Mayo Clinic Health Matters

To address health disparities and reach underserved communities, work is underway at Mayo Clinic to raise up community voices through community engagement. "Community engagement is an ongoing process," explains Dr. Chyke Doubeni, director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement Research. "It's a partnership or collaboration among organizational entities and members of the community. And the sole purpose of this is to solve problems and address priorities that a community sees as being priorities for them."The Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement Research focuses on disparity-related health promotion and disease prevention in areas including cancer, cardiovascular disease and metabolic illness. One initiative Mayo Clinic is taking part in is the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities (CEAL) research program. This research program focuses on working with communities hardest hit by the pandemic to provide trustworthy information and improve diversity and inclusion in COVID-19 research.Eula Dean is a community leader who leads the Arizona CEAL consortium community engagement work group. She is also a member of Mayo Clinic in Arizona's Community Engagement in Research Advisory Board."I think that one of the things that helped was we identified individuals in the community who have respect and who already worked in the community," says Dean. "Whether they were located in our churches or they have positions of power in terms of their work, it opened some doors for us to really be able to reach our community." By partnering with community leaders, the CEAL program was able to reach those who were otherwise reluctant to use the health care system, sometimes due to past experiences. "We had to honor and listen to those concerns," explains Dean. "We had to explain that we want you to know what's happening with COVID-19, so we are bringing this information to you. And we allowed them to ask their questions. And I think it made a difference. We understand that we still have struggles, but I believe that the manner in which we started with a humble heart to say: 'This is what I've learned. Here's my expertise. I love my family. I want my family to be healthy.' I think those were the things that made a difference."Dr. Doubeni agrees that building trust is key to the successful partnership between researchers and the community."What we want to do as researchers is to be able to build trust and be trustworthy so that people can believe in science and can believe in and trust the health care they need to get," says Dr. Doubeni. "So building that trust through community engagement in research can allow us to be stronger for when the next crisis may come along."On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Doubeni and Dean discuss the work of the CEAL program and the importance of engaging underserved communities in research.To learn more, read the Raising Up Community Voices in Research blog series, including Eula Dean's essay. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On average, someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment is crucial. Early action can reduce brain damage and other complications. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted, depriving the brain of oxygen. It's important to recognize the warning signs of stroke, because prompt treatment can minimize brain damage. Every moment is crucial. "Strokes commonly occur in people of all ages," says Dr. Robert D. Brown, Jr., chair of Mayo Clinic's Division of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases. "And, so, it's very important that people know what is a stroke, what are the symptoms, and what are the risk factors for stroke." May is National stroke Awareness Month. In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Brown explains the importance of remembering the F.A.S.T. acronym to recognize a stroke:  Face drooping. Arm weakness. Speech difficulty.  Time to call 911. Learn more about recognizing the signs of stroke:  Read Consumer Health: Do you know the warning signs of stroke? Watch Mayo Clinic Minute: Think 'FAST' when recognizing stroke symptoms Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ovarian cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer death among women in the U.S. When ovarian cancer first develops, it might not cause noticeable symptoms. It often goes undetected until it has spread within the pelvis and abdomen. "Unfortunately, ovarian cancer often presents with very common symptoms, and these common symptoms are things that everybody will complain about at some point," explains Dr. John Weroha, a Mayo Clinic medical oncologist. "For example, constipation, bloating, maybe a little weight gain. These are very common symptoms, and oftentimes, people just kind of blow it off as being normal. So, that's how it hides and grows."Once ovarian cancer is detected, treatment depends on the stage when the disease is diagnosed. Stage 1 — the lowest stage — indicates that the cancer is confined to the ovaries. At this stage, a cure may be achieved with surgery alone. By stage 4, the cancer has spread to distant areas of the body. At this point, treatment is more complex, often involving drug therapies and potentially immunotherapy, which uses the immune system to attack cancer cells.Dr. Weroha encourages patients to explore all their treatment options, including clinical trials. "I think one of the biggest misconceptions that I see with patients is that clinical trials are supposed to be a last resort, and that is absolutely not true," says Dr. Weroha. "What we do at Mayo, and really everywhere else, is we try to bring clinical trials to our patients — not because we want to test whether or not this brand-new drug works, but we already believe the drug works. We think it's going to work, and we want to give that to our patients because they can't get it any other way, except through a clinical trial." On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Weroha discusses the latest treatments for ovarian cancer.   Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The widespread availability of at-home COVID-19 tests have made it easier for people to know if they have the virus, and to take measures to protect themselves and others. But there is a downside. Because the majority of tests are now done at home and often not reported, the official counts on COVID-19 infection rates are not as accurate as they have been in past waves of the virus. "Because the majority of testing is being done at home, we can no longer tell you accurately about the positivity rate for a given community for a given state like we used to be able to," explains Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "And this is problematic. It means that we lose our ability to understand what's called genetic epidemiology — the ability to trace how these variants are moving, how fast they're moving, and whether they're changing and evolving into yet different subvariants or new variants. We've lost that ability now."The most recent omicron subvariant, BA 2.12.1, has cases on the rise again and the U.S. passed a tragic milestone last week, reaching 1 million COVID-19 deaths in the country.In an effort to capture a more accurate picture, the latest tool being used by public health officials to track COVID-19 infection rates is wastewater surveillance. By looking for the presence of the COVID-19 virus shed by people, wastewater surveillance can give a more accurate picture of how much virus is in the community. This detects virus not only from those who test at home, but also from people who are asymptomatic and, therefore, didn't get tested.On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the current state of COVID-19 in the U.S., including what we know about the latest subvariants. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Polycystic kidney disease is an inherited disorder where clusters of cysts develop within the kidneys, causing the kidneys to enlarge and lose function over time. The cysts, which are noncancerous sacs containing fluid, vary in size, and they can grow to be large. This disorder can occur in children and adults.The two main types of polycystic kidney disease, caused by different genetic flaws, are: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Signs and symptoms of ADPKD often develop between the ages of 30 and 40. In the past, this type was called adult polycystic kidney disease, but children can develop the disorder.Only one parent needs to have the disease for it to pass to the children. If one parent has ADPKD, each child has a 50% chance of getting the disease. This form accounts for most of the cases of polycystic kidney disease.  Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD). This type is far less common than is ADPKD. The signs and symptoms often appear shortly after birth. Sometimes, symptoms don't appear until later in childhood or during adolescence.Both parents must have abnormal genes to pass on this form of the disease. If both parents carry a gene for this disorder, each child has a 25% chance of getting the disease. Polycystic kidney disease also can cause cysts to develop in the liver and elsewhere in the body. The disease can cause serious complications, including high blood pressure and kidney failure.The disease varies greatly in its severity, and some complications from polycystic kidney disease are preventable. Lifestyle changes and treatments might help reduce damage to the kidneys from complications, but long-term interventions, including dialysis or kidney transplant, are sometimes needed.On this special Ask the Mayo Mom edition of the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, host Dr. Angela Mattke is joined by Dr. Christian Hanna, a pediatric nephrologist with Mayo Clinic Children’s Center to discuss PKD in children. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. It develops in the cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. Melanoma is one of the most common cancer types in the U. S. Roughly 2% of people will be diagnosed with melanoma of the skin at some point during their lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute. Treatment for early stage melanomas usually includes surgery to remove the melanoma. Mohs surgery is a precise surgical technique used to treat skin cancer. During Mohs surgery, thin layers of cancer-containing skin are progressively removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains. "Mohs surgery is essentially skin cancer removal," explains Dr. Nahid Vidal, a dermatologic surgeon at Mayo Clinic. "It's a surgical removal process that's highly specialized, where we're removing the skin cancer with a goal of not only removing all of it, but also leaving behind as much healthy tissue as possible."Mohs surgery allows surgeons to verify in real time through pathology that all cancer cells have been removed at the time of surgery. This increases the chance of a cure and reduces the need for additional treatments or additional surgery.On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Vidal discusses skin cancer and the use of Mohs surgery to treat early stage melanoma. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

