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March 10th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
JAMA: One-Year Data for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in U.S. Patients
By Traci Klein 
ROCHESTER, MINN — Study results of one-year data for more than 12,000 patients who had transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the United States show an overall one-year death rate of 23.7 percent and a stroke rate of 4.1 percent, according to a study published in the March 10 issue of JAMA.
“Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has become transformational for patients who need a new valve and are at high-risk for surgery or inoperable. 
But we have been lacking long-term data for this group of patients who are considering this procedure,” says study lead author David R. Holmes, Jr., M.D., a Mayo Clinic interventional cardiologist. “Before this study, we only had 30-day information. This is a milestone and will help us better guide patients and learn as physicians.”
For the study, researchers used the Transcatheter Valve Therapies Registry, developed by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the American College of Cardiology, combining 12,182 TAVR patient procedures performed from November 2011 through June 2013 and linking to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrative claims for one-year data using direct Medicare patient identifiers (name and social security numbers).
Other important results from the study are: Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: aortic stenosis, Dr David R Holmes, Jr, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota news release, News Release, Rochester, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, Transcatheter Valve Therapies Registry
March 10th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Freezer Cooking is Convenient But Make Sure it’s Safe
In today’s fast-paced society it can be difficult to find time to prepare a healthy, home-cooked meal. For a lot of us, we try to avoid the fast-food solution in an attempt to stay healthy. That’s where batch cooking and doubling recipes — also known as freezer cooking — comes into play.
"Freezer cooking can be an effective means of creating quick, easy, healthy meals down the road," Julie Howard, M.D., family physician at Mayo Clinic Health System in Tomah. "However, it’s important to make sure you’re well aware of the health risks involved with improper food storage."
Dr. Howard shares food safety tips to remember when freezer cooking: Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Batch Cooking, Dr Julie Howard, Food-borne Illness, Freezer Cooking, Leftovers, Mayo Clinic Health System, Nutrition
March 10th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic Q and A: For adults with scoliosis, treatment based on severity of symptoms
By lizatorborg 
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: How effective is surgery to treat scoliosis in adults? What does the surgery involve?
ANSWER: Fortunately for most adults who have scoliosis, the condition can be successfully managed without surgery. For some who suffer from an overly tilted or arthritic spine, though, surgery can be very effective at relieving symptoms. The surgery is a complex procedure and can include removing some spinal joints and connecting two or more of the bones in the spine together to properly balance the spine and improve quality of life.
Scoliosis is a three-dimensional change in the normal shape of the spine that leads to excessive sideways or forward curves. It most often develops in children during the growth spurt just before puberty. But some adults can suffer from scoliosis, too. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Dr Huddleston, Dr Paul Huddleston, Mayo Clinic Q A, Scoliosis, spinal fusion surgery
March 9th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic and Collaborators Find New Class of Drugs that Reduces Aging in Mice
By Bob Nellis 
A new class of drugs identified and validated by Mayo Clinic researchers along with collaborators at Scripps Research Institute and others, clearly reduces health problems in mice by limiting the effect of senescent cells — cells that contribute to frailty and diseases associated with age. The researchers say this is a first step toward developing similar treatments for aging patients. Their findings appear today in the journal Aging Cell.
“If translatable to humans — which makes sense as we were using human cells in many of the tests – this type of therapy could keep the effects of aging at bay and significantly extend the healthspan of patients,” says James Kirkland, M.D., Ph.D., head of the Mayo Clinic Kogod Center on Aging and senior author of the study.
The drugs — called senolytics — selectively kill senescent cells without harming nearby cells and tissue, to reduce heart and vascular problems, muscle weakness, osteoporosis, and neurological problems. Senescent cells are cells that appear with aging and at sites of many age-related diseases. They produce factors that can damage the cells and tissues around them and at a distance, amplifying their effects. In many examples, the drugs caused significant and visible reduction of multiple conditions after just one dose – and remained therapeutic for up to seven months. The researchers say that this long lasting effect is consistent with a change in cellular or tissue composition.
