Recent Articles
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: Evidence-based uses and unproven claims
Gatorade. Liquid IV. Do you need extra electrolytes?
Sexual violence can cast a long shadow on health
Prostate cancer: Short-course radiation just as effective as longer-term treatments
Eggs, protein, and cholesterol: How to make eggs part of a heart-healthy diet
Can a quick snooze help with energy and focus? The science behind power naps
Autism: The challenges and opportunities of an adult diagnosis
Hospice care: Overview of a compassionate approach to end-of-life care
Foot pain: A look at why your feet might hurt
Matcha: A look at possible health benefits
Medical Tests & Procedures Archive
Articles
Are you getting health care you don't need?
Just because you can get a particular test or treatment or take a supplement doesn't mean you should. One study suggests as much as 20% of all health care in the US is unneeded. Skipping unnecessary care might actually improve your health, while saving time and money.
New urine test may help identify high-grade prostate cancer
A 2024 study found that a urine test that looks for cancer genes may help identify the most serious cases of prostate cancer among men with high levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This could help many men with high PSA levels avoid biopsies.
Beyond tobacco: Lung cancer in nonsmokers
While cigarette smoking remains the biggest cause of lung cancer, between 15% and 25% of cases globally occur in people who have never smoked. Lung cancer claims more women's lives than breast and ovarian cancer combined. Risk factors among nonsmokers include age, family history, chronic lung conditions, and exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, radon, diesel fumes, air pollution, and asbestos. People concerned about their risks should discuss it with their doctor, reduce exposure to lung cancer contributors, and get involved in advocacy efforts.
Artificial intelligence in cardiology
The American Heart Association's first-ever scientific statement on artificial intelligence (A.I.) in cardiology explores how the technology may improve how doctors prevent, detect, and treat heart disease. For example, A.I. data from patch monitors may predict who will develop potentially serious heart rhythms. Applying A.I. tools to a single chest x-ray may predict a person's risk of heart attack and other serious health problems.
A.I.'s promise for women's health
Artificial intelligence, or A.I., has been used in women's health care for decades. A.I. helps detect and track breast cancer, endometriosis, fibroids, cervical precancers, and other conditions. A.I.-driven mammography software may reveal more breast cancers than radiologists detect alone. A.I. may soon streamline women's breast cancer risk assessment scores to aid screening. Experts once predicted that A.I. would replace radiologists, but that hasn't happened and isn't likely, according to Harvard specialists.
Can your blood tests predict your future risk of stress, anxiety, or depression?
A 2024 study found that people with high blood sugar and high triglycerides are more likely to develop chronic stress, anxiety, or depression later in life, compared with people who have low or normal blood sugar levels.
New approaches to colorectal cancer screening
Screening methods for colorectal cancer continue to evolve. Stool tests are becoming more accurate, and it appears that an experimental blood test might one day provide another effective screening option. The most accurate colorectal cancer screening is a colonoscopy, which allows a doctor to peer inside the colon and rectum, find cancers, and remove potentially precancerous polyps on the spot to prevent future cancer. It's unclear if a stool or blood test will ever be as good for screening as a colonoscopy.
Health care should improve your health, right?
Modern medicine offers ever-expanding ways to heal and prevent disease, but it's also true that health care can cause harm. Some harms are preventable while others are much harder to control. So how can you reduce your chances of being harmed?
Blood test shows promise as simple test for Alzheimer's disease
A 2023 study suggests a blood test that looks for a specific biomarker may help identify people with Alzheimer's disease who may benefit from anti-amyloid therapy long before the disease is evident.
Recent Articles
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: Evidence-based uses and unproven claims
Gatorade. Liquid IV. Do you need extra electrolytes?
Sexual violence can cast a long shadow on health
Prostate cancer: Short-course radiation just as effective as longer-term treatments
Eggs, protein, and cholesterol: How to make eggs part of a heart-healthy diet
Can a quick snooze help with energy and focus? The science behind power naps
Autism: The challenges and opportunities of an adult diagnosis
Hospice care: Overview of a compassionate approach to end-of-life care
Foot pain: A look at why your feet might hurt
Matcha: A look at possible health benefits
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