January 17, 2020

Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights for January 17, 2020

By Emily Blahnik

USA Today, Drinking tea regularly may help you live longer and healthier, new study finds by Joshua Bote — The study also acknowledged that the positive benefits of tea were more robust in men than women. Dr. Eugenia Gianos, the director of women’s heart health at New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital, said that may be due to the lower levels of habitual tea consumption and the lower risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the women surveyed, compared to men. She is unaffiliated with the study. It may also be attributed, however, to differences between sex, noted Dr. Jordan C. Ray, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic who is unaffiliated with the study. Atherosclerosis is complex and can be varied by sex hormones and genetic differences, he said. Ray further cautioned that the consistent tea drinkers in the study tended to be older men who were heavy smokers and heavy drinkers. Age and tobacco use, he said, increase cardiovascular risk, while drinking lowers it. "Anytime there are population differences you have to ask if the tea is the source of the decreased number of events or (if it's another) common reason," Ray told USA TODAY. Additional coverage: AZ Central, Florida Times-Union

USA Today, Need knee replacement surgery? Get it before it's too late, study says by Joshua Bote — Patients with osteoarthritis in the knee should time the surgery to ensure maximum benefits, if they are eligible for beneficial knee replacement surgery… Dr. Mark Pagnano, a professor and chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic, told USA TODAY despite advancements in the procedure, some people hold on to antiquated notions of its risks and outcomes. He is unaffiliated with the study. "In the past 10 years, the big story in knee replacement is markedly improved safety of the operation while also decreasing the magnitude of impact on patients, meaning that it's a much-shorter hospital stay or even an outpatient surgery," said Pagnano, president of The Knee Society.

The Atlantic, The Boys Who Wear Shorts All Winter by Ashley Fetters — Angela Mattke, a pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center in Rochester, Minnesota, also recommends meeting kids in the middle whenever possible, especially if shorts are simply more comfortable for the kid in question. “Sometimes a compromise like wearing sport tights under shorts will work for those children who want to wear shorts all year,” she told me—and added that this is something she sees frequently among kids during the chilly Minnesota winter.

NBC News, There are at least 4 different ways of aging, scientists say by Erika Edwards — Anyone who has attended a class reunion has seen firsthand that people age in different ways. Some former classmates appear to have aged a century within just a few decades, while others look just as they did fresh from 11th grade English class. Now, a study published Monday in Nature Medicine takes a deeper look at what’s going on at a molecular level, offering a possible explanation for why we age differently, and raising the tantalizing possibility that we could one day have an impact on our personal aging process through targeted medication or lifestyle changes… "There are drugs and various kinds of dietary interventions and lifestyle interventions through which it may be possible to modulate some of these aging processes," said Dr. James Kirkland, a gerontologist and head of the Kogod Center on Aging at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Additional coverage: Live Science, The Hill

Modern Healthcare, ONC adds social determinants standards to interoperability advisory by Jessica Kim Cohen — Adding resources to help standardize data-sharing for social factors is a step in the right direction, said Dr. John Halamka, president of Mayo Clinic Platform, the Rochester, Minn.-based health system's effort to leverage artificial intelligence to improve healthcare. "What's most important about the 2020 release is its focus on social determinants of health and other aspects of the total patient experience in healthcare," Halamka said. "As we move from fee-for-service to value-based purchasing and other risk models, it's essential to focus on patient wellness, and not just illness."

Post-Bulletin, Rochester in 2040: What will the next 20 years bring? — The predictor: John Halamka, M.D., President of Mayo Clinic Platform: “It’s 2040 and healthcare has been digitally enabled. Expert physicians and care teams, skilled at practicing over a distance, are using technology backed by strong privacy and ethical controls to treat patients worldwide. What does that mean? A child in China wakes up with a fever and her parents use an augmented reality tool, developed at Mayo Clinic, to guide them through an ear, nose, and throat exam. Their pediatrician, assisted by artificial intelligence tools, reviews the images, makes a diagnosis, and electronically prescribes a medicine at a nearby pharmacy in minutes. A patient in rural Minnesota with pneumonia is successfully treated at home, monitored remotely by a multidisciplinary care team. A woman in California chooses a specialized treatment for breast cancer because Mayo researchers have documented that women with similar backgrounds and medical histories have been successfully treated via a new protocol optimized by a machine learning algorithm.

