My last two blood pressure readings were over 150/95. My doctor plans to recheck it in 2 weeks. But I will likely need to go on medicine to lower it. How does a doctor choose what drug to start?
An influential expert panel has published its final report that recommends annual tests for people at high risk of developing lung cancer. In the past, screening of people without symptoms was thought to be useless for lung cancer. The tests either found too many harmless spots on lungs, or they did not find cancers early enough to save lives. The new advice comes from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The U.S. government, doctors and insurance companies often follow its advice. The report recommends low-dose CT scans once a year for high-risk adults ages 55 to 79. A high-risk person is defined as someone who has smoked for at least 30 “pack-years.” This could be 30 years of smoking a pack a day, 15 years at 2 packs a day or other combinations. Screening will be offered to anyone in this group who is a current smoker or has quit in the last 15 years.
A revised version of a commonly used screening tool for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) can improve early detection of ASD in toddlers, says a new study. The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) is one of the most widely used screening tools for ASD in the United States. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that toddlers be screened at their 18- and 24-month well-child visits. The earlier ASD can be detected, the better the outcomes. Researchers made some changes to the M-CHAT to improve its ability to detect ASD in toddlers. They tested the new version on 16,115 toddlers. It detected ASD at a higher rate and 2 years earlier compared to the original version of the screening tool. The journal Pediatrics published the study.
Does “Alzheimer’s disease” mean the same thing as “dementia?”