget how long you’ve had them), not having a purpose for them (or a set time in mind to reheat them) so they sit in the refrigerator and spoil, and not regularly cleaning out your refrigerator, says Angela L. Murad, RDN, wellness dietitian at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program.

ABC News, Fire chief donates kidney to save life of friend’s teen daughter.

ABC News, Mediterranean diet tops list of best diets for 2020: What to know about the plant-based way of eating by Katie Kindelan — 5. Mayo Clinic diet. The Mayo Clinic diet focuses on a restructured food pyramid that emphasizes fruits, vegetables and whole grains, according to U.S. News & World Report. "In general, these foods have low energy density, meaning you can eat more but take in fewer calories," writes U.S. News & World Report. "Think of it this way: For about the same amount of calories you could have a quarter of a Snickers bar or about two cups of broccoli." Additional coverage: Advisory Board

CBS News, The 2020s in health — Mayo portion – mentioning Dr. Paul Friedman – starts at about 2:30 and ends about 3:25 minutes.

Today, 'Dopamine fasting' is how some people are trying to reset their brains by Meghan Holohan — People often think of it as the “hormone of excitement and novelty seeking,” said Dr. Amit Sood, executive director of the Resilient Option, and former professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic. This means people experience a surge of it when they try something new or anticipate something. Some of what Silicon Valley sells causes dopamine spikes. “A lot of social media is driven by dopamine,” he said. “You’re just chasing it.”

Advisory Board, Mayo Clinic's plan to fix health care AI: Bring coders into the operating room — Mayo Clinic's plan to fix health care AI: Bring coders into the operating room.

Advisory Board, Inside Mayo Clinic's hospital 5,000 feet in the sky — At Mayo Clinic's St. Marys Hospital in Minnesota, a helicopter crew stands ready to respond at a moment's notice to severe traumas, providing life-saving care and transport to patients in critical condition at 5,000 feet in the air, Steve Lange reports for the Rochester Post Bulletin.

Associated Press, Mayo Clinic announces college football’s comeback players by Ralph D. Russo — Georgia Southern offensive lineman Drew Wilson, Oregon State quarterback Jake Luton and Salisbury State receiver Octavion Wilson have been selected the Mayo Clinic Comeback Players of the Year. The winners were announced Thursday and they will be honored at the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 28. Luton suffered season-ending injuries the past two seasons, but returned this year to pass for 28 touchdowns and three interceptions. Additional coverage: ESPN, Daily Mail, USA Today, Washington Post, Portland Tribune

Post-Bulletin, Mayo professor receives ‘disruptor’ award by Colleen TImimi — Since 2017, AARP and Pollen have joined forces to honor 50 Minnesotans over the age of 50 who are making an impact. Pollen describes the honorees as leaders “who are writing their own rules about aging.” One Rochester resident made the 2019 list; Dr. Sharonne Hayes was recognized in the “Disruptor” category. Dr. Hayes, a professor of cardiovascular medicine and director of diversity and inclusion at the Mayo Clinic, was first recognized as a “disruptor” back in 1974 when she and several female classmates at Central Junior High School here in Rochester charged the local school board with discrimination.

Post-Bulletin, Lincoln students test effects of vaping on zebrafish by John Molseed — Graham Briggs, Olmsted County director of Public Health Services, visited the school Tuesday at the invitation of school Principal Jim Sonju and Dr. Chris Pierett of Mayo Clinic, coordinator of the Integrated Science Education Outreach — InSciEd Out — program that works with K-12 students. Pierett said the student-conducted research could be used to help public health officials curb vaping among teens.

Post-Bulletin, After retiring from Vikings due to medical issue, Mike Harris now seeks return to NFL by Chris Tomasson — As an NFL uniform inspector, former offensive lineman Mike Harris is on the field for each Minnesota Vikings home game. He invariably thinks about what it would be like to still be playing. Harris was forced to retire from the NFL in 2017 after five seasons because of a congenital brain condition… Harris said there remains hope he could play again. He will go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester in January and have tests done with the hope doctors will clear him to again take the field… Tests conducted at the Mayo Clinic eventually determined Harrison had a congenital condition known as brain arteriovenous malformation. The Mayo Clinic website describes it as “a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain.’’

Post-Bulletin, Santa brings a little bit of ‘normal’ to the NICU by Colleen Timimi — During this holiday season, many parents of new babies celebrate with a trip to the mall to see Santa. Getting a photo of your newborn in Santa’s arms at the mall is, unfortunately, not something parents with babies in the NICU can do. But 14 years ago, as a pediatric resident, Dr. Jonathan Johnson (now a Mayo Clinic pediatric cardiologist) stepped in to give his time to the NICU patients and their families at Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus by donning a Santa suit and white beard. “I think I fit the body type,” he joked. “But I also had a medical background, so I was able to deal with the various wires, tubes, that are attached to the little ones while they're in the hospital. The nurses and team members were able to reassure the families that the person playing Santa knew how to hold their little ones.”

Post-Bulletin, Health story of 2019: Keto can help with Type 2 Diabetes by Paul John Scott — As endocrinology researchers from Mayo Clinic recently wrote in the journal BMJ, "the body of evidence shows no meaningful benefit" for intensive glucose-lowering regimens when it comes to the health outcomes that matter most to patients. And as researchers from Norway confirmed in 2018, telling high-risk individuals the advice to eat more "fiber and polyunsaturated fat," plus the familiar five servings of fruit and vegetables with "plentiful intake" of beans, wholegrain and low-fat dairy, produced no improvement either. Additional coverage: West Central Tribune

Post-Bulletin, What’s the difference between cluster and migraine headaches? — Dear Mayo Clinic: What’s the difference between a cluster headache and a migraine? Is there a way to treat severe headaches without prescription medication?...There are various differences between cluster and migraine headaches, including how long the headaches last, how often they occur and the area of the head they affect. Several options are available to treat these severe headaches without a prescription. — Dr. Narayan Kissoon, Neurology, Mayo Clinic

Post-Bulletin, Mayo Clinic Q&A: Understanding the risks and complications of LASIK eye surgery — Dear Mayo Clinic: What are the risks of LASIK surgery, and will my vision deteriorate again over time, even after surgery? It is not typical for a person's vision to regress after LASIK, or laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis, and complications that result in a loss of vision after LASIK are rare. Although the procedure may lead to some side effects, they are uncommon. A thorough evaluation before surgery often can help avoid many of the potential problems that can happen after LASIK.

Post-Bulletin, Rosalie is the area's first baby of the decade by Matthew Stolle — Rosalie Ann Husling had only been in the world half a day and yet was already impressing upon her parents, Austin Husling and Destiny Krampitz, her distinctive, insistent personality. "She's definitely got a 'tude sometimes," said her mom, Destiny, as Rosalie rested peacefully in the crook of her right arm in the hospital room. "I think that comes from my side of the family."  Rosalie was born 1:19 a.m. Wednesday at Mayo Clinic Hospital--Methodist, the first baby born here in 2020 and in the new decade. Additional coverage: KAAL, KIMT, KTTC

KAAL, VIDEO: MCHS in Austin welcomes first baby of the New Year — Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin welcomed their first New Year’s baby early Wednesday morning. Staff at MCHS said baby Nicole was born at 6 a.m. weighing 9 lbs. and 19.5 inches long. Nadine Estupiñan said Nicole was born just 40 minutes after she arrived at the hospital.  And, while she was surprised to hear she had delivered the first baby it’s not the first New Year’s baby in her family.

KAAL, Mayo Clinic offers tips to avoid the hangover on New Year's — The Mayo Clinic is offering tips to help avoid a hangover after ringing in 2020. Celebrating New Year's often includes consuming alcohol. Here are tips to help reduce the chance of starting 2020 with a hangover...

KAAL, Holidays may cause distress for those with eating disorders by Miguel Octavio — The holidays can be a pleasant time of year with family, friends, and loved ones, but for some living with an eating disorder, it can be difficult when more food is around… “But then imagine that you have an eating disorder where you manage stress through food,” said Dr. Leslie Sim, a psychologist for Mayo Clinic. "A lot of people don't even know they have an eating disorder or their loved ones struggle with an eating disorder."

KAAL, Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center in 'immediate' need for O positive, B Neg — The Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center is in immediate need of O Positive and B Negative blood donations. As of 8:00 a.m. Monday, the center inventory levels show there is a 50% inventory of O Postive and just 47% inventory of B Negative. The center is looking for people to donate blood.

KAAL, Mayo Clinic Study says H.I.I.T workouts are not more likely to cause injuries by Alice Keefe —High-intensity interval workouts have become increasingly popular over the last few years.  Mayo Clinic wanted to find out if people who do these boot camp-style workouts are more likely to get injured than those who do less intense workouts…“People really seem to like these classes. There’s social engagement, they like the social aspect of it as well as just motivating, just meeting with a group together to get moving, and that’s great. We need to get people moving,” said Dr. Edward Laskowski, co-director of Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine and author of the study.

