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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
March 4th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Lifestyle and Diet in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which consists of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, can be a frustrating diagnosis to deal with. In general, there is no clear evidence that one trigger alone causes problems. Therefore, there is no particular food, diet or lifestyle that causes, prevents or cures IBD.
"Some patients are more fortunate and can control their IBD through medication. Other patients experience flare-ups, meaning the lining of the intestine is inflamed and the absorption of nutrients in the body is disturbed. Identifying the cause of this disturbance takes time, patience and some homework," says Sebastian Strobel, M.D., Mayo Clinic Health System gastroenterologist.
Keeping a food diary is a great way to manage flare-ups. Start with a low-fiber or liquid diet until the situation is resolved, and realize certain foods may make symptoms worse.
In general, IBD patients should follow a healthy diet while keeping these tips in mind: Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Dr Sebastian Strobel, Gastroenterology, IBD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Mayo Clinic Health System, stomach pain
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.
“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