Category: Lab Tests & Diagnostics
More than 4 million Americans have viral hepatitis and an estimated 85,000 become infected each year. Some forms go away on their own, but others, like Hepatitis B and C, can go on to become chronic infections that can lead serious liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death. But most people with chronic hepatitis do not know they are infected.
The Obama administration is moving forward with an ambitious agenda to improve the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and unlock a method to prevent it by 2025. The plan also sets up a wide-ranging effort to improve the care that Alzheimer’s patients receive and support families.
Nine prominent physician groups have released lists of 45 common tests and treatments they say are often unnecessary and may even harm patients. The move represents a high-profile effort by physicians to help reduce the extraordinary amount of unnecessary treatment, said to account for as much as a third of the $2.6 trillion Americans spend on health care each year.
While American doctors performed about three or four times as many Pap smears as Dutch doctors did, the rates at which women developed or died from cervical cancer were roughly equal for the two nations.
“Statins”, the commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, can cause impaired memory, diabetes, muscle and liver damage and other problems, but the benefits of the drugs still outweigh the risks, FDA says.
A new research review suggests that the use of one popular method of monitoring, known as cardiotocography, does not improve maternal and fetal outcomes and makes women more likely to have cesarean sections.
Facing a storm of criticism form women’s groups and abortion-rights supporters, the Susan G. Komen for a Cure foundation announced it would reverse its decision to cut its funding to Planned Parenthood.
A study of nearly 5,000 women suggests that women with healthy bone density on their first bone desity test might safely wait 15 years before getting tested again.
Men who underwent annual prostate cancer screening with prostate-specific antigen testing and digital rectal examination had a 12 percent higher incidence of prostate cancer than men in the control group but the same rate of death from the disease.
For type 2 diabetics who are not on insulin, monitoring their blood sugar does little to control blood sugar levels over time and may not be worth the effort or expense, according to a new evidence review.
The use of overnight sleep testing has soared. One reason, critics say: testing is a lucrative business for doctors.
For almost eight years, Linda Carswell has been trying to find out how her husband died. Her quest has led to a fraud judgment against a hospital as well as autopsy reform in Texas. But she’s still seeking answers — and the return of his heart.
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors
Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.
Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking
Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation
Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?
Don’t bet on it.
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