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March 3rd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Brian Kilen 
NFC patch sensor
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic and Gentag, Inc. have reached an agreement to develop the next generation of wearable biosensors designed to fight obesity and diabetes.
James Levine, M.D., Ph.D.
“We are hoping that this technology will be game-changer. These patch biosensors may help us reduce global obesity and diabetes,” says James Levine, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist and obesity researcher. “They are accurate, inexpensive, and can be integrated into the care people receive."
A first-of-its-kind, the wearable patch sensors are the size of a small bandage, and are designed to be painless, wireless and disposable. In the bandage is a sensor that communicates via a closed-loop diabetes management system which is compatible with cell phones. The system will allow researchers to monitor movement and develop treatments for obesity and related conditions.
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Tags: diabetes, Mayo Clinic Ventures, News Release, News Release Minnesota, obesity, Research
March 3rd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic Releases PathWays: New Online “Case Study” Tool for Pathologists and Medical Enthusiasts
By Andy Tofilon 
Mayo Clinic fellows and residents publishing weekly practical case studies on the Mayo Medical Laboratories blog for medical professionals around the world.
ROCHESTER, Minn. — A dark purplish blob (a.k.a., a karyosome) floats randomly next to perfectly pink circles. Electric yellow spots stand out in a sea of stained dark blue cells, viewed at 40 times the original magnification. For a pathologist, this unique “artwork” provides vital information that will unlock needed medical diagnoses for sick patients. These scientific images — combined with brief patient descriptions — comprise Mayo Clinic PathWays — an online learning tool for pathologists and for those who enjoy learning about medicine. Mayo Medical Laboratories and Mayo Clinic’s Laboratory Medicine and Pathology Graduate Medical Education Office have developed this case-study tool that will offer weekly “challenges” posted to the Mayo Medical Laboratories website.
MEDIA CONTACT: Gina Chiri-Osmond, Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: case studies, Dr Bobbi Pritt, Mayo Clinic Laboratory Medicine, Mayo Clinic Pathology, Mayo Clinic PathWays, Mayo Medical Laboratories, Minnesota news release, News Release
March 3rd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Food Labels: Decoding Food Terms
By balzerdeb 
March is National Nutrition Month. As Americans strive to better understand the new dietary recommendations set forth in the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, many struggle to best understand just what we are eating.
Decoding food labels and food marketing buzz words can be a challenge, especially when so many of the terms are vague.
Donald Hensrud, M.D., offers insight on what some common terms such as whole, unprocessed, low fat and natural mean and how they affect our health.
And, he provides tips on how to shop a grocery store to find the most healthful food items, including vegetables, whole grain breads and pastas, brown rice, lean meats, fish, beans, low-fat dairy products and heart-healthy fats such as nuts and olive oils.
Journalists: Soundbites are available in the downloads.
March 3rd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic Reports Strong Performance in 2014, Extends Hope and Healing to Millions
Dr. Noseworthy
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic reports a strong 2014 performance, including providing direct care for more than 1.3 million people, contributions of $410 million to its pension plan as a commitment to employees, and plans for a $1.5 billion investment to fund information technology infrastructure.
“Whether viewed through the lens of quality, patient outcomes, research advances, operational performance or sharing our knowledge with the world — by all measures, we had an extraordinary year,” says John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic. “That success allowed us to reinvest in our people, our infrastructure and our mission so we can better serve our patients.”
Jeff Bolton
“As a nonprofit organization, it’s important for us to not only reinvest in our technology infrastructure, but also invest in our employees,” says Jeff Bolton, vice president, administration, Mayo Clinic. To that end, Mayo Clinic made an additional contribution of $190 million to its pension fund, bringing the total 2014 contribution to $410 million. This additional investment was necessary to ensure Mayo Clinic will meet its commitment to current and future retirees.
“Our financial performance gives us the flexibility to invest in new initiatives that will help our patients,” says Kedrick Adkins Jr., Mayo chief financial officer. These funds are committed to mission-advancing projects. The funding includes five areas of focus, Adkins says:
Kedrick Adkins Jr.
