Medical Tests & Procedures Archive

Renal denervation is a minimally invasive procedure that destroys some of the nerves inside the renal arteries, which supply the kidneys. The procedure lowers blood pressure by disrupting communication between the brain and the kidneys that leads to elevated blood pressure. People with stubbornly high blood pressure may be candidates for the procedure, which is currently approved for use in Europe but not in the United States.

While ovarian cancer is not always inherited, family history is the top risk factor for the disease, which is diagnosed in 20,000 American women and kills 13,000 annually. Symptoms, such as bloating, pelvic pain, bowel or bladder habit changes, and unusual vaginal discharge or bleeding, are often vague and subtle until the disease is advanced, making it hard to detect and cure. No standard screening test is available for ovarian cancer. Women with symptoms can ask for a pelvic ultrasound. Women with a family history should seek genetic counseling and testing.

A heart murmur is the sound of turbulent blood flow within the heart as heard through a stethoscope. In adults, most abnormal murmurs are caused by an aortic or mitral valve that's not working correctly.

Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure; however, only one-third of those who have the problem are aware of it. This is mostly because people only have blood pressure checked at doctor visits, so they don't know when it increases and requires medical attention. A simple solution is to take regular measurements with a home blood pressure monitor and keep track of their numbers to note changes.

Prices for six common heart tests and procedures at top-ranked U.S. hospitals showed surprisingly wide variations, according to a 2022 Harvard study. There was a 10-fold difference in the median prices patients pay for a heart ultrasound, and even larger disparities for procedures such as implanting a pacemaker. The differences may reflect power dynamics between hospitals and insurance companies. For both entities, factors such as location, size, and popularity influence that dynamic — which, in turn, affects the market dynamics that dictate costs.

Catheter ablation destroys spots in the heart responsible for atrial fibrillation. Although traditionally used as a second-line treatment after medications fail, undergoing ablation earlier in the course of the disease may be a good option. The overall success rate for catheter ablation is around 75%. People sometimes undergo a second procedure if the first one isn't effective; this boosts the success rate to nearly 90%. Many factors, such as age, other health problems, and duration of afib can affect a person's outcome after catheter ablation.

A blood test for total testosterone is the usual first step in men concerned about low T levels. The best time to get tested is between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.

A bubble study is a test done in conjunction with an echocardiogram to check for the presence of a tiny opening between the heart's upper chambers called a patent foramen ovale. Such an opening could explain how an unexpected stroke happened.

A 2022 study found that women who begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45 with colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy are far less likely to develop the disease than women who don't undergo any screening or who start screening at age 50.

Whether or not to continue PSA testing after age 70 depends on many factors, but especially a man's family history of prostate cancer and how comfortable he is about getting a biopsy or treatment if the test results suggest possible cancer.