At Mayo Clinic, the Department of Nursing consists of over 22,000 people, including nurses, patient care assistants, patient care technicians and social workers. Like many health care professionals, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a stressful and challenging time for those in the department."Throughout the pandemic, our nurses have continued to be there for their patients," says Ryannon Frederick, Mayo Clinic's chief nursing officer. "Our patient satisfaction actually increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. And that's really due to the excellence from our nursing staff. When you just imagine all the stress and strain they were feeling, and they continued to excel."Mayo Clinic's multidisciplinary approach relies on nurses to be an integral part of the care team. Frederick says nurses are the closest touch point to the patient, and they often identify opportunities to improve care. "We encourage nurses to speak up and advocate on behalf of the patients," explains Frederick. "Then we engage them to be part of the solution — to make sure that once we identify the problem, we also have a solution for it," says Frederick. "And our nurses do this each and every single day. "Each year, May 6-12 is designated National Nurses Week. This week acknowledges and celebrate nurses and the care they provide for their patients. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Frederick shares her own professional journey at Mayo Clinic — from nursing student to chief nursing officer. She also discusses the role nurses will play in leading the future of health care, including the role of nursing research. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

At least 16 countries and 10 U.S. states have identified unusual hepatitis cases in children. Experts advise that cases are extremely rare, with about 200 children affected worldwide. Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. It is most commonly caused by a viral infection, although there are other potential causes. A common adenovirus is being investigated as a potential cause for this hepatitis outbreak. Adenoviruses are a group of viruses that typically cause respiratory and GI tract infections. On this special Ask the Mayo Mom edition of the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, host Dr. Angela Mattke discusses the recent hepatitis outbreak in children with Mayo Clinic Children’s Center experts Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases expert, and Dr. Sara Hassan, a pediatric transplant hepatologist and gastroenterologist. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Endoscopy is a nonsurgical procedure used to visually examine the digestive system with a tiny camera on the end of a long, flexible tube. An upper endoscopy examines the stomach, esophagus and small intestines. A colonoscopy, which is another type of endoscopy, is used to examine the rectum, large intestine and colon.In children, endoscopy can be used to look for causes of unexplained abdominal pain, to diagnose swallowing disorders or to identify conditions including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and polyps. Undergoing any type of procedure can be stressful for kids, parents or caregivers. Dr. Pua Hopson, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center, explains endoscopy is a relatively quick and painless procedure."An upper endoscopy typically takes 10 minutes, while colonoscopy may take 30 minutes," says Dr. Hopson. "I tell the kids it takes longer to put them to sleep with anesthesia or sedation than the actual procedure. And once you wake up, your parents will be right by your side."One condition Dr. Hopson commonly treats in children is eosinophilic esophagitis (e-o-sin-o-FILL-ik uh-sof-uh-JIE-tis), known as EoE. This is a chronic immune system disease in which a type of white blood cell (eosinophil) builds up in the lining of the esophagus. This buildup, which is a reaction to foods, allergens or acid reflux, can inflame or injure the esophageal tissue. Damaged esophageal tissue can lead to difficulty swallowing or cause food to get stuck when you swallow. EoE is diagnosed through biopsy using an upper endoscopy.On this Ask the Mayo Mom edition of the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, host Dr. Angela Mattke is joined by Dr. Hopson to discuss how and why endoscopy is used in children. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

An estimated 3 out of 4 U.S. children and more than half of all adults have been infected with COVID-19, according to a report released on Tuesday, April 26 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But a Mayo Clinic expert says more information is needed to get the complete picture. "This was a convenient sample. In other words, people who were having blood drawn for other reasons were tested,"explains Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "That does not reflect the full population or differences by race or geographic location. And the detection of antibodies does not necessarily mean that you are protected from infection. So, there's a lot of nuance around understanding that headline." The research study looked at more than 200,000 blood samples and found that signs of past infection rose dramatically during the omicron surge between December 2021 and February.Other COVID-19 news this week includes a push to make treatments more available, the rising incidence of new omicron subvariants, and changes in mask recommendations. Dr. Poland cautions that COVID-19 is still present and encourages wearing a mask in crowded spaces, even when there isn't a requirement to do so."If only one of us is wearing a mask and the other one isn't and is infected, you still have pretty high protection — but not the same level of protection as if both of us wearing one," says Dr. Poland. "So, it's it is not futile to be the only one wearing a mask. In fact, I think it sends a message."On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the latest COVID-19 news and answers listener questions. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy