Mayo Clinic Health Matters

COVID-19 booster vaccines are on the horizon.in the news and "A vaccine booster dose is generally an additional dose above and beyond the primary series needed to achieve protective immunity," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "So the dose that was approved this past week would be better classified as an “additional dose” for t...

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, partners, family members and friends often step into the role of being a cancer caregiver. They are rarely trained for the job of caregiving, but often become indispensable to the person for whom they care, administering medications, managing side effects, communicating with the cancer care team and so much more. But what about the toll this takes on the care...

For more than a year, COVID-19 has forced people to depart from their normal routines. Physical isolation, working from home, and added stress and anxiety about a deadly coronavirus have led some people to develop bad habits that have consequences on both physical and mental health. "When we're under stress, we revert back to what's comfortable," says Dr. Benjamin Lai, a Mayo Clinic family medicin...

An overwhelming surge of  COVID-19 cases is underway in the U.S. As the delta variant continues to spread, the lambda variant is showing up, and some people are refusing to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or wear face masks. "My message today is a hospital term and that's Code Red," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "It is Code Red...

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought public awareness to vaccines and how vaccines work. A vaccine is any agent that causes the immune system to remember a specific disease-causing entity, thereby preventing future infections. In the case of COVID-19, that's a coronavirus. At Mayo Clinic, decades of research have led to development of a new vaccine platform — a single-cycle adenovirus nasal vaccine —...

The thyroid gland creates and produces hormones that play a role in many systems throughout the body. When your thyroid makes too much or too little of these important hormones, it’s called a thyroid disease. And thyroid disease is common. "We know that about 10% of people have some degree of thyroid dysfunction," says Dr. Juan Brito Campana, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist. There are several differ...

A fourth COVID-19 surge is blanketing the U.S., and the delta variant is the culprit. "Where did this delta variant come from? It came from unvaccinated people getting infected in large numbers allowing the virus to continue mutating," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. In the past, a person with COVID-19 might infect two to fou...

World Lung Cancer Day was recognized on August 1, to raise awareness about the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Lung cancer accounts for 12% of new cancer cases annually in the U.S., and more than 21% of all cancer deaths this year will be attributable to lung cancer, according to National Cancer Institute estimates. People who smoke have the greatest risk of developing lung cancer, but i...

In childhood asthma, the lungs and airways become easily inflamed when exposed to certain triggers, such as inhaling pollen or catching a cold or other respiratory infection. Childhood asthma can cause bothersome daily symptoms that interfere with play, sports, school and sleep. In some children, unmanaged asthma can cause dangerous asthma attacks. Childhood asthma isn't a different disease from a...

Transmission of the COVID-19 delta variant is increasing. "We're in this constant spiral, right now,” says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. “The delta variant is so highly contagious,” he says. “The number of delta viral particles in the upper respiratory system is reportedly 1,000 times higher than with the original COVID-19 virus...

When it comes to malignant tumors in the brain and spinal cord, glioblastoma is the most common. Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of cancer that forms from cells called astrocytes in the brain or the spinal cord. Glioblastoma can occur at any age, but it's more common in older adults. It can cause worsening headaches, nausea, vomiting and seizures. Glioblastoma can be difficult to treat. Current...

In health care, one of the biggest changes during the COVID-19 pandemic was the expansion of telemedicine. Virtual visits have been used in many specialties, including orthopedics and orthopedic surgery. While the use telemedicine escalated out of necessity during the pandemic, Dr. Shawn O’Driscoll, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon, believes its use will continue to be used going forward. "I think...

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to readjust in many ways, including some companies shifting to remote work. Working from a home office has its benefits, but it also comes with quite a few challenges. Virtual offices mean added screen time which can lead to eye strain, ear problems and too much time sitting in one place. Living and working in the same space also can lead to challenges with...

A ventricular assist device, also known as a VAD, is an implantable mechanical pump that helps pump blood from the lower chambers of your heart, or ventricles, to the rest of your body. Although this device can be placed in the left, right or both ventricles of your heart, it is most frequently used in the left ventricle. When placed in the left ventricle it is called a left ventricular assist dev...

The delta variant is being blamed for hot spots in the U.S. where cases of COVID-19 are on the rise. These hot spots account for most cases in the U.S. They are also the geographical areas that tend to have the lowest vaccination rates. "It's no surprise that the two go together," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "This (delta...

A sarcoma is a rare form of cancer that begins in the bones and in the softer connective tissues in the body. Sarcomas that begin in the bones are called "bone cancer," and sarcomas that forms in the tissues, including muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons, and the lining of joints, are called "soft tissue sarcoma." "These are rare cancers, and in adults, sarcomas comprise less than 1% of ne...

Of all the medical and surgical subspecialties, orthopedic surgery historically has had the lowest percentage of women and minorities. Mayo Clinic’s orthopedic surgery department is working to change that. This summer, two female medical students are participating in an eight-week clinical and research internship in orthopedic surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The program was develop...

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way people work. As vaccination rates increase, some people are returning to the office. But many companies have opted to keep their employees working from home permanently. This change has positive and negative side effects, including the mental health aspects of working from home. "Any time there are changes, it can be challenging for people, particularly wh...

When it comes to the heart, it can be scary to seek care when you think you might be having a problem. Tests may be necessary to evaluate your heart, and the unfamiliar terminology associated with these tests can be confusing and intimidating. Understanding terms like electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, coronary angiogram or stress test may help alleviate the fear. "Whenever we order these tests, w...

"The reason we have the COVID-19 delta variant, the reason we have the delta plus variant is because of unimmunized people who get infected," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. He adds that 99.2% of the recorded COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are in people not vaccinated against the virus. This is why he cautions folks who may be t...

Carotid artery stenosis is a narrowing of the large arteries or vessels on the sides of the neck that carry blood to the head and the brain. This narrowing is usually the result of a buildup of fatty deposits known as plaque within the arteries. Stenosis can worsen over time to completely block the artery and cause strokes. "Most of the time, there are no signs or symptoms. And that is a problem b...

The best way to keep your children safe in the car is to secure them in a properly installed car seat. But more than half of all car seats may be improperly installed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So many car seat options are on the market, and many parents find this overwhelming. It's important to buy the right type of car seat, properly install it, and ensure the...

Summer and fall are going to be a dangerous time for people in the U.S. who have not been vaccinated for COVID-19, according to Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "I really think this exponential rise in the number of sequences that are delta must be taken seriously," says Dr. Poland. "We are seeing a surge again, in hospitalizations...

June is Pride Month, which is celebrated annually to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, and the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender queer and gender nonconforming people have had on history. LGBTQ people often experience barriers to accessing health care and preventive services, which can result in disparities in both cancer risk and treatment. "Many of those disparities are roote...

When it comes to technology, Mayo Clinic is a leader in bringing the tools and science of artificial intelligence, or AI, into practice. In health care, AI is simply a way of programming a computer to process and respond to data for better patient outcomes. Mayo's AI work in Cardiovascular Medicine uses computer algorithms applied to EKG to aid in early risk prediction and diagnosis of serious and...