KAAL, Could a cure be in the future for pancreatic cancer? — "We would love for a cure, we'll take anything that's going to improve things and improve outcomes and improve the quality of life for our patients," said Oncology Professor Robert McWilliams, with Mayo Clinic. McWilliams said pancreatic cancer can oftentimes be overlooked. With symptoms that appear to be common things like weight loss or stomach pain, it takes longer to diagnose, and the longer it takes, the deadlier it can be.

KAAL, WWII prisoners of war in China reflect on their captivity by Jaclyn Harold — Two former World War II prisoners of war reunite to share the story of captivity. On Saturday, Rochester laid to rest a respected Mayo Clinic physician, Dr. John E. Woods.  And, as family and friends gathered in the city for his funeral, two former prisoners of war were reunited. Dr. Woods was a fellow prisoner of war when the Imperial Japanese Army seized boarding schools in China during World War II. Additional coverage: Post-Bulletin

KTTC, Children at Mayo Clinic receive a gift box of cheer — With the holidays behind us, kids at Mayo Clinic Children's Center are still getting gifts. They're a surprise called "Cheeriodicals" and are the result of a collaboration involving Merchant Bank, Mayo Clinic’s Child Life, and representatives of Cheeriodicals. Additional coverage: KIMT, Post-Bulletin

KTTC, Mayo lung disease patient thanks new drug for health breakthrough — A man born with a life threatening lung disease is now living life differently, since trying a new FDA approved drug. Tim Myer has Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease that affects roughly 700,000 people in Minnesota…Dr. Mark Wylam, a Mayo Clinic Pulmonologist, is Myer's doctor and said within a month this treatment has dramatically improved Myer's lungs. "It will fix the gene protein problem for about 90 percent of all patients with Cystic Fibrosis," Wylam said.

KROC-Radio, Record-breaking 2019 for organ, tissue, and eye donation! by James Rabe — “In our 30-year history, LifeSource has cared for over 17,000 families, including the wife and daughters of Tom Schultz – who was honored during the December 9 Minnesota Vikings halftime show. Tom was a statistician for the Minnesota Vikings for 25 years who suffered a fatal brain aneurysm at age 56. In his death and through his decision to become an organ donor, Tom provided the miracle of life for Quinton Jones, a native of Bermuda who traveled to the Mayo Clinic in hopes of receiving a life-saving heart and liver transplant.”

Star Tribune, The Nonprofit 100 by Patrick Kennedy — This is the Star Tribune’s 24th annual list of the largest nonprofit organizations. The list has long been dominated by the state’s large nonprofit health care sector…1. Mayo Clinic: A medical education and research center and integrated health care system. Related coverage: Star TribuneFor Mayo and other nonprofits, operating in the black is about survival, not greed

MPR News, Minnesota winter blues: Tips to treat seasonal affective disorder by Angela Davis — Winter blues are common, especially in Minnesota where for months it’s cold and dark. We tend to hibernate and crave carbohydrates. Our mood changes. These symptoms can be signs of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or seasonal depression. An expert in seasonal affective disorder joined the program to share some tips on how to treat it. Guest: Craig Sawchuk is a psychologist at Mayo Clinic.

KEYC Mankato, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases on the rise this flu season; health officials say it’s because of better diagnoses processes by Gage Cureton — Health officials say they’ve seen an uptick in RSV diagnoses this season in infants. “When they start to get swelling there they just can’t handle that swelling as well becasue the diameter of their airway is much less. This year for our practice we’re probably recognizing it more because there are new tests that we’re using for flu tests, and it tests for RSV at the same time,” says Dr. Chaun Cox, family medicine physician, Mayo Clinic Health System.

