Health & Wellness - February 2014 Archives

In this Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute, Dr. Mark Larson shares his thoughts on the practice of colon cleansing. To listen, click the link ...

The CVS Pharmacy chain is announcing it will stop selling all tobacco products by Oct. 1, 2014. Richard Hurt, M.D., director of Mayo Clinic’s Nicotine Dependence Center, says this move is long overdue and is an act of courage. "This is a big deal. It's another giant step toward returning us to the social norm of just 100 years ago where cigarettes were not a product of note. It's a demonstration of true corporate social responsibility. To continue to sell cigarettes in pharmacies is inconsistent with their role in providing health-promoting products and information." Learn more about smoking cessation: Quitting Smoking: 10 Ways to Resist Tobacco Cravings Expert Comments on Surgeon General Report About Smoking 2014 Surgeon General's Report: The Health Consequences of Smoking — 50 Years of Progress

Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center to open sports medicine facility in downtown Minneapolis ROCHESTER, Minn. ― Feb. 4, 2014 ― Mayo Clinic and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx today announced a partnership which extends the Mayo Model of Care for patients in sports medicine to the Twin Cities. The collaboration includes: 1) the opening of a Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center at 600 Hennepin, 2) designating Mayo as the preferred medical provider for the teams, and 3) utilizing the teams’ international reach to educate the public about numerous health and wellness topics. Mayo Clinic will be a part of the redevelopment of 600 Hennepin, formerly known as “Block E,” in downtown Minneapolis, where Mayo will open a Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center facility and the Timberwolves and Lynx will open a new practice facility. Mayo and the teams will occupy the third level. 600 Hennepin will be renamed “Mayo Clinic Square.” “This is an exciting opportunity to work with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, and meet the wellness, performance and rehabilitation needs of Twin Cities residents,” says Michael Stuart, M.D., co-director, Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center, and team physician for USA Hockey. Journalists: Sound bites with Mr. Flip Saunders, President of Basketball Operations, and Drs. Stuart, Laskowski and Wald are available in the downloads. B-roll of Tuesday's news conference is also available. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDY_OitEaMs

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I recently read that being deficient in vitamin B-12 is common. Should I take a supplement? I am 78 and in good health. ANSWER: Vitamin B-12 deficiency is more common with increasing age and affects 5 to 15 percent of adults. Some of this is early deficiency and not associated with symptoms. Once symptoms develop, they are sometimes overlooked because they develop slowly and are similar to many other problems related to growing older. It pays to be alert to symptoms and consider taking a vitamin B-12 supplement or eating food fortified with vitamin B-12. Vitamin B-12 is one of the few vitamins Mayo Clinic experts routinely recommend for older adults. Vitamin B-12 plays a role in red blood cell formation, cell metabolism, nerve function and bone health. The primary natural sources of vitamin B-12 are meats, fish, shellfish, eggs and milk; it is not found naturally in plant products. Some foods such as breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin B-12. It is stored in large quantities in the liver and recirculated in the body, so even if you suddenly stopped getting vitamin B-12, it would likely take years for deficiency to develop.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Feb. 4, 2014 — Clinicians and patients should use shared decision-making to select individualized treatments based on the new guidelines to prevent cardiovascular disease, according to a commentary by three Mayo Clinic physicians published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrtbNWvRnO4 Journalists:  Sound bites with Dr. Montori are available in the downloads.

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Snacks: How they fit into your weight-loss plan Discover creative and healthy snacks to satisfy your hunger without sabotaging your weight loss. Medical history: Compiling your medical family tree Use a special family tree to track your family's health information. EXPERT ANSWERS What is BPA? Should I be worried about it? Heard about BPA but not sure what it is? See what products it's in and explore alternatives. Heart attack prevention: Should I avoid secondhand smoke? It's possible that secondhand smoke can irritate your arteries, increasing your heart attack risk. HEALTHY RECIPES Chicken sliders Sweet and spicy snack mix Spinach dip with mushrooms Hurricane punch HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK Calorie count: Check your coffee cup Coffee choices are nearly limitless. You can choose from plain, flavored, whipped, topped, iced and even frozen versions. Of course, how you choose to dress up your coffee makes all the difference in calories, fat and sugar. If you're watching your weight, consider sticking to basic black. A plain cup of brewed coffee contains zero fat and only a couple of calories. Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.

Miss the show? Here's the podcast: Mayo Clinic Radio Full Show 2-8-2014 From returning war veterans to professional athletes or even a patient with what ...