Health & Wellness - October 2013 Archives

A Mayo Clinic physician and two other pediatric experts say that parental perceptions pose a major barrier to acceptance of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination — and that many of those perceptions are wrong. Their comments are published in the September issue of Expert Review of Clinical Immunology, in an editorial on why HPV vaccination rates remain poor. “The greatest misperception of parents is that the HPV vaccine isn’t needed,” says Mayo Clinic’s Robert Jacobson, M.D., lead author of the editorial. “Not only is that wrong, it’s a dangerous idea to be spreading around. Recent figures show that at least 12,000 unvaccinated women develop cervical cancer from HPV every year.” Other incorrect perceptions: The HPV vaccines are not safe, and they are given to children when they are too young. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Jacobson and b-roll are available in the downloads. To read the full news release click here.

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Warning signs of Alzheimer's Know the difference between the warning signs of Alzheimer's and typical age-related behavior. Sodium: How to tame your salt habit Getting too much sodium can raise your blood pressure and cause other health problems. See how to cut back on salt. EXPERT ANSWERS Whitening toothpaste: Does it whiten teeth? Find out how whitening toothpaste works and whether it's effective. Warm-mist vs. cool-mist humidifiers: Which is better for a cold? Warm-mist and cool-mist humidifiers are equally effective in humidifying the air. HEALTHY RECIPES Chicken brats Spicy red cabbage Pork tenderloin with fennel sauce HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK Eating out? Watch for trans fat Have you been trying to keep foods that contain trans fat out of your kitchen? Good move! But what about when you're eating in a restaurant? Some restaurants still use trans fat when frying food. For example, a large serving of french fries at some fast-food restaurants might contain 5 grams or more of trans fat. When dining out, read menu labels or ask the staff for nutritional information. Arm yourself with the details you need to order wisely. Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.

There are an estimated one million suicides worldwide each year; however, there is hope for a decline in that number if we understand the scope of ...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that an average of 30,000 deaths occur annually as a result of flu and associated complications. Influenza is a serious and potentially deadly disorder.   With last year’s flu outbreak ranking among the worst in recent history, Mayo Clinic experts are offering advice and dispelling many misconceptions about the flu to help people stay healthy. Infectious diseases specialist Teresa Seville, M.D., at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, says, “The vaccine is the best defense against flu and serious flu-related conditions, and because it’s difficult to predict how and when the flu will strike, I recommend getting it as early as you can." One of the most common myths about the flu is that the vaccine will cause the flu. Jennifer White, M.D., family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic Health System in Springfield, Minn., says, “Although many people believe this, it is a myth. Injectable flu vaccines are composed of portions of inactivated flu proteins, and it’s impossible for them to cause the flu. Nasal spray vaccines have live, weakened flu organisms that can’t multiply or cause disease.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55K_w9zrd94 Vandana Bhide, M.D., internal medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic in Florida, adds, “Though many people who get the flu will have fever, muscle aches and need to stay home from work or school for a few days, certain people can develop serious complications, which could include pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections and other conditions. The vaccine can help avoid these issues.” Read news release for more information and tips for avoiding illness. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Bhide are available in the downloads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNMdAjjs6qE It could be your mom, sister, aunt or best friend.  One out of eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime.  A small subset ...

