- Casual Marijuana Use May Damage Brain http://cnn.it/1gHepue
- New Blood Test May Detect Breast Cancer Spread http://bit.ly/1l8dwdW
- For Vegetative Patients, a Brain Scan May Detect Hope Of Recovery http://lat.ms/1r0qYSM
- TV Smoking Influences Adult Tobacco Use, Study Says http://fxn.ws/1qKiWzf
- Smoking Tied to Worse Lupus, Arthritis UK Study Hails Salt Reduction for Drop In Heart Deaths http://bit.ly/1l3E7sF
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Mayo Clinic Neurologists Lead International Study to Test Best Approach to Stroke Prevention
Posted on April 16th, 2014 by Kevin Punsky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbNqjSGG0uI
The $39.5-million grant to fund stroke study is one of largest ever awarded to investigators at Mayo Clinic in Florida
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Is medicine as safe and effective as surgery or stenting in preventing a stroke caused by the buildup of plaque in the carotid artery? Thomas G. Brott, M.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida, aims to find out.
“It’s a critical question. The quality medicines we have today may mean that it is not necessary to perform invasive procedures on patients who do not have warning signs of stroke,” Dr. Brott says. “More than 100,000 carotid surgeries and carotid artery stentings are performed each year in the United States on such patients at risk — and that may not be necessary.”
To find the answer, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has awarded Dr. Brott and his colleague, James Meschia, M.D., $39.5 million — one of the largest grants ever awarded to Mayo Clinic in Florida investigators. The grant funds a seven-year clinical trial that will enroll 2,480 patients in 120 centers in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. The study, known as CREST-2, is expected to begin enrolling patients this summer. Management of the patient data and the statistical analysis will be carried out at the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the direction of George Howard, Dr.PH.
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Mayo Clinic Launches National Mobile Exhibit Tour to Honor 150 Years, Look to the Future
Posted on April 15th, 2014 by Rebecca Eisenman
ROCHESTER, Minn. — To honor 150 years of serving humanity, Mayo Clinic is taking its story to the public in a free exhibit destined for stops in more than 40 communities throughout the U.S. and Canada from April through October 2014. This high-impact, 1,000-square-foot exhibition on wheels will bring to life Mayo Clinic’s values and our vision for the future of health care.
“Throughout our history, people have turned to Mayo Clinic for hope and healing. By experiencing this exhibit you will share the enduring values and exciting vision of Mayo Clinic in service to humanity,” says Kerry Olsen, M.D., Chair, Mayo Clinic Sesquicentennial Committee.
What’s inside?
A visit to the exhibit will allow visitors to see the human body as never seen before and discover how we use innovation, research and technology to meet the unique needs of individual patients. Read the rest of this entry »
TUESDAY Q &A : Children diagnosed with ADHD may continue to have symptoms into adulthood
Posted on April 15th, 2014 by Dana Sparks
DEAR MAYO CLINIC:
Our son was diagnosed at the age of 9 with ADHD. He is now 13 and doing well but is still on medication. Will he need to continue taking the medication until adulthood, or do children usually outgrow the condition as they mature?
ANSWER:
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a chronic, lifelong condition. Throughout their teen years, children with ADHD need to continue taking medication to effectively control the disorder. As adults, about 50 to 60 percent of people diagnosed with ADHD as children continue to have symptoms and may benefit from treatment.
Children with ADHD usually have a combination of problems, such as hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, disorganization and difficulty maintaining attention. Hyperactivity tends to decrease in the teen years and often goes away in adulthood. However, for most people, difficulty with attention and organization persist as they get older. With that in mind, physicians usually recommended that children stay on ADHD medication throughout their teen years.
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Expanded Clinical Trial for Experimental Melanoma Drug at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
Posted on April 15th, 2014 by Joe Dangor
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic Cancer Center announced today that it is participating in an expanded access program for the experimental cancer drug MK-3475 at its three sites in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. MK-3475 is a therapy for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. This program will provide expanded access to the drug prior to its approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
MK-3475 received “breakthrough therapy” designation from the FDA based on early interim results from a single-arm, open-label Phase I study in 85 patients with surgically unresectable metastatic melanoma. In that trial, the drug had a 51 percent objective response rate. The objective response includes patients with a complete response, those whose tumors were no longer detectable, and those whose tumors shrunk by at least 30 percent compared to baseline.
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Are you an Organ Donor? Mayo Clinic Expert Discusses 5 Myths about Organ Donation
Posted on April 15th, 2014 by Ginger Plumbo
April is Donate Life Month; make your wishes known and don’t let misinformation stop you from saving lives
ROCHESTER, Minn. — April is Donate Life Month, a national recognition to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.
Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Edwards are in the downloads.
Nationally, Mayo Clinic has over 3,000 patients on the waiting list for an organ transplant. In recognition of Donate Life Month, Brooks Edwards, M.D., director of the William J. von Liebig Center for Transplantation and 
Clinical Regeneration and a transplant cardiologist, is available to the media to answer common questions and address myths and misconceptions pertaining to organ donation.