KAAL, A new heart on the horizon — An Austin man is grateful to be home for the holidays, after a multi-year wait for a heart transplant brought him across the country for a better shot at a perfect match. Jeffrey McNiff …was referred to Arizona because they have a lot denser population down there and a lot higher number of organs available. That is compared to Mayo Clinic in Rochester… "We went down with the expectation of having a heart within the year,” said McNiff. But he never got on. “After about a year and a half they told us that the organ allocation system had changed and I wouldn't be any better off there than in Austin,” he said. "It's now a 500 mile radius so it does bring some of the larger areas into play for us in terms of Chicago, St. Louis, etc. The changes have benefited us. We've seen our transplant numbers increase,” said Dr. Stulak, Mayo Clinic Cardiac Surgeon… So in the meantime, he is living with a Left Ventricular Assist Device, or LVAD.

KAAL, Unusual flu season with 'B' virus dominating — Minnesota health officials upgraded the number of cases they are seeing to the highest level, widespread. "This has been an unusual influenza season locally, across the state and the county,” said Dr. Pritish Tosh, Infectious Diseases Physician at Mayo Clinic. Sixty cases of flu-like illnesses were reported to the state last week. That is five times more than the week before. Additional coverage: KTTC

KIMT, Scholarship for childhood cancer survivor: ‘I just want to someday become a nurse’ by Calyn Thompson — Pankratz tells KIMT News 3 she's looking to work in pediatrics. "I was so touched by the nurses here at Mayo Clinic and I just loved the details of all the treatment," Pankratz said. "And I think I just want to someday become a nurse and someday be able to relate to the patients and kind of understand what they're going through. And just be able to care for them the way i was cared for."

KIMT, Inside look at Mayo One helicopter training that ‘helps us provide better patient care’ by Jessica Bringe — Have you ever looked at the sky and wondered what it takes to be part of the Mayo One helicopter crew? On Monday, KIMT News 3 got an inside look at the training necessary to assist patients from the air which took place at the Stabile Building in Rochester. In a compact room paramedics and nurses are learning how to save lives by participating in a Mayo One helicopter simulation. Critical care nurse Kari Poirier explained, "It kind of helps us take the pressure off a little bit. You know what it's going to be like. You know how to package the patient when you leave a facility and you know what you can tell the patient to expect." Additional coverage: KAAL

KIMT, Salvation Army sets record by raising nearly $1.2 million in Rochester by Mike Bunge — "The Salvation Army is beyond grateful to this community for their incredible generosity this year,” says Major Bob Mueller, Corps Officer of The Salvation Army. “From Mayo Clinic doing a massive match right before Christmas, to all the amazing businesses, churches, schools, and other groups that took part in the campaign, to the volunteers that drove, counted, and rang bells, we really saw this community come together this year, and we are so excited to see all the good we’ll be able to do for people in 2020.” Additional coverage: KTTC, KROC-Radio

KIMT, Liam leads the way in baby boy names in Albert Lea and Austin — Liam is the most popular name for baby boys born in Albert Lea and Austin in 2019. Mayo Clinic Health System says David was the second-most popular name among the over 340 male infants delivered this year. For the girls? It’s a little more complicated, with Mayo saying there was a seven-way tie among the over 330 baby girls born in 2019 - Olivia, Camila, Isabella, Aria, Reagan, Everly and Joanna. Additional coverage: Albert Lea Tribune, WKBT La Crosse, Austin Daily Herald

KIMT, Homeless for the Holidays: Survey offers insight into the homelessness by Calyn Thompson — New efforts and data are offering a different approach for those who help the homeless. The city of Rochester, Olmsted County, and Mayo Clinic collaborated to bring in consultants from the Corporation for Supportive Housing. One of the things they advised doing was a three-day survey. "We spent three days intentionally going out and trying to find everyone that we could that was either living outside or sleeping in a car, and getting their information together so that we had a baseline to work from," Housing Resource Coordinator Trent Fluegel with the Health, Housing, and Human Services Administration said.

KIMT, Donating blood for the holidays rather than gifts by Madelyne Watkins — There are countless of opportunities people can give back this holiday season by donating gifts and toys, but donating blood doesn't cost a thing. The Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Program tends to see fewer donors coming in this time of year between traveling and spending time with family, so they're asking if people can help give back to the community this way. 

KIMT, The Rochester Carillon chimes Christmas tunes for final recital of the decade by Annalise Johnson — From 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, bells chimed over downtown Rochester from the top of the Plummer Building. Carillonneur Austin Ferguson performed the annual Christmas Eve recital. It will be the final performance of the year, therefore the final performance of the decade. The Rochester Carillon is an instrument made up of 56 bronze bells. It's the twelfth largest carillon in the U.S. in the number of bells and the only hospital-owned carillon in the world. Ferguson selected Christmas tunes to play… The first recital of the new year will be January 6th.

KIMT, Doctors say it's not too late to get the flu shot by Calyn Thompson — Flu season is off to an early and alarming start, and just in time for the holidays. Mayo Clinic doctors say there's still time to get a flu vaccine if you act fast. "The ideal time would've been at least two weeks ago, however we're at the early part of the epidemic this year," Pritish Tosh, an infectious disease physician and researcher at Mayo Clinic, said. "If someone hasn't gotten their flu shot, they really need to do it quickly." It will take about two weeks for the antibodies to develop in the body.

KTTC, Mayo Clinic to make “dollar for dollar” match to Salvation Army donations by Maddy Wierus — The holiday season is a great time to give, but Thursday and Friday are extra important. Your donations to the Rochester Salvation Army count for double today and tomorrow, courtesy of Mayo Clinic. Mayo is matching all donations made to the Rochester Salvation Army's red kettles — dollar for dollar. Mayo Clinic has made matching donations over the previous years, but right now marks the first time it'll match every donation without limit. Additional coverage: KAAL

KTTC, Mayo Clinic to match nearly $171k in Rochester Salvation Army donations — Mayo Clinic is following up on their pledge to match all the donations at the Rochester Salvation Army's red kettles contributed from Dec. 19 through 20. According to a news release from Mayo Clinic, the two-day kettle total was $170,547.41. Mayo Clinic said it will match the contributions, bringing the total raised during those two days to more than $341,000. Additional coverage:KAAL

Star Tribune, Is wine good for you? Should you try dry January? Answers to your wine questions by Bill Ward — …It goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: Moderation is the key. That means, by Mayo Clinic guidelines, up to one 5-ounce pour for women of all ages and for men over 65, and up to two glasses a day for men 65 and younger. “The limit for men is higher,” a Mayo report states, “because men generally weigh more than women and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol.”

Star Tribune, Raising tobacco purchase age to 21 is overdue — The tobacco industry has long known that over 80% of adult smokers begin smoking before the age of 18 and the majority of them before age 16,’’ said Dr. Richard Hurt, a retired Mayo Clinic tobacco cessation expert. “If a person makes it to 21 without becoming a daily smoker, the odds are slim that the person will ever become a daily smoker.” When the federal age change first gained momentum last summer, there were concerns that the tobacco industry would insert language to weaken the ban or restrict future regulations. But the measure looks to be refreshingly free of industry-friendly loopholes.

Star Tribune, Former Mayo doctor's Bloomington startup helping hospitals with complicated prior authorization process by Joe Carlson — A startup company called Verata Health, based in Bloomington, is among a handful of companies nationally offering proprietary artificial intelligence systems that scan patients' voluminous medical records to pinpoint the 10 or so documents insurance companies need to see before agreeing to cover a patient's care. The field is still young, and companies like Verata are focusing early efforts on the biggest "pain points" in the system, like authorizations for medical procedures, imaging and drug approvals. Verata was founded in 2017 by former Mayo Clinic physician Dr. Jeremy Friese, a radiologist with an MBA who grew frustrated after seeing firsthand the unreasonable amount of time clinicians spend on paperwork instead of patient care.

Star Tribune, Community invited to Beatles exhibit — The public has just two days left to see a Beatles exhibit at the historic Chateau Theatre in Rochester free of charge. The theater is hosting the Magical History Tour: A Beatles Memorabilia Exhibition and related programming. Destination Medical Center (DMC) is supporting an initiative called Chateau on Us, with free admission on Monday and again on Jan. 6 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets to the Beatles exhibit on other days are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, military and college students, and $8 for children ages 6 to 18.

Star Tribune, John Juergens, Mayo Clinic cardiovascular specialist, dies at 94 — The pioneering cholesterol researcher also taught at the Mayo Medical School.

Star Tribune, Mayo will test robotic heart procedure for rural patients by Jeremy Olson — Mayo Clinic researchers are poised this spring to test a remote cardiac procedure that could be a major breakthrough for rural hospital care — a procedure in which a patient’s clogged artery is propped open by robotic tools controlled by an off-site doctor. In the initial test, the Mayo doctor will only be in the next room, able to step in as needed. A successful test, however, would pave the way for a future in which doctors could perform the procedure from miles away. That would be meaningful for patients in rural areas whose emergency cardiac procedures can be delayed — and who can suffer worse outcomes — if their local hospitals aren’t equipped to provide a procedure known as a percutaneous coronary intervention, or PCI, said Dr. Mackram Eleid, the Mayo interventional cardiologist who is leading the remote research. “That’s where the need is,” he said. Additional coverage: Baltimore Sun, Mass Device

Star Tribune, Minnesota briefs: Pam Wheelock to join Destination Medical Center — Gov. Tim Walz announced last week that longtime government functionary Pamela Wheelock will join the Destination Medical Center Corporation board of directors, replacing Dana Bailey. Wheelock most recently served as acting commissioner of the troubled Minnesota Department of Health and Human Services. Wheelock’s biography on the DMC Corporation website notes that she also has served as chief operating officer of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, vice president of services at the University of Minnesota, interim president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and vice president of the Bush Foundation.

