Posts Tagged Lab Tests
Teen Pregnancy Prevention: Can You Help?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on May 2, 2013
Did you know that the rate of teen pregnancies in 2010 was the lowest it’s been since 1946? Either teens are actually starting to pay attention or adults are getting involved and are willing to talk about it so they can make a difference. Either way, something is clicking with teens. The pregnancy rate dropped 37% between 1992 and 2005 and the birth rate dropped 33% in that same time period. These numbers, posted in a document developed by Advocates for Youth is helping to spread the word for National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month (NTPPM) which is going on right now, during the month of May.
Are you a teen? Are you at risk? Having unprotected sex and keeping your fingers crossed? According to statistics posted by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, in the US 3 in 10 girls get pregnant by the time they are 20 years old. Although girls in the United States begin to explore and experiment with sex at the same age as their European counterparts, they are more likely to get pregnant. Girls who become pregnant during their teen years are less likely to complete high school or college and more likely to live in poverty. Using contraception and delaying the start of sexual intercourse has made a huge difference in our numbers and teen pregnancies are the lowest they’ve been in 40 years, but we still have quite a ways to go.
Are you a parent, a business person, a religious leader? Reaching out to the teens in your life, supporting movements like this and encouraging open communication about the risks of teen pregnancy and prevention could change someone’s life. Advocates for Youth supplies communities and organizations with materials to promote teen pregnancy prevention using the vision of the “3Rs”. Teens have the Right to information and healthcare necessary for proper sexual health care and pregnancy prevention. They deserve the Respect of involving them in the planning and development of programs that affect their reproductive health. Society has a Responsibility to provide teens with the tools they need to make the right decisions and protect their own reproductive health and futures. Teens deserve access to pregnancy and STD testing and information to choose the right prevention method for them, whether it be celibacy, condoms, or hormonal birth control. We owe it to our future generations to pay attention so that they can have the brightest future possible.
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
Do You Know the ABCs of Heart Disease?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on February 1, 2013
Today is the 10th “National Wear Red Day” to promote heart health and awareness of heart disease risks and prevention. Did you put on something red this morning? Are you aware of your own risks or are you planning to think about it “one day” when you have time? Ignoring warning signs and risk factors won’t pay off in the end, so today is a good day to do a few simple things. You don’t have to do it all today, or this week, but each little step gets you closer to a healthier, longer life.
The Million Hearts Initiative, launched by the Department of Health and Human Services has a very quick way to check your risks and help you pick one or two goals that will help you focus on what’s important rather than a huge list of changes. The ABCs of heart health are something you should think about every day to keep you on the right track and focused on your heart. Start with a visit to get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked so you have a starting point and then get going with these easy steps:
A: Appropriate Aspirin Therapy for those who need it
B: Blood Pressure Control
C: Cholesterol Management
S: Smoking Cessation
Think about these when you start the day, when you talk to your health care provider or get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked and at any point that you know you can make a difference. Or pick one and focus on that first to get started. Taking care of your health isn’t rocket science, but it does take some attention to detail: Your Details. Start today! Red shirt or not, you can make a difference in your health right now.
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
Obesity: It’s a Bigger Problem Than You Might Think
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on January 7, 2013
Many Americans know that obesity is a problem in the United States both for adults and for children. In addition, this is the time of year when we all start to think about how things went (or grew) last year and what we want to do better during 2013.
Have you decided that you are going to lose weight, eat better, exercise or any combination of these? If so, good luck and I hope that the gym membership and healthy food in the fridge gets put to good use! If you can stick to it for 3 weeks you may have a chance to really establish a good habit.
Knowing that obesity is a problem for so many of us isn’t surprising. What is surprising is that many people are unaware of how many ways being overweight or obese impacts their health. A recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates that although most of us know obesity is related to heart disease and diabetes we are unaware of other serious effects including:
- Higher risk of cancers of the colon, breast, protate and uterus
- Greater difficulty locating tumors
- Arthritis – the vicious cycle of gaining weight makes it more difficult to exercise and shed pounds which helps to improve arthritis
- Infertility
- High blood pressure and high cholesterol
- Respiratory problems such as sleep apnea and asthma
If more Americans were aware of the additional risks of being overweight or obese, it might motivate them to work harder to shed excess weight. It is not only about looks but about the ability to live a longer, healthier life. Since now is the perfect time to jump on the health bandwagon you should start with a baseline of your current health with blood tests for cholesterol, blood pressure and overall heart health, along with your weight and measurements so you can create a picture of where you want to be and what changes or improvements you’ll need to make to reach your goals. According to the survey most people support posting nutritional information in restaurants so as this information becomes available we need to take advantage of it. The majority of Americans are against any government restrictions including food taxes and restrictions on what we are able to buy. This means it is up to each of us to make the right choices for so many reasons!