Mankato Free Press, Study: Timing is key for knee replacements by Brian Arola — Dr. Jacob Ziegler, orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, said he more often sees patients who aren’t quite at the point of needing knee replacements. “For what I tend to see it’s more often folks who aren’t quite a great candidate for a joint replacement, but they’re sort of in this in-between time,” he said  Those folks are often physically active and want to remain that way. The challenge for surgeons is to address their pain while making sure the patients understand artificial joints have their limits.

West Central Tribune, Why late afternoon, evening in hospitals can be the worst time of day by John Lundy — Also known as sundown syndrome, sundowning syndrome or just plain sundowning, it’s “the emergence or worsening of agitation (or) other types of potentially problematic, challenging behaviors that occur in the late afternoon or early evening,” said Joseph Gaugler, director of the School of Public Health Center on Aging at the University of Minnesota. Some of the behaviors can include confusion, anxiety, aggression, ignoring directions and pacing or wandering, according to Dr. Jonathan Graff-Radford, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester whose specialties include Alzheimer’s disease and dementia…“Any change in environment, whether it be a hospitalization or a move to a new living environment, can prompt this,” Graff-Radford said.

St. Peter Herald, Panel, film screening to address opioid crisis by Becky Asleson — “The Opioid Fix,” co-produced by Mayo Clinic and TPT-Twin Cities PBS, explores the education, prevention and solutions surrounding the opioid crisis. A panel discussion will include experts from Mayo Clinic Health System, Minnesota State University, Mankato, TPT-Twin Cities PBS and the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force, which includes St. Peter and Nicollet County law enforcement.

St. Peter Herald, Mayo Clinic Health System in St. Peter welcomes new provider — Mayo Clinic Health System in St. Peter recently welcomed new family medicine provider Linda Fuller. As a family medicine provider, Fuller helps care for people of all ages with preventive treatment and illness evaluation, including prescribing medications. She transitioned her practice from Waukon, Wisconsin, to St. Peter this month and starts seeing patients Jan. 13.

Faribault Daily News, Local doctor named to USA Hockey’s staff for 2020 Youth Olympic Games by Jason Hommes — The 2020 Youth Olympic Games began Thursday in Switzerland, and a local doctor will be traveling with the USA Youth Hockey team when it departs Sunday for the games. Dr. Jason Lee, D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), was selected to be the USA Youth Hockey team doctor. Dr. Lee works out of the Mayo Clinic location in Faribault as well as in Rochester and specializes in physical medicine & rehabilitation and sports medicine. This year will mark the second time Dr. Lee has traveled to the Youth Olympic Games, as he also served as the team physician in 2016 when the games were held in Lillehammer, Norway.

SW News Media, Seasonal affective disorder more than just the winter blues, experts say by Lydia Christenson — For some people, the winter brings out seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD, according to a press release from the Mayo Clinic Health System… “We typically do see increased cases as the days get short,” Martin Herrmann, medical director at Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague and Waseca said. Some people will even start experiencing symptoms in the late fall, he said.

WKBT La Crosse, RSV cases in young children surge across the country, and locally by Rachel Ausman — “As we screen infants for both RSV and Influenza, we’re seeing an awful lot of positive cases,” said Dr. Charlie Peters, a Pediatrician with Mayo Clinic Health System in Onalaska. “We’ve already had to admit infants and small children to the hospital for care. It’s definitely among us, and we’re seeing it at an increasing rate.” Unlike the flu, which can spread through particles in the air, RSV is transferred by contact, which is why washing your hands and cleaning surfaces is so important to protect your child.