Some common myths include:
Myth: If I agree to donate my organs, the hospital staff won't work as hard to save my life.
Fact: When you go to the hospital for treatment, doctors focus on saving your life — not somebody else's. You'll be seen by a doctor whose specialty most closely matches your particular emergency, not by a doctor who performs transplants. Read the rest of this entry »
Monday’s Housecall
Posted on April 14th, 2014 by Dana Sparks
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Skin care: 5 tips for healthy skin
Skin care gimmicks abound — but don't fall for the hype. Learn how to get younger, healthier looking skin.
Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious?
Understand the differences between organic food and traditionally grown food when it comes to nutrition, safety and price.
EXPERT ANSWERS
Hypothyroidism: Can it cause peripheral neuropathy?
Rarely, hypothyroidism can cause peripheral neuropathy, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Can you outgrow food allergies?
Learn which food allergies are more likely to fade with age and which tend to persist into adulthood.
HEALTHY RECIPES
Broiled scallops with sweet lime sauce
Brown rice pilaf
Green beans with red pepper and garlic
Baked apples with cherries and almonds
HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK
Shopping for shoes?
To find shoes that fit properly, try these tips: 1. Have your feet measured. Shoe size can change as you age. 2. Ask the salesperson to measure both feet. If one foot is larger than the other, try on a pair that fits your larger foot. 3. Shop for shoes in the early afternoon after you've been walking for some time, when your feet are at their largest.
Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.
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Caring for Skin During and After Radiation
Posted on April 11th, 2014 by Dana Sparks
Cancer-related fatigue: Create a personal exercise plan
Cancer fatigue can be overwhelming and intense. One of the most effective ways to address it is with exercise.
How to care for skin during and after radiation
Most side effects from radiation therapy are limited to the area being treated and go away within weeks. Use these tips to care for your skin.
Biopsy: Types of biopsy procedures used to diagnose cancer
You might be nervous about an upcoming biopsy. Learning how and why it's done may help reduce your anxiety.
Managing chemotherapy side effects
Chemotherapy treatment carries with it a host of potential side effects — fatigue, hair loss and more. Learn about managing chemotherapy side effects.
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MAYO CLINIC RADIO
Posted on April 11th, 2014 by Joel Streed
Join us on Saturday, April 12, at 9 a.m. CT when we discuss the growing problem of diabetes with endocrinologist Dr. Ananda Basu. We’ll touch on the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and discuss who’s at risk and what can be done to treat the condition, including the status on the development of an artificial pancreas. Join us!
Myth or Matter of Fact: Diabetics need a special diet.
Listen to this week’s Medical News Headlines: News Segment April 12, 2014 (right click MP3) 
To hear the program LIVE on Saturday, click here.
Follow #MayoClinicRadio and tweet your questions.
Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeart Radio.
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Preparing for the Future of Health Care
Posted on April 11th, 2014 by Susana Shephard
Growing Stem Cells in Space to Treat Stroke Patients
Abba Zubair, M.D., Ph.D., medical and scientific director of the Cell Therapy Laboratory, at Mayo Clinic in Florida, was recently awarded a grant to send human stem cells in space to see if they grow more rapidly in space than stem cells grown on Earth.
Dr. Noseworthy on "Opening Bell with Maria Bartiromo"
John Noseworthy, M.D., President and CEO of Mayo Clinic, discussed the future of health care on "Opening Bell With Maria Bartiromo” along with Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of American Action Former and former Congressional Budget Office director. Dr. Noseworthy explained how we are facing a time of unprecedented change in the health care system and that we are just beginning to take our first steps in this long journey.
Preparing for the Future of Health Care
How does a health care organization prepare for the challenges ahead in the future? John Noseworthy, M.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic, shared his perspectives on the Twin Cities Public Television’s (tpt) acclaimed weekly public affairs show, Almanac.
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Mayo Clinic Forms Collaboration with Enterprise Ireland to Develop Novel Technologies
Posted on April 10th, 2014 by Brian Kilen
Collaboration to support medical innovation, improvements in patient care and the economy
Ireland — Mayo Clinic today announced a five-year collaboration with Enterprise Ireland, the Irish enterprise development agency, to advance novel medical technologies originating from Mayo Clinic. The announcement was made this morning in Dublin by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D., the prime minister of Ireland, at the Medical Device 360° conference.
Journalists: B-roll and sound bites with Mayo and Enterprise leaders are available in the downloads.
This is a unique collaboration providing an alternative source of funding for translational medical research, especially significant at a time when U.S. funding for research is challenging to obtain. Enterprise Ireland has committed up to $16 million in the agreement.
“This collaboration bridges a financial gap for translational research,” says Greg Gores, M.D. , executive dean for research at Mayo Clinic. “It provides funding in between the early-stage basic research and the stage when a technology is ready for the marketplace. In the U.S., this stage is expensive and difficult to fund. We are providing the technologies and Enterprise Ireland the funding. Both of us are contributing to technology advancement.”