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
Managing Blood Sugar – The Diabetics Ongoing Struggle
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on November 8, 2012
Have you been diagnosed with diabetes? If you are like many diabetics, you are discovering (or have already found) that maintaining a steady blood sugar level is easier said than done. November is American Diabetes Month and worth our attention because this disease is one of the largest health issues our country currently faces. An estimated one in three Americans will develop diabetes by 2050 if we don’t make major changes to our 
lifestyles. If you have already been diagnosed with Type 1 as a child or young adult or Type 2 as an adult, the prevention information isn’t much use to you. I already have it so what do I do now? Your doctor has most likely already discussed diet and exercise with you and, if you are overweight, suggested that you need to lose some. Based on current research studies here are some tips:
- Follow your doctor’s advice and lose some weight. Even though recent studies, specifically one conducted by Look AHEAD subsidized by the National Institutes of Health, are now showing that losing weight may not affect your risk of having a stroke or a heart attack, the benefits to you from even small amounts of weight lose are huge: Improved hemoglobin A1c readings (which look at average blood sugar levels for the past three months), better blood pressure numbers, better fitness and, less medication required to control the diabetes. Overall, losing weight is one of the best things you can do for yourself if you are overweight, whether or not you have diabetes.
- Tight Control: This method as described by the American Diabetes Association is not for everyone and should be followed in conjunction with advice and supervision from your doctor. The intent is to keep your blood sugar levels as close to non-diabetic levels as possible. There are risks of hypoglycemia and weight gain, but this method can prevent or control the onset or progress of complications from diabetes, providing you with additional years of healthy, active life.
- Frequent testing of your blood glucose level. Even if the tight control idea is too much for you, consider testing your blood sugar more often. This is a step in the right direction and, in conjunction with weight loss and exercise, can help you control your blood sugar better by letting you know where you stand before you eat and two hours after eating. Getting a hemoglobin A1c test every few months will also let you know how you are doing and help you make adjustments.
If you are pre-diabetic or obese and worried about the possibility of developing diabetes you may want to consider drinking black tea. Studies are showing a very high correlation between a low incidence of diabetes and the consumption of black tea.
Controlling your diabetes, however you choose to do it, is key to preventing many of the devastating complications of diabetes such as amputations and blindness. There is no doubt that managing your blood sugar is difficult, time consuming and an overall hassle, but the rewards are extremely high.
Written by labtestingnow.com
Prostate Test: Are You Confused?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on July 20, 2012
If you are a male over 50 have you had a PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test? Should you? The results of a new study, the Prostatectomy Versus Observation Trial (PIVOT) study provided a lot of information but how you and your doctor should interpret the information doesn’t seem any clearer than before. The message that is clear is that each person is different and men will need 
to make decisions based on what they are comfortable with. If you have more than 10 years to live then having a PSA test makes sense, but surgery may not. Prostate surgery carries signficant risks of unwanted and unpleasant side effects like urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Physician responses are mixed on these results which suggest that there is not a significant difference in survival for those who had surgery during the study period (1994 and 2002) and those who maintained a watch and wait attitude.
Men who have a aggressive prostate cancer, those with high Gleason scores between 7 and 10 and those with high volume prostate cancer, appear to have benefited most with surgery. A large percentage of men over 85 have prostate cancer but their cause of death is from something else. Up to two-thirds of men who have received a diagnosis of prostate cancer have a low PSA value or low-risk disease, but nearly 90% receive early intervention — typically surgery or radiotherapy. The study appears to show that the early intervention may cause more harm than good. So what would you do? Deaths due to prostate cancer have dropped 50% since the early 1990′s when PSA testing became more common. Ultimately, each man is on his own, wading through the research and their own personal health, to make the decision. And isn’t that true for most important decisions anyway? Read up all you want, but take the precautions that make sense, like knowing your PSA score, and then muddle through.