WKBT La Crosse, Medical study shows cancer deaths are declining by Molly Ringberg — One health expert says these advances give people more options for cancer treatments. “You don’t have to be scared of chemotherapy, because we have other treatment options. We can treat you, and you don’t have to go through the side effects of chemotherapy,” said Ibrahim Sadek, a medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic Health System. Sadek says he’s confident that cancer deaths will continue to decline. Additional coverage: WIZM-Radio

WKBT La Crosse, Community forum discusses the impact of technology on children by Molly Ringberg — The goal of the event is to educate parents about the risks and benefits of today’s digital world and to offer alternative activities to reduce kid’s use of electronic devices. “Talking about strategies that I’m hoping parents can take home to help them come up with a plan in their house, for the electronic devices, and dealing with their kids to avoid some of those problems,” said Kristina Schlecht, a physician at Mayo Clinic Health System.

WKBT La Crosse, Certain vegetable-based meat alternatives may not be as healthy as they seems by Molly Ringberg — Even though they are plant-based, health experts say certain meatless meat products have low nutritional value, which is why you should look at the label. “It’s important to help people make good, informed choices, and just to keep in mind that just because something has a health halo effect doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a healthy food,” said Romi Londre, Registered Dietitian at Mayo Clinic Health System. Londre says traditional black bean or soy burgers are healthier options.

WKBT La Crosse, Salvation Army raises $39K from Red Kettle Campaign Match Day by Rachel Ausman — A $15,000 donation is helping Salvation Army residents receive mental health services. A check was presented by Mayo Clinic Health System to the Salvation Army on Friday as a part of the Red Kettle Campaign’s Match Day. Additional coverage: WEAU Eau Claire, WXOW La Crosse

WXOW La Crosse, Folic acid linked to lowering birth defects in babies by Lindsey Ford — Folic acid is part of the vitamin-B family. Its purpose serves many functions, but the main reason doctors recommend the supplement is because it helps the body form healthy cells. "Research worldwide has shown that it is typically a combination of a healthy diet along with supplements that provide the best benefit," said Ishan K. Shah, M.B.B.S. Resident Physician at Mayo Clinic Health System. Doctors recommend women who are trying to conceive or are pregnant, take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day and have a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. Additional coverage: La Crosse Tribune

WIZM-Radio, Mayo helps fund psychiatric services at Salvation Army by Drew Kelly — Psychiatric services to those who visit the Salvation Army in La Crosse in 2020 will be funded, in part, by Mayo Clinic Health System. The medical giant presented a $15,000 check to the Salvation Army during a press conference on Friday. According to Major Jeff Richardson, with the Salvation Army of La Crosse County, those services are vital to their clients. “Many people who come to us have experienced some sort of trauma in their life, and it’s a big issue of why their homeless,” Richardson said… Paul Mueller, with Mayo, said they need entities like the Salvation Army on the front lines. “Our community members don’t always access health care services directly with us as a first point of contact,” Mueller said. “This is a great program where we can support the Salvation Army as they’re providing those basic services.”

WEAU Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic emergency dept. staff sharpen skills with training by Jesse Horne — A training session was held to allow the emergency department to practice everything from applying a splint and using a fiberoptic scope to looking into the airway and using an ultrasound to look at the heart. Mayo officials say the training is a way for staff to understand all the tools of their trade. "In emergency medicine, we frequently have to do procedures, we have to do them under stress and we may not doing that frequently. Some procedures we do all the time like, laceration repair. But, an emergency airway or removing a foreign body, we may do once in a while.

Chippewa Herald, Kidney donation marks third time Tilden man has saved best friend's life by Eric Lindquist — Give and take is common among friends, and Don Elliott and Kyle Brandt are no exception. But the Chippewa County men, who have been trading good-natured jabs since becoming best friends in fourth grade, took their exchanges to a new level in October. That’s when Kyle donated one of his kidneys to Don, whose kidneys were the size of watermelons and failing as a result of polycystic kidney disease, a genetic condition that runs in his family…The transplant was performed Oct. 23 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and both men said in an interview last week they are doing great. Additional coverage: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram

RiverTowns.net, Strap on some cross-country skis by Steve Gardiner — It would be easy to complain about winter in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Snow causes many problems -- poor visibility, slippery sidewalks, bad roads, and plenty of car crashes. But it also provides the foundation for cross-country skiing, a sport enjoyed by thousands of regional residents on hundreds of miles of groomed and ungroomed trails. “I think it is a sport that has something for everyone in it,” said Heather Nagel, a physical therapist at Mayo Clinic Health System Cannon Falls, Lake City and Red Wing, who teaches cross-country skiing in Red Wing. “Whether you are shuffling along through some unbroken snow, or flying down the racetrack feeling the speed, it offers so many different connections.”

