ABC News by Marilynn Marchione, AP Chief Medical Writer Those without a high risk will be advised to improve their lifestyles — lose weight, ...
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Today.com 7 things your doctor wants you to know about Alzheimer's by Aliyah Frumin It’s time to see a doctor when you forget the big things, said Dr. Ronald Petersen, a neurologist and Alzheimer’s expert at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "When people start to forget important information, things they formerly wouldn’t have forgotten, like the kids are coming over, or a doctor’s appointment, or having tee time with your buddies every Tuesday," Petersen elaborated. "When the pattern of forgetfulness changes in the individual regarding important information, it doesn’t mean you have Alzheimer’s, but it means, let’s take a look at this.” Reach: The TODAY Show reaches an average daily audience of 4.25 million viewers each week. Today.com, the website for NBC's TODAY show receives more than 23.9 million unique visitors each month. Context: Ron Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., is the Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Petersen is regularly sought out by reporters as a leading expert in his medical field. Dr. Petersen chairs the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care and Services. Contact: Susan Barber Lindquist Washington Post Tom Brady says an anti-inflammation diet is good for him. Would it work for you? by Emily Sohn …Many questions remain about whether benefits come solely from omega-3s or from interactions among nutrients in certain foods. The same kinds of complexities surround other foods and food components that often get linked with inflammation, including turmeric, cherry juice, resveratrol and gluten. “We might find one study that says something, but can you find another to back it up? Not usually,” says Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “I don’t mean to imply it’s bad science. It’s science that doesn’t necessarily have the rigor behind it to say this is an absolute conclusion.” Brady’s restrictive advice could even backfire for some people. Strict diets tend to fail, Zaretsky says. And some of the foods he avoids are full of vitamins and antioxidants. Reach: The Washington Post averages a daily circulation of 313,000. Its website has more than 43.9 million unique visitors each month. Context: Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. is a Mayo Clinic registered dietitian and nutritionist. Contact: Duska Anastasijevic HuffPost Emerging From Mastectomy With A Healthy Body Image Intact …After having the abnormal cells surgically removed, Margaret took medication to suppress her estrogen production in hopes of decreasing her breast cancer risk. But in 2016, her fears were realized. A mammogram showed she had suspicious calcifications in her right breast. Further testing revealed Margaret had breast cancer. …Margaret made an appointment with the Breast Diagnostic Clinic at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus. There she met with general surgeon Amy Degnim, M.D., and plastic surgeon Valerie Lemaine, M.D., in January 2017. “Both are outstanding in their field. The level of caring was unlike the other medical centers I’d been in,” Margaret says. “I liked that both Dr. Lemaine and Dr. Degnim treated me as a partner in my treatment. They didn’t tell me what to do. They told me what my options were.” Reach: The HuffPost attracts more than 22.9 million unique monthly visitors each month. Context: Valerie Lemaine, M.D., M.P.H. is a Mayo Clinic plastic surgeon. Her clinical research evaluates how to reduce preventable complications following breast reconstructive surgery. Amy Degnim, M.D. is with Mayo Clinic's Breast Diagnostic Clinic and is a general surgeon. Dr. Degnim's research focuses on improving the ability to predict breast cancer risk for individual women by studying breast tissue for very early signs of premalignant change. Contacts: Joe Dangor, Sharon Theimer Post-Bulletin Mayo hires new chief financial officer By Brett Boese Mayo Clinic announced Thursday it has hired Dennis Dahlen as its new chief financial officer. He will replace Kedrick Adkins Jr., who is retiring after almost four years in that role at Mayo and a 40-year career in health care. Dahlen spent the last 11 years as Banner Health's senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer. Banner Health is located in Phoenix, Ariz. Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota. Additional coverage: Post-Bulletin, KTTC, HealthExec, Becker’s Hospital Review, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Context: After an extensive national search, Dennis Dahlen has been named chief financial officer, Mayo Clinic. Dahlen comes to Mayo Clinic from Banner Health, an integrated health care delivery system in Phoenix, where he served 11 years as senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer. He previously served as Banner’s system vice president of finance. “I’m thrilled to join Mayo Clinic, an organization with a 150-year legacy of providing expert care to each patient,” Dahlen says. “As the health care industry faces enormous challenges, I’m confident that Mayo’s capacity for discovery and innovation will provide an excellent platform for success.” More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Susan Barber Lindquist Fox Business Doctors spending more time on paperwork than with patients? Mayo Clinic in Florida CEO Dr. Gianrico Farrugia on what is needed to improve health care in America. Reach: Fox Business Network is headquartered in News Corporation's studios in midtown Manhattan with bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles,San Francisco (Silicon Valley), Washington, D.C. and London. Context: Gianrico Farrugia, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic vice president and CEO of Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida. Contact: Traci Klein
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik CNN Emergency declaration is key to curbing opioid epidemic, experts say by Wayne Drash President Donald Trump's declaration of the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency Thursday is a key step in curbing the problem, as it helps redirect funds and ease state laws for those fighting on the front lines, according to public health experts and medical professionals. … "In practical terms, I believe this declaration of public health emergency will unify the country and our leadership in a nonpartisan way around finding solutions to this growing problem in the US," said Dr. Halena Gazelka, an anesthesiologist who chairs the Mayo Clinic's Opioid Stewardship Program. "As state, federal and private funds are directed at curbing the primary issues (of) supply and demand, hopefully we'll see a rapid decrease in the overdose deaths and related health issues." Reach: CNN.com has 29.7 million unique visitors to its website each month. Additional coverage: WGNO ABC Context: Halena Gazelka, MD. is a Mayo Clinic antheisoligist. Contacts: Kelley Luckstein, Duska Anastasijevic NBC News Can Science Solve Football’s Concussion Crisis? by Ryan Basen Football is facing a major crisis — and not because some NFL players keep taking a knee during the National Anthem. It’s because a growing body of research shows that on-the-field collisions put players at risk for brain injury and a devastating neurological disorder known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). One recent report found CTE in 110 of 111 former NFL players studied. … "There's not going to be one magic rule change, one magic helmet design, one magic dietary supplement that’s going to make concussions go away," says Dr. Michael Stuart, co-director of sports medicine for the Mayo Clinic. But, he says, "There is hope. I really do think there have been tremendous strides." Reach: NBC MACH is a a technology, science and innovation news vertical from NBC which covers robotics, the technology industry, artificial intelligence, space, and how technology will impact life and culture in the future. Context: Michael Stuart, M.D. is co-director, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center. Contact: Rhoda Fukushima Madson Post-Bulletin Noseworthy: When Mayo thrives, patients and communities do as well by John Noseworthy For more than 150 years, the city of Rochester has attracted presidents and kings, farmers and teachers from all 50 states and more than 140 countries seeking hope and healing at Mayo Clinic. There is no other world-class medical center that has had the privilege of being located in a mid-sized city over the course of three centuries. While growing a destination medical center in southeastern Minnesota presents challenges, Rochester is a remarkable place because of our enduring collaborations. We at Mayo Clinic are not alone in our mission of healing. The people of Rochester and neighboring communities are our indispensable partners, welcoming and caring for visitors at the most vulnerable times in their lives…. Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota. Context: John Noseworthy, M.D., is president and CEO of Mayo Clinic. A strong Mayo Clinic depends on a strong community. And in Rochester, a strong community depends on a vital Mayo Clinic. That was the message John Noseworthy, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO, shared with local business leaders at a community luncheon on Oct. 25. Dr. Noseworthy shared highlights from Mayo's 2016 Societal and Economic Health Report, which revealed that Mayo contributed $28 billion to the U.S. economy in 2015 and created 167,000 jobs nationwide through business expenditures and activity. "You may be interested in results closer to home," Dr. Noseworthy said. "Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Health System are responsible for 92,000 jobs in the state of Minnesota. About 40,000 of those are our own employees." An additional 37,800 jobs have been created within a 24-county region in southern Minnesota because of Mayo's presence, he said. "Together with state/local government and our community partners, we're securing the future of Minnesota's global health care economy," Dr. Noseworthy noted. You can read more here. Contact: Karl Oestreich ActionNewsJax Doctor at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville working to see if stem cells multiply faster in space by Kaitlyn Chana A local doctor is turning to space to see if stem cells will multiply faster in zero gravity so he can better treat stroke patients. Medical Director for Transfusion Medicine Dr. Abba Zubair of Mayo Clinic told us stem cells are not easy to grow because they’re designed to keep their numbers. “We are looking for ways to grow cells, and we’ve tried everything. We have to think out of the hat,” Zubair said. After more than three years of planning and preparation, and with technical assistance provided by the Center for Applied Space Technology, Zubair was able to take his theory to space. “We think gravity might play a role. It impacts how we look, our shape and height,” Zubair said. Reach: WAWS-TV/30 is the Fox affiliate. WTEV-TV/47 is the CBS affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida. Context: Abba Zubair, M.D., Ph.D.'s research seeks to identify and characterize normal and cancer stem cells using immuno-phenotyping, molecular and cell culture techniques. You can read more about his research here and here. Contact: Kevin Punsky
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Reuters Heart health disparities take toll on African-Americans by Will Boggs Dr. LaPrincess Brewer from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who has worked to promote cardiovascular health in African-American communities, told Reuters Health by email there’s a need for “culturally relevant, community-based cardiovascular health interventions that focus more on positive motivation towards promoting cardiovascular health rather than the negative impact of cardiovascular disease.” “By increasing awareness of this enduring and colossal issue, we can then in turn empower African-Americans to play a role in improving their own cardiovascular health in tandem with their healthcare providers and social support networks,” she said. Reach: Reuters offers 24-hour coverage of global happenings for professionals around the world. With 196 editorial bureaus in 130 countries and 2,400 editorial staff members, it covers international news, regional news, politics, social issues, health, business, sports and media. Context: LaPrincess Brewer, M.D., M.P.H., is a Mayo Clinic researcher who has special interest in increasing minority and women's participation in cardiovascular clinical trials through mobile health (mHealth) interventions. Contacts: Sharon Theimer, Ethan Grove Washington Post I heard what my doctor thinks; now I want a second opinion. How do I get one? by Steven Petrow Q: I’ve been diagnosed with cancer and hope for a second opinion before I start treatment. I’d like to ask my oncologist for a referral, but that feels like I don’t trust her. How do I do this without offending her?... James Naessens, a policy and health services researcher at the Mayo Clinic who led a study on misdiagnoses, told me that 10 to 20 percent of all cases nationwide are misdiagnosed, affecting at least 12 million people and possibly many more. Reach: The Washington Post averages a daily circulation of 313,000. Its website has more than 43.9 million unique visitors each month. Previous coverage in the May 5, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in April 28, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in April 7, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Many patients come to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion or diagnosis confirmation before treatment for a complex condition. In a new study, Mayo Clinic reports that as many as 88 percent of those patients go home with a new or refined diagnosis – changing their care plan and potentially their lives. Conversely, only 12 percent receive confirmation that the original diagnosis was complete and correct. These findings were published online recently in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. The research team was led by James Naessens, Sc.D., a health care policy researcher at Mayo Clinic. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Elizabeth Zimmerman Young HuffPost Breast Cancer Screening And Research Dr. Karthik Ghosh, director of the Mayo Clinic Breast Diagnostic Clinic, says mammogram is still the best test to screen the breast for women an average risk of breast cancer.”It has really been one of the long-standing tests, with a lot of research showing that there is a decrease in mortality.” Dr. Ghosh says the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that women 40 to 49 consider screening after discussion with their health care provider. For women 50 to 75, mammograms should be performed every other year. Dr. Ghosh adds there can be downsides to a mammogram, which include callbacks for further testing, false positives and the anxiety related to those events. Reach: The HuffPost attracts more than 22.9 million unique monthly visitors each month. Context: Karthik Ghosh, M.D. is an internist with Mayo's Breast Diagnostic Clinic. Contact: Joe Dangor HuffPost This Is the Sex Education you Missed by Brett Berhoff I had the pleasure of meeting one of the great minds of the medical world, Dr. Virginia M. Miller of Mayo Clinic. Her research into sex hormones and sex differences is groundbreaking in the treatment of individuals based on how a disease affects them as either male or female. Dr. Miller currently serves as the principal investigator for the Specialized Center of Research on Sex Differences and has written more than 250 original publications. We discussed her research and the