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Do toddler formulas deliver on nutrition claims?
Holiday arguments brewing? Here's how to defuse them
What does a birth doula do?
Cellulitis: How long does it take to heal on legs?
21 spices for healthy holiday foods
What to do when driving skills decline
A tough question: When should an older driver stop driving?
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Opill: Is this new birth control pill right for you?
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Medical Tests & Procedures Archive
Articles
More people now eligible for lung cancer screening
Less-invasive treatment for unsightly leg veins as good as surgery
Research we're watching
A minimally invasive treatment for treating varicose veins is as effective as surgery to remove the faulty veins, according to a new study.
Most varicose veins — gnarled, bluish veins just under the skin's surface — result from problems with the great saphenous vein, the large vein located near the inside of the leg that runs from the ankle to the upper thigh. The surrounding muscles and one-way valves in the vein weaken, a condition called venous insufficiency.
Suspected heart attack? Don’t fear the emergency room due to COVID-19
In addition to a prompt assessment and potentially lifesaving treatment, expect a COVID-19 test and extra safety precautions.
Even before the pandemic, people with heart attack symptoms sometimes hesitated to seek emergency care. But during the first wave of COVID-19 infections in early 2020, many more people than usual stayed away. From mid-March to late May 2020, emergency room visits for heart attacks fell by 23% compared with the preceding 10 weeks. And 20% fewer people showed up with strokes, according to the CDC.
Fear of leaving home and risking exposure to the coronavirus likely explains this trend, which has abated over time. "The overall volume at emergency rooms is still somewhat below normal, and we're seeing people who come in many hours or even a day after their heart attack symptoms began," says Dr. Joshua Kosowsky, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School. These people sometimes have signs of heart damage that might have been easier to reverse or treat if they had come in right away, he adds.
Seeing your way to better eye health
Maintaining your vision as you age requires a proactive approach.
Did you know that women are more likely than men to have eye conditions that can lead to vision loss, such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts? According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, more than 60% of people with these conditions are women, in part because they live longer, and risk rises with age.
While women may be more at risk for eye disease, you should also know that in many instances, vision loss is not inevitable if you are proactive about your eye health.
5 tips to help you stay safe during medical treatment
Medication errors and communication problems may put people at risk.
It's been 20 years since the Institute of Medicine published its landmark report To Err is Human. It found that as many as 98,000 people were dying each year from preventable medical errors, prompting an industrywide patient safety effort that has spanned the past two decades.
An editorial published in JAMA Dec. 29, 2020, notes that in the years since that report came out, hospitals and doctors have made numerous changes that have succeeded in reducing preventable problems, such as hospital-acquired infections, falls, and medication-related errors. But more work remains to be done. Mistakes still happen.
Imaging overload: How many tests are too many?
Diagnostic technology makes it possible to detect many conditions. But is it safe to get lots of x-rays or CT scans?
When your doctor orders an occasional x-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan, you probably focus on the findings, not the amount of radiation you'll be exposed to. But if you need numerous tests, you may wonder if you're getting too much radiation exposure and how it might affect you. The concern about radiation exposure is an increased risk for developing cancer later in life. Ionizing radiation from tests such as x-rays or CT scans has the potential to damage tissue in the body, including cell DNA.
"As DNA is damaged, this causes mutations. Some of these are repaired by our cells, but others escape repair. In rare circumstances, these mutations may cause cells to divide rapidly without control," explains Dr. Mark Hammer, a radiologist with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "If cancer were to develop, it could take 10 to 20 years for it to become apparent."
Should I continue PSA screening for prostate cancer?
On call
Q. I am 74 years old and unsure whether I want to continue with PSA screening for prostate cancer. Before deciding, I wanted to better understand my options since I probably would not want surgery or radiation therapy if I do have prostate cancer. What is your approach?
A. No matter what your age, men should ask themselves these types of questions before having a blood test for PSA (prostate-specific antigen) to look for hidden prostate cancer.
The story on heart stents
Whether you've had a stent placed or may need one in the future, here's what you should know about these tiny devices
Close to a million heart stents to open blocked or narrowing arteries are implanted each year in the United States, and as you age, the odds rise that you'll end up on the list of recipients.
"Getting a stent can save your life during a heart attack, but what you do after the procedure can dictate your future heart health," says Dr. C. Michael Gibson, a cardiologist with Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Arm yourself to get better blood pressure readings
In the journals
Blood pressure readings are usually done on only one arm, but a new analysis makes the case for checking both arms, as the difference between them may suggest an elevated risk for heart disease. The findings were published in the February 2021 issue of Hypertension.
Researchers examined 24 studies that measured blood pressure in both arms in 53,827 adults without high blood pressure. They found that a difference of more than five points between the left and right arm systolic readings (the top number) was linked with a 9% higher risk for a first-time heart attack or stroke and a 6% increase in cardiovascular death within 10 years. The greater the difference between the two readings, the higher the risk.
Genetic testing to tailor heart drug prescriptions?
Your genes affect how your body responds to many drugs. But pharmacogenomic testing still isn't ready for routine use.
Most genetic tests focus on your odds of developing certain diseases or health conditions. But some — known as pharmacogenomic (or pharmacogenetic) tests — can reveal how your body may respond and react to different medications. To date, researchers have identified more than 400 genetic variations known to affect the metabolism of numerous drugs, including some that help lower cholesterol or prevent blood clots (see "Pharmacogenomics of common heart drugs").
In theory, knowing how people metabolize specific drugs could help doctors choose the safest, most effective treatment for their patients. But in practice, it's not that straightforward, says Dr. Jason Vassy, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a primary care physician at the VA Boston Healthcare System.
Recent Blog Articles
Do toddler formulas deliver on nutrition claims?
Holiday arguments brewing? Here's how to defuse them
What does a birth doula do?
Cellulitis: How long does it take to heal on legs?
21 spices for healthy holiday foods
What to do when driving skills decline
A tough question: When should an older driver stop driving?
3 ways to create community and counter loneliness
Opill: Is this new birth control pill right for you?
Do children get migraine headaches? What parents need to know
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