Arizona

PHOENIX — In the treatment of multiple myeloma, the addition of carfilzomib to a currently accepted two-drug combination produced significantly better results than using the two drugs alone, according to a worldwide research team led by investigators from Mayo Clinic. Their findings will be reported online Dec. 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine, and presented on Dec. 7 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), held in San Francisco. http://youtu.be/F-dSkfoi3gg Interim analysis of the ASPIRE clinical trial, which enrolled 792 patients with relapsed multiple myeloma from 20 countries, found an “unprecedented” prolongation of the time patients were free of disease progression, says the study’s lead investigator, Keith Stewart, M.B., Ch.B, a Mayo Clinic oncologist in Arizona. “Patients taking three drugs — carfilzomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone — stayed free of disease progression for 26 months on average,” he says. “No one has reported anything like this before for relapsed multiple myeloma.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0aPjOFWn9c ROCHESTER, Minn. — Before reaching for that daily antacid, you might consider what it’s doing to the trillions of bugs living in your gut. A new Mayo Clinic study in the open access journal Microbiome shows that people who regularly take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have less diversity among their gut bacteria, putting them at increased risk for infections like clostridium difficile and pneumonia, in addition to vitamin deficiencies and bone fractures. MEDIA CONTACT: Sam Smith, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, Email: newsbureau@mayo.edu Journalists: Soundbites with Dr. DiBaise are available in the downloads.

PHOENIX—Mayo Clinic in Arizona, in collaboration with Phoenix Children’s Hospital, has begun treating pediatric patients with complex cancers, using a course of outpatient radiation therapy administered on Mayo’s Phoenix campus. Phoenix Children’s Hospital refers pediatric patients to Mayo Clinic for radiation therapy who are experiencing brain tumors, leukemia, Wilms’ tumor, neuroblastomas, sarcomas and some solid tumors, according to Carol Davis, the Ambulatory Business Operations manager for Phoenix Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Children who are hospitalized at Phoenix Children’s Hospital are transported to Mayo via ambulance, while others come with their parents for the outpatient treatment. Mayo and Phoenix Children’s Hospital have collaborated for a number of years on clinical programs, including pediatric bone marrow transplants and pediatric liver transplants. Radiation Oncology is yet another such collaboration, which maximizes the expertise of both Valley institutions. MEDIA CONTACTS: Lynn Closway, Mayo Clinic, 480-301-4337, Closway.lynn@mayo.edu Stacy Dillier, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, 602-933-0824, Sdillier@phoenixchildrens.com

WICKENBURG, Ariz. — Wickenburg residents in need of emergency medical care for a stroke may benefit from a Mayo Clinic telestroke program that is now be available at Wickenburg Community Hospital. A recent agreement between Wickenburg Community Hospital and Mayo Clinic in Arizona means the service featuring a remotely controlled, self-propelled robot is now available in Wickenburg. Mayo Clinic was the first medical center in Arizona to do pioneering clinical research to study telemedicine as a means of serving patients with a stroke in neurologically underserved rural and urban settings, and today serves as the "hub" in a network of 15 other "spoke" centers in 4 states. Wickenburg Community Hospital is the 16th hospital to be part of the telestroke service from Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

PHOENIX — A smell test could someday be one of the tools to screen for people at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a new Mayo Clinic study. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. It develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while tremor may be the best-known sign of Parkinson's, the disorder also commonly causes stiffness and slowing of movement. Additionally, there are many non-movement problems, including constipation, loss of the sense of smell, sleep problems, lightheadedness, urinary difficulties, depression and anxiety. The non-movement symptoms can develop many years before movement disorders. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63uNdFZLuy0&feature=youtu.be   Although Parkinson's disease can't be cured, medications may markedly improve symptoms. Currently, there is no accurate diagnostic test for the disease; diagnosis is based on medical history, a review of signs and symptoms, a neurological and physical examination and by ruling out other conditions. Confirmation of the disease can only be made by performing an autopsy.

PHOENIX — A new Mayo Clinic study examines the question “what would you do if you knew you are predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease?” The study, which will be published in the October edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, was conducted to measure attitudes concerning Alzheimer’s genetic and biomarker tests. Other studies have shown that many people would want to have tests to know if they carry the gene that causes Alzheimer’s disease. The new study showed that many people may not understand what the results mean.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuUfKkWkc9Y&feature=youtu.be   “About a third of the people who say they want the testing really don’t know what the implications of the tests are,” says Richard Caselli, M.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist and lead author of the study. “More education is needed before we can advocate widespread predictive testing for a disease which, at this time, we have no effective treatment.”

