Category: Diagnostic tests

Many people live with undiagnosed nutrient deficiencies that can affect their energy, mood, and immunity. A nutrition profile test is a comprehensive laboratory analysis designed to reveal these hidden imbalances, providing a deeper insight into your body's unique nutritional needs and guiding personalized health strategies.

While there is no scientific proof that coffee will affect the diagnostic accuracy of a breast ultrasound, many healthcare providers advise against it. This is mainly because caffeine can increase breast tenderness, potentially making the procedure less comfortable for the patient.

Certain foods can compromise the results of a fecal occult blood test (FOBT), which may lead to a false positive or negative. Following specific dietary guidelines before your sample collection is crucial for accurate test results. Preparation may vary depending on the type of stool test ordered.

According to the World Health Organization, micronutrient deficiencies affect over two billion people worldwide, highlighting a critical global health issue. So, what is included in a nutrition test and how can it reveal specific deficiencies or imbalances impacting your health?

Over 100 million Americans are living with diabetes or prediabetes, and accurate glucose testing is critical for diagnosis and management. If you are preparing for this important screening, you might wonder, "Can I drink a diet coke before my glucose test?" The definitive answer is no, and understanding why can help ensure the accuracy of your results.

As many as 8 million Americans over the age of 30 experience uremic symptoms, a clear sign of what is too much urea accumulating in the blood due to impaired kidney function. This medical condition, known as uremia, can affect nearly every system in the body if left untreated.

According to the World Health Federation, the diagnosis of a heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), relies on a combination of clinical symptoms, electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, and biochemical markers. But what is the most accurate diagnostic test for MI? The answer involves a complex diagnostic pathway that prioritizes specific, sensitive, and rapid tests to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

While a standard stress test monitors your heart's electrical activity during exercise, a more advanced nuclear stress test, also known as myocardial perfusion imaging, or MPI, provides visual evidence of blood flow to the heart muscle. In fact, an MPI test includes the stress component, making the standard stress test a component of the broader MPI procedure.

The gamma camera, first developed by Hal Anger in 1958, revolutionized nuclear medicine by producing functional images of internal organs. These specialized cameras are utilized for a variety of tests, most prominently Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and planar scintigraphy. These procedures offer doctors a unique view into the physiological functions of a patient's body by tracking radioactive tracers.

Recent studies in gastroenterology show that while both are non-invasive stool tests, a fecal calprotectin test is designed to detect different biological markers than a FIT test. The question, 'is a fecal calprotectin test the same as a FIT test?' often arises, but understanding their distinct purposes is crucial for accurate diagnosis and monitoring of gastrointestinal conditions.