KMSP, Minnesota woman who made scarves for the homeless passes away while waiting for transplant by Rob Olson — A Minnesota woman known for making scarves by the hundreds for the homeless has died while waiting for a second heart transplant. At 10 p.m. Saturday, Elizabeth Sammons posted her final Facebook update since being admitted to Mayo Clinic in late June. She kept friends and family posted daily about her wait for transplants - a wait that grew long and emotionally difficult.

KSTP, Can humidity reduce risk of flu? Minnesota company part of case study that says yes — A Minnesota company believes its products could help fight the spread of the flu virus. DriSteem, based in Eden Prairie, specializes in commerical, controllable humidifiers. "It's not a well-known fact that humidity helps health and wellness in this way," said Valerie Bradt, marketing and communications manager for DriSteem. "Humidity is your friend." Bradt said the goal is to maintain a relative humidity level between 40% and 60%. "Below 40%, viruses and bacteria thrive in the dry air and above 60% they thrive also," Bradt said. Over the course of a two-month period, DriSteem was part of a case study with Mayo Clinic to test their technology against the flu virus. They brought in steam humidifiers into two preschool classrooms and then compared the results to two classrooms without the technology.

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Mayo Clinic names first-ever chief digital officer by Mark Reilly — Mayo Clinic has hired Rita Khan, a former UnitedHealth executive specializing in digital connections with customers, as the health giant's first chief digital officer. Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo announced the hiring last week, saying that Khan will oversee the clinic's digital strategy and establish the Mayo Clinic Center for Digital Health. Mayo CEO Dr. Gianrico Farrugia said in a statement, "We must continually innovate and reimagine the delivery of health care, and we are delighted that Ms. Khan, with her diverse experience in consumer-focused digital innovation, will lead this effort." Additional coverage: Med City News, HIT Consultant, Healthcare IT News, Becker’s Hospital Review, Managed Healthcare Executive

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Sleep Number partners with Mayo at CES; Climate360 bed takes home trophy by Carrigan Miller — Companies usually go to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to announce new products. Of course, Sleep Number Corp. did that (keep reading), but it also made a different kind of announcement Wednesday from its booth in the Sands Expo and Convention Center: a partnership with the Mayo Clinic. The two Minnesota companies said that Minneapolis-based Sleep Number will endow Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic with $10 million over five years to fund sleep-related research. The two organizations have created a joint advisory team comprising physicians from the clinic and Sleep Number leadership, including Sleep Number's Chief Product Officer Annie Bloomquist. Additional coverage: KSL.com

MinneInno, Destination Medical Center to Host Assistive Tech Startup Challenge by Maddy Kennedy — Destination Medical Center, a multi-billion dollar project intended to drive development and investment in Rochester, has announced plans for a startup competition intended to support people with disabilities. Now in its second year, the Assistive Tech Challenge seeks to support entrepreneurs creating solutions relating to independent living, access to employment, improved public infrastructure, social skill development and support for care providers. The competition is split into two divisions: the open division for community-based teams and students and the professional division for startups with annual revenue of less than $200,000.

Jacksonville Business Journal, Mayo Clinic incubator director moves on by Will Robinson — Vic Nole, executive director of Mayo Clinic's Life Sciences Incubator, is stepping down, according to an email reviewed by the Business Journal. "I am honored to have had the opportunity to launch the new Life Sciences Incubator at Mayo Clinic - it has been great fun getting acclimated to Jacksonville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem," Nole wrote in an email to local tech and startup leaders on Dec. 20.

Jacksonville Daily Record, Doctor’s goal: End the wait for lung transplants by Katie Garwood — As a critical care resident from Peru studying at Saint Louis University, the process of a lung transplant caught Dr. Jorge Mallea’s attention. “It was very interesting to me to see how you could actually change one person’s lungs for another person’s lungs and then make it work,” said Mallea, medical director of Mayo Clinic’s lung restoration facility.  Mallea went on to complete his fellowship in pulmonary medicine at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. As he was looking for work, a mentor from his residency, Dr. Cesar Keller, recruited him to join the lung transplant team at Mayo Clinic.

South Florida Reporter, How To Read The New Nutrition Facts Label (Video) — The Food and Drug Administration has updated the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods and beverages to reflect new scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases. Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual sales are required to switch to the new label by Jan. 1, 2020. In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Angie Murad, a wellness dietitian with the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, explains some of the key changes.

AZ Central, Arizona fares better than most in challenging environment for organ transplants by Molly Duerig — John Collins moved to Arizona from Minnesota last year, hoping to speed up his wait time for a new heart. Collins, 56, has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes his heart muscle to thicken. It’s genetic  — relatives have died from it, and his 26-year-old son already has a defibrillator to help manage the condition. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told Collins the average wait time for a heart in Arizona is eight to 10 months — less than half the amount of time it was expected to take in Minnesota. So Collins and his wife, Stacey, moved to Cave Creek in June 2018. They figured they’d only have to wait for a few months.

Arizona Daily Star, This I Have Learned: A Time for a Change! by Mary Jo Bellner Swartzberg — … If you are thinking of going plant-based, check with your physician. As always, do your homework; the Mayo Clinic has this excellent website on the positive effects of a plant-based diet.

KJZZ Phoenix, Why Do Rainy Arizona Days Make Allergy Symptoms Worse? by Nicholas Gerbis — Why do rainy days seem to worsen symptoms for some allergy sufferers? Changes in barometric pressure or humidity bear part of the blame. But allergy and asthma expert Dr. Matthew Rank of Mayo Clinic says Arizona's unique environment also plays a role. "There's a long timeframe when allergens can be present because the ground doesn't freeze like it would in the East or the Midwest. So, throughout the year, almost every time of the year, we can detect some allergens in the air." Desert plants tend to proliferate and release pollen during wet periods, and rainfall can break up larger spores and pollens into tinier pieces that more readily penetrate into the nose, eyes or lower airways.

KJZZ Phoenix, Dr. Joseph Sirven: Artificial Intelligence And Malpractice by Steve Goldstein — As artificial intelligence continues to permeate significant areas of our lives and businesses, it’s time to consider to what extent that’s happening to physicians and other medical professionals. The Journal of the American Medical Association has considered the subject of AI and malpractice, and what happens when AI either makes a medical mistake or may lead to a doctor making a faulty decision. Medical commentator Dr. Joseph Sirven of the Mayo Clinic talked about where he stands on the issue.

KJZZ Phoenix, Dr. Joseph Sirven: Important Medical Research Lost Amidst The Noise by Mark Brodie — It’s becoming easier and easier to get medical and scientific news, as more outlets and platforms report on more studies and breakthroughs. But is that helping us get the most important medical news? KJZZ medical commentator, Dr. Joe Sirven isn’t so sure. He’s a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic.

Mankato Free Press, First baby of year at Mayo delivered early Wednesday by Edie Schmierbach — Amino Mohamed and Ilyas Ahmed’s son arrived a day early and became the first baby born in 2020 at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. The North Mankato couple had not expected their new son to arrive before Thursday, the due date estimated by their doctor, Ahmed said. The baby arrived shortly after 5 a.m. Wednesday. Ahmed and his wife, who are from Somalia, were pleasantly surprised when they entered Mohamed’s hospital room after the delivery. They found on a table near her bed a large gift basket, a blue helium balloon and a stuffed blue elephant. Additional coverage: KEYC Mankato

Mankato Free Press, Mayo donations benefit food shelves, homeless shelter — Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato recently donated $30,000 to organizations ranging from food shelves to area school districts to a homeless shelter. The “Season of Giving” grants went to eight total organizations in southern Minnesota in December. “An important part of the mission of Mayo Clinic Health System is to invest in the well-being of our communities,” said Dr. James Hebl, the health system’s regional vice president, in a release. “We are proud to support area schools and organizations that are doing such important work across the region.”

Mankato Free Press, Long-term study links e-cigarettes to respiratory disease by Brian Arola — Dr. Graham King, a family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, said he could see e-cigarettes being useful as a transitional product for long-term cigarette smokers on the path to cessation. E-cigarettes aren’t marketed that way, though, he added. “It isn’t marketed as a transitional product,” he said. “It’s marketed as a safer alternative to cigarette smoking.”

Mankato Free Press, Mending a broken heart: Medical staff at Mayo in Mankato diagnose about 20 cases of broken heart syndrome each year by Dan Greenwood — On July 3, Wanda Kump was overwhelmed by stress and grief. It was the day of her mother’s funeral. Not only had she watched her mother take her last breath while in hospice a few days prior, but her sister-in-law died the very next day. “The day of the funeral is when I didn’t feel well; light headed and sick to the stomach,” said the 51-year-old Mankato mother. “That’s when I fell, and broke my hip.” Later at the emergency room at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, as medical staff determined the extent of Kump’s hip fracture, they made another discovery soon after – her heart was misshapen.

