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January 28th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Thyroid Disease Can Diminish Quality of Life
Much like motor vehicles have engines, our bodies have similar parts to help us function. The heart and brain are the big anatomy regulators, but did you know the thyroid is also a crucial driver of bodily operation? When your thyroid experiences problems, your whole body starts to feel out of sorts — and your quality of life suffers.
Knowing how your thyroid works and what signs indicate something is wrong will
help you get the care you need and enhance your livelihood. Deb Vogelsang, nurse practitioner at Mayo Clinic Health System, answers some common questions about thyroid disease.
Q. What is a thyroid?
A. A thyroid is a gland at the base of the neck. This important part of your body produces hormones that regulate blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate and weight.
Q. What are potential thyroid problems?
A. There are four main thyroid afflictions: hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer and thyroid nodules.
- Hyperthyroidism is the case of an overactive thyroid.
- Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid is underactive.
- Thyroid cancer refers to a malignancy in the cells of the thyroid.
- Thyroid nodules are growths on the thyroid.
While all of these conditions can be serious, each has its own symptoms and distinctions.
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Tags: cancer, Deb Vogelsang, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, Mayo Clinic Health System, thyroid gland
January 28th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic News Network Highlights 1/28/15
By Dana Sparks 
Mayo Clinic News Network Highlights include:
- Sleep issues
- Flu and sepsis
Journalists: The video is in the downloads. Click here for script.
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Tags: Flu, sepsis, Sleep, Weekly Highlights
January 28th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo Clinic Receives $5.75 Million Gift for Lewy Body Dementia Research
By Kevin Punsky 
This is a confocal image of a Lewy body from the brain of a patient with Lewy body dementia double stained for tyrosine hydroxylase (the enzyme that makes dopamine) and α-synuclein (the major protein constituent of Lewy bodies).
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayo Clinic’s campus in Jacksonville, Florida, has received a $5.75 million gift from the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation in Palm Beach, Florida, to advance the study of Lewy body dementia, a deadly disease that causes a progressive decline in mental and physical abilities. The new Mayo program is one of a few in the world dedicated to finding answers and treatments for the disease.
The gift establishes the Mayo Clinic Dorothy and Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Lewy Body Dementia Program and builds on the foundation’s previous support of Mayo research to advance awareness and understanding of Lewy body dementia. It also helps support the brain bank on Mayo’s Florida campus, which includes about 1,000 donated organs of deceased patients confirmed to have had Lewy body dementia.
MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Punsky, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs,
904-953-0746 Email:punsky.kevin@mayo.edu
Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Dickson are available in the downloads.
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Tags: Alzheimer’s disease, Dr Dennis Dickson, Florida News Release, Lewy Body Dementia, Mayo Clinic, Medical Research, News Release, Parkinson's disease
January 27th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Dana Sparks
Hospital emergency departments see an influx of weather-related injuries with each snowstorm. Mayo Clinic emergency medicine specialist David Nestler, M.D., says falls are among the most common emergencies. "The snow and ice make it easy to slip and fall. We see many, many broken bones because of that." Weather-related vehicle accidents, heart attacks triggered while shoveling snow and exposure injuries, like frostbite, also send more people to emergency rooms.
Click on links below to see previous Mayo Clinic News Network posts:
- Fearful of Frostbite?
- Winter's Severe Cold Snap Calls for Extra Dose of Caution
- Slipping, Sliding and Snow Shoveling Season
- Winter Health: Common Sense Decisions and Smart Preparations
To interview a Mayo Clinic expert about winter safety contact:
Mayo Clinic Public Affairs 507-284-5005 newsbureau@mayo.edu
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Tags: Mayo Clinic Health System, Snowstorm, Winter Safety Tips
January 27th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Mayo and King-Devick Test Have Licensing Agreement for Sideline Concussion Test
By Jim McVeigh 
Phoenix, AZ — Concussions are in the national spotlight for the damage being done to student and professional athletes. Determining when an athlete should be removed from play is a major challenge in preventing injury. Athletes routinely deny symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between 1.6 and 3.8 million students have concussions every year. In an effort to bring awareness and increase concussion screening, Mayo Clinic has agreed to a licensing agreement with King-Devick Test Inc., which has developed a proven indicator of ocular motor, visual and cognitive function for concussion detection and evaluation on the sidelines of sporting events to help with the decision to sideline athletes to prevent injury.
Under the terms of the agreement, the King-Devick Concussion Screening Test will be formally recognized as the King-Devick Test In Association With Mayo Clinic. The King-Devick Test is a quick, accurate and objective concussion screening tool that can be administered on the sidelines by parents, coaches, athletic trainers, school nurses and medical professionals.
Click here to listen to audio from today's news conference.
Click here for a transcript of today's news conference.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jim McVeigh, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu
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Tags: Arizona News Release, Dr. David Dodick, King-Devick test, concussion test
January 27th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Jim McVeigh
WHAT: Audio news conference about an agreement between Mayo Clinic and King-Devick to bring an objective
concussion screening tool that can be administered on the sidelines by parents, coaches, athletic trainers, school nurses and medical professionals.