- Information technology infrastructure: $1.5 billion over multiple years to fund a new electronic health record and revenue cycle management system, network refresh and data transaction security upgrades.
- Employee pension plan: $410 million contribution in 2014. This includes an originally planned $220 million contribution and an additional $190 million contribution as a commitment to fully fund the pension plan for employees.
- Practice innovation: approximately $200 million in 2014 which includes funding of Mayo’s three hybrid centers — individualized medicine, regenerative medicine and the science of health care delivery — as well as Mayo Clinic practice priorities and information knowledge management activities.
- Education: $275 million in 2014 funding for educational activities.
- Research: $648 million in 2014 funding for research activities — $276 million from Mayo and $372 million from external resources.
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Tags: Destination Medical Center, Dr. John Noseworthy, Dr Sameer Keole, electronic health record, Jeff Bolton, Mayo Clinic 2014 Performance Report, Mayo Clinic Care Network, Mayo Clinic Proton Beam Therapy Program, Minnesota news release, News Release
March 3rd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic Q & A: Chronic sinusitis symptoms resemble a cold, but last months
By lizatorborg 
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve had an awful cold for months. My doctor recommends that I be tested for chronic sinusitis. What would that involve? How is chronic sinusitis treated?
ANSWER: Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinuses, which are the air-containing pockets in the skull and facial bones around your nose. Chronic sinusitis develops when inflammation lasts for more than 12 weeks. Testing involves a visit to an ear, nose and throat, or ENT, doctor who will examine your sinuses. Most chronic sinusitis can be managed with medical therapy. However, if your symptoms or the inflammation do not respond to medical therapy, surgery may be necessary. The goal of treatment is to restore sinus health and function.
Symptoms of chronic sinusitis often resemble a cold. A cold is usually caused by a viral infection and is often accompanied by a runny or stuffed-up nose, sneezing, sore throat, watery eyes and a fever. This kind of acute viral sinusitis usually lasts seven to 10 days.
In rare instances, you may get a bacterial infection as a result of a cold, resulting in acute bacterial sinusitis. If that happens, cold symptoms get worse after seven to 10 days. You also may have yellow or green nasal drainage, pain in your face or teeth, and a fever. Acute sinusitis lasts up to four weeks. When symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks, you may have chronic sinusitis. But some cases of chronic sinusitis can develop subtly, without a preceding viral infection. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: chronic sinusitus, Dr Devyani Lal, Mayo Clinic Q A, sinusitis
March 2nd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
With Daylight Saving Time Approaching, Learn Why Sleep Health is Important
MANKATO, Minn. — Fall back, spring forward. We’ve all heard the saying, and it helps people remember which way to set their clocks for the start and end of Daylight Saving Time. Although it’d be nice to gain an hour of sleep twice a year, that’s not the case. Starting Sunday, March 8 at 2 a.m., we’ll all lose an hour. Altering your sleep schedule, or having poor sleep habits to begin with, can have a greater effect on your health than you may think.
“With Daylight Saving Time, we lose an hour of sleep, which causes significant fatigue in most people and can linger for days or weeks,” says Martha Yanci Torres, M.D., neurologist and sleep specialist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. “To minimize the impact, you can make gradual adjustments.”
She provides this advice:
- Go to bed 15 minutes early, starting several days before the change, and increase by 15 minutes every couple of nights. Make an extra effort to be well-rested the week before the time change.
- If you feel sleepy the Sunday after the change to Daylight Saving Time, take a short nap (15 to 20 minutes) in the early afternoon — not too close to bedtime. Assess how a nap affects your sleep quality. For some, napping can make nighttime sleeping harder. But for others, a short nap can be revitalizing without ruining their night's sleep.
- Avoid sleeping in an hour longer in the morning.
- In general, you should try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. This helps your body regulate its sleep. If possible, wake up at the same time on the weekends too, which makes Monday mornings easier to bear.