Everyday Health, Diabetes Nearly Doubles the Risk of Heart Failure by Becky Upham — Even after ruling out risk factors like high body mass index (BMI) and high blood pressure, diabetes significantly increases the likelihood of future heart failure, the new study found. “We found a strong association between having diabetes and also developing heart failure,” says Michael D. Klajda, MD, an internist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a coauthor of the research. “The study also expands on the current knowledge that even without any sort of significant structural disease of the heart, people with diabetes are still at risk for developing heart failure. These findings can be a great discussion point between a patient and their physician regarding how diabetes can adversely affect many different organs,” says Dr. Klajda. Additional coverage: Cardiovascular Business, Medscape

Discover magazine, Your Fat Cells Never Disappear — Making Future Weight Gain More Likely by Cody Cottier — Instead, our fat cells simply shrink in size, lingering in tissues ready to swell again with excess energy. When we lose weight, most of us probably imagine our fat cells disappearing, excised by the “fat-burning” exercises or “gut-busting” diets we’re using. But Michael Jensen, an obesity researcher at the Mayo Clinic, says anyone hoping to shed pounds should be aware of the way these cells actually react to weight loss. “For people who lose, say, 20 pounds when they go on their diet after New Year’s,” he says, “their fat cells haven’t gone away.”

Yahoo! Finance, Cellectar Biosciences to Host a CLR 131 Clinical Data Call with Its Phase 2 Lead Investigator on February 19, 2020 — Members of Cellectar’s senior management team and Dr. Sikander Ailawadhi, M.D., the lead investigator for the company’s Phase 2 study, will provide additional clinical data, as well as an update and analysis of the CLR 131 Phase 1 and Phase 2 hematology focused trials...Sikander Ailawadhi, M.D. is an Associate Professor, Division of Hematology/Oncology at Mayo Clinic Florida and is the lead investigator for the company’s Phase 2 CLOVER-1 trial of CLR 131 in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell hematologic cancers.

Yahoo! Finance, Your mattress covered by health care? Why Sleep Number thinks it could happen by Anjalee Khemlani — As technology gets more sophisticated — and stressed-out consumers find it harder to get some shut-eye — Sleep Number (SNBR) thinks the day could arrive when a mattress can be covered by health insurance. Sleep disorders — which the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has deemed a public health crisis— have been linked to health conditions like heart disease. Meanwhile, institutions like the Mayo Clinic are shelling out millions to fund studies on why people find it harder to rest. And just Friday, Sleep Number competitor Casper Sleep filed paperwork to go public, citing the opportunities presented by what it estimated is a $432 billion sleep economy. Additional coverage: Becker’s Hospital Review

Yahoo! Lifestyle, What Methadone Use During Pregnancy Means for Newborns by Emily Schiffer — According to the latest data, one baby was born with signs of NAS every 15 minutes. Since Methadone is an opioid medication, infants exposed to it during pregnancy can experience signs of withdrawal after birth. If withdrawal begins, the baby is likely to be given a low dose of treatment such as of morphine, buprenorphine, or methadone, and weaned off over a series of days following birth, says Jane Brumbaugh, M.D., a neonatologist at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center.

Good Housekeeping, What is Galentine's Day? A Guide for You and Your Pals by Lizz Schumer — Whether you're gleefully single, happily coupled, or somewhere in between, taking a day to recognize the importance of friendship can only help strengthen some of the most important relationships in our lives. And there's science behind that sentiment, too. According to The Mayo Clinic, not only do strong friendships give us a sense of belonging and purpose, improve our self-confidence, lower stress, and help us cope with trauma and life challenges — They can also reduce the risk of high blood pressure and depression and even help us live longer lives.

