Minnesota - July 2015 Archives

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Hysterectomy may be a marker of early cardiovascular risk and disease, especially in women under 35, according to Mayo Clinic experts. In a study recently published in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society, researchers found that women who underwent hysterectomy were much more likely to have pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors – especially obesity – than women of the same age in the control group who did not undergo hysterectomy. In particular, women under age 35 had the most cardiovascular risk factors and disease, including stroke. “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women, and women see primarily gynecologists between 18 years and 64 years – a time when early screening for cardiovascular disease would be important,” says lead author and Mayo Clinic OB-GYN Shannon Laughlin-Tommaso, M.D., “We wanted to do this study to find a gynecologic screening method for cardiovascular disease.” MEDIA CONTACT: Kelley Luckstein and Katie Pak, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

SINGAPORE — Mayo Clinic and Raffles Medical Group announced today that Singapore-based Raffles has joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a growing network of organizations committed to better serving patients and their families through collaboration. Raffles Medical Group, the largest private group practice in Singapore, is the first health care organization in Asia to join the network. The formal agreement gives Raffles Medical Group access to the latest Mayo Clinic knowledge and promotes physician collaboration that complements local expertise. Through shared resources, more patients can get answers to complex medical questions while staying close to home. “Our patients have always looked to Raffles to provide them with quality care,” says Dr. Donald Poon, general manager, RafflesHospital. “We share a commitment to enhance care and add value for patients, which has become increasingly important in a changing health care landscape. By working with Mayo Clinic, we will be in an even stronger position to deliver high-quality, best-practice care. This is especially true for both our Centres of Excellence – Raffles Heart Centre and Raffles Cancer Centre.” “We are pleased to welcome Raffles Medical Group to the network,” says David Hayes, M.D., medical director, Mayo Clinic Care Network. “As we have worked together toward today’s announcement, we have been impressed by the cultural alignment of our two institutions. Raffles continues to raise the bar on the ways in which an integrated, team-based approach can be used to meet the needs of its patients, and we’re very proud of our shared purpose — to bring the highest quality patient care to the region." Journalists: B-roll video of the Mayo Clinic Rochester campus is available in the downloads. MEDIA CONTACTS: Rhoda Madson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu Joanna Lee, Raffles Medical Group, +65 6311-1312, lee_joanna@rafflesmedical.com

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic is announcing results of a study on the effectiveness of left-ventricular assist devices (LVAD) in treating patients with a form of cardiomyopathy called restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). The Mayo Clinic study, which is the largest study of its kind to date, demonstrates that LVAD devices are a viable and accessible option for treating patients with RCM, who would otherwise see their health deteriorate or who may not survive. The study suggests criteria that clinicians can use for successful implementation of these devices in RCM. Approximately 500,000 people are currently living with cardiomyopathy, which is a condition that affects the muscles in the heart. RCM is a rare form of cardiomyopathy that limits the heart muscle from relaxing between beats when the blood returns from the body back to the heart. This causes the heart to pump weakly and restricts the flow of blood to the heart’s chambers. An LVAD is a mechanical pump that helps pump blood from the heart to the rest of the body. MEDIA CONTACT: Ginger Plumbo, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, Email: newsbureau@mayo.edu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxY6zGHfHvE&feature=youtu.be ROCHESTER, MINN. – A group of 118 of the nation's leading cancer experts have drafted a prescription for reducing the high cost of cancer drugs and voiced support for a patient-based grassroots movement demanding action on the issue. Their recommendations and support are outlined in a commentary, co-authored by the group, in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. "High cancer drug prices are affecting the care of patients with cancer and our health care system," says lead author Ayalew Tefferi, M.D., a hematologist at Mayo Clinic. "The average gross household income in the U.S. is about $52,000 per year. For an insured patient with cancer who needs a drug that costs $120,000 per year, the out-of-pocket expenses could be as much as $25,000 to $30,000 – more than half their average household income." The group cites a 2015 study by D.H. Howard and colleagues et al, published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, which found that cancer drug prices have risen by an average of $8,500 per year over the past 15 years. "When you consider that cancer will affect 1 in 3 individuals over their lifetime, and [with] recent trends in insurance coverage [that] put a heavy financial burden on patients with out-of-pocket expenses, you quickly see that the situation is not sustainable," Dr. Tefferi, says. "It's time for patients and their physicians to call for change." Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Tefferi are available in the downloads. MEDIA CONTACT: Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