The novel medical technologies are Mayo Clinic innovations that have the potential to make it easier for patients to be diagnosed or treated. The development of one technology is already underway at National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI.G). The inventor, Vijay Singh, M.B.B.S., a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, developed a device to treat acute pancreatitis, a disease in which the pancreas is rapidly damaged, causing excruciating pain and often resulting in prolonged hospitalization or sometimes death. Experts at NUI.G are currently preparing the device for human clinical trials, which will be conducted by the university. Read the rest of this entry »
Mayor Ardell Brede to Proclaim April 11 ‘Donate Life Day’ in Rochester
Posted on April 10th, 2014 by Ginger Plumbo
Wear blue and green, attend flag raising ceremony to commemorate
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede will proclaim Friday, April 11, “Donate Life Day” in Rochester at a ceremony at the Gift of Life Transplant House (north house) starting at 4 p.m. that day. A 3-by-5-foot Donate Life flag will be raised as part of the ceremony to increase awareness and honor organ donors. The event is open to the public. The Gift of Life Transplant House is located at 705 Second Street SW.
More than 120,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant in the United States. Nearly 2,000 of those are children. Mayo Clinic has over 3,000 patients on the waiting list for an organ transplant. Every 10 minutes another name is added to the national waiting list. An average of 18 people die each day in the United States waiting for transplants that can't take place because of the shortage of donated organs.
April is National Donate Life Month, and events are happening across the country to increase support for organ, tissue and eye donation. In addition to the Donate Life Day event in Rochester, there are several other ways to participate or observe Donate Life Month: Read the rest of this entry »
THURSDAY CONSUMER HEALTH TIPS
Posted on April 10th, 2014 by Dana Sparks
Putting the hurt on tobacco addiction
10 ways to resist tobacco cravings
Quit-smoking medicines: Boost your chance of success
Teen smoking: How to help your teen quit
Growing Up Mayo
Posted on April 10th, 2014 by Dana Sparks
This story originally appeared on the In the Loop blog.
Now and then, you hear about a conversation you wish you could have been in on. Or at least have been eavesdropping on from a nearby table at the coffee shop. That's the feeling you get when reading Rochester historian Harley Flathers' account of his recent conversation with Dr. Charles H. Mayo II, son of Dr. Charles Mayo and grandson of Dr. Charlie Mayo. Flathers writes about the conversation in his Back and Forth column in the Rochester Post-Bulletin. It seems Flathers got Dr. Mayo talking about growing up at Mayowood and as part of the Mayo family.
Dr. Mayo, "now 83 and a resident of St. Croix Falls, Wis.," tells Flathers that it was "his choice" not to join Mayo Clinic back in the 1960s. "I'm not a writer," Dr. Mayo says. "I did my residency at Mayo Clinic, but you're required to do a certain amount of papers. Besides, I would constantly have been compared to my father, who was an excellent surgeon, and Grandpa and Will."
Vigilance for Kidney Problems Key for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Posted on April 9th, 2014 by Sharon Theimer
MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Mayo Clinic study finds rheumatoid arthritis patients at higher risk of kidney disease
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Rheumatoid arthritis patients are likelier than the average person to develop chronic kidney disease, and more severe inflammation in the first year of rheumatoid arthritis, corticosteroid use, high blood pressure and obesity are among the risk factors, new Mayo Clinic research shows. Physicians should test rheumatoid arthritis patients periodically for signs of kidney problems, and patients should work to keep blood pressure under control, avoid a high-salt diet, and eliminate or scale back medications damaging to the kidneys, says senior author Eric Matteson, M.D., Mayo rheumatology chair. The study is published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, the National Kidney Foundation journal .
Researchers studied 813 Mayo Clinic patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 813 without it. They found that over a 20-year period, people with rheumatoid arthritis have a 1 in 4 chance of developing chronic kidney disease, compared with the general population’s 1-in-5 risk.
Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Matteson are available in the downloads.
TUESDAY Q & A: Both too much and too little iron have potential to lead to health concerns
Posted on April 8th, 2014 by Dana Sparks
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I'm a 40-year old woman, and I’ve noticed that many multivitamins for women contain iron. Should all women take extra iron? Is it safe to do so? What are the side effects of taking a daily iron supplement?
ANSWER: Not having enough iron in your body — a condition known as iron deficiency — is a common problem for women, especially before menopause. But that does not mean all women need an iron supplement. Just as too little iron can cause problems, too much iron in your body can lead to health concerns, as well. To make sure it’s right for you, talk to your doctor before you take an iron supplement.
Iron is a mineral that helps the body make red blood cells. Without enough iron, the body can’t produce the number of red blood cells it needs. This condition, called iron deficiency anemia, is a concern because red blood cells carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. Without enough red blood cells, the body may not be able to get enough oxygen to stay healthy.
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