If you spend any time reading or listening to health care news, you know that some of the same stories are still making their way around the world as last week or even from several weeks back. You may see some repeats from a different news outlet here, but we hope that most of the highlighted articles give you something new. Learn about the Healio Woman Disrupter of the Year, finding COVID hotspots – before testing results, using artificial intelligence to individualize cancer care, how to be resilient and much more.

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Mayo Clinic Research Uses Web Search Analytics to Predict COVID Hotspots

Global Biodefense, 10/28/2020

Web-based analytics have demonstrated their value in predicting the spread of infectious disease, and a new study from Mayo Clinic indicates the value of analyzing Google web searches for keywords related to COVID-19.

Strong correlations were found between keyword searches on the internet search engine Google Trends and COVID-19 outbreaks in parts of the U.S., according to a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. These correlations were observed up to 16 days prior to the first reported cases in some states. …

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Mayo Clinic, Google to Create Artificial Intelligence for Cancer Care

Health IT Analytics, 10/29/2020

The research partnership will aim to develop artificial intelligence tools that can improve the efficiency of radiotherapy and cancer care.

… The organizations will work to build an algorithm to help clinicians contour healthy tissue and organs from tumors, and conduct research to better understand how this technology could be deployed in clinical practice.

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Study: Vitamin D deficiency found in over 80% of COVID-19 patients

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/28/2020

… Mayo Clinic infectious disease specialist Dr. William F. Marshall wrote that not enough data exists to recommend the use of vitamin D to stop the infection from the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, or to treat COVID-19, according to the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization.

Multiple studies have reviewed vitamin D’s impact on COVID-19, according to Mayo Clinic. …

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We've All Heard That Eating Late Is Unhealthy. Is It True?

Discover Magazine, 10/30/2020

A growing body of research suggests that it’s a good idea to sync up meal times and our internal biological clocks.

… Researchers aren’t totally sure why some bodily activities function best during the day or night, but research in rodents suggests that the “sleep” portion of circadian cycles allows cells to repair themselves. “Cells use that time to clean house, so to speak,” says Adrian Vella, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic. It might be that eating too close to this rest and relaxation period forces cells to delay self-repair in favor of digestive processes — a delay that, if it happens too often, might start to cause harm. …

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Research staff training program completes successful first year

Penn State News, 11/2/2020

College of Medicine’s SMaRT Program delivers orientations, networking sessions

… Through Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the program received supplemental National Institutes of Health grant funding in partnership with Mayo Clinic’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. This grant allowed the team to collaboratively fine-tune the program. The institute also provides administrative oversight and infrastructure. …

The team developed an orientation for support staff based on a model implemented at Mayo Clinic. The SMaRT team further aligned orientation to competencies outlined by the Clinical and Translational Science Award joint taskforce for clinical research competency. …

NOTE: Learn more about the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science.

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Are you a resilient person? You can be.

Southeast Missourian, 10/31/2020

Since March, life has looked much different than what we're accustomed. Remote learning. Canceled conferences. In-person events shifted to streaming solutions. And that's just the education component. Life moves on, and those who thrive will have a level of resiliency.

… Lastly, identify and traffic -- at least 20% of the time -- in your strengths. Buckingham pointed to research from the Mayo Clinic that says if an individual spends 20% of their working life operating in their strengths, burnout decreases. …

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Thinking of HRT for Hot Flashes? Here's the Latest Guidance

U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News, 10/30/2020

Another large study finds that menopausal hormone therapy is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, though it varies with the formulation, timing and duration of use. …

"It's very complicated," said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic's Center for Women's Health, in Rochester, Minn. "No one is ever going to be able to say hormone therapy is completely safe." Faubion, who is also medical director of the North American Menopause Society, was not involved in the new research.

NOTE: The article contains additional comments from Dr. Faubion. Visit the website for more information on Mayo's Center for Women's Health.

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The Most Effective Cardio Workout, According to Science

Elemental Medium, 10/28/2020

Bynow, you know that cardio workouts are excellent for improving your overall health and fitness, but with so many options, you can be forgiven for being confused about the best approach. Runners swear their activity is best, while cyclists, swimmers, and triathletes all make similar claims. Even the title of fittest athlete is up for grabs, with triathletes, CrossFit competitors, Nordic skiers, and more all vying. The options for cardio training are nearly endless: circuit training, the one-minute workout, high-intensity interval training, spin bikes, and treadmill routines, to name just a few.

… The optimal frequency and duration of your workouts depend on your goals, says Michael Joyner, a physiologist at the Mayo Clinic who studies human performance. If your main objective is improving your health, it doesn’t take much. “Once you get to 30 to 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity most days a week, you’ve gotten 80% of the benefits for reducing heart disease risk,” he says.

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Amid Developing Science, Does Big Ten's 21-Day COVID Protocol Still Make Sense?

Sports Illustrated, 10/28/2020

When the Big Ten instituted a 21-day window before players can return from a positive virus test, cardiac screening was the big reason why. Now, cardiologists say that testing may not be needed for many.

… “The article is trying to restore some semblance of order to the universe with a rationale approach,” says Michael Ackerman, a genetic cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota who briefed both the Big 12 and Conference USA in August regarding the myocarditis scare that swept across college sports.

NOTE: The article contains more discussion from Dr. Ackerman, as well as other experts.

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An American Family in 2020: A Child With a Mystery Illness and Medical Bills to Pay

Fatherly, 10/3/2020

… Finally, Leah got Miles admitted to the Mayo Clinic. They were supposed to go in March, and then, COVID-19 hit. Miles suffered for a few more months. Then, in mid-July, they got on an airplane (Leah wiping down Miles’s seat for fear of contact allergy) and flew to Minnesota, where, for the first time in a long time, Leah felt like her child might be able to get his life back again. 

“We literally saw seven doctors in five days,” she says. “We had 30 appointments.” It was at the Mayo Clinic that doctors first noticed that Miles’ kidneys weren’t working properly and that his adrenal glands didn’t work. They also noticed that he wasn’t absorbing iron and that his trachea was malformed. 

“There were so many things that no one had addressed — or they mentioned it here or there but they said, ‘That’s not that big of a problem,’ ” Leah says. 

The Mayo Clinic re-instilled the family’s faith in health care. Leah met a team of doctors who coordinated, who actually spoke to one another. The week at the Mayo Clinic was physically and financially draining. But it was also the first time in a long time she felt relief. …

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