The need for joint surgery is declining among rheumatoid arthritis patients, possibly because they can now more effectively manage the disease with medication, Mayo Clinic research has found. When people diagnosed with arthritis since the mid-1990s do need orthopedic surgery, it now is more often on the knees rather than the hips, the study shows. The findings are published online in The Journal of Rheumatology.

Click here to see the entire release.

Journalists: The following video and audio clips with study co-author, Dr. Sherine Gabriel are available for download and use in your post-embargo stories.

Study Overview:   MOV   MP3

Study Findings:  MOV   MP3

Additional Findings:   MOV   MP3

What is RA:   MOV   MP3

Journalists:  For links to video and audio files, see the bottom of this post.

The need for joint surgery is declining among rheumatoid arthritis patients, possibly because they can now more effectively manage the disease with medication, Mayo Clinic research has found. When people diagnosed with arthritis since the mid-1990s do need orthopedic surgery, it now is more often on the knees rather than the hips, the study shows. The findings are published online in The Journal of Rheumatology.

More accurate and more sensitive.  When it comes to cancer screenings, those are two attributes you really want.  Well, results of two studies suggest that a new, investigational colorectal cancer (CRC) screening test developed in collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Exact Sciences Inc. of Madison, Wis., is highly accurate and significantly more sensitive than other noninvasive tests at detecting precancerous tumors (adenomas) and early-stage cancer.

The screening test, called stool DNA testing, works by finding signature genetic markers in stool samples mailed in by patients. The testing can be done from home, and should be accessible wherever the mail goes.

“Colorectal cancer continues to be an enormously huge problem. It is the number two cancer killer in North America, and only about half of all adults that should be screened for colon cancer are screened for colon cancer,” says lead study author David A. Ahlquist, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist. A simple, accurate test will help to bring screening to more patients.

“The nice thing about the colon is that it is very accessible.  A positive test would be followed by a colonoscopy to remove the polyps. And removing the polyps then, will prevent a subsequent cancer from forming,” say Dr. Ahlquist.

Journalists: The following video and audio clips are available for download and use in your stories.

Dr. Ahlquist:

Colon Cancer:   MOV   MP3

New Tool:   MOV    MP3

Why the Test Works:    MOV   MP3

Removing Polyps:   MOV   MP3

Goals:   MOV   MP3

Dr. Thibodeau

Testing Availability:    MOV   MP3

Broll

Lab work:   MOV

Below is a link to an edited youtube video with Dr. Ahlquist and Dr. Thibodeau that you can embed with your stories.

Drug Shows Promise for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treatment

A new investigational drug called Regorafenib has been shown to shrink tumor size and improve overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Research was presented at the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium of the American Society of Clinical Oncology by Axel Grothey, M.D. of Mayo Clinic.

News Release Regorafenib clinical trial2

Journalists: The following video and audio clips are available for download and use in your post-embargo stories.

Study Overview:   MOV    MP3

Idea Behind The Drug:   MOV    MP3

Study Results:    MOV    MP3

Below is a link to an edited youtube video with Dr. Grothey that you can embed with your stories. It will be made public when the embargo lifts.

“All too often, strength training programs don’t take into account correct biomechanics or even individual body types,” says Mayo Clinic’s Ed Laskowski, M.D., of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Some strength training exercises, if performed with poor technique, can cause injuries ranging from spontaneous twinges to the aches that come from months of cumulative stress.

The key to safe, effective strength training is doing it right. Dr. Laskowski is available to talk about techniques that get results and help avoid injury. Among his strength training advice is:

• Core stability is essential to upper body, lower body and trunk strengthening. Training the core involves not only activating abdominal muscles but also training back muscles. Workouts need to progress beyond fitness balls to upright positions that are similar to life and sport movement patterns.
• Many people focus on training the muscles in the chest and in the front of the shoulder. For balanced strength in the shoulder, a training program should emphasize strengthening the muscles in the upper back as well as the back of the shoulder.
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists can help people review their workouts to optimize benefit and point out potentially dangerous flaws that may cause injury. Novice or seasoned athletes can ensure a proper foundation by making an appointment to review the appropriate biomechanics of a workout, a football throw, or even a golf swing.

Dr. Laskowski is co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center. In 2006, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He was a member of the Olympic Polyclinic Medical Staff for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. A specialist in fitness, wellness, injury “protection,” conditioning, and strength and stability training, his strength training workout tips are among the most visited health videos on the Mayo Clinic’s website.

To schedule an interview with Dr. Laskowski, contact Bryan Anderson at 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu.

“Many people don’t realize that we cannot manufacture a substitute for blood. So our volunteer donors truly provide a life-saving resource for Mayo patients. Please consider rolling up your sleeve and giving the gift of life to someone less fortunate,” says Manish Gandhi, M.D. medical director of Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center.

Please share this idea with friends, co-workers and family members and encourage them to join our donor family. We have 3 permanent locations for your convenience: in the Hilton Building downtown, on the main floor of Saint Marys Hospital, and at IBM (for IBM employees only). Walk-ins are welcome, and we provide free childcare and parking at our Hilton Building donor center. For more information about Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center, call 284-4475, or visit our Facebook page or our website at: www.mayoclinic.org/donate-blood-rst.