MEDIA CONTACT: Bob Nellis, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, Email: newsbureau@mayo.edu Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Dr Felipe Sierra, Dr James Kirkland, Minnesota news release, National Institute on Aging, Senolytics
March 9th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Preterm Babies Receive Inhaled Nitric Oxide Despite Guidance Discouragement
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Inhaled Nitric Oxide (iNO) is a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration that is commonly used in term and near-term neonates who have severe respiratory failure caused by pulmonary hypertension. Over the last decade there have been multiple large studies trying to determine a clinical use for iNO in preterm neonates, but despite evidence of short-term benefit, this drug has not been shown to improve long-term outcomes in preemies. Still, the drug is commonly being used in this population, Mayo Clinic Children’s Center and co-authors say in a study published today in the journal Pediatrics.
A 2011 statement released by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) indicated that available evidence did not support the routine use of iNO in preterm neonates and discouraged the use of this expensive therapy in preterm neonates. In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a report with similar statements.
MEDIA CONTACT: Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, email: newsbureau@mayo.edu Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Dr Marc Ellsworth, Inhaled Nitric Oxide, Minnesota news release, neonatal intensive care units, neonatology, News Release
March 9th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
CREEPY, DREADFUL, WONDERFUL PARASITES: A Parasitologist’s View of the World – Week of March 8, 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!
Read more about Dr. Pritt's work.
March 9th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Jen O'Hara 
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Paleo diet: What is it and why is it so popular?
The Paleo diet may have worked for humans millions of years ago. But is it right for you today? Get your questions answered.
Yoga: Fight stress and find serenity
Less stress, lower blood pressure, better heart function and improved fitness. They're all reasons to give yoga a try.
EXPERT ANSWERS
Sleep aids: Could antihistamines help me sleep?
Antihistamines are somewhat effective as sleep aids — but only for occasional insomnia.
Mammogram: Can it find cancer in dense breasts?
Dense breasts can make a mammogram more difficult to interpret. But the screening is still helpful in finding cancer.
Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.
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Tags: complementary and alternative medicine, COPD, diabetic macular edema, early-onset Alzheimer's, mammogram, Monday's Housecall, Paleo diet, sleep aids, Yoga
March 7th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic Q & A: Regular monitoring can help manage symptoms of PSC
By lizatorborg
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My husband, 48, was diagnosed last month with primary sclerosing cholangitis. Does this mean he will eventually need a liver transplant, or do some people with the disease never get to that point? He has had irritable bowel syndrome for years; are the two conditions related?
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
ANSWER: Primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC, is not associated with irritable bowel syndrome. But it can be related to another condition broadly termed inflammatory bowel disease, or more specifically, ulcerative colitis. Your husband should be tested for ulcerative colitis if that has not already been done. Many people who have PSC do eventually need a liver transplant. That is not the case for everyone, though. Regular monitoring and follow-up care can help manage symptoms and catch complications of PSC early.
PSC affects the ducts that carry the digestive liquid bile from your liver to your small intestine. In people who have PSC, inflammation causes scars within the bile ducts. The scars make the ducts hard and narrow. Over time, this can cause serious liver damage.
PSC often progresses slowly. As it advances, the disease may result in repeated infections and can lead to bile duct tumors or liver tumors. Eventually, PSC may cause the liver to fail. On average it takes about 10 years until most people with PSC need a liver transplant. However, the rate at which PSC progresses varies widely. Some people with this disease live a normal lifespan without every progressing to liver failure or needing a transplant. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Dr Carey, Dr Elizabeth Carey, inflammatory bowel disease, liver transplant, Mayo Clinic Q A, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, ulcerative colitis
March 6th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Something to Think About ~ Your Multitasking Brain: 3 Tips – 3 Insights – 3 Minutes
By Dana Sparks
"Let's face it. If you are one of us (Homo sapiens sapiens) and wish to live a full life, you'll have to multitask. But can you get better at it? Absolutely! Here are three insights about multitasking in the context of how your brain works, and three tips that might help you be more effective at multitasking, so you succeed not only at work, but also in relationships, including with yourself." - Dr. Amit Sood
Amit Sood, M.D. 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.
More from Dr. Sood - Can you pick healthier addictions?