Rochester, Minn. – Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation, Mayo Clinic Ventures and AVIA today announced the Mayo Clinic THINK BIG Challenge, a national competition offering awards totaling $100,000 for entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to transform the future of health and health care. Entrepreneurs can apply for one of two $50,000 THINK BIG challenge awards in these categories: Got Health? This challenge will focus on healthy people staying healthy and explore areas such as eating healthy, enhancing well-being, monitoring risk factors and engaging in daily exercise. I Am Not My Disease This challenge will tackle the presumption that people are defined by their disease and explore areas such as access to health data, health literacy and behavior modification. In addition, Mayo Clinic experts will guide winners for a year as they develop their concepts for market. Apply for the Mayo Clinic THINK BIG Challenge by Saturday, Aug. 15, at transformconference.mayo.edu/think-big. The THINK BIG competition will culminate on Thursday, Oct. 1, in Rochester, Minnesota, at the Transform 2015 conference, a gathering of industry leaders exploring the future of health and health care. Finalists will compete on stage in a live presentation. A panel of judges will select the winners with input from the Transform audience using smartphone technology. Media Contacts: Duska Anastasijevic, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu; Cathryn Kennedy, Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation, 612-309-3951, newsbureau@mayo.edu

ROCHESTER, Minn. – Mayo Clinic today has been named one of the best hospitals nationwide by U.S. News and World Report. Mayo Clinic earned more No. 1 rankings in individual specialties than any other provider based on reputation, services and volumes, safety and clinical outcomes. “This ranking underscores our long-standing commitment to provide the highest-quality care that best meets our patients’ needs,” says John Noseworthy, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic. “Mayo Clinic is fortunate to be ranked No. 1 in more specialties than any other hospital in the nation. We owe our success to staff members who dedicate themselves daily to this shared mission.” Mayo Clinic was second overall on U.S. News & World Report’s 2015-2016 Best Hospitals list and earned a No. 1 ranking in eight specialties: Diabetes and endocrinology Gastroenterology and gastrointestinal (GI) surgery Geriatrics Gynecology Nephrology Neurology and neurosurgery Pulmonology Urology Mayo Clinic has more No. 1 rankings than any other provider – a testament to the breadth and depth of excellence that yields the best, whole-person care for each patient every day. Mayo ranked No. 2 in three additional specialties – cardiology and heart surgery; ear, nose and throat; and orthopedics – and No. 3 in cancer. Mayo Clinic is ranked No. 1 in Minnesota, and No. 1 in Arizona and the Phoenix metro area. It was No. 4 in Florida and No. 1 in the Jacksonville metro area. Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire is recognized among the best hospitals in northwestern Wisconsin. MEDIA CONTACT: Mayo Clinic: Rhoda Madson 507-284-5005 newsbureau@mayo.edu

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Approximately 30,000–40,000 people die from liver disease each year, according to the American Liver Foundation. For people who experience acute liver failure, ...

ROCHESTER, MINN. – Mayo Clinic announced today that it has received a five-year, $11 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study survivorship in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes Cohort Study will enroll 12,000 patients with NHL. The study will follow these patients for long-term prognosis and survivorship. "With an increasing number of Americans living with NHL, we need to find new and better ways to improve the length and quality of their lives,” says the study's principle investigator, James Cerhan, M.D., Ph.D., who is an epidemiologist at Mayo Clinic. NHL is a cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, the disease-fighting network spread throughout the body. In NHL, tumors develop from lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell. According to the NCI, about 70,000 cases of NHL will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2015. The incidence of NHL has been increasing since 1950, although, over the past two decades, the rate of increase has slowed, and survival rates have improved. These trends have led to an increasing number of NHL survivors – most recently estimated at 550,000. MEDIA CONTACT: Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic reports that in the summer months, its physicians see an increase in patients being treated, and even hospitalized, for tick-borne illnesses. In the upper Midwest, 40 percent of tick bites occur in July. However, even avid fans of the great outdoors can fully enjoy all their favorite activities without fear if they take the proper steps to protect themselves. To protect you against tick-borne diseases, the Mayo Clinic Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and its reference laboratory Mayo Medical Laboratories have developed “The ABCs of Ticks” flash cards. “These unique online cards explain from A to Z what a person needs to know about staying safe this summer and avoiding ticks,” says Bobbi Pritt, M.D., director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. “Each card discusses something about ticks; how to avoid them; and how to enjoy a safe, tick-free summer with your family, friends, and our furry pets.” MEDIA CONTACT: Gina Chiri-Osmond, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Opioid painkiller addiction and accidental overdoses have become far too common across the United States. To try to identify who is most at risk, Mayo Clinic researchers studied how many patients prescribed an opioid painkiller for the first time progressed to long-term prescriptions. The answer: 1 in 4. People with histories of tobacco use and substance abuse were likeliest to use opioid painkillers long-term. The findings are published in the July issue of the medical journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. While the study identified past or present nicotine use and substance abuse as top risk factors for long-term use of opioids, all patients should proceed with caution when offered opioid painkiller prescriptions, says lead author W. Michael Hooten, M.D., an anesthesiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. “From a patient perspective, it is important to recognize the potential risks associated with these medications. I encourage use of alternative methods to manage pain, including non-opioid analgesics or other nonmedication approaches,” Dr. Hooten says. “That reduces or even eliminates the risk of these medications transitioning to another problem that was never intended.” MEDIA CONTACT: Sharon Theimer, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, Email: newsbureau@mayo.edu