Mankato Free Press, Ambulance redesigned with new safety features by Kristine Goodrich — A  first-of-its-kind ambulance that will keep its occupants safer is hitting the streets in the Mankato area. Mayo Clinic Ambulance debuted a new ambulance Monday that has a host of interior safety improvements. “It’s state of the art, to say the least,” John Harding, Mayo Clinic Ambulance assistant supervisor, said after chaplains blessed the rig at the downtown Mankato station. A group of paramedics and other Mayo staff worked with an ambulance manufacturer to custom-design a new patient care cab.

KEYC Mankato, Mayo Clinic Health System ambulance blessed into service by Sarah Johnson and Lauren Andrego — A brand new Mayo Clinic Health System ambulance was blessed into service Monday in Mankato. Over the last year, rigs with the Mayo Clinic Ambulance have been redesigned around the crew and patient safety. Cabinet layout is the big change. Seats have been repositioned so the technician remains belted, even while standing and moving around, while caring for the patient. One Mayo official said in the past, paramedics have had to end their careers due to injury, so crew safety was the project’s main goal. Additional coverage: Mankato Free Press

KEYC Mankato, MY Place receives more donations; cites community philosophy by Gage Cureton — MY Place, formerly the Boys and Girls Club, recently received a donation of a school bus from the Mayo Clinic Health System and workstations for kids from True Value Warehouse. The bus will assist MY Place in picking up kids after school and the workstations help grow STEM-related activities in its maker space.

KEYC Mankato, Influenza B hits Minnesota hard — Once someone you're around quite a bit contracts any kind of flu strain, it can sweep through a house quickly, infecting everyone near. “Self-isolate. That means skipping out on that New Year’s Eve Party, staying home from work if you need to and staying away from family members even those in the house if you can isolate and stay away from them," Mayo Clinic Health System Physician Jennifer Johnson said. If many you know are starting to feel ill or under the weather, one precaution will still help far more than anything else for at least a couple more months. “It’s never too late to get the influenza vaccine,” Johnson stated.

Austin Daily Herald, Brotherly Love: Austin man given the gift of a kidney by his brother by Tyler Jensen — When Austin resident Robert Rowbal and his brother Alan were younger, they lost their mother to Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD). Then, Robert found out he had the same disease, but he had a kidney donor in the form of Alan. Because the disease, wherein cysts develop on the kidneys, is genetic, the two always figured they should get tested to see if they had the disease… In 2001, he had the test done that revealed he did indeed have PKD… For about 17 years, Robert lived with the disease using medication and once a year check ups… Initially, Robert never told Alan he had the disease… On May 18, 2018, surgeons took one of Alan’s kidneys out and put it into Robert, connecting it to his system while leaving his two originals in… After a few days of recovery for each, they left the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Additional coverage: KTTC

Albert Lea Tribune, Mayo in Austin sees its first baby of the decade by Eric Johnson — Little Nicole Anahi Estupinan took a couple days more than was expected, but when the time came she didn’t waste any time. Nicole was the first baby born at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin in 2020 and she arrived at 6:10 a.m. New Year’s Day, two days after her due date. However, the birth itself came pretty fast, taking just 40 minutes.

Albert Lea Tribune, Albert Lea’s Baby New Year arrives — On New Year’s Day, Albert Lean Robin Phelps told her significant other she had a feeling she was going to deliver their baby the next day. True to her instinct, the following day at about 3 a.m. she started having contractions. Five hours later her water broke, and shortly after she and significant other Andrew Schafer headed to the birthing center at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin.

Albert Lea Tribune, Sarah Stultz: Thanks to those who work on the holidays — Three out of the last four Christmases I have spent in the hospital in some fashion or another. On Sunday, as we visited my mother-in-law, who is still in the intensive care unit at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, my mind shifted back to the first Christmas after our daughter, Sophie, died. We were in St. Marys again with our son, Landon, who was being monitored after experiencing several seizures that week. Being such an emotional Christmas already, the hospital was the last place I wanted to be. At that time, particularly, the hospital brought feelings of worry, fear and sadness. We felt fragile, wishing for some sense of normalcy to return to our lives. What was wrong with wanting to spend a quiet Christmas at home? I will forever be thankful to those who went out of their way to make Christmas in that hospital as good as it could be. Whether it was through gifts, carols or a simple “Merry Christmas,” those people cheered up the sad and made us feel glad.

Owatonna People’s Press, Mayo Clinic Health System donates $35,000 to local organizations in Steele County — In the spirit of holiday giving, Mayo Clinic Health System is strengthening the communities it serves by giving back to those in need….

SW News Media, Young Savage heart transplant recipient climbs Boy Scouts ranks by Christine Schuster — There’s been no shortage of adventures in the past two years for heart transplant recipient Carson Gigstad — his Boy Scouts troop is a big reason. The 16-year-old Savage resident and Burnsville High School sophomore is working towards achieving Life Scout rank — the last stop on his way to the highest rank, Eagle Scout… In 2017, the teen suddenly became ill with headaches, stomachaches and loss of energy. Blood tests at the emergency room indicated something was seriously wrong, and Gigstad was airlifted to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in Minneapolis.At Children’s, doctors determined Gigstad was in complete heart failure.He was transferred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, where he became the youngest patient to have a pump put in his heart. Before even waking up from the procedure, a donor match had been found for a heart transplant.

WJON-Radio, Mayo Clinic Ambulance Upgrades Vehicle Interior by Alex Scejkovsky — After giving a fresh look to the outside of its ambulances earlier this year, Mayo Clinic has begun redesigning the interior. The Health Care system has spent the last year brainstorming ideas to not only provide better configuration for their paramedics, but to increase safety for the patients. Mayo Specialist Paul McIntyre says it's the biggest change in twenty years.

La Crosse Tribune, Patient couple donates to Mayo Clinic Health System's facility dog program by Emily Pyrek — Mayo Clinic Health System marked the first anniversary of its facility dog, Luna, last month, celebrating a successful year of pet-centric care and companionship. Now, the sweet-natured yellow lab and smitten staff are kicking off 2020 with an expansion of the facility dog program, thanks in part to the generous donation of a patient couple. Dan and Leora Garner, dog lovers and longtime patients of Dr. Paul Mueller, regional vice president of Mayo Southwest Wisconsin, gifted $2,500 toward the program’s growth, a sum Mueller has offered to match. Additional coverage: WXOW La Crosse, WKBT La Crosse

La Crosse Tribune, Onalaska native and stem cell transplant recipient donates blankets to Mayo Clinic in Rochester by Emily Pyrek — Nikki Thompson has had her life saved twice thanks to the generosity of a bone marrow donor, and this Christmas she decided to repay the favor by giving other patients a dose of warmth and solace during stressful times. Thompson, an Onalaska native based in Colorado with her husband and two children, has myelodysplastic syndrome… For Thompson, a bone marrow transplant, which infuses healthy blood-creating stem cells to replace the diseased marrow, was crucial. In a turn of good fortune, Thompson’s sister happened to be a match and served as donor during both transplants at Mayo Clinic in Rochester… start a blanket drive through social media, and within a month she had gathered 103 comforters and fleece blankets for others undergoing hospital stays.

WKBT La Crosse, $3.3M grant will help reduce lead risks in Southeastern Minnesota homes by Mal Meyer — Exposure to lead or lead poisoning symptoms can often be vague. It could include irritability in young children.  "Most commonly you'll see nausea, upset, diarrhea, abdominal pain," said Dr. Chris Smith, who practices family medicine at Mayo Clinic Health System. In more severe cases, Dr. Smith said you might start to notice a child isn't reaching certain mental milestones.

WKBT La Crosse, Health experts share recommendations to reduce chances of birth defects by Molly Ringberg — The CDC recommends taking a multivitamin before and during pregnancy, along with getting enough folic acid to decrease the chances of birth defects. It’s also important to have a healthy diet, exercise, and stay away from drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. And one expert says a good relationship with medical providers makes a difference. “We can prevent them, a lot of them before they happen, but that does mean a partnership between the provider, whether it be a midwife or doctor, and the family,” said Dennis Costakos, M.D., Neonatologist at Mayo Clinic Health System.

WKBT La Crosse, Infant with rare medical condition gets private, safe meet and greet with Santa by Rachel Ausman — A 7-month-old patient at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse got a special visit from Santa on Monday. Easton Teeples has been diagnosed with congenital nephrotic syndrome, a rare condition that makes his immune system weak, limiting where he can go and what he can do. This prevents Easton from doing things other kids can during the holidays, like visiting Santa. Easton's family wanted him to see Santa for his very first Christmas, so Mayo Clinic Health System Pediatric department staff, along with help from others, organized a way for Santa to safely come and meet him at his onday visit.

WKBT La Crosse, Flu cases increasing in Wisconsin by Greg White — In La Crosse, Gundersen Health System is reporting 31 cases of Influenza A and 53 cases of Influenza B. And Mayo Clinic Health System they have seen 31 cases of Influenza A and 47 cases of Influzena B. Mayo Clinic Health System staff say the number of Flu B positive cases seems to be much earlier in the season than normal.

WKBT La Crosse, Coping with grief over the holidays by Molly Ringberg — Take time to care for yourself, and acknowledge your emotions instead of pushing them out.  "Take little breaks throughout the holiday season to check in with yourself. Realize that everyone handles grief and loss in a different way, and how we're handling it is okay," said Karen Hall, Psychotherapist, Mayo Clinic Health System. If you know someone who is having a tough time, reach out to them.

