ADVANCE Discourse: Lab Knowing Let’s forget about money for a second. I know that can be difficult – what, with all of those pesky adult responsibilities and everything, but bare with me.  If money wasn’t an object, and your physician wanted to order a test that you knew wouldn’t be covered under your insurance, would you get ...

Most of us know amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by its other name, Lou Gehrig’s disease. After a recent preliminary trial at Emory University yielded positive results, a phase II trial has been approved by the FDA. An article from Newswise described the first phase of the trial as fairly successful, stating all procedures were “delivered ...

I’ve discussed the introduction of human genes into test mice before, but apparently rats are showing much more promise in Alzheimer’s research. A recent article from NPR discussed the need for a better model for humans in the study and, potentially, the treatment of Alzheimer’s. After studying genetically altered mice and later ...

First, it was San Francisco banning Happy Meal toys. And now it looks like New York wants to follow suit. A time.com article recently stated: ''New York City Council member Leroy G. Comrie, Jr., of Queens is leading the charge to ban kid-friendly toys from any fast-food meal that doesn't meet certain nutritional standards, arguing that the plastic ...

 Back in 1989, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) issued a firm algorithm for diagnosing HIV; an algorithm that is still in use today as the gold standard. The patient is tested with a preliminary enzyme immunoassay (EIA) screening test. If the result is ...

Primary results published in worldwide media reports this week suggest a combined blood test and ultrasound, termed a ''multimodal'' approach, may be the key to screening for ovarian cancer-known as a silent killer because symptoms do not appear until the disease is in its late and deadly stages. The results of the United Kingdom Collaborative ...

According to a recent study by the Center for Studying Health System Change, Americans are increasingly using the Internet to get health information. In 2007, almost 58 percent of the U.S. population--or more than 122 million people--sought health information from sources other than their doctor, as compared to only about 38 percent or ...

In what will hopefully be a positive leap for cancer research, South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics is establishing a tumor bank in San Antonio. Cancer patients can donate their tumors to help find a cure and to help therapy research. Read the article here.

It seems if a celebrity or her loved one is diagnosed with an illness, it tends to get a lot of ink or television exposure. For example, actress and comedienne Jenny McCarthy has been talking about autism-her son Evan has the disorder. She's even written a book, called Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism, about her ...

The acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are a continuum of ischemic heart disease that spans the entire range from unstable angina, associated with reversible injury; to frank myocardial infarction with large areas of cardiac necrosis. Here are some facts: The acute coronary syndromes are the biggest killer in the western world, accounting for ...