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
HIV Prevention in a Pill?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on May 11, 2012
Yesterday an FDA advisory panel recommended approval of Truvada for pre-exposure phylaxis (PrEP) of HIV. While many in the HIV and AIDS medical and research community support the move, many others fear that it will reduce the use of condoms, which are critical for HIV prevention. The question is: Will those in high risk categories, those who engage in risky sexual behaviors or use intraveneous drugs, actually adhere to a medical prevention protocol, especially if they are already having difficulty consistently using condoms? While I think it’s possible that there are those in committed relationships with someone who is HIV positive who may
be able to tolerate the serious side effects, the majority of those at risk for contracting HIV may not be able to stick with the regimen.
Studies have shown that getting tested and realizing that you are positive reduces the risk you will pass it on. Just the awareness that someone is putting someone else in danger may deter people from risky behavior. But getting tested and the use of a preventive medication requires that people actually care about their role in the spread of HIV. The continued large number of new cases every year, which is approximately 50,000 according to the Centers for Disease Control, and the 21% increase in new cases in young men aged 13-29 is fueled by the 34% increase in cases among young gay and bisexual men. It would be great if this could be another tool in the HIV prevention toolbox that doesn’t make people feel safe skipping the condom. Let’s hope that the right message on this “HIV Prevention Pill” gets out and it helps to stem the tide of new HIV infections and unnecessary disease.
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Method Behind the Madness…Is There a Purpose to Our Allergies?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on April 30, 2012
I know I’m not the only one suffering from horrendous allergies this year. With the warmer winter in the south and the earlier spring many more of us are suffering from allergies in the form of sneezing, sniffling and coughing than usual at this time of year. The number of people with allergies continues to rise and a lot of them don’t even know that allergies are causing their particular sneezing and discomfort. New research printed in Nature last 
week suggests the possibility that some peoples’ bodies are actually trying to protect them from environmental toxins. It is often thought that allergies are your immune responses going haywire. But what if your body is trying to tell you to stay away from something that causes cancer? The article in Nature suggests that the immune response is trying to expel a toxin, such as helminthes (parasites), noxious chemicals, animal venoms, and environmental irritants that may cause cancers, such as gliomas or brain tumors. Alternatively, your immune system may be telling you to avoid that particular toxic environment.
There are now easier ways to determine what you are allergic to, including a simple blood test for allergies that can identify hundreds of allergens that you may be allergic or sensitive to, allowing you to avoid it or treat it. The research also suggests that eliminating symptoms, other than those that are extreme, such as anaphylactic shock, may not be the right option. If we stay in a particular environment because we can eliminate the sniffling then we may be continuing to take in the toxin our body is trying to protect us from. This is an interesting study and provides hints of possible treatments and preventatives from allergies the future. For now, since I know I’ll need to go outside at some point, I’ll continue treating my allergies with antihistamines, like most of my family and friends.
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Are You Protecting Your Kidneys?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on March 5, 2012
You may be damaging your kidneys without realizing it. Do you drink a lot of soda every day? Even if it’s diet? Do you smoke? These habits are two of the top five that can be putting stress on your kidneys. March 8th is World Kidney Day and March is National Kidney Month, sponsored by the American Kidney Foundation. Your kidney works 24 hours a day filtering toxins out of your body. If your kidney stops working your only alternative is using a dialysis machine and anyone who has ever done this can tell you it is 
not a pleasant way to spend a day.
You can be careful about what you ingest to protect yourself and your kidneys from long term damage starting right now! Get tested with a simple Chemistry Panel to identify Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Calcium (Ca), Creatinine (Cr) and Glucose which check for a range of problems that affect the kidneys, including kidney disease. Whether your test results show possible issues with your kidney or not, you should stop doing the following 5 things to prevent future damage:
- Long term use of over-the-counter painkillers, known as NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs). 3-5% of new cases of kidney disease every year are blamed on the useruse of NSAIDs.
- Smoking: Smokers are more likely to need dialysis or kidney transplants due to the damage that smoking does to the kidneys.
- Consuming large quantities of salt. I think we’ve all been made aware through the media that too much salt can cause hypertension (or high blood pressure) but this high blood pressure can damage the kidneys over time and is the leading cause of kidney failure.
- Drinking a lot of sodas every day, diet or not. Studies show that consuming two or more sodas every day is linked with a higher risk of developing kidney disease.
- Exposure to the dye used in Angiograms and CT scans. Discuss the risks with your doctor before you undergo a procedure like this.
Is avoiding some of these items worth it in the long run? To live a normal life where I don’t need to be connected to a machine for natural bodily functions: I say yes! You get to make your own choice.
