We're excited to introduce our new show, Health Matters, where we're talking with leading medical experts from Mayo Clinic about their insights and opinions on the latest health and wellness subjects and information. 

New episodes starting August 6 right here in your feed.

Find us online at Mayo Clinic Press for more health and wellness articles, podcasts and books.

Do you have feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Email us at [email protected].

The retina is a thin layer of tissues, cells, and nerves that line the back wall inside the eye.  This layer has millions of light sensing cells that receive and organize visual information according to the Mayo Clinic.

On this Ask the Mayo Mom edition of the Q&A podcast, host Dr. Angela Mattke is joined by Dr. Brittni Scruggs, an ophthalmologist at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center. Dr. Scruggs is a physician, surgeon, and scientist with a research laboratory at Mayo Clinic studying gene therapy and stem cell therapy for retinal degenerations, including for children. 

She treats all ages, ranging from newborns to adults. Dr. Scruggs is a member of the national workgroup developing ACMG evidence-based guidelines for diagnosis and clinical management of inherited retinal diseases.
Dr. Mattke and Dr. Scruggs explore retinal issues in children and discuss eye safety and health. 

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), also called acute myelogenous leukemia, is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. The disease progresses rapidly, affecting a group of white blood cells called myeloid cells, which normally develop into mature red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. 

"There are acute and chronic leukemias, explains Dr. James Foran, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic. "The chronic ones tend to happen slowly over many years. You can watch it for a period of time until it really becomes active. The acute leukemias come on more quickly and cause people to get sick more quickly. Hence, the word acute."

AML occurs when a bone marrow cell develops mutations in its DNA that cause the cell to continue growing and dividing. When this happens, blood cell production becomes out of control. The bone marrow produces immature cells that develop into leukemic white blood cells called myeloblasts. These abnormal cells are unable to function properly, and they can build up and crowd out healthy cells.

Signs and symptoms of AML include:

Treatment of acute myeloid leukemia depends on several factors, including the subtype of the disease, and a person’s age and overall health. 

At the time of diagnosis, a bone marrow biopsy is performed, and testing is done to determine the subtype of AML. Genetic testing on leukemia cells helps oncologists plan treatment that will give patients the highest chance of remission.

"There have been massive advances in the last five or seven years," explains Dr. Foran. "We understand that almost everybody with acute myeloid leukemia will have some genetic abnormality in the leukemia cells. Some mutations predict for a lower remission rate with standard chemotherapies. Those are situations where we're looking for new therapies that would be more effective, new strategies — whether that's an immune treatment, a targeted therapy, a different type of chemotherapy. So those mutations really helped guide us on how to apply the new strategies." 

Dr. Foran says Mayo Clinic is a leader in ongoing research and clinical trials to refine and improve targeted and immune therapy treatments. New approaches include expanding the use of bone marrow transplants and using CAR-T cell therapy. 

"Mayo Clinic is in the front of the field, I believe. We're studying more targeted treatments to go after cells with mutations, to try to spare side effects, and get the most benefit in treating leukemia," he says. "We're continually and actively looking for new strategies to improve outcomes for patients."

On this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Foran discusses acute myeloid leukemia, including the latest research and advances in treatments.

While we know that health affects longevity and quality of life, it can be difficult to change bad habits. People often try to make sweeping New Year's resolutions, only to fail.

In fact, Jan. 17 is the date that the average America breaks their New Year's resolution.

Dr. Stephen Kopecky, a Mayo Clinic preventive cardiologist, says a better approach is to focus on small steps that add up over time.

"The answer, I think, is to make small, sustainable steps that you can live with," says Dr. Kopecky "And when I say small steps, like for diet, I tell patients one bite, one bite of something healthy. Take some processed meat or foods off your plate, and put on something like a legume or a bean. After a couple of years, that one-bite difference will lower your risk of having a heart attack."

In his book, "Live Younger Longer: 6 Steps to Prevent Heart Disease, Cancer, Alzheimer's and More,"  Dr. Kopecky shares strategies for making changes, including thinking of a compass of habits:

Healthy eating

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables provides antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients that help the immune system fight infections. Dr. Kopecky recommends fruits, vegetables and healthy fats from olive oil and nuts, all found in the Mediterranean diet. 

Exercising

Regular moderate exercise increases the activity of virus-killing immune cells.

“Exercise has been shown to give the immune system a boost by maximizing the body's ability to take in and efficiently use oxygen, among other things,” says Dr. Kopecky. “Moderate exercise, where you can talk but not sing while exercising, is enough to increase the activity of virus-killing cells both in the short term and long term. Even 20 minutes daily can help quell inflammation and boost immunity, and exercise can be divided up during the day. The best part about exercise is that it can be done anywhere. Leg lunges, sit-ups, squats and stair-climbing are all easy exercises you can do at home."

