Biomedical Laboratory Science

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Blood Tests You Need After Age 50

Five Blood Tests You Need After Age 50

HCV for hepatitis C virus: The virus that kills more Americans than any other disease will probably surprise you: It's hepatitis C.
Blood glucose test for diabetes: If you're overweight and have high blood pressure and a history of diabetes in your family, you're a prime candidate for a screening test of the sugar in your blood.
Lipid panel for high cholesterol: If your cholesterol numbers are borderline or if you have another health condition like diabetes that would increase your risk of heart problems, you'll want to be tested.
Bloodwork for sexually transmitted infections: If you have a new sexual partner, multiple sexual partners, or don't typically use condoms, mention it to your doc.
TSH test for hypothyroidism: If your thyroid-stimulating hormone blood test reveals that you have high TSH, you have an underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism.

Source: prevention

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Science Finds a Super Easy Way to Lose Weight

Even if you order seemingly healthy dishes, your restaurant habit is likely derailing your weight loss efforts.

It’s been a long day, you’re tired, and the last thing you want to do is trudge to the grocery store and slave over the stove to make dinner. But hold up; don’t tell your hubby to meet you at your favorite restaurant just yet—especially if you’re trying to shed weight. According to a new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, nearly all restaurant entrées carry more calories than you should eat in a single meal. Even worse, a fair number of restaurants manage to load their meals with an entire day's worth of calories!

To come to this stomach-churning discovery, researchers from Tufts University visited both independent and chain restaurants across the country and purchased dozens of popular entrees from gyros and spaghetti to meatballs to burritos.