WKBT La Crosse, Picking out the right headphones for kids by Molly Ringberg — One expert says you don't have to stray away from getting head-phones, just be cautious when you pick them out.   "Headphones are still a good gift, you just have to be smart about them in terms of making sure the volume is an appropriate volume for the child, that's why child headphones can help limit that exposure to a child," said Hugo Guerrero, Audiologist, Mayo Clinic Health System.

WXOW La Crosse, Back surgery helps Santa Ben by Marcus Aarsvold — Benjamin Nolt or "Santa Ben" underwent lower back surgery at the La Crosse Mayo Clinic and made a recovery in time to bring joy to kids at Cabela's in Owatonna. This was the first surgery in La Crosse, but fifth overall back surgery. Dr. Shelly Lwu discovered that there were bone fragments from Nolt's previous surgery still lodged in his lower back. "The surgery that he initially had was the removal of the bones in the back of the spine to give the spinal canal roots room," Dr. Lwu said. "So, they may not have realized that they left a little piece of bone there." Additional coverage: KTTC

WXOW La Crosse, Mayo Clinic Health System donates $75,000 to new Boys & Girls Club center in Holmen by Mike Beiermeister — Community leaders from Mayo Clinic Health System and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater La Crosse gathered Tuesday afternoon for a $75,000 check presentation toward a new Boys & Girls Club center. The donation puts the Boys & Girls Club $1 million away from their goal of $3.5 million. "To have this support to be able to bring the services that we're bringing to Holmen is a really exciting day for our club and exciting day for the kids in the Holmen community," said Jake Erickson, executive director for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater La Crosse. Additional coverage: WKBT La Crosse, WEAU Eau Claire, La Crosse Tribune, WI Proud

WXOW La Crosse, Bangor students drop off gifts to hospitals by Declan Levy — There's a club at Bangor High School that puts an emphasis on giving. On Thursday, they took that initiative outside the classroom. The club is called Bangor B-Club. It's made up of student-athletes who raised money to donate toys and gifts to children at Gundersen Health System and Mayo Clinic Health System. Additional coverage: WKBT La Crosse, News Break

WQOW La Crosse, List: Most popular baby names in northwest Wisconsin for 2019 by Stephen Kelley — Oliver, Charles, Stella and Adelyn top the list of the most popular baby names in northwest Wisconsin for 2019. Both HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s Hospitals, along with Mayo Clinic Health System released their lists of the most popular names given to the newest little members of the Chippewa Valley.

Chippewa Herald, Stepping Stones of Dunn County receives donation from Mayo Clinic for Winterhaven program — Mayo Clinic Health System is strengthening the communities it serves by donating $12,000 to the Winterhaven program of Stepping Stones of Dunn County. Winterhaven is an overnight shelter for homeless adults in the greater Dunn County area that provides critical emergency shelter, housing assistance and referral services.

WEAU Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic Health System sheds light on Seasonal Affective Disorder by Hayley Spitler — Mayo says in children, 3%-5% of the population can suffer from SAD. Mayo did not have the percentage for adults. Doctors say there are several symptoms to be on the lookout for. "The symptoms that we are looking for with depression would be decreased mood, being more tired, fatigue, irritability, changes in sleeping or eating habits, usually it's more sleeping," said Dr. Kalvin Kinstler, a clinical therapist with Mayo Clinic Health System La Crosse.

WEAU Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic Health System of La Crosse partnering with Salvation Army to fund mental health program — A local hospital and the Salvation Army are teaming up to raise money for a mental health program. On Saturday, December 21st, Mayo Clinic Health System will match up to $15,000 raised at all red kettle sites throughout La Crosse County. This is the second year Mayo and the Salvation Army have partnered together.

WEAU Eau Claire, Bariatric surgery effective for Wisconsinites looking to lose weight by Denton Postlewait — Wendy Payson is the Bariatric Coordinator for Mayo Eau Claire. She said being obese can have serious health consequences. “It puts them at an increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, acid reflux, things of that nature,” she said. The Bariatric Surgery Program at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire helps patients who are dangerously obese. “We are a kind of multi-disciplinary group that includes behavioral therapist, dietitians, exercise physiologists, bariatricians and family practice doctors that are part to help patients lose weight throughout the program,” Payson said.

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire mom celebrates new year and new baby by Eric Lindquist — With a due date of Dec. 27, Catie Hagedorn of Eau Claire was expecting her first child around Christmas. Instead, Catie’s Christmas gift arrived a bit late — at the next holiday on the calendar…“I’m very excited about it,” Catie said of having a daughter who will go through life celebrating a birthday on the same day the rest of the world celebrates the arrival of a new year. Other than enduring 29 hours of labor, Catie, a nurse at Mayo Clinic Health System in Bloomer, said the delivery went well, with mother and daughter both emerging in good health. Additional coverage: WEAU Eau Claire

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, ‘I was lucky’: Chippewa Co. man, dog survive carbon monoxide poisoning by Sarah Seifert — …Murray was rushed to Mayo Clinic Health System’s emergency department in Eau Claire that afternoon. His confusion would come and go, and he had problems following commands, said Mayo nurse Libby Buchholz. Mayo staff diagnosed Murray between 35 and 45 minutes after he arrived at the hospital. Emergency room physician Dr. Aaron Triplett initially believed Murray’s symptoms might stem from a urinary tract infection — which could point to sepsis, a severe infection that could have caused Murray’s confusion. Diagnosing carbon monoxide poisoning can be tricky. Symptoms include a roster of “flu symptoms,” Triplett said: Dull headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision and losing consciousness.

Gizmodo, A Genetic Mutation Is Responsible for Mysterious Deaths in the Amish Community, Researchers Say by Ed Cara — In a new paper this week, doctors at the Mayo Clinic say they’ve uncovered the cause of a mysterious heart condition that had suddenly killed over a dozen young, healthy members of a tight-knit Amish community. The culprit? A previously undiscovered genetic mutation that runs in families. Study author Michael Ackerman, a cardiologist and professor at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, is also director of the Clinic’s Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory. For years, the lab has investigated cases in which seemingly healthy people died with no clear cause, hoping to unearth new ways our genes can send us to an early grave. In many of these cases, people’s hearts simply stopped beating, a condition otherwise known as cardiac arrest. Additional coverage: Austin Daily Herald

Forbes, How Your Home Can Help You Get Healthier In 2020 (New Year’s Resolution Series: I Will Quit Smoking - Part 1 Of 4) by Jamie Gold — “Virtually every person who has achieved long-term abstinence from smoking has tried multiple times to quit in the past,” shares J. Taylor Hays, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center in Rochester, Minnesota. “Most data suggest that people have tried to quit at least five times previously.”  Not surprisingly, Hays sees a significant uptick in new patients coming in after the holidays when they’re looking for a healthy start to a new year. Quitting cigarettes is one of the most significant changes a person can make to improve his health. “There is virtually no organ in the body that remains untouched from the adverse effects of tobacco smoke,” the doctor declares. Quitting can also extend your life by about a decade, he notes.

Forbes, New Cancer Medication Offers Hope For HER2-Positive Patients Who Failed Other Treatments by Dana Dovey — HER2-positive breast cancer is one of the more difficult to treat and deadly forms of the disease, but last week the FDA granted approval for Enhertu (fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki), as a new treatment. The drug will be specifically offered to patients who have tried and failed previous treatments. The quick approval is due to an accelerated grant, although no word yet on when the drug will become available for patients… HER2 breast cancer occurs in about one in every 5 forms of breast cancer, the Mayo Clinic report. This form of breast cancer also tends to be more aggressive than other types and patients are less likely to benefit from hormone therapy. Most treatment options include chemotherapy and medication.

Financial Times, Are you breathing properly? by Bella Blissett — In a study to determine the impact of conscious breathing, Dr Amit Sood, professor of medicine of the Mayo Clinic, not only observed an increase in participants’ happiness but also a 10mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure. “We found that when we breathe in a way that triggers the sympathetic nervous system, we can compromise the health of our heart. Moreover, the message-receiving part of the brain, the amygdala, goes into high alert. The body lives as if in a war zone, becoming more vulnerable to everything from inflammatory and autoimmune diseases to dementia, heart attacks and even accelerated ageing by 10 to 15 years,” he explains.

Bloomberg, Two Big Drug Flops Show How Health-Care Economics Have Changed by Riley Griffin — …CVS and Express Scripts say they’ve since eased restrictions in the wake of new medical guidelines and recent data that show the drugs’ effectiveness. Even so, critics say the drugs are still hard to come by. “A model that prioritizes the more ­expensive product when a less expensive one is available doesn’t serve the patients,” says Scott Wright, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic. “That discount has not changed the way the game is played.”

Daily Mail, EXCLUSIVE: Wisconsin grandfather, 68, donates kidney to his best friend after saving his life twice before by Mary Kekatos — It's unusual enough for someone to have the same best friend for 55 years. More unusual still to save your best friend's life. Kyle Brandt has had the same best friend - Don Elliott - since fourth grade, and he's saved his life not once, but three times…Dr Mikel Prieto, the transplant surgeon at the Mayo Clinic who performed surgery on Elliott, said his kidneys had grown so large they were the size of watermelons. 'When we take them out, it's a great relief to the patient,' he told DailyMail.com.  '[Elliott is] a thin man and he had a big belly. It was all kidneys.' Elliott said that when he went into surgery, he weighed 220 pounds. When he came out, he weighed 180 pounds.