Managing stress 

Calming activities and supportive relationships minimize stress, reduce cortisol production and enhance the immune system's function. "Concern about the health of our loved ones, our jobs, children's schooling and other stressors will cause an increased production of the hormone cortisol in the body, which in turn can suppress the immune system," says Dr. Kopecky. "Practicing mindfulness and stepping away from what's causing anxiety can help us stay grounded. Exercises that have calming or meditative qualities, such as qi gong and yoga, also are beneficial."

Getting enough sleep

Adequate sleep boosts the number of immune cells circulating in the body and improves infection outcomes. The interaction between the immune system and sleep is a two-way street. "When your immune system response kicks in, it changes your sleep,” explains Dr. Kopecky. “You may find yourself sleeping longer, for example, as your immune system stages an attack against a virus. When you're not sleeping well, you may notice that you get sick more easily. Getting adequate sleep can help support the way your immune system functions by increasing the number of immune cells circulating in your body." 

Making positive changes in these areas can help improve health and longevity.

"We cannot prevent aging. We can slow aging," says Dr. Kopecky. "But we can prevent disease. It's certainly possible to do. And if you adopt a certain healthy lifestyle, you can affect that."

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Kopecky discusses developing healthy habits one small step at a time.

Pituitary tumors are abnormal growths that develop in your pituitary gland. Pituitary tumors can cause too much or too little of the hormones that regulate important functions of your body to be produced. Most pituitary tumors are noncancerous growths called adenomas, which remain in your pituitary gland or surrounding tissues and don't spread to other parts of your body.

"It's very uncommon for any pituitary tumor to be a malignancy or what one would commonly think about as a cancer or something that would travel elsewhere," says Dr. Jamie Van Gompel, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon. "Almost all of these are benign tumors." 

Pituitary tumors are categorized as functioning or nonfunctioning, depending on if they are producing hormones.

The signs and symptoms of nonfunctioning pituitary tumors, those that don't make hormones, nonfunctioning are related to their growth and the pressure they put on other structures.

"Out of all pituitary tumors, about half of them aren't making any kind of a substance," explains Dr. Van Gompel. "And those are called nonfunctioning adenomas or tumors. And they cause problems by putting pressure on things nearby. So they'll either take up enough room where the pituitary gland is so that it doesn't function well, and you have to get medications to replace some of that function. Or you may start to lose vision. That's another very common presenting symptom with these. "

Pituitary tumors that make hormones, called functioning, can cause a variety of signs and symptoms depending on the hormone they produce.

"Functioning tumors cause distinct syndromes," says Dr. Van Gompel. "The three most common are prolactin-secreting tumors, Cushing's and acromegaly." 

Dr. Van Gompel explains overproduction of prolactin from a pituitary tumor can cause breast milk to develop in women, even when they aren't postpartum. In men, it often affects sexual function. 

In Cushing syndrome, the body creates too much cortisol. The hallmark signs of Cushing syndrome are a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks on your skin. Cushing syndrome also can result in high blood pressure, bone loss and, sometimes, Type 2 diabetes. 

Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that develops when the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone during adulthood, causing bones to increase in size. In childhood, this leads to increased height and is called gigantism. But in adulthood, a change in height doesn't occur. Instead, the increase in bone size is limited to the bones of the hands, feet and face.

There are various options for treating pituitary tumors, including removing the tumor, controlling its growth and managing your hormone levels with medications. 

Surgery often is needed if a pituitary tumor is pressing on the optic nerves or if the tumor is overproducing certain hormones. Most often, surgery is done endoscopically through the nasal cavity. The neurosurgeon removes the tumor through the nose and sinuses without an external incision. No other part of the brain is affected, and there's no visible scar.

Mayo Clinic is one of the largest pituitary centers in the U.S., evaluating and treating more than 1,600 people with pituitary tumors every year. Dr. Van Gompel explains that being treated at a referral center that sees a high volume of pituitary tumors is important.

"Here at Mayo, we have huge expertise, and a group of people that know how to manage these adenomas," explains Dr. Van Gompel. "We're fortunate to have excellent colleagues in neuroradiology because the imaging matters to help locate the tumors. We also have a team of endocrinologists who focus specifically on treatment and management of pituitary tumors. And we have surgeons, like me, who focus on adenomas. We're constantly working together studying our outcomes to make sure they're as good, if not better, than they were last year, to improve care for our patients." 

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Van Gompel discusses options for treating pituitary tumors.

Recently, new treatment options have become available to those living with severe peanut allergies.  We will be exploring what's new in this area and who could potentially benefit.

On this Ask the Mayo Mom edition of the Q&A podcast, host Dr. Angela Mattke is joined by Dr. Martha Hartz.  Dr. Hartz is a Pediatric Allergist-Immunologist at Mayo Clinic Children's Center and is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics who will also discuss what is on the horizon in the world of allergy treatment.

One of the potentially painful side effects of cancer treatment is lymphedema. Lymphedema is tissue swelling caused by the buildup of fluid that's usually drained through the body's lymphatic system. Because lymph nodes are an important part of the lymphatic system, lymphedema can be caused by cancer treatments that remove or damage the lymph nodes.