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
CDC Offers Up Million Hearts to Heart Health Month
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on February 15, 2012
Have you been payting attention? Hopefully you’ve worn red to work and noticed the posters, flyers and promotions for Heart Health month by the American Heart Association. This well publicized program targets those of us, especially women, who need an extra push to pay attention to our own health. Come on, you know you’re more likely to be one of those people than not! The addition of the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Million Hearts program adds some simple guidelines that are easy to remember, even if we have a hard time following them.
The CDC recommends following your ABCS:
- Aspirin for people at risk – Ask your doctor is this makes sense for you.
- Blood pressure in check – If this is an issue, make sure you have a home BP cuff.
- Cholesterol management – Standard cholesterol tests and more advanced ones such as the VAP and PLAC tests can let you know how aggressive you need to be.
- Smoking cessation – There are so many ways to kick the habit. You just need to pick the right one for you.
These four major steps help to address cardiovascular disease, the leading of death in the United States. In addition, cardiovascular disease and stroke are the leading cause of disability preventing people from leading full lives and enjoying time with their families.
Women are at a higher risk than many of us are aware of. Women are used to taking care of their families and putting their own health last. What we, as mothers and caretakers, may not realize is that putting our health at risk is a terrible way of taking care of our loved ones. What would they do if we weren’t around to take care of all the little things? Saving yourself is the most important thing you can do to be the best mother, partner, and daughter you can possibly be.
Take these American Heart Association and CDC messages to heart and take control of your health today!
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
Are Your New Year’s Resolutions Achievable?
Posted by Maureen in Clinical Tests, Wellness on January 12, 2012
Although the ideal is that we all live healthy lives year round, the truth is that it’s not easy to do and this is the time of year we think about what we should be doing. Exercising, not smoking, and going on a diet are among the top resolutions people make every year on January 1. Unfortunately, most of us have already quit by now. It’s been over 10 days and many of these attempts only last about 3 days. Being realistic about what you can do is a big part of making your goals achievable. Did you tell yourself no sweets at all? Or no 
smoking starting NOW? Or that you’ll get up at 5 am and exercise every day? Balance is key to maintaining a habit and starting small can help you get there.
Some tips for being realistic and actually reaching your goals include:
- If you’re trying to do something like lose weight or improve your cholesterol, you need a baseline. Know where you are today and lay out a gradual plan for where you want to be. Get your cholesterol and other critical health values tested with a Basic Check Up test. Decide when you’ll go back for another test to see where you are. Make an appointment so that you have a hard deadline and very specific goal. If it’s weight loss get on the scale today and set a goal for where you’ll be in 3 months, 6 months or a year.
- Start small. Recent studies have shown that small changes can have a huge impact on your health. Walk for 20 minutes a day to start. Or cut out one unhealthy food a day. Once you see success and know that you are able to make one change, add another after a month and continue with small lifestyle changes that will reap large rewards down the road.
- Tell others what you are doing. Saying it out loud and reporting success to others is a big motivator. Even if they don’t ask how you’re doing, you’ll know that they’re thinking it.
- Give yourself an advantage by not surrounding yourself with the temptation you are trying to avoid. Keep your fridge clear of things you shouldn’t eat or drink. Throw away your cigarettes so they are hard to get when the craving hits. Look at restaurant menus before you go out and decide ahead of time, when you’re not hungry, what you will order.
- Give yourself a break! You will probably fall off the wagon. You’ll have that cigarette, eat that candy bar or those fries, or sleep in instead of working out. This doesn’t mean it’s time to give up and throw in the towel. It means you’re human. Try again at the next opportunity and give it another go.
- Finally, be realistic. Losing 20 pounds in a month may not be achievable. Thinking that you will be done with cigarettes in a week isn’t either. Do your research and plan realistically what you can do right now and what you can achieve in the long run.
Good Luck! And, it’s not too late even if you think you’ve already given up. Dust yourself off and give your goals in 2012 another chance!
Written by www.labtestingnow.com
CDC H1N1 Flu Updates:- Press Briefing Transcript: Dr. Thomas Frieden's Remarks at the 2010 Influenza Workshop for Journalists
- HHS News Release: WHO Declares End to 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic
- WHO Statement on H1N1 in post-pandemic period
- UPDATE: 2009 H1N1 Flu International Situation Update
- UPDATE: 2009 H1N1 Flu International Situation Update
- MMWR: Regional Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccination Campaign -- Skokie, Illinois, October 16--December 31, 2009
- UPDATE: 2009 H1N1 Flu International Situation Update