implications it could have on the medical treatment of men and women… Reach: The HuffPost attracts more than 22.9 million unique monthly visitors each month. WCCO Exercise A Lot? You Could Be At Risk For Rhabdomyolysis by Angela Davis We exercise for many reasons: To maintain a healthy weight, lower the risk for disease and to improve our mental health. But across the country, some people are heading to emergency rooms because they’ve pushed themselves too hard during workouts. “They push through the pain, they keep pushing and pushing and pushing to the point where they just tear their muscles apart,” Dr. Jonathan Finnoff with the Mayo Clinic said. It’s a condition called Rhabdomyolysis. It happens when high-intensity movements cause muscles to tear so much, they release toxins into the bloodstream. WCCO’s Angela Davis shows us how the condition typically occurs, and what can be done to prevent it. Context: Johnathon Finnoff, D.O. is a Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician. Reach: WCCO-4 is the CBS affiilate in Minneapolis. Contact: Rhoda Fukushima Madson KIMT Women’s Celebration of Research Dr. Virginia Miller is interviewed at the Celebration of Women’s Health Research event. Reach: KIMT 3 serves the Mason City-Austin-Albert Lea-Rochester market. Additional coverage: KTTC Context: The research of Virginia Miller, PH.D focuses on conditions specific to women: ovarian function, preeclampsia of pregnancy and menopause. These conditions are associated with dramatic changes in one of the sex steroids, estrogen, and can accelerate development of chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease and aging processes. Dr. Miller's work evaluates how estrogen affects progression of atherosclerosis, and changes in brain structure and cognition at menopause. For these studies, she works collaboratively with other researchers associated with the Rochester Epidemiology Project, the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, the Center for Translational Science Activities and the Women's Health Research Center. Contact: Kelly Reller
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik STAT Doctors fear mental health disclosure could jeopardize their licenses by Leah Samuel Medicine is grappling with rising levels of physician burnout, one of the factors driving high rates of depression and suicide in the profession. Now, a new study shows, those concerns break down along geographic lines — and in those states whose licensure applications ask the most sweeping questions about mental illness, physicians are most likely to be reluctant to seek treatment. The problem lies in how they ask, said Mayo Clinic professor and internist Dr. Liselotte Dyrbye, who led the study. “In some states, the question is really broad, as in, ‘Have you ever been treated for a mental health condition?'” she said. “It’s simply not a fair question.” Reach: STAT covers the frontiers of health and medicine including science labs, hospitals, biotechnology board rooms, and political back rooms. Hosted by The Boston Globe, STAT has more than 603,000 unique visitors to its web site each month. Additional coverage: Doctors Lounge, Becker’s Hospital Review Previous coverage in October 13, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Despite growing problems with psychological distress, many physicians avoid seeking mental health treatment due to concern for their license. Mayo Clinic research shows that licensing requirements in many states include questions about past mental health treatments or diagnoses, with the implication that they may limit a doctor's right to practice medicine. The findings appear in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. “Clearly, in some states, the questions physicians are required to answer to obtain or renew their license are keeping them from seeking the help they need to recover from burnout and other emotional or mental health issues,” says Liselotte Dyrbye, M.D., a Mayo Clinic physician and first author of the article. More information about the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Bob Nellis Today.com America's 'silent killer' is still out of control: Here's how to stop it by Aliyah Frumin Although it's a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, less than half of adults — 48 percent — with the condition actually have it under control, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. “The fact that we’ve made no progress on controlling hypertension is disappointing, although not entirely surprising,” Dr. Sharonne N. Hayes, a cardiologist and founder of the Women’s Heart Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told TODAY. Reach: The TODAY Show reaches an average daily audience of 4.25 million viewers each week. Today.com, the website for NBC's TODAY show receives more than 23.9 million unique visitors each month. Context: Sharonne Hayes, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic cardiologist. Dr. Hayes studies cardiovascular disease and prevention, with a focus on sex and gender differences and conditions that uniquely or predominantly affect women. With a clinical base in the Women's Heart Clinic, Dr. Hayes and her research team utilize novel recruitment methods, social media and online communities, DNA profiling, and sex-specific evaluations to better understand several cardiovascular conditions. A major area of focus is spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), an uncommon and under-recognized cause of acute coronary syndrome (heart attack) that occurs predominantly in young women. Contact: Traci Klein ActionNewsJax New therapy at Mayo Clinic helps cancer patients keep hair by Erica Bennett It’s a process that looks a little strange -- and for those who have gone through it, it's one that feels even stranger. “Essentially, your head is frozen for seven hours. It’s not comfortable, but it's worth it and it kind of feels like an ice cream headache,” Kristin Ferguson said. Ferguson got “cold cap” treatments at Mayo Clinic while she was battling breast cancer earlier this year. For Ferguson and many other women, the thought of losing hair was daunting…“While the chemo is circulating around in our body, we can try to preserve certain part of our body by keeping them cold," Dr. Saranya Chumsri, a breast cancer specialist at Mayo, said. Ferguson said going through breast cancer is tough enough, so having one less thing to worry about like losing your hair is a blessing. She hopes her cold cap story encourages women far and wide. Reach: WAWS-TV/30 is the Fox affiliate. WTEV-TV/47 is the CBS affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida. Previous coverage in the October 13, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Saranya Chumsri, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic medical oncologist. Contact: Paul Scotti First Coast News Harmonicas help transplant patients learn to breathe again by Juliette Dryer Larry Rawdon first spoke with First Coast News for a different story, where he chronicled how the harmonica helped him rehabilitate his diaphragm after his second lung transplant. Tuesday, Larry returned to the Mayo Clinic to teach breathing exercises using the harmonica to a room full of heart and lung transplant patients… Rawdon has been teaching harmonica classes to transplant patients at the Mayo Clinic since 2013. He also teaches private lessons to those in need. Dr. Francisco Alvarez with Mayo Clinic’s lung transplant program called the diaphragm the most important muscle for breathing. “If your diaphragm couldn’t move you literally couldn’t breathe,” Dr. Alvarez said. “And that’s why it’s so important for the purpose of aspiration.” Reach: First Coast News refers to three television stations in Jacksonville, Florida. WJXX, the ABC affiliate; WTLV, the NBC affiliate; and WCWJ, the CW affiliate. Context: After surviving two separate lung transplant procedures in 2005 and 2008, musician Larry Rawdon