Mayo Clinic experts are available to discuss tactics to help people meet and keep their health goals in 2012 and shed light on why it can be so challenging, including:

Why It’s So Hard to Stick to New Year’s Resolutions

Dr. Daniel Hall-Flavin

Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Psychiatrist and addiction expert 

Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D., can explain the psychology behind difficulties keeping resolutions. Truly bettering yourself is a lifestyle change, not a spur-of-the-moment type of decision, he says.

Managing Stress with a Mind-Body Approach

Dr. Amit Sood

Amit Sood, M.D.
Complementary and integrative medicine

Ongoing stress negatively affects health, happiness, relationships and quality of life. Amit Sood, M.D., is a specialist in mind-body approaches to decrease stress and enhance resilience, well-being and coping skills.

Dr. Sood has also developed the Mayo Clinic Meditation iPhone app and is the author of Train your Brain, Engage your Heart, Transform your Life.

Keeping the Weight Off
Diane Dressel, registered dietitian
Mayo Clinic Health System 

Losing weight is a popular resolution this time of year, but most people are unsuccessful. For more than 25 years, Mayo Clinic Health System registered dietitian Diane Dressel has helped people reach their weight-loss goals. She offers this advice:

• Make your weight loss a priority.
• Know that it’s going to take a lot of work.
• Don’t give up.
• Do your homework before selecting a weight-loss program.

For more of Dressel’s tips, visit her Web feature, Food for Thought, which is updated regularly.

Quitting Smoking for Good
Richard Hurt, M.D.
Nicotine Dependence Center 

As most people know, smoking is among the most addictive habits, and sometimes it takes a smoker many attempts to quit. It’s not just about willpower. Research shows that certain people have a harder time quitting and that finding the right treatment approach for stopping tobacco use is essential.

Richard Hurt, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center and a former three-pack-a-day smoker, has spent more than 30 years researching nicotine dependence and helping people quit smoking.

Here’s a brief video of Dr. Hurt discussing addiction and smoking.

To schedule an interview with any of these experts, please contact Nick Hanson at 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu.

President Harriett Wallberg-Henriksson welcomed her American guests, as did the Stockholm County Council Health Commissioner, followed by Mayo’s Executive Dean for Research Robert Rizza. Professor C. Ronald Kahn of Harvard the presented the David Murdock Lecture to the assembled faculty and students.

Karolinska President Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson welcomes Mayo staff.

Mayo Executive Dean for Research Robert Rizza helps open the conference

Mayo Alzheimer's expert Dr. Ron Petersen and Executive Dean for Education, Dr. Terrence Cascino during a conference break

Mayo endocrinologist Dr. John Miles with Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, head of Mayo's Center for Individualized Medicine

Dr. Sree Nair, Mayo Clinic metabollic researcher who began the collaboration with Karolinska

Faculty, students and visitors in the Nobel Forum

Dr. Max Trenerry

Mayo Clinic’s Max Trenerry, Ph.D., an expert in sports psychology and neuropsychology, is also a soccer coach who routinely talks to parents and other coaches about what is appropriate in coach and athlete relationships.

Dr. Trenerry’s main message: A coach and a child should never be alone together — even if it’s five minutes before or after practice. The guideline benefits both parties, he says.

Dr. Trenerry says he doesn’t want to discourage parents from letting their children participate in athletics because of the possibility that something improper may happen. Keeping kids fit and healthy as obesity skyrockets is paramount.

Dr. Trenerry cites three key pointers:

• Make sure that adults are “two deep” for player contact. That means the adult coach or volunteer isn’t alone with the youth athlete because another adult is present. This is for the sake of the athlete and coach.
• Get background checks on coaching and volunteer staff.
• Maintain appropriate coach-athlete boundaries. For example, a coach and parent chaperones might take a team to a college or professional match, but an adult should not be left alone with a child. Youth athletes should never visit a coach’s home alone for sleepovers or similar situations. If there are team meetings at a coach’s residence, then other coaching staff or parents should attend. Coaches  should not provide athletes with gifts or favors.

To schedule an interview with Dr. Trenerry, contact Nick Hanson at 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu.

Dr. Trenerry in the news:

• FOX
• Minnesota Public Radio
• Wall Street Journal
• Star Tribune

This type of unauthorized use of the Mayo Clinic name should not be misconstrued as an endorsement or support for a particular product, service or company.

Some specific examples that have generated an unusually high number of inquiries are:

Nutri-Health Supplements distributed a publication via direct mail called “The Doctor’s Sinus Relief Report” which promotes their “Flora Source Sinus” supplement product. There are several references to Mayo Clinic throughout the publication that suggest that Mayo Clinic research demonstrates the need and/or validity of their product. Mayo Clinic does not support the use of this product in any fashion.

True Health distributed a publication via direct mail called “Journal of Bowel Health” which promotes their “Dr. Cutler’s Ultimate Colon Care Formula”. A splash on the front cover of the publication claims “Mayo Clinic research reveals hidden warning signs in your poop!” and tries to suggest a need for their product. Mayo Clinic does not support the use of this product in any way.

Mayo Clinic did not authorize our name being used in these advertisements and does not support these advertising claims. If you have any questions about any commercial advertisements or other marketing materials that make use of the Mayo Clinic name or brand, please e-mail businessrelations@mayo.edu.

You may also find helpful information on our consumer health web site MayoClinic.com.