Mayo Clinic Health Matters

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Health coaches guide journey to well-being Jan 14, 2022

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Whether a chronic condition affects your quality of life, or you have bad habits you'd like to change, a health and wellness coach could help. At Mayo Clinic, wellness coaches are board-certified professionals trained to help patients develop skills and tools to improve their well-being.

"When we're focusing on well-being, intention, accountability and commitment are all important concepts," says Dr. Moain Abu Dabrh, a Mayo Clinic integrative medicine physician and board-certified health and wellness coach. "What is our motivation to make this change? What is the outcome we desire? And then, an important step is to create accountability to making that change."

Health and wellness coaches partner with patients, using evidenced-based strategies to help them identify their vision to live their best life.

"Health coaching is still a relatively new process, and it has been integrated into our practice because we believe that a patient's life is still a person's life," says Dr. Abu Dabrh. "We don't just focus on illness care. We need to look at the 360-degree view, including illness and wellness care."

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Abu Dabrh discusses how health coaching can help patients reach their goals.

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Finding credible COVID-19 information online Jan 12, 2022

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Information about COVID-19 changes rapidly. While the internet can be a great source of information, the spread of COVID-19 misinformation has made it difficult for consumers to decipher fact from fiction. How do you know if the information you find online is accurate?

"People often get their news from social media," says Dr. Melanie Swift, a Mayo Clinic preventive medicine physician. "And that's probably the worst way to get your news, because you get a mix of valid information, opinion and, frankly, propaganda."

When evaluating information online, the surgeon general recommends a quick health misinformation checklist:

Did you check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the local public health department to see whether any information is available about the claim being made?
Did you ask a credible health care professional, such as your health care professional, if they have any additional information?
Did you type the claim into a search engine to see if it has been verified by a credible source?
Did you look at the About Us page on the website you're referencing to see if you can trust the source?
If you’re not sure, don’t share.

Dr. Swift urges people seek to out reliable sources for scientific information. " The CDC, the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (a branch of the National Institutes of Health), and Mayo Clinic and other academic medical centers, maintain websites that can be trusted sources for COVID-19 information," says Dr. Swift.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Swift offers tips for finding credible health information online.

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The link between racial disparities and cervical cancer Jan 10, 2022

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While the rate of cervical cancer has been declining for decades in the U.S., health disparities persist. Hispanic women have the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer, followed by non-Hispanic Black women, according to the American Cancer Society. And Black women are more likely to die from the disease than women of any other race or ethnicity.

"Race is a social construct. There really isn't a genetic difference that is causing Black women to, unfortunately, die at higher rates of cervical cancer," explains Dr. Olivia Cardenas-Trowers, a Mayo Clinic urogynecologic surgeon and women's health provider. "It really has to do more with the historical background of racism and systemic racism. These disparities have infiltrated the health care system and have affected these women's access to resources, and therefore some of the health care that they need. And this trickles down into poor outcomes, essentially."

Disparities that affect a women's access to health care can include transportation, health literacy and trust in their health care provider.

Dr. Cardenas-Trowers says addressing barriers to health care is key, so that all women, including Black women, receive regular routine screening. Screening helps identify cancer early, which leads to better outcomes.

"It's important to address the factors that lead to poor outcomes for Black women — making sure that they have support and access to screening, access to the results, and resources if any follow up or intervention is needed," says Dr. Cardenas-Trowers.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Cardenas-Trowers discusses why disparities exist and what Black women can do to reduce their risk of cervical cancer.

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Ask the Mayo Mom: Treating hernias in children Jan 07, 2022

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A hernia occurs when a part of the intestine pushes through a weak spot in the stomach muscles. A hernia creates a soft lump or bulge under the skin.

In children, hernias usually occur in one of two places:

An inguinal hernia occurs in the groin area.
An umbilical hernia occurs near the belly button.

Inguinal hernias in newborns and children result from a weakness in the abdominal wall that's present at birth. Sometimes the hernia will be visible only when an infant is crying, coughing or straining during a bowel movement.

An inguinal hernia isn't necessarily dangerous, but surgery may be recommended to fix an inguinal hernia that's painful or enlarging. Inguinal hernia repair is a common surgical procedure and can be performed as an open or minimally invasive procedure.

Umbilical hernias are most common in infants, but they can affect adults as well. In an infant, an umbilical hernia may be especially evident when the infant cries, causing the bellybutton to protrude. This is a classic sign of an umbilical hernia.

Children's umbilical hernias often close on their own in the first two years of life, though some remain open into the fifth year or longer. Umbilical hernias that appear during adulthood are more likely to need surgical repair.

On this edition of the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Angela Mattke, a Mayo Clinic pediatrician and host of "Ask the Mayo Mom," discusses treating hernias in children with Dr. Stephanie Polites, a pediatric surgeon in the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center.

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January bringing an omicron surge Jan 05, 2022

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The rapid spread of COVID-19 due to the omicron variant continues, and experts expect a January surge across the U.S.

"This is spreading unlike anything we've seen in the U.S.," says Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "Over the last seven days, we're now averaging about 400,000 or so new cases a day."

While people who are fully vaccinated can get breakthrough infections and spread the virus to others, COVID-19 vaccines effectively prevent severe illness. Mayo Clinic experts urge people to protect themselves by getting vaccinated and wearing a mask. Being fully vaccinated, including getting a booster when eligible, offers the highest protection possible against COVID-19.

"The good news is, for those who are immunized and boosted, we are winning the battle," says Dr. Poland. "Getting immunized is basically a weapon against this virus."

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the omicron surge and the importance of vaccines and boosters for COVID-19.

Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

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Urgent need for blood donation Jan 03, 2022

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Blood donations typically drop off around the holidays, making National Blood Donor Month in January and important time to share the message about saving lives by giving blood. The COVID-19 pandemic also has affected blood donations.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has really had an adverse effect on us recruiting and collecting blood donors in general," says Dr. Justin Juskewitch, associate medical director of Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Services.

Millions of people need blood transfusions each year. Some may need blood during surgery. Others depend on it after an accident or because they have a disease that requires blood components. Blood donation makes this possible.

"The inventory of today was the donations of yesterday," explains Dr. Juskewitch. "So paying it forward is also a really great way of helping take care of others. And then those others will be there for you when you meet your time of need. It's a great way to start the new year."

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Juskewitch discusses how to become a blood donor.

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Covering COVID-19 in 2021 Dec 29, 2021

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As 2021 comes to a close, the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast looks back at the impact of COVID-19 over the past year.

"I think the thing that I look back on is the amazing speed with which science moved," says Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "When this all began in 2020, COVID-19 was absolutely blank slate. Now we have three vaccines in the U.S., and antiviral and monoclonal antibody treatments. That's really incredible."

Despite the rapid scientific advancements, the U.S. still reached a grim milestone of 800,000 deaths from COVID-19 and more people died of the disease in 2021 than in 2020.

COVID-19 has affected all aspects of life including the way people live, work, and go to school.

"It has been a profound wake-up call. I think we've developed an awareness of how fragile life and human health is. I think good things will come out of this," reflects Dr. Poland.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland joins host Dr. Halena Gazelka, a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist, for a COVID-19 pandemic year in review.

Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

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Sexual health after cancer treatment Dec 27, 2021

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Treatment for certain cancers can affect sexuality, causing a range of signs and symptoms that can make sex more difficult.

Sexual side effects from cancer treatment are common for men and women. Cancer in their pelvic area, including bladder, prostate, rectal, cervical, vaginal or vulvar cancer, can make it difficult to resume sex after treatment.

"A surgical procedure, especially to the pelvis, can really impact the nerve endings and pelvic muscles that are directly involved in our sexual response," explains Dr. Jennifer Vencill, a Mayo Clinic psychologist and sex therapist.

Chemotherapy and radiation also can have direct effects on sexual function. Other cancer treatment effects on sexuality may be less direct.

"We see these as a cascade effect of treatment," says Dr. Vencill. "This commonly comes up with loss of libido or decreased desire for sexual activity that could be indirectly related to anything from fatigue to nausea because of chemotherapy to body image concerns. Loss of libido could also be related to pain that has come from a surgery. We see these indirect effects often with our patients."

Having cancer also affects emotions. For instance, people with cancer may feel anxious and worn out about their diagnosis, treatment or prognosis. These emotions also can affect their attitude toward sex and intimacy with a partner.

Dr. Vencill explains that feelings of stress, anxiety and depression are common for cancer patients and their families.

"In general, psychological and emotional stresses are barriers to sexual health. Of course, cancer and cancer treatment are a major life stressor," says Dr. Vencill.

Dr. Vencill suggests that patience, exploration and support are key to sexual health after cancer.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Vencill discusses how cancer and cancer treatment can affect sexuality and why it is important to be your own advocate.

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COVID-19 pandemic highlights health disparities Dec 22, 2021

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Racial equity in health care has been a topic of discussion in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many inequities in the health care system.

Racial and ethnic minority groups are being disproportionally affected by COVID-19, due to a long list of factors.

"Race is a particularly important aspect of COVID-19 in terms of diagnosis and treatment, mainly because people of color and people of ethnic minorities are often in jobs that make it harder for them to access health care," says Dr. Abinash Virk, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases physician. "They may also have difficulty accessing testing. Therefore, there's a delay diagnosis."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines social determinants of health as the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, play and worship that affect their health risks and outcomes.

Dr. Virk explains that community engagement is an important step to developing trust and improving equity in health care.

"As healthcare providers, it's important for us to listen to people's individual concerns and to continue to educate people with scientific, nonbiased information so they can believe in us," says Dr. Virk. "What we've found through the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly through the vaccination program that we've had over the last year, is that community engagement has been really important in terms of getting people to understand how COVID-19 affects them and how they can mitigate their risk."

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Virk discusses racial and gender equity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Using AI to improve brain stimulation devices that treat disease Dec 20, 2021

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For people with epilepsy and movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, electrical stimulation of the brain can be part of their treatment.

"Many of the diseases that we think about as neurological diseases are diseases of circuitry in the brain," says Dr. Kai Miller, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon. "And one way we can interact with those circuits in order to have patients have improvement in their symptoms is to use electrical stimulation."

Brain stimulation treatment also may help people with psychiatric illness and direct brain injuries, such as stroke. But understanding how brain networks interact with each other is complicated. To improve and expand treatment options, Mayo Clinic and Google Research are using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a new algorithm to improve brain stimulation devices.

"Artificial intelligence is a set of mathematical and statistical tools that we can use to distinguish different types of brain measurements," explains Dr. Dora Hermes, a Mayo Clinic biomedical engineer and researcher on the project. "There is a lot we can do with artificial intelligence or machine learning tools. And in this case, we used it to distinguish different types of inputs to a particular brain area in an automated fashion."

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Drs. Miller and Dr. Hermes, first author and senior author on the AI algorithm study, respectively, discuss the use of artificial intelligence to improve brain stimulation treatments.

Read more about the work of Mayo Clinic and Google Research on AI and brain stimulation devices.

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