International Business Times, Cardio Exercises Boosts Brain Health, New Study Finds by Divya Ramaswamy — Cardio exercises have been renowned for their ability to burn fat, calories and aid weight loss. It also helps reduce your risk of several diseases including hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes and certain cancers. To the growing body of benefits offered by cardio exercises, scientists have, now, added improvement in brain health. The recent study, published by the Mayo Clinic, reported that cardiorespiratory exercises including brisk walking, running and cycling can improve brain health, especially in gray matter and total brain volume which contains the regions of the brain involved with aging as well as cognitive decline. Additional coverage: The Week, Psych Central

International Business Times, Scientists discover 'molecular switch' that can help repair damage to central nervous system by Jeevan Biswas — One of the biggest challenges in the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease is irreversible neural damage. However, a study by researchers from Mayo Clinic claims that a molecular switch with the ability to 'turn on' the substance that can help in healing this damage has been discovered. According to the study, when the receptor known as Protease Activated Receptor 1 (PAR1)—which is activated by the blood protein, Thrombin—is genetically switched off—the body acquires the ability to regenerate a fatty substance called myelin, that covers and protects nerves. Additional coverage: Science Daily, News-medical.net

Allergic Living, 3 in 4 Kids See Benefit From Viaskin Peanut Patch After 3 Years by Jennifer Goodwin — About 52 percent could consume at least 1,000 mg of peanut – a primary endpoint of the study. Seventy-six percent could consume that or smaller amounts without symptoms, but still more peanut protein than they could have at the start of the trial. “There are a couple of take-homes from these topline results,” said Dr. Benjamin Wright, an allergist-immunologist at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, who was not involved in the research into the skin treatment called epicutaneous immunotherapy. “The longer you do epicutaneous immunotherapy, the more patients seem to benefit,” noted Wright. “And epicutaneous immunotherapy seems to be a lot more helpful in younger children.”

Next Avenue, This Boxing Training Helps People With Parkinson’s Fight Back by Edie Grossfield — A study published in 2011 and conducted by physical therapy researchers at the University of Indianapolis found that after 12 weeks participating in RSB training, people with Parkinson’s experienced improvements in their gait, balance and overall quality of life. It also found that those with milder Parkinson’s symptoms improved at a faster rate than those with more severe symptoms. Other research, including a 2011 review of research by Mayo Clinic neurologist J. Eric Ahlskog, has shown vigorous exercise has a protective effect on the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease.

AMA, 4 ways programs can help medical residents beat burnout by Brendan Murphy — With the prevalence of burnout among trainees registering in such volume, Dr. Dyrbye—a professor of medicine and medical education at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine—offered a handful of solutions that residency programs can put in place to curb the trend. She spoke at the American Conference on Physician Health, co-sponsored by the AMA, Mayo Clinic and Stanford Medicine.

Q13 FOX, Bad sleep may increase risk for Alzheimer’s, study says — “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. Additional coverage: FOX 6 Now, WDJT Milwaukee

MobiHealthNews, Alphabet scoops up another former ONC head, Mayo Clinic's first chief digital officer and more digital health hires by Dave Muoio — The Mayo Clinic has hired its first chief digital officer with the appointment of Rita Khan, who most recently stood as SVP of consumer digital at UnitedHealthcare. The health system said that in her new role, Khan will be guiding Mayo Clinic's strategy as it prepares for big changes across the digital space, and putting in place a “comprehensive business plan and digital standards that align with Mayo Clinic's culture and values.”

Health Leaders, Mayo Clinic’s John Halamka answers tough questions about data privacy, Google, and Epic by Mandy Roth — With the launch of the Mayo Clinic Platform last year, the Rochester, Minnesota, healthcare system has grand plans for innovation, including a partnership with Google. Yet to achieve potential cost, quality, and patient experience benefits, other issues also have to be addressed. With the recent Project Nightingale debacle involving Google, the spotlight on data privacy is shining more brightly than ever. And there are other challenges for innovators to navigate including reimbursement and potential obstacles created by electronic health vendors, including Epic and Cerner.

