Minorities Miss Out on Brain-Imaging Studies for Alzheimer's

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• July 27, 2023
• Full Page

Americans in ethnic and racial minority groups are underrepresented in Alzheimer's research, a new study finds.

Still, the review of U.S.-based Alzheimer's disease brain imaging studies found the gap is closing.

Compared with white patients, Hispanic Americans ar...

New High-Tech CT Might Expand Heart Imaging

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• June 20, 2023
• Full Page

The benefits of noninvasive imaging may soon be available to patients at high risk of coronary artery disease, according to researchers studying a newer technology.

That technology is called ultra-high-resolution coronary CT angiography.

Currently, patients have co...

CT Scans Beat Gene Scores at Predicting Mid-Life Heart Risk

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• May 23, 2023
• Full Page

When it comes to predicting heart trouble down the road, the arteries may say a lot more than the genes do, according to a new study.

Researchers found that CT scans of the heart arteries were better than genetics at predicting middle-aged adults' risk of heart disease i...

Fat Growing Around Muscles Could Be a Silent Killer

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• May 18, 2023
• Full Page

It's well known that it's unhealthy to have belly fat accumulating around your abdominal organs, but there's a more insidious form of fat that could be even more hazardous to your health, a new study says.

Fat that infiltrates your muscles appears to dramatically increas...

How Many CT Scans Are Safe for Kids?

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• April 24, 2023
• Full Page

Getting a single CT scan during childhood doesn't appear to increase a child's risk of a future brain tumor, leukemia or lymphoma, new research finds, but getting four or more scans more than doubles the chances.

CT scans use low-dose radiation, which can damage cells. P...

Good News or Bad, Patients Want Access to Medical Test Results

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• March 21, 2023
• Full Page

When waiting for medical test results, days can feel like an eternity.

In a new survey, patients overwhelmingly say they'd like their results immediately -- even if their provider has not yet reviewed them and even if the news is bad.

In April 2021, new rules went ...

Chest Scans for Respiratory Ills Can Also Spot Heart Trouble

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• March 13, 2023
• Full Page

Ordering special heart scans before a major surgery to gauge risks may be unnecessary, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that surgeons can instead estimate patients' risk of heart attack or death by reviewing existing images of the chest captured months earlier dur...

U.S. Hospitals Are Facing Shortage of Dye Needed for Life-Saving Scans

• By Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
• May 19, 2022
• Full Page

U.S. hospitals are running low on contrast dye injected into patients undergoing enhanced X-rays, CT scans and MRIs.

The fluid, which makes the routine but potentially life-saving scans r...

CT Lung Cancer Screening Saved His Life, and Could Do So for More

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• December 23, 2021
• Full Page

Wolfgang Lehner always considered himself "a triple threat" when it came to cancer risk.

One grandfather died of lung cancer in the 1970s. His other grandfather had his own bout with stomach cancer. And Lehner himself was a smoker.

Although the New York City cinema...

More Evidence That Pandemic Delayed Cancer Diagnoses

• Robert Preidt
• December 6, 2021
• Full Page

New research offers fresh proof that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed cancer diagnoses in the United States, increasing patients' risk for poor outcomes.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 9 million patients at over 1,200 Veterans Affairs (VA) medical f...

Even T. Rex Had Bone Trouble

• Robert Preidt
• December 1, 2021
• Full Page

They once ruled the planet, but even the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex could suffer from bone disease, new research shows.

Scientists used imaging to examine the lower left jaw of a fossilized T. rex skeleton discovered in Montana in 2010. The skeleton, which is about 68 mill...

Certain Blood Thinners Can Raise Risk of 'Delayed' Bleeding After Head Injury

• Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
• November 30, 2021
• Full Page

Older blood thinners, especially when taken in combination with daily low-dose aspirin, are associated with a higher risk of brain bleeds and death after hospital discharge in patients treated for head injury, new research shows.

The risk fell when patients were taking o...

Low-Dose CT Scans Can Diagnose Appendicitis

• Robert Preidt
• November 15, 2021
• Full Page

CT scans expose patients to radiation even as they help doctors spot serious health problems. Now a new study finds low-dose scans can readily spot appendicitis while reducing patients' radiation exposure.