is sharing new ways of healing through music with other patients at Mayo Clinic in Florida. It was, after all, music that led him to Mayo Clinic and aided in his recovery after he was diagnosed in 2002 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. You can read more about Larry's story in this Sharing Mayo Clinic piece. Larry told his story in The Wall Street Journal and you can also read about it in Mayo Clinic In the Loop. Contact: Paul Scotti HealthDay Who's Most at Risk of Head Injury in Youth Football? by Dennis Thompson About 8 percent of the head impacts that occurred during youth play and practice were hard enough to be classified as high-magnitude, the researchers found. One neurologist put that into perspective. "That's equivalent to getting punched in the head by a boxer," said Dr. David Dodick, a professor of neurology with the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz. "No one would want their 9-year-old or 11-year-old punched in the head or involved in a boxing match, but that's the kind of force some of these kids are exposed to regularly." Reach: HealthDay distributes its health news to media outlets several times each day and also posts its news on its website, which receives nearly 405,000 unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: KTTC Context: David Dodick, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic neurologist. Contact: Jim McVeigh
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik New York Times Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety? by Benoit Denizet-Lewis While exposure therapy has been proved highly effective, few teenagers receive it. “We’re much more likely to medicate kids than to give them therapy,” says Stephen Whiteside, director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Program at the Mayo Clinic. “And when we do give them therapy, it’s unlikely to be exposure. With a few exceptions, we’re not treating people with what actually works best.” Part of the reason is that exposure work is hard. Anxious people aren’t typically eager to feel more anxious. “It’s also uncomfortable for many therapists,” Whiteside told me. “Most people go into therapy or psychology to help people, but with exposure therapy you’re actually helping them feel uncomfortable. It’s not much fun for anybody. It’s much easier to sit in a therapist’s office and talk about feelings.” Reach: The New York Times has a daily circulation of nearly 589,000. The New York Times online receives more than 29.8 million unique visitors each month. The New York Times has a daily circulation of nearly 649,000 and a Sunday circulation of 1.18 million. Context: Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D., L.P. is a psychologist and is director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Program at Mayo Clinic, which uses an evidenced-based approach to understand and treat childhood anxiety. Contact: Duska Anastasijevic Reuters Doctors may fear losing their license for seeking mental health care by Ronnie Cohen Nearly 40 percent of U.S. physicians are reluctant to seek mental health care out of fear that it might imperil their medical license, a recent study suggests…“The medical license application questions are getting in the way of very treatable mental health disorders and probably contributing to the high rates of suicide among physicians,” said lead author Dr. Liselotte Dyrbye, a professor of medicine and medical education at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Reach: Reuters offers 24-hour coverage of global happenings for professionals around the world. With 196 editorial bureaus in 130 countries and 2,400 editorial staff members, it covers international news, regional news, politics, social issues, health, business, sports and media. Additional coverage: Star Tribune, Medscape, Becker’s Hospital Review Context: Despite growing problems with psychological distress, many physicians avoid seeking mental health treatment due to concern for their license. Mayo Clinic research shows that licensing requirements in many states include questions about past mental health treatments or diagnoses, with the implication that they may limit a doctor's right to practice medicine. The findings appear in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. “Clearly, in some states, the questions physicians are required to answer to obtain or renew their license are keeping them from seeking the help they need to recover from burnout and other emotional or mental health issues,” says Liselotte Dyrbye, M.D., a Mayo Clinic physician and first author of the article. More information about the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Bob Nellis First Coast News New tech at Mayo Clinic helps chemo patients from losing their hair by Janny Rodriguez A common concern that many cancer patients have undergoing chemotherapy involves losing their hair. In response, the Mayo Clinic has implemented new technology designed to help protect their patients' hair from falling out. Dr. Sara Chumsri, a medical oncologist at Mayo Clinic said she has a hard time convincing her patients to get treatment because of this concern. Reach: First Coast News refers to two television stations in Jacksonville, Florida. WJXX, the ABC affiliate and WTLV, the NBC affiliate. Context: Saranya Chumsri, M.D., is a Mayo Clinic medical oncologist. Contact: Paul Scotti First Coast News Breast cancer vaccine trials move forward at Mayo Clinic by Juliette Dryer Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville are moving forward with a series of clinical trials for various breast cancer vaccines. The current vaccines aim to prevent recurrence in patients who have already received initial treatment and appear disease-free. “And then to immunize, boost the host immune defenses and the hope is that can prevent the disease from coming back,” said Keith Knutson, Ph.D., a professor of immunology. Knutson has been working on a vaccine for triple-negative breast cancer for around a decade. Reach: First Coast News refers to two television stations in Jacksonville, Florida. WJXX, the ABC affiliate and WTLV, the NBC affiliate. Context: Keith Knutson, Ph.D., is the principal investigator of a $13.3 million, five-year Breakthrough Award grant from the Department of Defense to test a vaccine designed to prevent the recurrence of triple-negative breast cancer, a subset of breast cancer for which there are no targeted therapies. His research at Mayo Clinic focuses on the immunology and immunotherapy of breast and ovarian cancers, both the basic immunobiology and clinical translation, including clinical trials. Contact: Paul Scotti
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Star Tribune Five signs of prescription drug abuse by Allie Shah The latest numbers are sobering: On average, 91 people a day die from an opioid-related overdose, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While doctors and legislators are taking steps to address the situation, there's another critical line of defense: loved ones who can spot the telltale signs of opioid addiction. "A lot of family members will say, 'Oh, gosh, looking back, yeah, I see it.' Because it happens so gradually and so insidiously typically," said Dr. W. Michael Hooten, professor of anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and an expert in pain medicine. We asked Hooten and Dr. Charles Reznikoff, an addiction specialist at Hennepin County Medical Center, for advice on what to look for if you suspect someone you love is addicted to opioids. Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation. Context: W. Michael Hooten, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist and anesthesiologist. Dr. Hooten is affiliated with Mayo's Departments of Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine. His clinical research relates to chronic pain with a specific focus on changes in pain thresholds and tolerances following opioid tapering; the genomics of chronic pain; and the effects of smoking on treatment outcomes of chronic pain. Contact: Duska Anastasijevic KARE 11 Hockey concussion summit underway in Rochester Physicians, scientists, athletic trainers, coaches, officials and retired pro players are gathering in Rochester this week to discuss concussions in the game of ice hockey. "Ice Hockey Summit III: Action on Concussion" is a forum to discuss preventing, diagnosing and treating concussions in the sport at all levels. "Ultimately, we're coming together to make the sport safer for our athletes," says Michael Stuart, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and co-director, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine. "Athletes at all levels are bigger, stronger and faster. Therefore, we must improve our ability to diagnose, treat and prevent traumatic brain injury." Reach: KARE 11 is the NBC affiliate in Minneapolis-St. Paul and reaches more than 600,000 people each week in its coverage area. Its website has more than 1.5 million unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: WXOW La Crosse, KTTC, Post-Bulletin, KAAL Context: Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine hosted "Ice Hockey Summit III: Action on Concussion" Sept. 28-29. "Ultimately, we’re coming together to make the sport safer for our athletes," says Michael Stuart, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and co-director, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine. "Athletes at all levels are bigger, stronger and faster. Therefore, we must improve our ability to diagnose, treat and prevent traumatic brain injury." More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Rhoda Fukushima Madson Post-Bulletin Mayo, Oxford form transatlantic partnership by Brett Boese Mayo Clinic announced an ambitious transatlantic partnership this morning that ties together two of the world's elite health care providers. Mayo Clinic, the University of Oxford and the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have signed an agreement aimed at improving medical research and patient care for patients across the globe. Mayo's Stephen Cassivi, a Rochester-based doctor who has served as the medical director of the collaboration for the past year, says it's now time for both sides to "roll up their sleeves" as they work through the remaining logistics of the high-potential relationship. Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota. Additional coverage: Voice of Alexandria, KTTC Context: Mayo Clinic, the University of Oxford, and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have signed an agreement to work together, driving advances in medical research and patient care. This agreement will underpin collaboration in all areas of innovation. Mayo Clinic and Oxford will bring together their respective expertise to improve patient care, make scientific discoveries and educate the health care providers and researchers of the future. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Bryan Anderson Post-Bulletin Mayo Clinic talks caffeine myths before National Coffee Day by Anne Halliwell Today is International Coffee Day. But what are some truths and myths about that steaming cup of java? Donald Hensrud, director of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, had the answers to our questions. Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota. Context: Donald Hensrud, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist and editor of The Mayo Clinic Diet Book. Contact: Kelley Luckstein KSAZ/FOX10, Phoenix Valley woman who beat breast cancer works to spread awareness Back in February of 2014, Elizabeth Vines of Seattle noticed a pea-sized lump in her breast. Without looking, the 35-year-old woman was told by her family doctor that she shouldn't be concerned. "He actually didn't even think to look at it," Vines said.But over the next six months, Elizabeth noticed the lump grew to nearly half the size of a lemon, and after several more exams and a misdiagnosis, she took her health into her own hands and came here, to the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix. Reach: KZAZ-10 is the Fox affiliate in Phoenix. Its website receives more than 589,000 unique visitors each month. Context: Donald Northfelt, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic medical oncologist with Mayo's Breast Clinic and Elizabeth Vines' physician. The Breast Clinic coordinates state-of-the-art services, research studies and education to provide a highly personalized evaluation and treatment plan. This multidisciplinary approach assures that the combined knowledge and wisdom of many experienced breast cancer specialists are available to provide you with the latest quality breast cancer treatment and research. Contact: Jim McVeigh
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Washington Post Letting a dog sleep on your bed does not actually ruin your sleep by Linda Searing People also spent less time awake after initially falling asleep if their dog was not on the bed. The dogs’ sleep efficiency was not affected by their location. “A dog’s presence in the bedroom may not be disruptive to human sleep, as was previously suspected,” the researchers, all affiliated with the Mayo Clinic, reported. Reach: The Washington Post averages a daily circulation of 313,000. Its website has more than 43.9 million unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: Science Alert, Los Alamos Daily Post Previous coverage in September 22, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in September 15, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Let sleeping dogs lie … in the bedroom. That’s according to a new Mayo Clinic study that’s sure to set many tails wagging. It’s no secret that Americans love their dogs. According to the American Veterinary Association, more than 40 million American households have dogs. Of these households, 63 percent consider their canine companions to be family. Still, many draw the line at having their furry family members sleep with them for fear of sacrificing sleep quality. “Most people assume having pets in the bedroom is a disruption,” says Lois Krahn, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist at the Center for Sleep Medicine on Mayo Clinic’s Arizona campus and an author of the study. “We found that many people actually find comfort and a sense of security from sleeping with their pets.” More information about the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Jim McVeigh HealthDay ERs Prescribing Opioids at Lower Doses, Shorter Durations by Mary Elizabeth Dallas The study, led by scientists at the Mayo Clinic, challenges views that emergency departments are the main source of prescriptions for the powerful painkillers whose use -- and misuse -- has soared in recent years. The research also suggests that patients who get an opioid prescription -- such as for oxycodone (OxyContin) -- during an ER visit are less likely to abuse the drugs over the long term. "There are a few things that many people assume about opioids, and one is that, in the emergency department, they give them out like candy," said the study's lead author, Molly Jeffery. She is scientific director of the Mayo Clinic division of emergency medicine research, in Rochester, Minn. Reach: HealthDay distributes its health news to media outlets several times each day and also posts its news on its website, which receives nearly 398,000 unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: HealthLeaders Media, Philly.com, Modern Healthcare, MPR, Scienmag, KTTC, Science Daily, Healio, Sioux City Journal, Arizona Daily Sun Context: Opioid prescriptions from the emergency department (ED) are written for a shorter duration and smaller dose than those written elsewhere, shows new research led by Mayo Clinic. The study, published today in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, also demonstrates that patients who