Electrolytes in cardiology How potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium imbalances can lead to serious heart complications.…
Direct-to-consumer genetic tests should come with a health warning Genetic testing is appropriate in certain situations, but for healthy people as a way to predict disease, it is imprecise and comes with a number of risks.…
Headache management overly focused on medical tests, study suggests Counselling and lifestyle changes could be better used to treat headaches rather than relying on advanced imaging tests and specialist referrals.…
Scleroderma: clinical features and diagnosis Scleroderma is associated with a higher mortality rate than all other connective tissue disorders because of its multiple complications, including pulmonary hypertension and renal crisis.…
Malaria deaths fall by 47% globally between 2000 and 2013, WHO says Malaria mortality rates decreased by 47% worldwide between 2000 and 2013, and case incidence fell by 30%, a World Health Organization report says.…
DNA test kit offers consumers the chance to predict response to drugs A personal DNA screening test kit that claims to identify genetic risk for diseases such as Parkinson’s disease — and which was banned in the United States — is now available in the UK.…
GPs should conduct C-reactive protein tests before prescribing antibiotics to treat pneumonia The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that GPs should conduct a C-reactive protein test if it is unclear whether a patient has pneumonia to ensure antibiotics are only prescribed when necessary.…
Sequencing cancer genomes to tailor treatments to individual patients Screening for hundreds of mutations in tumours is the most promising route to customised drug treatments for cancer.…
Community pharmacists could screen at-risk groups for liver disease According to The Lancet’s commission, community pharmacists could play a key role in helping to improve liver disease services in primary care, say hepatology specialists.…
Assessing suspected food poisoning cases in the UK With more than 20,000 patients hospitalised in the UK each year because of food poisoning, quick assessment is essential.…