"The results of this study suggest that the diagnostic CT scan ra...

4 Out of 10 Adults With No Known Heart Disease Have Fatty Hearts: Study

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• September 21, 2021
• Full Page

Many middle-aged adults with apparently healthy hearts have a "silent" buildup of fatty deposits in their arteries, a large, new study shows.

Researchers found that of more than 25,000 50- to 64-year-olds, about 42% had signs of atherosclerosis -- a buildup of "plaques" ...

U.S. Deaths From Cancer Continue to Decline

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• July 8, 2021
• Full Page

Americans' overall death rate from cancer continues to fall -- but rising rates of certain cancers and ongoing racial disparities linger.

Those are among the findings of an annual report to the nation from several major cancer organizations.

The good news includes ...

Modern Medicine Unwraps Mystery of Ancient Mummy's Death

• Cara Murez
• February 25, 2021
• Full Page

Modern technology has unraveled an ancient mystery about the death of an Egyptian king.

Computed tomography (CT) scans of the mummified remains of Pharaoh Seqenenre Taa II, the Brave, revealed new details about his head injuries not previously found in examinations since...

Why Do Black Children Get Fewer Scans When They're Seen in ERs?

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• February 2, 2021
• Full Page

Black and Hispanic children who land in the emergency room are less likely than white kids to receive X-rays, CT scans and other imaging tests, a new study finds.

Looking at more than 13 million ER visits to U.S. children's hospitals, researchers found that white childre...

As Testing Costs Rise, Neurology Patients May Skip Screening

• December 24, 2020
• Full Page

Rising out-of-pocket costs for neurological tests could lead many Americans to forgo them, researchers warn.

Their study, published online Dec. 23 in the journal Neurology, analyzed neurology care costs for more than 3.7 million people in a large private insuran...

Get on the Bus: Lifesaving Lung Screens Hit the Road

• Dennis Thompson
• July 16, 2020
• Full Page

Irene Johnson noticed a big, blue bus bearing the words "Breathe Easy" outside the Benton, Tenn., library during the 2019 Labor Day weekend.

Inside, a librarian told Johnson that the bus was a mobile CT unit that travels around screening smokers for lung cancer.

New Guidelines Could Double Number Eligible for Lung Cancer Screening

• Amy Norton
• July 7, 2020
• Full Page

CT scans have been proven to help spot lung cancer early and save lives. Now, updated expert recommendations could double the number of Americans who are eligible for the yearly screening.

The recommendations -- from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) -...

Could AI Help Doctors Map Out Treatments for Brain Cancers?

• Robert Preidt
• April 24, 2020
• Full Page

Artificial intelligence may reduce the need for glioma brain cancer patients to have biopsies to determine the best treatment for their tumors, researchers report.

Currently, it's common to remove glioma samples from patients and analyze them to select appropriate th...

AI May Not Be Better Than Experts at Reading Medical Scans

• Robert Preidt
• March 27, 2020
• Full Page

A new study casts doubt on claims that artificial intelligence (AI) equals or surpasses the ability of human experts to interpret medical images.

Many previous studies were of poor quality and may have exaggerated the benefits of AI, which could pose a risk to the sa...

U.S. Exposure to Medical Radiation Drops Dramatically

• Robert Preidt
• March 17, 2020
• Full Page

There's been a large decrease in Americans' exposure to medical radiation, according to a new study.

Between 2006 and 2016, medical radiation exposure among U.S. patients fell by 20%, reversing a steep, quarter century-long rise.

The number of diagnosti...

Low-Dose Chest Scans Don't Appear to Harm DNA

• Kayla McKiski
• March 10, 2020
• Full Page

Low-dose chest CT scans don't appear to damage human DNA, a new study shows.

The U.S.-based National Lung Screening Trial, conducted between 2002 and 2010 and involving more than 53,000 heavy and former smokers, revealed that these chest scans can significantly cut l...

