Medical Tests Hit Heart Patients with High Doses of Radiation Nov 18, 2009
"Up to this point, we've been thinking about radiation as it relates to an individual imaging test. We think it's appropriate to think of radiation dose per episode of care," Kaul said. More than 64,000 patients treated for heart attacks at one of about 50 university hospitals over a three-and-a-half year period underwent almost 277,000 procedures involving ionizing radiation. (MEDLINEplus)
Irregular Heartbeat Risk Higher in Women with Type 2 Diabetes Sep 30, 2009
Weintraub pointed out that this study didn't include comparisons of echocardiograms (an imaging test of the heart), which would have allowed researchers to assess heart health at the start of the study, and ensure that no one with preexisting, but undiagnosed, heart disease was included. Additionally, the researchers didn't look to see if blood sugar control made a difference in the rates of atrial fibrillation. (MEDLINEplus)
Concern about cumulative radiation of imaging tests has some doctors urging alternatives Sep 14, 2009
Because the cumulative radiation from medical imaging tests is a cancer concern, some doctors have begun to urge alternatives ... Mammograms, for example, are one of the most common imaging tests ... When a doctor orders an imaging test for a patient, the system will tell the physician how many scans the patient has had during the past 22 years, and by how much those scans have raised the person s cancer risk above normal. (Boston Globe)
Two-thirds get medical tests with radiation Aug 27, 2009
For their study, researchers led by Emory University analyzed insurance claims from 952,420 people between ages 18 and 64 to determine how many had an imaging test and the estimated radiation dose ... Though it included nearly a million people, the researchers said it was unclear to what extent the findings can be applied to the general population, including uninsured people who likely would get fewer imaging tests. (MSNBC -- Health)
Study finds radiation risk in some medical tests Aug 27, 2009
For their study, researchers led by Emory University analyzed insurance claims from 952,420 people between ages 18 and 64 to determine how many had an imaging test and the estimated radiation dose. All were covered by UnitedHealthcare in five regions: Arizona, Dallas, Wisconsin and two areas of Florida. (AZCentral -- News)
Pacemakers Used To Help Children With Stomach Problems Aug 3, 2009
2, 2009) Physicians at Nationwide Children s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio are turning to a device typically used in adults with heart problems to help children with severe stomach conditions. In June, surgeons implanted a pacemaker in a 16-year-old patient with gastroparesis, a debilitating stomach condition that affects the way the body processes food. (Science Daily)
'Motion-frozen' Technology Meets High-definition PET: Helping Heart Patients Jun 19, 2009
"While our study was limited to a specific imaging test, the findings could indicate a whole new level of quality in cardiac imaging and could significantly advance the ways that physicians diagnose and treat heart disease.". About 550,000 patients each year in the United States suffer a new form of heart failure. (Science Daily)
Recently Identified Genetic Heart Disorder Often Deadly For Young Patients Apr 1, 2009
(June 5, 2002) A simple imaging test may identify individuals who are at risk for having the gene for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease that causes thickening of the heart and early sudden death, researchers. (Aug. (Science Daily)
Moorad sees opportunities and strikes Mar 27, 2009
The next morning, an infectious disease doctor was ordering a magnetic resonance imaging test. He put a filter on the MRI that would show anything that was infected, Moorad said, and my right leg lit up like a Christmas tree. (Yahoo News -- Auto Racing)
People Without Heart Disease Symptoms Urged To Use Caution In Obtaining Cardiac Imaging Exams Feb 11, 2009
"The bottom line is that patients need thoughtful advice from their doctors as to what heart imaging test is right for them," says Dr. Gerber. "Their doctors need to understand and be able to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of these tests in each patient's special situation.". (Science Daily)
MRI determines Paul's groin injury not severe Feb 7, 2009
The Hornets could be without All-Star point guard Chris Paul the rest of this week, but a magnetic resonance imaging test of Paul's injured right groin indicated only a mild strain, a far less severe injury than it appeared when he went down in Monday night's 97-89 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at the New Orleans Arena. Paul walked into the Hornets' practice Tuesday at the Alario Center shortly after 11 a.m., barely limping and eager to get back on the court as soon as possible, hinting he... (Nola.com -- Sports)