PHOENIX — Researchers from Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Banner Sun Health Research Institute have determined that many people with an early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease are not correctly diagnosed according to a study just published in the journal Neurology. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. It develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while tremor may be the best-known sign of Parkinson's, the disorder also commonly causes stiffness and slowing of movement. Additionally there are many non-movement problems including constipation, loss of the sense of smell, sleep problems, lightheadedness, urinary difficulties, depression and anxiety. Although Parkinson's disease can't be cured, medications may markedly improve symptoms. Currently, there is no accurate diagnostic test for the disease; diagnosis is made based on medical history, a review of signs and symptoms, a neurological and physical examination and by ruling out other conditions. Confirmation of the disease can only be made by performing an autopsy.

PHOENIX, Arizona – The National Institutes of Health (NIH) renewed funding for the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) and Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, longitudinal study of the earliest changes associated with the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease at older ages.  The award, an estimated $8.3 million over the next five years, continues NIH’s long-term support of the investigation. The study, which began two decades ago, has been examining the subtle brain imaging, memory and thinking changes that occur in healthy late-middle-aged and older adults who have inherited from their parents either one, two or no copies of the apolipoprotein E (APOE4) gene, the major genetic risk factor for developing late-onset Alzheimer’s.  Each additional copy of the gene significantly increases a person’s chance of developing the disease. “We are extremely grateful to the NIH and our wonderful research volunteers for their support,” said Dr. Eric M. Reiman, BAI Executive Director and one of the study’s principal investigators. “From the beginning, this study has been driven by our interest in finding treatments to prevent or end Alzheimer’s as quickly as possible, and to provide the information and tools needed to do just that.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The use of small, portable eye-tracking devices in cockpits could be a future additional safeguard for pilots and other safety critical operators, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the July issue of Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine. Eye movement metrics have been recognized as promising indicators of altered cognitive performance caused by hypoxia at high altitudes. Hypoxia is a lower than normal level of oxygen in your blood. To function properly, your body needs a certain level of oxygen circulating in the blood to cells and tissues. When this level of oxygen falls below a certain amount, hypoxia can cause a variety of symptoms including shortness of breath, impaired speech, slowed reaction time and passing out which can be a safety threat at high altitudes. MEDIA CONTACT: Jim McVeigh, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 480-301-4222, mcveigh.jim@mayo.edu  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K310fNJFfc&feature=youtu.be  

PHOENIX — A new Mayo Clinic study suggests that the care and support family members give to elderly widows following the death of their spouse may be a factor in delaying dementia. The study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark last week was designed to evaluate the effects of widowhood in people with mild cognitive impairment - a precursor of dementia.  The thinking had been that widowhood would accelerate the development of dementia in people with MCI but the study showed the opposite. Mayo Clinic researchers used data on more than 3,500 people from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center database, which compiles information collected at various Alzheimer’s disease Centers in the U.S. The researchers found that of the 1,078 subjects who developed dementia, people who remained married developed dementia at a younger age than those who were widowed (83 years old versus 92 years). MEDIA CONTACT: Jim McVeigh, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 480-301-4222, mcveigh.jim@mayo.edu.  

Mayo Clinic also earned the No. 1 overall spot on the “Best Hospitals” list PHOENIX — Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix is ranked No. 1 in Arizona and the Phoenix metro area in the 25th U.S. News & World Report annual America’s Best Hospital List released today. Hospitals included in the U.S. News Report such as the Mayo Clinic, are part of an elite group recognized for “breadth of excellence,” according to the magazine.  Mayo Clinic in Arizona ranked nationally in 10 specialties including cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, ear, nose & throat, gastroenterology & GI surgery, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and urology. In addition, Mayo Clinic in Arizona is recognized as high performing in diabetes and endocrinology. http://youtu.be/wNPvlHYKtIM

PHOENIX — In response to growing concerns about concussions and head injuries in youth sports, Arizona Pop Warner Football and Cheer and Mayo Clinic have announced a groundbreaking collaboration that will provide intensive medical research about the effects of sports-related injuries. As part of the program, all participants ages 10 years and older in Arizona Pop Warner’s flag and tackle football programs, as well as all participants in the organization’s cheerleading programs, will be required to complete a comprehensive evaluation prior to play that will provide a baseline for future testing in the event of an injury. This baseline evaluation will provide immediate data when testing young athletes after an injury, helping physicians determine the nature and extent of the injury and helping to assess a timeline for return to competition. David Dodick, M.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and an expert in concussion care and director of the Mayo Clinic Concussion Program, was invited to join President Barack Obama and other medical experts at the White House in late May. The effort between Arizona Pop Warner Football and Cheer and Mayo Clinic is one of the first  of its kind since President Obama’s call-to-action on May 29 at the White House, assembling prominent athletic organizations, athletes and medical experts to join the Healthy Kids & Safe Sports Concussion Summit. The two organizations are working to get the concussion protocol executed before the start of the 2014 season. MEDIA CONTACT: Jim McVeigh, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 480-301-4222 mcveigh.jim@mayo.edu. MEDIA CONTACT: Morgan Ringwald, Arizona Pop Warner Football and Cheer, 480-249-6601, morgan@agencyG.com