Click here to read previous blog posts. Follow Dr. Sood on Twitter @AmitSoodMD
March 6th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Dana Sparks
Stay active to keep fit. That can be difficult for people with spinal stenosis, a condition that causes serious back pain. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Paul Huddleston explains how spinal stenosis is treated.
Also on the program, Dr. Stephen Ekker discusses how the tiny zebrafish is helping to uncover treatments for everything from nicotine dependence to hearing loss. And we'll have the latest on recurring fever in children from Mayo Clinic pediatrician Dr. Thomas Boyce.
Myth or Matter-of-Fact: If I haven’t had back problems by middle age, I’m not likely to have them when I get older.
Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeart Radio.
Click here to listen to the program on Saturday, March 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: Dr Paul Huddleston, Dr Stephen Ekker, Dr Thomas Boyce, fever, Mayo Clinic Radio, Spinal Stenosis, zebrafish
March 6th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Cancer Survivors, Keep Your Brain in Shape
By Jen O'Hara
Cancer survivors, keep your brain in shape
Cancer treatment can cause brain fog or chemo brain. Use these tips to help keep your mind organized.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is an effective way to treat many types of cancer, but there are possible side effects. See what you can do to prepare.
Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
Along with excellent patient care and rigorous research programs, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center offers educational and support services.
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Tags: cancer survivorship, chemo brain, Chemotherapy, Living With Cancer Blog, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
March 5th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Expert Alert – Measles and Hearing Loss
By Joel Streed 
With all the recent attention on measles, one risk that is seldom mentioned is long-term hearing loss. Several studies have shown a link between measles and hearing loss later in life. Kenneth 
Brookler, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurotologist and researcher, has been studying this connection for many years and says this type of hearing loss, otosclerosis, is highly preventable.
“The downstream effect of measles can be having insidious hearing loss in the 20s and 30s, having surgeries and then digressing to a point to where hearing aids may not work to the level they need a cochlear implant … all this could be prevented with timely vaccinations in childhood.”
MEDIA: To interview Dr. Brookler contact Bob Nellis at 507-284-5005 or e-mail newsbureau@mayo.edu. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Dr Kenneth Brookler, Hearing Loss, Measles
March 5th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic Named to Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” List
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Fortune magazine named Mayo Clinic to its list of the “100 Best Companies 
to Work For” in 2015. This is Mayo’s 12th consecutive year on the magazine’s annual compilation of companies that rate high with employees. The list ranks Mayo Clinic 73 overall among the top 100 companies.
“We congratulate our employees for earning Mayo Clinic this distinction,” says John H. Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic. “We hope they take great pride in this ‘100 Best’ national recognition.”
Mayo Clinic was selected among hundreds of companies vying for a place on the list this year. Applicant companies opt to participate in the selection process, which includes an employee survey and an in-depth questionnaire about their programs and company practices. Great Place to Work® then evaluates each application using its unique methodology based on five dimensions: credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. Great Place to Work® has found that employee
s believe they work for great organizations when they consistently trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with.
Information from the survey of Mayo Clinic employees is available on the Great Rated! site.
The print copy of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” edition will be on
newsstands March 9.
MEDIA CONTACT: Kelley Luckstein, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005
Email: newsbureau@mayo.edu Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: 100 Best Companies to Work For, Dr. John Noseworthy, FORTUNE, News Release
March 5th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Jen O'Hara
Need stress relief? Try the 4 A's
Antidepressants: Selecting one that's right for you
Heartburn or heart attack: When to worry
Celiac disease: Can gluten be absorbed through the skin?
Slide show: Exercises to improve your core strength
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Tags: Antidepressants, celiac disease, core strength exercises, heart attack symptoms, heartburn, stress
March 4th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic News Network Headlines 3/4/2015
By Joel Streed
In today's Mayo Clinic News Network Headlines with Vivien Williams:
- Treadmill Test for Longevity
- Getting Ready to "Spring Ahead"
Journalists: Video is available in the downloads. Click here for script.
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Tags: Dr Joesph Kaplan, Mayo Clinic News Network Headlines, Sleep, Treadmill