Daily Mail, Are you flying sneezy-jet? Institute of Sport chiefs issue advice for athletes travelling to Tokyo Olympics on how to avoid picking up germs on planes by Max Aitchison — …Passengers use tray tables for everything from eating and reading to even resting their heads on while they try and catch some shut eye. This makes these fold-down plastic trays one of the most germ-ridden places on an aeroplane, Dr Abinash Virk, an infectious-disease expert at the Mayo Clinic, told Frommer's.

Daily Mail, Surgical 'smoke' and radiation put female surgeons at higher risks of infertility and having children with birth defects or cancer, study finds by Natalie Rahhal — While we've long known that female surgeons face higher risks than other women, researchers at the Mayo Clinic say that efforts to reduce these risks have not been sufficient.  During operations, surgeons may inhale 25 chemicals, many of which may raise women's risks of infertility or problems like low birth weight and delivering prematurely.  The Mayo Clinic team urges that women shouldn't be kept from performing surgery, but rather that hospitals need to take measures like introducing better warnings and ventilation systems to help protect women.

New York Post, The sirtfood diet: What to know about Adele’s weight-loss secret by Marisa Dellatto — The sirtfood diet originated in the UK from nutritionists Aidan Goggins and Glen Matten, who published a guide and a recipe book in 2016. The diet focuses on sirtuins, or proteins in your body that specialize in cellular health and metabolism, among other things. Sirtuins can be found in foods like kale, extra-virgin olive oil, buckwheat, matcha, blueberries and arugula. The menu’s sweet surprises include red wine, coffee and dark chocolate. Meat is not a sirtuin…Grace Fjeldberg, a registered dietitian at the Mayo Clinic, added, “Not everyone will see Adele-like results.”

MSN.com, Signs you’re suffering from a burnout by Noah McGee — Job burnout is a form of work-related stress that manifests itself in physical or emotional exhaustion, according to the Mayo Clinic. It takes other tolls too, like a reduced sense of accomplishment as well as a loss of personal identity. It is now recognized by the World Health Organization as an “occupational phenomenon,” and the WHO is currently developing guidelines based on research on mental well-being in an occupational setting.

HealthDay, Stomach Cancer Appears Different in Younger Patients by Steven Reinberg — "I think this is an alarming trend, as stomach cancer is a devastating disease," said study co-author Dr. Travis Grotz, a surgical oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "There is little awareness in the U.S. of the signs and symptoms of stomach cancer, and many younger patients may be diagnosed late -- when treatment is less effective," he said in a Mayo Clinic news release. Grotz's team looked at records of more than 75,000 cases of stomach cancer between 1973 and 2015. Additional coverage: International Business Times, Medscape, News 24, US News & World Report, Yahoo! Singapore

HealthDay, More Doubt That Plaques in the Brain Cause Alzheimer's by E.J. Mundell — In April, clinical trial data on an experimental Alzheimer's drug called verubecestat was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The drug reduced amyloid plaque levels in patients' brains and spinal fluid. However, despite those reductions, patients showed no easing or slowing of their disease. Those negative results present "pretty strong evidence that amyloid-lowering is the wrong target," Dr. David Knopman, a professor of neurology with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said at the time. "They hit the target and yet people got worse, consistently worse, both in terms of brain structure and brain cognition," he added.

Health, I Was Finally Diagnosed With a Mitochondrial Disease at Age 54 After Having Muscle Spasms and Seizures My Entire Life by DeLisa Fairweather, Ph.D. as told to Sarah Klein — Even though my symptoms made school challenging, I had always been high-functioning enough to figure out workarounds. I would have trouble understanding my teachers, but I’d be able to figure out things like reading or math more easily on my own. I didn’t have good grades, but I continued to pursue a PhD because I was so interested in science, and ultimately landed a job in research. When I first started working at Mayo Clinic in 2015, where I research myocarditis and sex differences in inflammation, I went to see a neurologist who specializes in migraines. He recognized my symptoms right away as signs of a type of mitochondrial disease, an umbrella term for a group of genetic disorders that affect around 1 in every 5,000 people.

Everyday Health, Women Have a Harder Time Sleeping After Menopause by Beth Levine — “We under-address sleep issues in midlife women in general. This study brings much-needed attention to multiple issues concerning sleep disturbances. Poor sleep is associated with poor health [cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and anxiety] so it’s not something to just blow off,” says Stephanie Faubion, MD, the medical director of the North American Menopause Society and the director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health.

Everyday Health, FDA Approves New Migraine Drug for Fast Symptom Relief by Don Rauf — Migraine sufferers currently have a variety of medicines to choose from that may bring some relief, the Mayo Clinic notes. These include over-the-counter aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as prescription drugs, such as sumatriptan (Imitrex, Tosymra), rizatriptan (Maxalt), and lasmiditan (Reyvow). There are also dihydroergotamines available as a nasal spray or injection. Additional coverage: Science Times

The Healthy, Kristin Chenoweth: How I Cope With Chronic Pain by Jen Laskey — “I care very much what my doctors have to say,” Chenoweth says, “and I follow with a regimen that helps me.” People experiencing chronic pain should discuss their concerns with their primary care physician (PCP), who can assess them, and refer them to specialists, as necessary. “If your pain persists beyond the [suggested] healing time, you should definitely talk to your PCP, and you should seek consultation with a pain medicine specialist early on,” says Natalie Strand, MD, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Aggressive treatment of pain early on yields better outcomes.”

US News & World Report, Health Tip: Signs of Sleep Apnea — Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing stops and starts during sleep, says Mayo Clinic. It can lead to many complications, from daytime fatigue to high blood pressure. Mayo Clinic mentions these common signs of sleep apnea…

Chicago Tribune, Here’s what to know before buying an online DNA test for your New Year’s diet resolution by Alison Bowen — …The GenoPalate test isn’t the only one to try to work with consumers to find better health patterns; even Mayo Clinic debuted its own GeneGuide this year, with the health organization’s expert guidance assessing carrier screening, disease risk and lifestyle risk assessment. Unlike others available for purchase online, the GeneGuide is a physician-ordered test. Additional coverage: Real Simple

Chicago Tribune, Children need measles protection before international travel — U.S. children who travel abroad are not getting the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine before they travel to protect them from ongoing measles outbreaks, says a recent study… “The current recommendation is any U.S. child who’s traveling internationally should be immune to measles because there is a risk of exposure, either when you arrive in your destination country or in the process of getting there,” said Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic.

Chicago Tribune, What parents need to know about pink eye — A case of conjunctivitis also known as pink eye used to mean a trip to the doctor's office, antibiotics and keeping your child home from school. That's no longer the case. Dr. Marcie Billings, a Mayo Clinic pediatrician, explains what parents should know about this common viral infection. "Conjunctivitis is actually an inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is a thin layer of tissue that covers the white of your eye as well as the underside of the lid." That can lead to inflammation of the blood vessels, which tends to lead to redness. Dr. Billings says most cases are caused by a virus.

Chicago Tribune, What you need to know about pneumonia — “When we talk about pneumonia, we’re referring to an infection in the lungs,” says Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a Mayo Clinic pediatric infectious diseases specialist. “Pneumonia can be caused by both bacteria and viruses, and, in rare cases, fungi, as well.” Pneumonia is most commonly caused by bacteria or viruses that you breathe in. Your body usually prevents these germs from infecting your lungs. But sometimes these germs can overpower your immune system, even if you are in good health.

Healthline, Advil, Aleve May Help Women with a Higher Risk of Breast Cancer by Tony Hicks — Women with an elevated risk of breast cancer can lower their chances of getting the disease by as much as 40 percent by taking ibuprofen or naproxen. That was the message that Mayo Clinic researchers delivered over the weekend at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas. The scientists said ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) can improve a woman’s chances of survival after being diagnosed with benign breast disease. Additional coverage: Al Roeya

Outside, These Will Be the Biggest Health Trends of 2020 by Martin Fritz Huber — …The Debate on Gear-Related “Technical Doping” Will Heat Up. I think that in the post-Vaporfly world we are going to see a shoe “arms race” as other companies jump in and the discussion about possible regulation of shoe tech heats up. I think this is going to spill over to other areas of equipment as people and companies seek novel ways to improve efficiency. —Dr. Michael Joyner, physiologist at the Mayo Clinic.

Outside, Why a Higher VO2max Isn’t Always Better by Alex Hutchinson — Earlier this year, scientists in Norway published a case report about a cyclist named Oskar Svendsen who, as an 18-year-old, recorded the highest ever value in a VO2max test, won the world junior championships a few weeks later … there was an unspoken question that lingered about his rise and fall: why wasn’t he a faster cyclist? A newly published response in the Journal of Applied Physiology, from Mikael Flockhart and Filip Larsen of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, takes a stab at this question… back in 1991 when Michael Joyner of the Mayo Clinic published his influential paper on the ultimate limiting factors in marathon running, he calculated that a runner with very high but realistic values of VO2max, running economy (a measure of efficiency), and lactate threshold should in theory be able to run a sub-two-hour marathon…Joyner cited some data from earlier studies suggesting that, all else being equal, runners with higher VO2max values tend to have lower running economy values and vice versa.