Click here to listen to the audio from today's news conference.
WHO: Mayo Clinic and King-Devick
David Dodick, M.D., Mayo Clinic Neurologist, Director, Mayo Clinic Concussion Program
Steve Devick, founder and developer of the King-Devick Test
WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 27 8:30 a.m. (MST)
CALL-IN: Journalists can join the call at: 800-768-2481.
RSVP: Emily Blahnik at blahnik.emily@mayo.edu or 507-538-7404.
INFO: Journalists who are registered members of Mayo Clinic News Network will have access to materials under embargo at http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/. Journalists can register at http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/request-account/. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Arizona News Release, concussion, David Dodick, King Devick, News Release
January 27th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Tuesday Q and A: Alzheimer’s can often be identified in its earliest stages
By lizatorborg 
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: How soon can Alzheimer’s disease be diagnosed? What are the early symptoms to watch for?
ANSWER: There is no one test that can be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. But based on an assessment of symptoms, along with a variety of tests and exams, Alzheimer’s can often be identified in its earliest stages. 
Seeking medical attention as soon as Alzheimer’s symptoms become noticeable is key to a prompt diagnosis.
The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is forgetfulness. Distinguishing between memory loss that is due to aging and memory loss due to Alzheimer’s can be tricky, though.
As people get older, the number of cells, or neurons, in the brain goes down. That can make it harder to learn new things or to remember familiar words. Older adults may have difficulty coming up with names of acquaintances, for example, or they may have trouble finding reading glasses or car keys. In most cases, these memory lapses do not signal the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Alzheimer's, Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Petersen, Dr. Ronald Petersen, Tuesday Q and A
January 26th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
New Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Model More Accurate Than Current Model
By Joe Dangor 
ROCHESTER, Minn. — A new breast cancer risk prediction model combining histologic features of biopsied breast tissue from women with benign breast disease and individual patient demographic information more accurately classified breast cancer risk than the current screening standard. Results of a Mayo Clinic study comparing the new model to the current standard, the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT), are published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Tags: Amy Degnim, Benign Breast Disease, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, Dr Degnim, Journal of Clinical Oncology, M.D., Minnesota News Releases, news releases, risk prediction model
January 26th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Dana Sparks
THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES
Red wine and resveratrol: Good for your heart?
Can a glass of red wine with your meal really help your heart? The substance resveratrol may reduce "bad" cholesterol and more.
Cold remedies: What works, what doesn't, what can't hurt
People have been saying for centuries that chicken soup helps a cold. Does it really work? What about other remedies? Get the facts and feel better soon.
EXPERT ANSWERS
Flat stomach: Can girdles tighten abdominal muscles?
Want a flat stomach? Diet and exercise — not undergarments — are what count.
Benefits of being bilingual: Delay Alzheimer's?
Knowing at least two languages may help protect you against the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Alzheimer's, healthy recipes, Heart Disease, Monday's Housecall, Red Wine
January 26th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Precision Medicine: Mayo Clinic Expert Describes Next Steps to Help More Patients
Rochester, Minn. – “Precision medicine” is becoming a national catchphrase after President Obama highlighted it in his State of the Union address. 
But what exactly is it? Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., acting director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, describes this new, rapidly advancing frontier in medicine and outlines 10 changes that would speed development and help more patients benefit from a personalized approach to health care:
What is precision medicine? In precision medicine, also called individualized medicine or personalized medicine, physicians use knowledge about a person’s personal genetic makeup to help determine the best plan for disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The mapping of the human genome in 2003 by U.S. scientists jump-started medical genomics; the Human Genome Project was an immense international collaboration that took 13 years and cost $3.8 billion. The National Institutes of Health’s National Human Genome Research Institute, which coordinated the project, estimates economic growth from that project at $798 billion.
"We are now poised to apply genomic technologies developed with the findings of the Human Genome Project into everyday patient care,” Dr. Weinshilboum says.
“However, if the U.S. is to remain the world leader in health care innovation and delivery, we need another national genomics effort that will accelerate scientific discovery and clinical implementation while continuing to encourage the rapid technological innovations and entrepreneurialism that have gotten us to this point."
MEDIA CONTACT: To schedule an interview with Dr. Weinshilboum or other Mayo Clinic individualized medicine experts, please contact Sam Smith or Robert Nellis in Mayo Clinic Public Affairs at 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Genetics, genomics, Human Genome, Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota news release, News Release, personalized medicine, precision medicine, Richard Weinshilboum, whole exome sequencing, whole genome sequencing
January 25th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Snowstorm Scheduled to Slam Northeast States This Week
By Dana Sparks
Hospital emergency departments see an influx of weather-related injuries with each snowstorm. Mayo Clinic emergency medicine specialist David Nestler, M.D., says falls are among the most common emergencies. "The snow and ice make it easy to slip and fall. We see many, many broken bones because of that." Weather-related vehicle accidents, heart attacks triggered while shoveling snow and exposure injuries, like frostbite, also send more people to emergency rooms.