“Regardless of the time of year, proper sleep is an essential part of life,” says Dr. Yanci Torres. “There are many benefits to practicing good sleep health, as well as risks for cutting sleep too short.”
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Tags: Daylight Saving Time, Dr Martha Yanci Torres, Mayo Clinic Health System, Neurology, Sleep health
March 2nd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Joe Dangor 
Disparities in the level of awareness and knowledge of breast density exist among U.S. women, according to the results of a Mayo Clinic study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Image A: Non-dense breast tissue showin.g a small cancer (upper left)
Breast density is the term used to describe the variation in dense tissue on a mammogram image. Fatty breast tissue appears more radiologically translucent than dense (fibroglandular) breast tissue. Regions of a breast that comprise fatty tissue will appear darker on a mammogram, while regions that comprise dense tissue appear whiter.
Image B: Dense breast tissue with palpable lump, cancer diagnosed (far right center)
Increased breast density has been shown to mask cancers on the mammogram as well as to be associated with future risk of breast cancer. Recent legislation in several states mandates that women be given information about breast density in order to guide decisions about breast cancer screening.
Researchers conducted a national cross-sectional survey of 2,311 women ages 40 to 74 in English and Spanish. The survey response rate was 65 percent. Overall, more than half of women who responded (58 percent) had heard of breast density, 49 percent were aware that breast density affects breast cancer detection and 53 percent knew that breast density is associated with cancer risk.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu.
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Tags: Breast Cancer, breast density, Deborah Rhodes, disparities, Dr Rhodes, JCO, Journal of Clinical Oncology, M.D., Mayo Clinic, Minnesota news release, News Release
March 2nd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic News Network Headlines 3/2/2015
By balzerdeb
In today's Mayo Clinic News Network Headlines with Vivien Williams:
- Good news for coffee drinkers
- Peanut allergies and children
Journalists: Video is available in the downloads. Click here for script.
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Tags: coffee, Dr. Donald Hensrud, Mayo Clinic News Network Headlines, Peanut Allergy, Vivien Williams
March 2nd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
CREEPY, DREADFUL, WONDERFUL PARASITES: A Parasitologist’s View of the World – Week of March 2, 2015
By Dana Sparks 
Every week Bobbi Pritt, M.D., posts a new case, along with the answer to the previous case. Read Dr. Pritt's blog: Parasite Wonders and submit your answers, comments and questions. Enjoy science!
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Tags: Dr Bobbi Pritt, MML, Parasites
March 2nd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
What the New Dietary Guidelines Mean to You
By balzerdeb
If you are confused about what foods to eat and what to avoid to maintain a healthy lifestyle, don't worry. You are not alone. Remember the old food pyramid? It's time to rethink what we put on our plate and in our bodies.
The Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recently released a 571-page report that offers a new take on some previously thought nutritional data. The report is the primary body of literature that guides all recommendations on how Americans should eat and is targeted to those making nutritional policy in the U.S.
Donald D. Hensrud, M.D., says the report shows a continued emphasis on plant-based diets and less meat consumption. He stresses the guidelines change as new information and research becomes available, calling guidelines evolutionary, not revolutionary.
Guidelines recommendations include:
- Increase plant-based diet
- Consume less red and processed meat
- An egg a day is okay
- Less sugar consumption
- Coffee and caffeine may have health benefits
Dr. Hensrud recommends the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid which emphasizes fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains along with lean protein from a variety of sources and a limit on sweets and salt.
Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Hensrud are available in the downloads, along with b-roll of examples of packaged food products (gluten-free, sugar sweeteners, beans, whole wheat)
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Tags: Caffeine, dietary guidelines, Dr. Donald Hensrud, healthy diet, Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, whole grains
March 2nd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Webinar: Stroke Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment Options
By Dana Sparks
Wed., Mar 4, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT
This webinar will cover a variety of stroke topics. Robert Brown, M.D, M.P.H., will discuss the prevention and diagnosis of stroke, and Giuseppe Lanzino, M.D., will talk about the surgical and non-surgical treatment options for stroke. Both physicians will answer questions after their presentations.