Expectant moms have yet another good reason to get their flu shot. It may lower their new baby’s risk of autism. "From a public health point of view, this is very exciting news," says Greg Poland, M.D., head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "About 1 in 88 kids or so in the U.S. are getting diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), so this is a major public health issue and the potential benefit is huge." The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says autism has increased tenfold over the past 40 years. So, who wouldn’t roll up their sleeve to lower the risk?  [TRT 1:42] Journalists: To read a transcript of the video report click here. Additional b-roll is available in the downloads. REFERENCES: [1.] Pediatrics, 2012 Dec;130(6):e1447-54. doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-1107. Epub 2012 Nov 12.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23147969 [2.] NIH/National Inst. Of Mental Health   http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2013/flu-in-pregnancy-may-quadruple-childs-risk-for-bipolar-disorder.shtml [3.] Pediatrics, 2001 May;107(5):E84.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11331734 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnf-L5fERxM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKKVSnLcG7A&hd=1 A string of public mass shootings during the past decade-plus have rocked America, leaving policymakers and mental health experts alike looking for solutions to prevent these heinous crimes. A Mayo Clinic physician, however, says that at least one effort won’t stop the public massacres: restricting gun access to the mentally ill. Psychiatrist and author of the editorial published online in Mayo Clinic Proceedings Dr. J. Michael Bostwick, M.D., argues several points including that mass shootings are carefully planned – often spanning weeks or months. He says there is plenty of time for a meticulous planner and determined killer to get a gun somewhere in that time. Dr. Bostwick’s editorial is a commentary on an essay in the same issue of Proceedings titled “Guns, Schools, and Mental Illness: Potential Concerns for Physicians and Mental Health Professionals.” Read news release. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Bostwick are available in the downloads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrIeLrd7O8U Mayo Clinic’s Executive Health Program, which has kept thousands of business leaders healthy without major disruptions in their lives, begins a new chapter ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Why is it that some breast cancers have higher survival rates than others? ANSWER: The main reason for the difference in survival rates is that breast cancer is not just one disease. It is well accepted that there are four distinct molecular categories of breast cancer. However, new data suggests that there are additional distinct subsets of breast cancer. These subsets have unique characteristics that can influence the long-term outlook associated with each of them. The most common molecular subset of breast cancer is characterized by its ability to respond to the female hormone estrogen. This type of cancer is characterized by the presence of estrogen receptors. If a tumor is estrogen receptor (ER) positive, that means the breast cancer cells contain receptors that bind to estrogen. Women and men with ER-positive breast cancer tend to have an initial lower risk of the cancer coming back after breast surgery compared with women whose tumors do not have estrogen receptors (known as ER-negative breast cancer).

Mayo Clinic researchers have found a surprising occupational hazard for teachers: progressive speech and language disorders.  The research, recently published in American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, found that people with speech and language disorders are about 3.5 times more likely to be teachers than patients with Alzheimer’s dementia. Speech and language disorders are typically characterized by people losing their ability to communicate – they can’t find words to use in sentences, or they’ll speak around a word. They may also have trouble producing the correct sounds and articulating properly. Speech and language disorders are not the same as Alzheimer’s dementia, which is characterized by the loss of memory. Progressive speech and language disorders are degenerative and ultimately lead to death anywhere from 8-10 years after diagnosis. Click here to see the news release. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raBcYUvRRF8 Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Keith Josephs, the senior author of the study, are available in the downloads.

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES   Asthma For some people, asthma is a minor nuisance. For others, it can be a major problem that interferes with ...

A heart attack typically occurs unexpectedly, it often causes chest pain, and it is diagnosed by recording the electrical activity of the heart (electrocardiogram) and by measurement of a heart muscle protein in the blood (troponin or CK-MB). All doctors agree that this kind of “heart attack” negatively impacts patients’ lives and they all agree how to diagnosis and treat these patients. There is another kind of heart attack, that may occur as a complication of coronary angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery (procedures used to open clogged coronary arteries). Until recently, patients were labeled to have a heart attack after these procedures if they have a miniscule rise in the blood levels of a heart muscle protein (troponin) without any known effect on their prognosis. As a result, many patients stayed longer in the hospital than was necessary, and occasionally underwent repeat imaging tests and other procedures. “If you tell a patient, ‘You have had a heart attack,’ it should mean something about prognosis and clinical outcomes, not only an abnormal blood test,” says Issam Moussa, M.D., FSCAI, chair of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases at Mayo Clinic Florida in Jacksonville, who was part of a panel established by The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) tasked with finding a better way to diagnose post-angioplasty heart attacks to improve patient care and quality outcomes.  The panel’s consensus document is e-published today in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions (CCI) and Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUEnQesu6Bo Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Moussa are available in the downloads.