What’s in a Number? Part 2
A few days ago, I wrote an entry about the fiasco surrounding the new cholesterol guidelines recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). …
Read moreWhat’s in a Number? Random Thoughts About the New Cholesterol Guidelines
If you haven’t heard about the new cholesterol guidelines published last week by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), you could not have been listening…
Read moreSex At The Olympics: New Rules
Just the other day, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a memo detailing their new policy for genetic verification of athletes (called ” sex-verification test”). The new policy was summarized…
Read moreMore About Laboratory Tests: How To Interpret Them
In my last entry I discussed the rather contentious topic of how physicians order/should order laboratory tests. I say “contentious” because lately there has been intense scrutiny by governmental agencies,…
Read moreOrdering Laboratory tests and Procedures: The Art, Science, Economics, and Politics Of The Process
For years, I have found it fascinating that if two patients with virtually identical clinical circumstances go to two different physicians who have similar medical training, the patient management plans…
Read moreTo Test Or Not To Test, That Is The Question: A Patient With Enlargement Of The Thyroid?
The Question The other day I got into a discussion with a primary care physician (PCP) about a hypothetical patient. We had been discussing a case history for an upcoming…
Read moreInterpreting The Results Of Laboratory Studies: Be Careful
A few weeks ago, I read an interesting piece in the New York Times about errors that a national reference laboratory had made in measuring Vitamin D levels. Apparently the…
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