Health & Wellness - September 2013 Archives

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Collaborating with colleagues at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, researchers from Mayo Clinic in Arizona and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix ...

Mayo Clinic is one of six new federally-funded Comprehensive Metabolomics (met-ah-bol-OH-mics) Centers to support medical research on metabolomics — the study, at the cellular level, ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kIFRjqaORQ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics are alarming. More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese. Obesity can increase ...

"From Promise to Practice" is the title and the main message of the second annual Individualizing Medicine Conference at Mayo Clinic, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., chair of this year’s conference held by Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine, says, “Our goal is to inform practicing physicians, but other care providers, students, media and the public as well. Individualizing prevention, diagnosis and treatment is the core of medical genomics and the future of medicine. Even if you missed the last 13 years since the mapping of the human genome, we’ll help you catch up in three days.” The opening keynote speaker on Monday, Sept. 30, will be Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, M.D. Co-hosts for the conference will be Richard Besser, M.D., chief health and medical editor for ABC News and former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control, and Ceci Connolly, managing director of the PwC's Health Research Institute. Read news release.  

Study of Parkinsonism Offers Better Estimate of Its Rate of Occurrence More than a million Americans are struggling with Parkinson's disease. But, parkinsonism may not ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLkbcz_Pm_M&feature=youtu.be For more than 30 years, cochlear implants have been making a profound impact in the lives of deaf or severely hard of hearing children and adults by restoring their ability to hear. The program at Mayo Clinic was one of the earliest in the country to offer cochlear implants to patients when they were first approved. This month, surgeons at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota performed surgery on their 1,000th cochlear implant patient. The patient, a 44-year-old man from northern Minnesota, lost his hearing more than three months ago due to a medical condition; this week, he was able to hear sounds once again. Otolaryngologist Colin Driscoll, M.D., says, “I think it might be impossible to overstate the profound impact that these devices have on people. The first day you turn it on everyone is emotional. It’s a scary time sometimes, but it’s also an exciting time.” Read news release. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Driscoll and the 1,000 patient, Ritchie Hanson, are available in the downloads. B-roll and animations are also available.

ThedaCare is the newest member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, giving ThedaCare specialist physicians direct access to Mayo Clinic experts and clinical resources, including eConsults and AskMayoExpert. These tools, among others, will enhance the support available to manage complex patient care. ThedaCare is the first member located in the state of Wisconsin. Bill Fletcher, M.D., ThedaCare cardiologist and physician champion for the collaboration, sees many benefits to membership in the network and says, “My colleagues and I provide excellent care here in the Fox Valley, but sometimes we are challenged with complex cases that could benefit from additional expertise. This network puts us in direct contact with peers, specialists and researchers at Mayo Clinic. They can review our diagnosis and offer us advice. Our patients can stay at home and receive care locally with even greater peace of mind, knowing that our physicians are working together on their behalf. Of course, they will also save the added cost and inconvenience of traveling out of the area unless that is really needed.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1O6UWETG6g Read news release. Broll of the Mayo Clinic Rochester Campus as well as sound bites from Dr. David Hayes, medical director, Mayo Clinic Care Network, Dr. Dean Gruner, president and CEO, ThedaCare and Dr. Bill Fletcher, ThedaCare cardiologist, are available in the downloads below.    

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Should I be taking a daily aspirin even if I’ve never had heart issues? I am a 62-year-old woman with no health problems, and I exercise daily. My husband takes an aspirin every day and thinks I should do the same. ANSWER: For people who do not have heart disease, the United States Preventive Services Task Force does recommend that men between the ages of 45 and 79 and women ages 55 to 79 take an aspirin every day to help prevent heart attack and stroke. Before you start taking a daily aspirin, though, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor to make sure that choice is right for you. Taking aspirin can lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke because of the way aspirin affects the clotting cells in your blood, called platelets. When your body is injured and bleeds, platelets build up at the site of the injury. They form a plug that stops the bleeding.

A simple treatment that involves transplanting healthy feces into a patient suffering from a debilitating and sometimes deadly infection of the colon called Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, is continuing to show significant promise. Called a fecal transplant, the stool of a healthy patient is directly transplanted into the colon of a C. diff patient to replenish the normal bacteria in the colon. Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Arizona reported their findings in the August 2013 edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Read news release. Journalists: Sound bites with gastroenterologist John DiBaise, M.D., and patient Diane Seegers are available in the downloads.  http://youtu.be/ub0zFn-iVBU

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a disorder that can lead to easy or excessive bruising and bleeding. Petechiae Petechiae — round spots that appear on the skin as a result of bleeding underneath — may indicate a number of conditions, ranging from minor blood vessel injuries to life-threatening medical conditions. EXPERT ANSWERS Metabolism and weight Looking to lose weight by boosting your metabolism? Here's some real help in getting a handle on your weight. HPV infection: How does it cause cervical cancer? Cervical cancer is most often caused by a genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HEALTHY RECIPES Stuffed chicken breasts Creamy polenta with roasted red pepper coulis Tangy green beans Sauteed bananas with caramel sauce HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK Try these quick, fun breakfast options. Don't skip breakfast, even if it's become a bore. Change it up, instead. People who eat breakfast tend to have more strength and endurance, better concentration, and lower cholesterol. If you're tired of the same old cereal, try these healthy breakfasts. 1. A whole-wheat pita stuffed with hard-boiled eggs. 2. Leftover vegetable pizza. 3. A tortilla filled with vegetables, salsa and low-fat shredded cheese. 4. A smoothie blended from exotic fruits, some low-fat yogurt and a spoonful of wheat germ. 5. Whole-wheat crackers with low-fat cheese or peanut butter.

The reasons why some people don't get a good nights sleep are as varied as the number of sheep they count trying to fall asleep. ...