Please click here to signup and receive email reminders for the event.
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Tags: Dr Giuseppe Lanzino, Dr. Robert Brown, Mayo Clinic Connect, Social Media, stroke, Webinar
March 2nd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Jen O'Hara 
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Fitting in fitness: Finding time for physical activity
Can't seem to make time for exercise? Try taking your dog for daily walks, ramping up chores, moving while watching TV and more.
Bedbugs
About the size of apple seeds, bedbugs hide in and around beds. Know how to keep them out of your home and how to avoid them when traveling.
EXPERT ANSWERS
Dental Floss vs. Water Pick: Which is Better?
Discover why you may not want to toss your floss in favor of a water pick for a healthy smile.
Energy Drinks: Do They Really Boost Energy?
Energy drinks may give you a temporary energy boost — but it doesn't last long.
Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.
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Tags: acne, Bedbugs, dental hygiene, energy drinks, fitness, Healthy Recipes, hypertension, Monday's Housecall, sore throat, stress
February 28th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic Q & A: Regardless of risk, take steps to protect heart health
By lizatorborg
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am a 37-year-old man and have no health problems, but both of my parents have heart disease. My dad had his first heart attack at age 50. Are there things I can do now to prevent it, or is heart disease inevitable for me because of my family history?
ANSWER: Based on your family history, your risk for heart attacks is higher than the risk of a person without that kind of history. But that does not mean heart attacks are inevitable. A thorough medical evaluation can help determine your specific risk of developing heart problems. You can also take steps to help protect your heart health, no matter what your risk level.
A family history of heart attacks — especially one in a parent younger than 55, as in your father’s situation — is a major risk factor for the type of heart disease known as coronary artery disease, sometimes called CAD. Coronary artery disease develops when the major blood vessels that supply your heart with blood, oxygen and nutrients — your coronary arteries — become damaged or diseased. Cholesterol-containing deposits, or plaques, and inflammation in your arteries are usually the source of coronary artery disease. There are many factors that may cause coronary artery disease, including high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, smoking, obesity and high blood pressure, to mention some.
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Tags: Coronary Artery Disease, Dr Francisco López-Jiménez, Dr Lopez-Jimenez, heart attack prevention, Heart Disease, Mayo Clinic Q A
February 27th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Something to Think About ~ When do you truly fail?
By Dana Sparks
"Our crabapple is more resilient than I am. I try. I fail. And then I stop trying. I lose hope, get frustrated and impatient, and then give up..." More from Amit Sood, M.D. - When do you truly fail?
Dr. Sood is director of research in the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He also chairs the Mind-Body Medicine Initiative at Mayo Clinic.
Click here to read previous blog posts. Follow Dr. Sood on Twitter @AmitSoodMD
"Failing isn't in falling; failing is falling and not trying to rise." – Dr. Amit Sood
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Tags: Complementary Integrative Medicine, Dr Amit Sood, Something to Think About
February 27th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Dana Sparks
Mucus. It isn’t pretty, but it’s a frontline weapon in the fight against the common cold and sinusitis. On this week’s Mayo Clinic Radio, ENT specialist Dr. Erin O’Brien explains why.
Also on the program, Mayo Clinic cardiologist Dr. Rekha Mankad answers listener questions about heart health. And Mayo Clinic urologist Dr. Jeffrey Karnes discusses the pros and cons of the PSA test for prostate cancer.
Myth or Matter-of-Fact: Humming can improve sinus health.
Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeart Radio.
Click here to listen to the program on Saturday, February 7, at 9:05 a.m. and follow #MayoClinicRadio.
To find and listen to archived shows, click here.
Mayo Clinic Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic. The show is taped for rebroadcast by some affiliates.
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Tags: cold, Dr. Erin O'Brien, Dr Jeffrey Karnes, Dr Rekha Mankad, Heart Health, Mayo Clinic Radio, Prostate Cancer, PSA test, sinusitis