Courtesy: The Weather Channel
Click on links below to see previous Mayo Clinic News Network posts:
- Fearful of Frostbite?
- Winter's Severe Cold Snap Calls for Extra Dose of Caution
- Slipping, Sliding and Snow Shoveling Season
- Winter Health: Common Sense Decisions and Smart Preparations
To interview a Mayo Clinic expert about winter safety contact:
Mayo Clinic Public Affairs 507-284-5005 newsbureau@mayo.edu
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Tags: Emergency Department, frostbite, Snowstorm, winter
January 24th, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Weekend Wellness: Gleason score indicates grade of prostate cancer
By lizatorborg
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 73 and just had a prostate biopsy that showed a malignant tumor with a Gleason score of 8. Is this an indication of an aggressive cancer and if so, what are my treatment options?
ANSWER: Gleason score indicates the grade of your prostate cancer. The higher the Gleason score, the more aggressive the cancer is likely to be. 
Of the factors related to prostate cancer that doctors take into consideration when deciding on treatment, Gleason score is probably the most important one. In most cases, treatment with radiation and hormonal therapy or with surgery is recommended based on a Gleason score of 8.
The Gleason score was developed in the 1960s by a pathologist named Donald Gleason. It has stood the test of time, and doctors now rely on it to predict how likely prostate cancer is to grow and spread.
For most kinds of cancer, tumor grade is determined by looking at individual cancer cells through a microscope using a high level of magnification to examine the details of those cells. Gleason score is different. With this method, a pathologist examines prostate tissue samples under a microscope using low magnification to observe the patterns of the cancer cells. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Dr Jeffrey Karnes, Dr Karnes, Gleason score, prostate biopsy, Prostate Cancer, Weekend Wellness
January 23rd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Dana Sparks
Does having a cancer biopsy increase the chances your cancer will spread? We’ll explore this topic with cancer surgeon Dr. KMarie Reid Lombardo on the next Mayo Clinic Radio. Also on Mayo Clinic Radio, we’ll talk with OB/GYN specialist Dr. Sean Dowdy about the latest advances in preventing, detecting and treating cervical cancer. Please join us.
Myth or Fact: Having a biopsy of my cancer will cause it to spread.
Mayo Clinic Radio is available on iHeart Radio.
Click here to listen to the program on Saturday at 9:05 a.m. and follow #MayoClinicRadio.
Listen to this week’s Medical News Headlines: News Seg January 24, 2015 (right click MP3)
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: Cancer Biopsy, Cervical Cancer, Dr KMarie Reid Lombardo, Dr. Sean Dowdy, Mayo Clinic Radio
January 23rd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Measles Can Almost Always be Prevented With a Vaccine
By Dana Sparks
USA Today - "An outbreak of measles that began at Disneyland before Christmas is disrupting lives in six states. Arizona became the latest state to report a case of measles related to Disneyland when a woman in her 50s was diagnosed. The outbreak has spread to Utah, Washington, Colorado, Oregon and across the border to Mexico."
Measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. Once quite common, measles can now almost always be prevented with a vaccine. Signs and symptoms of measles include cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, fever and a red, blotchy skin rash. Also called rubeola, measles can be serious and even fatal for small children. While death rates have been falling worldwide as more children receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 100,000 people a year, most under the age of 5. Learn more:
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Tags: Infectious Diseases, measles, Vaccination
January 23rd, 2015 · Leave a Comment
By Sam Smith 
Rochester, Minn. — A new breast imaging technique pioneered at Mayo Clinic nearly quadruples detection rates of invasive breast cancers in women with dense breast tissue, according to the results of a major study published this week in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Molecular Breast Imaging (right) detected 3.6 times as many invasive cancers as digital mammography (left) in the latest study of more than 1,500 women with dense breast tissue. About half of screening-age women have dense breast tissue, which digital mammography renders the same whitish shade as tumors. Results are published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) is a supplemental imaging technology designed to find tumors that would otherwise be obscured by surrounding dense breast tissue on a mammogram. Tumors and dense breast tissue can both appear white on a mammogram, making tumors indistinguishable from background tissue in women with dense breasts. About half of all screening-aged women have dense breast tissue, according to Deborah Rhodes, M.D., a Mayo Clinic Breast Clinic physician and the senior author of this study.
MBI increased the detection rate of invasive breast cancers by more than 360 percent when used in addition to regular screening mammography, according to the study. MBI uses small, semiconductor-based gamma cameras to image the breast following injection of a radiotracer that tumors absorb avidly. Unlike conventional breast imaging techniques, such as mammography and ultrasound, MBI exploits the different behavior of tumors relative to background tissue, producing a functional image of the breast that can detect tumors not seen on mammography.
The study, conducted at Mayo Clinic, included 1,585 women with heterogeneously or extremely dense breasts who underwent an MBI exam at the time of their screening mammogram.
MEDIA CONTACT: Sam Smith, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: Breast Cancer, Dr Amy Conners, Dr Deborah Rhodes, Dr Michael O'Connor, mammogram, MBI, Minnesota news release, Molecular Breast Imaging, News Release, radiology, supplemental screening