Fierce Healthcare, Executive Spotlight—John Halamka on his move to Mayo Clinic and what excites him about the future of health IT by Heather Landi — John Halamka, M.D., has got to be the busiest person in healthcare. He's a recognized health IT executive, a practicing emergency room physician, a public policy expert, a Harvard professor, a speaker and an advocate for the industry.  He leads technology initiatives at some of the most respected healthcare organizations in the country—at Beth Israel Lahey Health for 20 years and now at Mayo Clinic.

Fierce Healthcare, JPM20: The latest from day 2 of the biggest conference in healthcare — Mayo Clinic Platform — a coordinated portfolio Mayo Clinic launched last year to create new platform ventures and leverage emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, connected health care devices and natural language processing — has its first big venture. Announced in conjunction with the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, Mayo Clinic is launching what's called the Clinical Data Analytics Platform. The platform will apply advanced data analytics on de-identified data from Mayo Clinic and other organizations, as well as scientific literature, officials said in the statement. Additional coverage: Becker’s Hospital Review, Health Exec, Fierce Biotech, GenomeWeb, News-medical.net

Healthcare Dive, CVS, Mayo, Tenet among healthcare companies to watch at #JPM20Mayo Clinic: Mayo, named the top hospital for the fourth time in a row by U.S. News and World Report, is continuing to expand geographically and its finances have shown healthy growth as well. For the first three quarters of 2019, medical service revenue climbed 8.9% and total revenue grew 8.1% compared to the year prior while net income more than doubled.  The nonprofit system could give an update on services abroad. It opened a clinic in London in September and has announced an affiliation with the Saudi German Hospital in Cairo.

Becker’s Hospital Review, How 7 hospitals are spending innovation investment dollars: UPMC, Providence & more by Andrea Park — 4. Mayo Clinic's innovation commercialization arm participated in a $60 million funding round for artificial intelligence software startup Nference, with which the Rochester, Minn.-based health system also recently partnered to launch a clinical data analytics platform.

TCTMD, Embolization Coils May Be an Option for Leaks After LAA Occlusion by Todd Neale — Mohamad Alkhouli, MD (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN), who wrote an editorial accompanying the paper, pointed out to TCTMD that the study is limited by the small sample size obtained in a single center and by the fact that two-thirds of patients had a leak size below the 5-mm threshold. “I think [the journal editors] really wanted to highlight that this is an issue that people see and there might be some solutions and this seems to be a good enough solution for now,” he said. But the more important message to glean is that there is much remaining to be learned about this problem, specifically regarding the leaks’ origins, which are probably more important than jet size when determining which ones need to treated, Alkhouli said. “I’m of the opinion that the size does not matter, it’s really the mechanisms.”

TCTMD, Community Death Rates Following Type 2 MI Speak to Lack of Treatments, Trials by Yael L. Maxwell — Rates of type 1 myocardial infarction (T1MI) have markedly declined as compared with rates of type 2 MI (T2MI), such that by the end of a new study's 10-year reporting period rates of both types of events were similar. But mortality following T2MI was higher over the course of time, driven by early mortality as well as noncardiovascular deaths, a finding the authors say has important implications for research and practice. “These findings underscore the healthcare burden of T2MI and provide benchmarks for clinical trial design,” write Claire E. Raphael, MBBS, PhD (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN), and colleagues, who add that the results reinforce the need to find evidence-based strategies for managing the disease.

360 Dx, Alzheimer's Researchers Propose Moving Towards Biological, Biomarker-Based Definition of Disease by Adam Bonislawski — In an editorial published last month in Science Translational Medicine, Clifford Jack, a professor of radiology at Mayo Clinic; David Holtzman, chair of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis; and Reisa Sperling, a professor of neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, suggested that the "most scientifically productive way forward" for Alzheimer's research and treatment would be to "adopt a biological definition of AD."