"During cancer treatment, sometimes lymph nodes need to be removed, and the lymphatic system that travels around and through these lymph nodes, gets damaged as well," explains Dr. Antonio Forte, a Mayo Clinic plastic surgeon. "It's impossible to remove the lymph nodes without damaging the system."

Lymphedema most commonly affects the arms or legs, but can also occur in the chest wall, abdomen, neck and genitals. Severe cases of lymphedema can affect the ability to move the affected limb, increase the risks of skin infections and sepsis, and can lead to skin changes and breakdown. 

An estimated 20% to 40% of patients undergoing an axillary lymph node dissection — removal of lymph nodes from the armpit, which is a common part of surgery for breast cancer — will develop lymphedema.

Nonsurgical treatment options include compression bandages or garments, massage, and careful skin care. If compression treatment isn't successful, a microsurgery technique, known as lymphovenous bypass, may be an option.

Microsurgery refers to the fact that the surgery is done using powerful microscopes that are magnified 20 to 25 times. Using special dye injected under the skin to identify the lymphatic pathways, surgeons then use small incisions to reroute the lymphatic system by connecting tiny lymphatic vessels to tiny veins, creating a detour around the damaged lymph nodes. The new connection restores the body's ability to drain lymphatic fluids. 

Dr. Forte specializes in lymphovenous bypass surgery and has seen great benefits for patients. He points out that it's a minimally invasive procedure that can be done in an outpatient setting. The incisions are small, scarring is minimal, and patients can see significant reduction of their swelling.

"A very good study that was published almost a decade ago looked at patients that had lymphovenous bypass, and on average, 42% of the swelling improved over one year," says Dr. Forte. "Now there are patients that will have much more improvement than that. And some other patients will have very little improvement. But, on average, patients that have lymphovenous bypass surgery improve by 42%."

On this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Forte explains the lymphovenous bypass procedure, who is a candidate for the surgery, and the risks and benefits of this lymphedema treatment.

Related Articles:

Three respiratory viruses — COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV — are currently circulating in the U.S., and experts worry that holiday travel and gatherings could fuel their spread and further increase the number of cases.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert about the fall season increase in cases of influenza and RSV infection, primarily affecting young children.

To help protect against severe disease and hospitalization, the CDC recommends vaccinations against influenza and COVID-19 for all eligible people 6 months or older. 

While not yet available, there is good news on the vaccine front for fighting RSV, too.

"A number of vaccine manufacturers have developed vaccines, including a couple of them through phase three trials," says Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "Very likely, certainly before this time next year, I think we'll have a licensed RSV vaccine for adults, and then they'll move clinical trials down to kids. So we're definitely making progress there."

In addition to available vaccines, the toolkit for stopping the spread of viruses is familiar now after two years of battling COVID-19. The most basic protection measure, masking, is still effective, but many have grown tired of using it.

"Most people now are not wearing a mask, they're embarrassed to wear a mask, they're fatigued of it," explains Dr. Poland. "Over these holiday wintertime periods, it's very likely we'll have a surge of influenza and COVID-19 related to this kind of behavior. Don't let fatigue and letting your guard down be the reason that you get infected and suffer a complication."

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the latest news on RSV, COVID-19 and this year's flu season.

Related articles:

At Mayo Clinic, the Department of Business Development is the front door to business. From technology commercialization to strategic partnerships, the ultimate goal of innovation at Mayo Clinic is to improve health outcomes and benefit patients.

Business Development has two divisions:

"Mayo has about 7,000 active inventors across its campuses, which is quite incredible," says Dr. Clark Otley, medical director for the Department of Business Development at Mayo Clinic. "Every week, I receive a list of the new invention ideas and technologies that they think up, and I am frankly in awe of their creativity and drive to help our patients."  

Mayo Clinic Ventures works hand in hand with all three shields at Mayo Clinic — Research, Practice and Education — to advance the best ideas to the marketplace.  

"In many parts of health care, a 10% success rate is considered standard," explains Dr. Otley. "Mayo’s success rate in achieving at least some degree of commercial success is closer to 30%, thanks to our amazing inventors and the hard work of our Mayo Clinic Ventures staff."  

Mayo’s key invention activities and innovations align with the strategic plan to "Cure. Connect. Transform." Business Development supports key activities in each of those areas:

Past successes help support future endeavors at Mayo Clinic.

"The big news is that Mayo is about the hit a milestone related to inventing," says Dr. Otley. "Sometime this winter, Mayo will reach the $1 billion milestone of revenue brought back from our inventing activity, supported by Mayo Clinic Ventures. And the beautiful thing is that those proceeds are reinvested back into our three-shield mission of Practice, Education and Research to maintain the virtuous cycle of invention in patient care."

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Otley joins host, Dr. Halena Gazelka, to share an inside look at invention at Mayo Clinic.