Popular Science, Stop screens from taking over your life by Katy Spratte Joyce — “Too much screen time runs the risk of a myriad of ill effects,” says Craig N. Sawchuk, a psychologist at the Mayo Clinic. “From a raw physical standpoint, excess screen time fosters a more sedentary lifestyle, which is a risk factor for a variety of chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.” So, simply “being on” can make you feel constantly stressed, and the diagnosis isn’t much better for your emotional well-being. For example, getting caught up in unrealistic comparisons while browsing social media may cause you to feel sad or depressed. Cyber-bullying and other forms of harassment can be harmful, too, and many people find themselves becoming more irritable as they spend more time in front of screens. You may also feel overwhelmed by responsibilities, or lose sleep, Sawchuk says.

Leapsmag, Scientists Just Started Testing a New Class of Drugs to Slow–and Even Reverse–Aging by Bob Roehr — Aging is a relentless assault of chronic diseases including Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and frailty. Developing one chronic condition strongly predicts the rapid onset of another. They pile on top of each other and impede the body’s ability to respond to the next challenge.  “Potentially, by targeting fundamental aging processes, it may be possible to delay or prevent or alleviate multiple age-related conditions and many diseases as a group, instead of one at a time,” says James Kirkland, the Mayo Clinic physician who led the study and is a top researcher in the growing field of geroscience, the biology of aging.

Popular Science, How to actually detox by Donavyn Coffey — “If your body already has a working liver, working kidneys and working lungs, your body already has the balance it needs,” says Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietician at the Mayo Clinic. Alluring detox tools really aren’t necessary. While arguably ineffective, most detox methods are not directly harmful. But they do come with their risks. Consuming nothing but green juice for a few days is an unbalanced approach, but it probably won’t hurt your body, Zeratsky says. However, every case is different.

Yahoo!, 12 science-backed ways to lose weight without going on a diet by Hilary Brueck — We asked dietitian Jason Ewoldt from the nation's top-rated hospital, the Mayo Clinic, for his simplest, sanest ideas for staying lean. Here's his advice. Stay hydrated. If you hate drinking water, zest it up with citrus or drink it carbonated (without adding empty calories into your diet). Ewoldt noted that patients often end up misinterpreting thirst for hunger. "A lot of times, people just seem to be a little dehydrated," he said.

Yahoo! Lifestyle, Viral: Patient Plays Violin During His Brain Surgery To Help Doctor by Prerna Aditi — You must have seen various music lovers and their passion for music. But have you seen a patient playing violing while going through a brain surgery? It seems weird, right? But, this is true. Rodger Frisch, who is a professional violinist in the Minnesota Orchestra for more than 40 years, played the violin while he was going through conscious brain surgery in 2010…He was told by doctors that the solution to this problem is deep brain stimulation, a neurosurgical procedure that places brain pacifier (neurostimulator) to target the movement disorders such as essential tremors, Parkinson's disease and dystonia through implanted electrodes. The surgery was performed at the Mayo Clinic Neural Engineering Lab in the US.

Yahoo! Finance, Telo Genomics announces Multiple Myeloma collaboration with Mayo Clinic — Telo Genomics Corp. (TELO.V) (the “Company” or “TELO”), is pleased to announce that it has signed a collaboration agreement with Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to conduct clinical studies to evaluate and validate the utility of the Company’s proprietary telomere analytics as a prognostic solution for Multiple Myeloma.

Business Insider, Yes, you can safely swim while on your period with or without a tampon by Emily J. Schiffer —"It is perfectly safe to swim with a tampon in," says Jennifer Meyers, CNM, a certified nurse-midwife at the Mayo Clinic Health System. "When a tampon is inserted, it sits very high in the vagina to collect any menstrual flow. The rest of the vagina stays fairly closed during swimming, so there's not a lot of exchange of fluid between what's in the vagina and the water outside of it."  While any type of tampon should work, you may benefit from a high absorbency or one designed for women who do sports. But you should change it once you're done swimming.

Women’s Health, Does Emergen-C Work To Keep You From Getting Sick? by Valeria Nekhim Lease — What about the other biggie ingredient zinc, you're wondering? “Study results are mixed, but the short answer is that zinc probably doesn’t prevent or treat a cold,” Tina Ardon, MD, a family medicine doctor at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, previously told WH. There’s very limited evidence that zinc may help shorten a cold but only by a day or so as well, and you have to start taking it right at the onset of symptoms.

WPVI-TV, Want success for resolutions? Set realistic goals, say experts — Don't try to force yourself to do exercises you hate. Exercise should be fun. Also, be realistic about the time you can regularly commit to exercise. "Maybe you only have 20, 30 minutes three days a week. Start from a place where we can build success. You can always add more," says Danielle Johnson, a wellness physical therapist with the Mayo Clinic's Healthy Living Center.

WPVI-TV, Plant-based burgers may not always be the healthier meat alternative, nutritionists say — Plant-based burgers are red-hot in popularity. They look like and cook like burgers. But many people wonder if meat alternatives are healthier than the real thing. Dietitians say it depends how they're made. Although they may have benefits like more fiber, pay attention to the fat content. "Some plant-based burgers are going to have added fat, and oftentimes, the added fat is a saturated fat," said Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., Mayo Clinic.

PopSugar, A Guide to Intermittent Fasting Without Feeling Negative Side Effects by Lauren Pardee — Keep Busy With a Pre-Planned Schedule: Having a plan in place is the key to intermittent fasting, Luke Corey, a registered dietitian and sports nutritionist with Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine, says. This includes "when your fasting starts, when it ends, and everything you are going to eat during your eating window." Keeping busy will distract you during sometimes challenging fasting periods. If you are just sitting and thinking about how hungry you are, you'll get irritable and possibly tempted to cheat, Corey says.

Becker’s Hospital Review, 18 hospital innovation initiatives launched in 2019 by Andrea Park — Innovation became more of an organizational imperative than ever before in 2019, with many hospitals and health systems creating innovation centers, programs and investment funds throughout the year. Here are 18 organizations that launched new innovation programs and projects in the second half of the year, when Becker's began documenting these efforts on a dedicated innovation channel… 3. A new for-profit joint venture backed by Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic and Gore-Tex maker W.L. Gore & Associates aims to develop implantable cell therapies for incurable diseases.

Becker’s Hospital Review, Despite fraud busts, many defective EHRs still on the market: 'They're almost too big to fail' by Andrea Park — EHR software vendors and healthcare providers have consistently overstated the abilities of their medical records software in order to receive undeserved millions in government subsidies, according to an investigation by Fortune and Kaiser Health News… John Halamka, MD, newly named president of Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic's digital health and analytics efforts and former chair of the ONC standards committee behind the certification rules, defended the process. "The only problem [with certification] is that it presupposed that the product the vendor certified would be the same product they sold," Dr. Halamka told the news outlets. "It presupposes that people will go into the certification process and participate in good faith."

Becker’s Hospital Review, Mayo Clinic patient is 14th in world to receive phage therapy for resistant infection by Anuja Vaidya — In 2019, a 62-year-old Minnesota man became the 14th patient in the world and the first at Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic to receive phage therapy for an antibiotic-resistant infection, according to the Chicago Tribune. John Haverty had contracted the drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection after a knee implant surgery. Physicians at Mayo Clinic were suggesting amputation, but Mr. Haverty kept looking for a solution.

Healthcare IT News, Cybersecurity poses big challenges, but new cloud approaches hold promise by Mike Miliard — As Dr. John Halamka, new president of Mayo Clinic Platform, noted at the Healthcare Security Forum in Boston earlier this month, “Perhaps 80% of what a traditional IT or cybersecurity person knows today is irrelevant when moving to the cloud. It’s effectively an entirely new job." Mayo Clinic and Google recently inked a major new 10-year deal that will see the Minnesota health system hosting its data with Google Cloud – which in turn will help Mayo's clinicians and researchers develop an array of cloud and machine learning tools to help solve a variety of complex health challenges.

Health Data Management, AI can reinvent clinical decision support, but obstacles remain by Greg Slabodkin — While artificial intelligence has the potential to address the epidemic of diagnostic errors in healthcare, the industry must overcome the challenges and limitations of these new digital tools. That’s the contention of a new book on clinical decision support co-authored by John Halamka, MD, president of the Mayo Clinic Platform, and healthcare writer Paul Cerrato. “Algorithms that take advantage of machine learning, neural networks and a variety of other types of artificial intelligence (AI) can help address many of the shortcomings of human intelligence,” explain Halamka and Cerrato, who make the point that the complexity of medicine now exceeds the capacity of the human mind.

Fierce Biotech, Mayo Clinic helps tech-enabled R&D shop nference to $60M B round by Nick Paul Taylor — Mayo Clinic invested in nference after concluding the startup’s platform can improve drug development and patient care.  “Our strategic investment in nference is a reflection of our confidence that a holistic knowledge synthesis platform, that puts patient privacy first, is the solution for effectively leveraging real world evidence to spur innovation to benefit patient care,” Andrew Danielsen, chair of Mayo Clinic’s innovation commercialization arm, said in a statement. Additional coverage: Yahoo! Finance

MedTech Dive, AI-based heart failure screening from Eko, Mayo Clinic earns FDA breakthrough nod by Susan Kelly — Eko and the Mayo Clinic are backing the idea of giving physicians an inexpensive, noninvasive tool to detect heart disease earlier, before it develops into a more serious illness. "In effect, by imbedding the technology in a commonly used clinical tool – the stethoscope – all caregivers carry some of the diagnostic prowess of an expert cardiologist with them," Paul Friedman, chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, said in a statement from Eko. Friedman and the Mayo Clinic have a financial interest in the technology. Additional coverage: Health Data Management, Cardiovascular Business

Grand Forks Herald, Former Air Force teammates fly in from around the country for Chad Demers benefit hockey tournament by Brad Elliott Schlossman — Demers is fighting Grade 4 Glioblastoma, the same brain cancer that Sen. John McCain battled. Doctors originally told Demers in September 2018 that he probably had less than two years to live, but after receiving a pathology report back from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., they found that Demers has a rare IDH mutation, which generally extends lifespans in Glioblastoma patients. Demers said Glioblastoma is not curable, but it is treatable. The day before the tournament started, he had a positive check-up at Mayo Clinic.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nickel: Her sister's plight sparked an interest and now this champion runner is an up-and-coming star as a nurse, too by Lori Nickel — Lexie Tremble didn’t ask questions, but dozens of them flooded her mind. Instead, she accompanied her parents to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin about 10 years ago to support her younger sister during her two brain surgeries. It was a scary time for the whole Muskego family. Hannah Tremble, who was only in the fifth grade, was suffering from seizures…Tremble completed her clinical rotation in the neurology/pediatric/trauma unit at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire as a certified nursing assistant while also serving as a peer mentor at the school’s nursing department.

Rapid City Journal, Mayo Clinic Care Network combines top experts, close-to-home care — “For our physicians and our advanced practice providers, to have Mayo Clinic expertise at their fingertips when they’re talking with patients, it’s reassuring to have this incredible resource,” she said. “Peace of mind for families and our communities is a tremendous asset from this relationship.” “Mayo Clinic did an in-depth review of Regional Health before bringing the Black Hills health system into the Mayo Clinic Care Network,” said Dr. David Hayes, medical director for Mayo Clinic Care Network.

KLRT-TV Little Rock, Maumelle firefighter saving a life in a different way by Michael Esparza — A local fire chief is being called a hero after giving away one of his kidneys to help save a teenage girl’s life. A girl he had never met before. Fire Chief Gerald Ezell of the Maumelle Fire Department just returned from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where he underwent a kidney donor surgery. 18-year-old Sydney is still recovering at the Mayo Clinic tonight, but she is expected to make a full recovery. As for Chief Ezell, he is already back at work. Additional coverage: Sacramento Bee, Time Record

TCTMD, TCAR’s Rise Is Shaking Up Carotid Stenosis, but Dependable Data Lag Behind by Todd Neale — To TCTMD, vascular neurologist James Meschia, MD (Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL), pointed out that indications for carotid endarterectomy have been ironed out over decades of study. When carotid stenting was introduced, it was touted as a less-invasive procedure that would avoid a large scar on the neck and would likely be safer than surgery, particularly for older patients. But the CREST trial, for which Meschia was a principal investigator (PI), showed that older patients tended to do better with endarterectomy than with stenting, which carried a higher-than-expected risk of periprocedural stroke.

Healio, Low incidence of unplanned admission found after hip arthroscopy — Overall, I find this data reassuring and underscores that hip arthroscopy can be safely performed as an outpatient procedure for the vast majority of patients. The unplanned admissions related to the actual hip procedure included surgical site infections, wound complications and thromboembolic events, with independent risk factors identified including elevated BMI, chronic corticosteroid use and perioperative transfusions. In my opinion, elevated BMI is a potentially modifiable risk factor that can and should be addressed prior to surgery, not only for lower complications, but also to optimize patient outcome. In addition, these findings suggest that medically complicated patients may benefit from a multidisciplinary care team, with decision-making for possible overnight observation following hip arthroscopy dependent on individual circumstances. — Aaron J. Krych, MD, Orthopedic surgeon, Mayo Clinic

Healio, Capanna technique for intercalary reconstruction had high success rate — Researchers performed a multivariable linear, multiple regression model analysis for 60 patients who underwent segmental reconstruction with use of the Capanna technique following tumor resection in which allograft-host osseous union time was the dependent variable. Researchers evaluated radiographs for union time and histologically assessed a retrieved specimen of the composite. Age, tumor site, adjuvant treatment, a previous surgical procedure, defect length, fixation method and fibular viability were considered independent variables. — Matthew T. Houdek, MD, Orthopedic surgeon, Mayo Clinic

Healio, Functional result possible after limb salvage surgery for shoulder girdle tumor by Monica Jaramillo — According to study results, limb salvage surgery was associated with an “acceptable means of oncological outcome and function” after resection of a shoulder girdle tumor. “The purpose of the study was to show that patients who undergo these limb salvage procedures should expect to have a functional extremity to perform their activities of daily living, regardless of the reconstruction performed, with a low rate of needing of a revision of their reconstruction,” Matthew T. Houdek, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor of orthopedics at Mayo Clinic, told Healio.com/Orthopedics.

Healio, Pregnancy presents additional challenges in IBD — Pregnancy has the potential to present some difficult medical scenarios for women with inflammatory bowel disease. Sunanda V. Kane, MD, MSPH, FACG, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease that to manage these patients, there needs to be an emphasis on collaboration, the disease needs to be controlled beforehand if possible and physicians need to talk to the mother to find out her preferences at the beginning of the process. Finally, they need to know when to be aggressive to get the disease under control.

Medscape, Heart Disease Biggest Killer Among Breast Cancer Survivors — The research, published online in the journal Cancer on December 16, was led by Mohamad Bassam Sonbol, MD, an oncologist from the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. Speaking to Medscape Medical News, Sonbol said the risk of noncancer-related causes of death "is something we've been suspecting before…but now we're showing it objectively". Explaining the findings, he said that some of the women who died of noncancer-related causes may have been cured of their disease whereas, for others, the breast cancer may have been converted into something like a chronic disease. "For example, if it's a metastatic hormone positive breast cancer," he said, "some of the women are living for years and their cancer is under control with their systematic therapy, so that's when other causes are contributing to death."

MedPage Today, Untangling the Alzheimer's-Sleep Connection by Judy George — Another group of researchers also looked at tau and sleep and found that cognitively unimpaired people with sleep apnea had 4.5% higher levels of tau in the entorhinal cortex than people without apnea. But which came first is unknown, noted lead researcher Diego Carvalho, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who presented the findings at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting. "Our research results raise the possibility that sleep apnea affects tau accumulation," he said. "But it's also possible that higher levels of tau in other regions may predispose a person to sleep apnea."

MedPage Today, Early Transfer Recommended for Myocarditis by Crystal Phend — Aimed at frontline healthcare providers -- hospitalists and emergency medicine physicians -- the recommendation was published in Circulation with endorsement by the Heart Failure Society of America and the Myocarditis Foundation.  "The message to that group is when you encounter what appears to be early cardiogenic shock in a young person who you would rapidly exclude coronary or valvular or heart disease in, to think about do you have the resources in terms of mechanical circulatory support or heart transplant to handle this locally?" said Leslie Cooper, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and vice chair of the statement writing committee.

Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News, Are You the Very Model of a Modern Colonoscopist? — At the 2019 Digestive Disease Week, a group of expert endoscopists shared their tips for how clinicians can improve the quality of their examinations. “We have reduced the risk of colorectal cancer by approximately 50%, but we have an opportunity and an obligation to do even better,” Michael B. Wallace, MD, MPH, a professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., said in the J. Edward Berk Lecture. “The question is not, ‘Do we have tools in our toolbox?’ It’s really, how to best implement them. Some tools are easy and low cost; some are more expensive. But we all have options that we should implement,” said Dr. Wallace, who also is the editor-in-chief of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Rheumatology Advisor, Screening Recommended for Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis Comorbidities — The presence of comorbidities, including inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, venous thromboembolism, cardiovascular disease, and obstructive sleep apnea, may either predispose patients to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) development or may manifest following an RA diagnosis. Investigators of the research presented in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggest the importance of screening for RA in these patient populations…Data were collected via a questionnaire from the Mayo Clinic Biobank.

Gulf News, Make 2020 a healthier new year by Kamakshi Gupta — Mayo Clinic says that 30 minutes of regular exercise can help lower blood pressure. A reduction of five to 10 millimetres of mercury (mmHg) is possible. In some cases, that is enough to prevent or reduce the need for blood pressure medications.

Times Of India, New drug delivery technique can inject genes into kidneys — Researchers have developed a novel drug carrying system, and used it to deliver genes directly into the kidneys of mice, an advance that may pave the way for effective gene therapy techniques. The scientists from Mayo Clinic, an American non-profit organization academic medical centre, studied the effectiveness of delivering three different sized vectors, or carriers, to mouse kidneys via an intravenous route. Additional coverage: NDTV

Indian Express, Diabetes may independently lead to heart failure: Study — The study, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, examined the idea of diabetic cardiomyopathy and heart failure from the effects of diabetes alone. As part of the study, the scientists evaluated the long-term impact of diabetes on the development of heart failure, both with preserved ejection fraction measurement of the percentage of blood leaving the heart with each contraction and reduced ejection fraction. Additional coverage: Yahoo! Style, Economic Times, Moose Gazette

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