Scientists Spot Early Markers of Coronavirus in Lungs of Patients

• Robert Preidt
• February 27, 2020
• Full Page

U.S. researchers report they have spotted early, subtle signs in the lungs that point to coronavirus infection.

This could help doctors diagnose patients in the early stages of the disease, when it may not be obvious on lung scans, according to the Mount Sinai Health...

Study Confirms CT Screenings Can Cut Lung Cancer Deaths

• Rich Holmes
• January 30, 2020
• Full Page

A new Dutch study is being hailed as proof of the need for annual CT screenings of former and current longtime smokers to reduce deaths from lung cancer.

Dr. Debra Dyer, a spokeswoman for the American College of Radiology and chair of radiology at National Jewish He...

Imaging Technique Tracks Down Stray Lung Cancer Cells for Surgeons

• Serena Gordon
• January 28, 2020
• Full Page

Combining an imaging technology with a new drug that "lights up" lung cancer cells may help surgeons spot hidden bits of cancer, a new study suggests.

The small, preliminary study found that the new combo -- dubbed intraoperative molecular imaging (IMI) -- helped im...

Lung Cancer Report Delivers Good, Bad News

• Amy Norton
• November 13, 2019
• Full Page

More Americans are surviving lung cancer in recent years, but very few people at high risk are getting the recommended screening.

Those are the highlights from the latest "State of Lung Cancer" report from the American Lung Association (ALA), published Nov. 13.

Nasal Swab Could Help Gauge Smokers' Odds for Lung Cancer

• Alan Mozes
• October 24, 2019
• Full Page

Could a person's risk for lung cancer someday be determined with a quick swab of the nose?

If the preliminary findings of a new study are any indication, it's a distinct possibility.

The experimental nasal swab relies on the fact that most lung cancer patie...

Lung Cancer Screening Can Detect Other Smoking Ills

• Robert Preidt
• September 12, 2019
• Full Page

CT lung cancer screening can detect other serious smoking-related conditions, such as heart disease, osteoporosis and emphysema, researchers say.

Medical experts consider lung cancer screening an effective way to detect malignant tumors at earlier, more treatable sta...

More CT, MRI Scans Being Used, Despite Calls to Cut Back

• Robert Preidt
• September 3, 2019
• Full Page

Despite efforts from medical groups to cut down on the overuse of CT scans and MRIs for safety reasons, their use has instead increased, a new study shows.

"Medical imaging is an important part of health care and contributes to accurate disease diagnosis and treatmen...

Pregnant Women Exposed to More Risky CT Scans

• Robert Preidt
• July 24, 2019
• Full Page

Use of risky CT scans during pregnancy has risen significantly in North America in the past two decades, a new study finds.

"It's important to quantify exposure to ionizing radiation because it can cause cancer and birth defects, and should be kept to a minimum, espe...

Newer Lung Cancer Screening Saves More Lives

• Robert Preidt
• July 15, 2019
• Full Page

A newer form of lung cancer screening may mean fewer deaths from the disease, a new study contends.

Using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) instead of X-rays helped reduce lung cancer deaths in current and former smokers, the study authors said.

"Lung ca...

AI Takes Aim at Lung Cancer Screening

• Robert Preidt
• March 13, 2019
• Full Page

The term artificial intelligence (AI) might bring to mind robots or self-driving cars. But one group of researchers is using a type of AI to improve lung cancer screening.

Screening is important for early diagnosis and improved survival odds, but the current lung can...

Radiation Doses From CT Scans Vary Widely

• Steven Reinberg
• January 7, 2019
• Full Page

CT scans diagnose many serious conditions and illnesses, but they expose patients to levels of radiation that aren't always consistent and may be harmful, a new study finds.

The large differences in the doses of radiation patients are exposed to appear to be caused b...

U.S. Leads Health Care Spending Among Richer Nations, But Gets Less

• Robert Preidt
• January 7, 2019
• Full Page

Higher costs, not better patient care, explain why the United States spends much more on health care than other developed countries, a new study indicates.

U.S. health care spending was $9,892 per person in 2016. That was about 25 percent more than second-place Switz...