Medscape, Better Intellectual Outcomes After Proton Beam for Brain Cancer by Roxanne Nelson — "This supports what has been suspected, specifically, that decreased integral dose to the brain in developing brains has measurable benefit," said Sameer R. Keole, MD, a radiation oncologist at the Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, who was approached for comment. These are some of the best data he has seen, and they validate the benefit of proton therapy in pediatric brain tumors, Keole told Medscape Medical News.

Medscape, 'Alarming Trend': Gastric Cancer Increase in Younger Adults by Pam Harrison — The incidence of gastric cancer among younger adults (20–59 years of age) in the United States has been increasing steadily since the 1990s. Such cases now make up at least 30% of all new gastric cancer diagnoses, a new analysis reveals. "I think this is an alarming trend, as stomach cancer is a devastating disease, so hopefully studies like this will raise awareness and increase physicians' suspicion of stomach cancer, particularly in younger patients," senior author Travis Grotz, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, commented in a statement.

Healio, Povidone-iodine irrigation may not reduce infection risk in TJA — “[These results go] against the grain of what many orthopedic surgeons, and particularly hip and knee surgeons, have thought for the last several years,” Kevin I. Perry, MD, co-author of the study and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Mayo Clinic, told Orthopedics Today. “It is not to say that [dilute povidone-iodine] certainly does not have an effect, but I think our data suggest that there is no effect. That makes this ripe for a randomized controlled trial at some point,” he said.

Healio, PCOS increases likelihood of eating, sleeping disorders — “While there continues to be significant focus on the metabolic complications of PCOS, the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities that impact every aspect of female functioning including sleep, relationship with food as well as sexual function are often overlooked,” Asma Javed Chattha, MD, MBBS, a consultant in the department of pediatric and adolescent medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told Healio. “At the time of diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome, emphasis should be placed on addressing the overall functioning of the individual, particularly mood disorders as they pertain to sleep, sexual function and nutrition.”

The Hindu, Sit for long at your peril — James Levine, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative, had been doing a series of experiments since early 2000 to understand why some people put on more weight than some others even when they all ate the very same food in the same amount. Dr. Levine later said that he had hoped to discover some magic metabolic factor which made some people put on weight.

Saudi Gazette, SGH Group marks 2019 on a high note — A major milestone in the group’s long list of achievements in 2019 is being affiliated with the number 1 hospital in the US, Mayo Clinic, in Cairo, which makes it the only hospital that’s part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network in Africa. The group also expanded heavily, with 2 new openings in 2019, their 10th hospital in Ajman and more recently their 11th one in Dammam. “We have big plans to expand in KSA, MENA and beyond,” Said Makarem. “Our hospital in Dammam is our most recent facility which now gives people in the Easter Province access to SGH quality of care. We are now accessible to over 90 per cent of the patients in the Kingdom and around 60% of the population in the UAE.” He added.

Khaleej Times, New hospital in Abu Dhabi now fully functional by Ismail Sebugwaawo — The new emergency department in Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City in Abu Dhabi has begun receiving patients from Thursday, according to authorities. The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) said that with the new department now open, the emergency department in Mafraq Hospital will close permanently. The inpatient wards in Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City were also activated, marking the full functioning of the UAE's largest hospital. In partnership with Mayo Clinic, a non-profit global leader in medical care, education and research, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City reflects Seha's commitment to medical excellence and the patient experience.

La Prensa, Dolores de cabeza: cuándo acudir al medico — La gran mayoría de los dolores de cabeza son benignos y no están relacionados a otros problemas de salud. Sin embargo, los pacientes que se presentan a la guardia con dolor de cabeza suelen tener características especiales o estar acompañados de otras manifestaciones clínicas que pueden ser más preocupantes. Así lo explicó en una entrevista con La Prensa el doctor Alejandro A. Rabinstein, de Mayo Clinic en Rochester, Estados Unidos, quien comentó que las cefaleas son uno de los motivos más frecuentes de consulta en la guardia.

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Editors: Emily BlahnikKarl Oestreich

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