receive an opioid prescription in the ED are less likely to progress to long-term use. This challenges common perceptions about the ED as the main source of opioid prescriptions, researchers say. “There are a few things that many people assume about opioids, and one is that, in the ED, they give them out like candy,” says lead author Molly Jeffery, Ph.D., scientific director, Mayo Clinic Division of Emergency Medicine Research. “This idea didn't really fit with the clinical experience of the ED physicians at Mayo Clinic, but there wasn't much information out there to know what's going on nationally.” More information about the study can be found Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Adam Harringa KARE 11 Mayo research could help maintain weight loss A research breakthrough at the Mayo Clinic could help people keep weight off once they've lost it. And the discovery came unexpectedly. Dr. Stephen Brimijoin was working on the addictive nature of drugs when he says he stumbled on this weight loss idea. "I said, 'Woah, we must be manipulating some kind of stress-anxiety hormone,'" he said. Then, six months ago, he and his team injected one of two mice with an enzyme. Reach: KARE 11 is the NBC affiliate in Minneapolis-St. Paul and reaches more than 600,000 people each week in its coverage area. Its website has more than 1.5 million unique visitors each month. Additional coverage: South Florida Reporter Context: Mayo Clinic scientists have shown that injections of a hunger hormone blocker in mice can halt the typical weight gain after dieting and help prevent rebound obesity in the long term. The research findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “We think this approach – combined reduction of calories and hormone ─ may be a highly successful strategy for long-term weight control,” says W. Stephen Brimijoin, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic molecular pharmacologist and senior author of the article. “Given the growing obesity crisis worldwide, we are working hard to validate our findings for medical intervention.” More information on the research can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Bob Nellis Post-Bulletin You ask, and Alexa (with Mayo help) answers by Anne Halliwell Jay Maxwell activated the Mayo First Aid skill on his Echo Dot. "Alexa," he said. "Open Mayo First Aid." Maxwell, a senior director of health information in Mayo's Global Business Solutions department, listened to Amazon's voice service welcome him to the Mayo Clinic's new voice-activated app. "Tell me about sunburns," Maxwell said. Alexa's automated female voice read off a brief description of sunburn and how it develops. Then she asked whether the user would like to learn about treatment. Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota. Additional coverage: Version Weekly Previous coverage in September 22, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Mayo Clinic has introduced a new skill for Amazon Alexa, giving a hands-free way to access first-aid information. A skill is a new capability a person can add to their Amazon Alexa-enabled devices which creates a more personalized user experience. “Mayo Clinic produces trusted, evidence-based health guidance to empower people to effectively manage their health,” says Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., general internal medicine physician and associate medical director, Mayo Clinic Global Business Solutions, which develops products and services which extend Mayo Clinic expertise through employer, payer, provider, consumer and partner channels. “This is the first health guidance skill Mayo Clinic has developed and launched for Amazon Alexa. Voice-enabled experience is a new and growing channel for reaching people and delivering information they are seeking, whether or not they have an existing relationship with Mayo Clinic. Creating this first-aid skill is another way Mayo Clinic can provide relevant information to consumers where and when it’s needed.” More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Joe O'Keefe
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Star Tribune Mayo Clinic offers first aid assistance via Amazon's Alexa digital assistant by Joe Carlson Alexa, forget my grocery list and morning traffic reports. Tell me about CPR. Alexa, Amazon’s voice-activated digital assistant for the home, has learned a new skill — dispensing medical information about first aid from one of the best-known names in medicine, Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic. Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation. Additional coverage: Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, American Nursing Informatics Association, KAAL, HealthLeaders Media, Becker’s Hospital Review, Healthcare IT News, KTTC, Advisory Board, MedCity News, Digital Trends, Healthcare Dive, Android Headlines, MobiHealthNews Context: Mayo Clinic has introduced a new skill for Amazon Alexa, giving a hands-free way to access first-aid information. A skill is a new capability a person can add to their Amazon Alexa-enabled devices which creates a more personalized user experience. “Mayo Clinic produces trusted, evidence-based health guidance to empower people to effectively manage their health,” says Sandhya Pruthi, M.D., general internal medicine physician and associate medical director, Mayo Clinic Global Business Solutions, which develops products and services which extend Mayo Clinic expertise through employer, payer, provider, consumer and partner channels. “This is the first health guidance skill Mayo Clinic has developed and launched for Amazon Alexa. Voice-enabled experience is a new and growing channel for reaching people and delivering information they are seeking, whether or not they have an existing relationship with Mayo Clinic. Creating this first-aid skill is another way Mayo Clinic can provide relevant information to consumers where and when it’s needed.” More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Joe O'Keefe Star Tribune Having dogs in bedroom doesn't hurt your sleep quality, Mayo study says by Jeremy Olson Dr. Lois Krahn has long maintained that dogs should be kept out of the bedroom at night, even though there is little scientific evidence that dogs disrupt sleep and there is plenty of evidence that pet owners ignore the doctors’ orders anyway. So Krahn, a sleep specialist at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Scottsdale, Ariz., put the question to the test — tracking the length and depth of sleep of 40 people who kept dogs in their bedrooms. “I wanted to reconcile this conflict between what we tell people to do and what they seem to do,” she said. Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation. Additional coverage: AsiaOne, KTAR Phoenix, Safety + Health, Aargauer Zeitung, Big Think Previous coverage in September 15, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Let sleeping dogs lie … in the bedroom. That’s according to a new Mayo Clinic study that’s sure to set many tails wagging. It’s no secret that Americans love their dogs. According to the American Veterinary Association, more than 40 million American households have dogs. Of these households, 63 percent consider their canine companions to be family. Still, many draw the line at having their furry family members sleep with them for fear of sacrificing sleep quality. “Most people assume having pets in the bedroom is a disruption,” says Lois Krahn, M.D., a sleep medicine specialist at the Center for Sleep Medicine on Mayo Clinic’s Arizona campus and an author of the study. “We found that many people actually find comfort and a sense of security from sleeping with their pets.” More information about the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Jim McVeigh Star Tribune Mayo rolls out big health record project by Christopher Snowbeck —The centerpiece of Mayo Clinic’s ongoing $1.5 billion technology upgrade, already underway in Wisconsin, is expected to arrive later this year at some hospitals and clinics in Minnesota. The Rochester-based health system announced two years ago it would invest in a new electronic health record system that would span all of Mayo’s operations, which stretch into Arizona, Florida and Iowa. Mayo Clinic has used electronic records for years, but the new unified system will be easier to update when it comes to alerts and information tools, said Cris Ross, the health system’s chief information officer. Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation. Additional coverage: Becker’s Hospital Review, Healthcare IT News, Health Data Management Previous coverage in the July 28, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous Coverage in the July 21, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Mayo Clinic has started the process of moving to a single, integrated electronic health record and billing system with the implementation of Epic at its Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Wisconsin. Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Wisconsin began implementing Epic last weekend. Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Minnesota are scheduled to go live in November 2017, followed by Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus in May 2018 and Mayo Clinic’s campuses in Arizona and Florida in October 2018. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Rhoda Fukushima Madson Post-Bulletin Mayo Clinic earns awards for quality, accountability by Brett Boese Mayo Clinic brought home two prestigious honors from a recent national event thanks to its quality and accountability in patient care. Mayo earned the Vizient 2017 Bernard A. Birnbaum, M.D. Quality Leadership award as its Rochester campus earned the No. 1 spot among all academic medical centers and Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing finished first among all community hospitals. "We're honored that Mayo Clinic hospitals received the 2017 Quality Leadership Award," said Dr. Paula Santrach, Mayo's chief quality officer. "The unique Mayo experience is the dedication to quality, safety and service that our staff displays each day. Their hard work and firm commitment to excellence will make us even better in the future." Reach: The Post-Bulletin has a daily readership of more than 32,000 people and more than 442,000 unique visitors to its website each month. The newspaper serves Rochester, Minn., and Southeast Minnesota. Context: Mayo Clinic has received the Vizient 2017 Bernard A. Birnbaum, M.D. Quality Leadership award for its high-quality patient care. This award honors Mayo Clinic as the top hospital among academic medical centers and community hospitals nationwide for delivering safe, timely, effective, efficient and equitable patient-centered care. More information can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Rhoda Fukushima Madson
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik CBS News Is it a good idea to let your dog sleep in the bedroom? by Ashley Welch A small study from the Mayo Clinic finds that sleeping in the same room with your pet does not appear to affect quality of sleep. In fact, it may actually lead to a more restful night. However, that benefit does not extend to people who actually shared their bed with their pet, which the research found may negatively affect sleep quality.
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik CNN New class of drugs targets aging to help keep you healthy by Jacqueline Howard Researchers have turned the spotlight on a new class of drugs that they say could "transform" the field of medicine -- and the drugs work by targeting aging. The researchers, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, are calling for senolytic drugs to make the leap from animal research to human clinical trials. They outlined potential clinical trial scenarios in a paper published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society on Monday. "This is one of the most exciting fields in all of medicine or science at the moment," said Dr. James Kirkland, director of the Kogod Center on Aging at the Mayo Clinic and lead author of the new paper. Reach: CNN.com has 29.7 million unique visitors to its website each month. Additional coverage: News4Jax, KTLA Los Angeles, Huff Post UK, Men’s Health, National Post Context: Researchers are moving closer to realizing the clinical potential of drugs that have previously been shown to support healthy aging in animals. In a review article published online in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Mayo Clinic aging experts say that, if proven to be effective and safe in humans, these drugs could be “transformative” by preventing or delaying chronic conditions as a group instead of one at a time. Researchers are moving closer to realizing the clinical potential of drugs that have previously been shown to support healthy aging in animals. In a review article published online in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Mayo Clinic aging experts say that, if proven to be effective and safe in humans, these drugs could be “transformative” by preventing or delaying chronic conditions as a group instead of one at a time. More information about the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Megan Forliti Atlanta Journal-Constitution 5 little-known health benefits of olive oil by Rose Kennedy While it's counterintuitive that olive oil, with its high fat content, would be healthy, that's the case, Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. stated on the Mayo Clinic health consumer website. "The main type of fat found in all kinds of olive oil is monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which are considered a healthy dietary fat," Zeratsky said. "If you replace saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats, such as MUFAs and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), you may gain certain health benefits." Reach: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a daily circulation of more than 120,000 and its website has more than 11.8 million unique visitors each month. Additional coverage in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5 tasty meatless dishes that will make you rethink what’s for dinner Context: Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., is with the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program. Contact: Kelly Luckstein Star Tribune In the U.S. workplace, a standing desk has become an important benefit by Christopher Snowbeck “If you go online now, you will see literally a dozen if not more companies dedicated to selling this type of office furniture,” said Dr. James Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic. “This has become, if you like, a booming industry.” For years, Levine has cheered the growth of standing desks and other furniture technologies that help workers get up and move during the workday — everything from wiggling chairs to low-speed treadmills that are paired with standing desks. The point is to help people be less sedentary, he said, in hopes that movement can help people avoid chronic diseases associated with excess sitting. Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation. Context: James Levine, M.D., Ph.D. is a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist. Dr. Levine currently serves as a principal investigator for National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded studies focused on improving health for immigrant families through increased activity and better nutrition, interactions between sleep and obesity, and multilevel approaches to reduce obesity in working mothers and their children. Recent additional research includes contributions to a Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University (ASU) pilot program looking at nutrition and activity data for homeless children, physical activity in depressed female smokers, and an investigation of integrated approaches to "close the loop" in type 1 diabetes. You can find out more about Dr. Levine's research here. Contact: Jim McVeigh FOX 47 KXLT Rochester woman with heart condition to compete in Iron Man by Erin O’Brien Kari Turkowski is no stranger to fitness. But at the age of 26, her passion for sports came to a halt, when a sudden undiagnosed heart condition forced her to undergo several procedures and take lots of medications. All of that led to stage two heart failure...At the age of 30, after a seven-year career in the accounting industry, she left her job in Minneapolis and later became a doctorate student at the Mayo Clinic, hoping to discover what doctors couldn't about her own condition. Reach: KXLT 47 is a FOX affiliate in Rochester, Minnesota. Context: Kari Turkowski is not your average athlete. As a student at St. Cloud State University, she earned a spot on the school's volleyball, hockey and track teams. After graduation she hoped to continue that athletic lifestyle, with a goal of playing professional beach volleyball. But those California dreams took a sudden detour one day during a training run. "Something just didn't feel right," Kari tells us. "I couldn't keep my normal pace." You can read more about her journey in Mayo Clinic in the Loop. Contact: Traci Klein
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News. Editor, Karl Oestreich; Assistant Editor: Emily Blahnik Star Tribune Gut bacteria may play role in fighting MS, Mayo researcher says by Jeremy Olson Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester haven’t reached their goal of proving that a bacteria in the human gut causes celiac disease. In a report earlier this month, Dr. Joseph Murray and colleagues from Mayo and the University of Iowa detailed their unexpected finding — that one of a series of poorly understood gut microbes known as Prevotella bacteria might inhibit the immune system’s role in causing multiple sclerosis. “There are bugs that work within the gut but affect parts of the body way beyond the gut,” said Murray, a gastroenterologist. “One in particular seems to suppress the inflammatory response in the immune system.” Reach: The Star Tribune Sunday circulation is 518,745 copies and weekday circulation is 300,277. The Star Tribune is the state’s largest newspaper and ranks 16th nationally in circulation. Context: Mayo Clinic researchers, along with colleagues at the University of Iowa, report that a human gut microbe discovered at Mayo Clinic may help treat autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. The findings appear in Cell Reports. While probiotics have been used for millennia, there are little data showing how a bacterium can provide benefit against a disease outside the gut. This research team tested gut microbial samples from patients on a mouse model of MS. Of three bacterial strains, they discovered that one microbe, Prevotella histicola, effectively suppressed immune disease in the preclinical model of MS. “This is an early discovery but an avenue that bears further study,” says Joseph Murray, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and senior author of the article. “If we can use the microbes already in the human body to treat human disease beyond the gut itself, we may be onto a new era of medicine. We are talking about bugs as drugs.” Dr. Murray coined the term “brug” to refer to this approach. More information about the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contacts: Joe Dangor, Bob Nellis KTAR Phoenix Study shows more than 75,000 people in Arizona have epilepsy by Kathy Cline Joseph Sirven, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, said he was unsure what had caused the nationwide increase. He theorized that an increase in population could be the reason more cases were found. Epilepsy, depending on its severity, can deeply affect someone’s quality of life. Sirven said, if an Arizonan has an episode of impaired consciousness, they cannot drive for three months afterward. If seizures continue, that may effectively mean someone will never drive again. “If you can’t drive, you can’t work, you can’t go to school, you have to rely on mass transportation,” he said. “Uber and Lyft have helped, but that can be expensive pretty quickly. Reach: KTAR-FM 92.3 is a commercial News/Sports/Talk station in the Phoenix, Ariz. area. Its signal reaches parts of California and Nevada. Additional coverage: KJZZ, Study Finds Epilepsy Cases Rising Across U.S. Context: Joseph Sirven, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic neurologist. Dr. Sirven has published extensively on epilepsy and its treatment. His interests in epilepsy include status epilepticus, surgical therapy, and epilepsy in older adults and psychosocial issues, particularly those involving Hispanic populations and transportation. Youn can find out more information about his medical research here. Contact: Jim McVeigh HuffPost When and Why You May Need A Second Opinion by Shanice J. Douglas A research team of health care policy experts at the Mayo Clinic conducted analysis of 286 records of patients who have been referred to the Mayo Clinic’s General Internal Medicine Division over a 2-year period. Findings from this study indicated that when patients pursued a second opinion, the original diagnosis was confirmed merely 12% of the time. Among those with updated diagnoses, 66% received a more refined diagnosis relating to the original, while 21% of the new diagnoses were in complete contrast to the original diagnosis of the initial medical professional. Reach: Huff Post attracts over 38.7 million monthly unique viewers. Previous coverage in April 28, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Previous coverage in April 7, 2017 Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights Context: Many patients come to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion or diagnosis confirmation before treatment for a complex condition. In a new study, Mayo Clinic reports that as many as 88 percent of those patients go home with a new or refined diagnosis – changing their care plan and potentially their lives. Conversely, only 12 percent receive confirmation that the original diagnosis was complete and correct. These findings were published earlier this year in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. The research team was led by James Naessens, Sc.D., a health care policy researcher at Mayo Clinic. More information about the study can be found on Mayo Clinic News Network. Contact: Elizabeth Zimmerman Young First Coast News Hi-Tech table a game changer for surgeries at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville by Jeff Valin Imagine if you needed surgery. Now imagine your doctor can map out that strategy using a virtual projection of your body in three dimensions. It not something out of the latest Sci-Fi film, but real technology at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, thanks to a high-tech table called Anatomage, a contraction of the words "anatomy" and "image". "It takes two-dimensional images, compiles them, and gives us a three-dimensionality," Dr. John Casler tells First Coast News, explaining that the images are derived from conventional MRIs or CT scans, but leveraged to strategize surgeries with unprecedented flexibility. Reach: First Coast News refers to two television stations in Jacksonville, Florida. WJXX, the ABC affiliate and WTLV, the NBC affiliate. Context: John Casler, M.D. is a Mayo Clinic ENT specialist. Dr. Casler treats head, neck and thyroid cancer. The Anatomage table takes two-dimensional images, compiles them, and gives surgeons a three-dimensionality image. The Anatomage has been particularly helpful with about three-dozen surgeries, especially for tumor removals. Mayo Clinic's Jacksonville campus the first facility worldwide to take the table's use beyond anatomical training to actual surgeries. Contact: Kevin Punsky