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February 10, 2012
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Common Health Tests

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Importance of Health Screening

Common health tests may be performed in your doctor’s office or even in the pharmacy. Regular health checks and screening for certain diseases and conditions have become routine for most people.

New tests and investigations can and always are being developed. The indications (when you might have need) for some tests (mammography, for example) are still being determined. If you have any questions about exactly which tests are right for you, please discuss these concerns with your own doctor.

Screening tests for some of the less common conditions are not included here. Screening is an area where there are likely to be many advances over the coming years, with the identification of the genetic cause for more and more conditions. However, it is important to be aware that just because doctors can identify someone at increased risk for a condition, it may not necessarily be preventable. It may simply mean that you will need to work with your doctor to closely monitor your health to ensure that the condition is detected as early as possible.

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Common Health Tests

High Cholesterol Overview

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that the body needs to function normally. Cholesterol is naturally present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including the brain, nerves, muscles, skin, liver, intestines, and heart.

The body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat. It takes only a small amount of cholesterol in the blood to meet these needs. If a person has too much cholesterol in the bloodstream, the excess may be deposited in arteries, including the coronary arteries of the heart, the carotid arteries to the brain, and the arteries that supply blood to the legs. Cholesterol deposits are a component of the plaques that cause narrowing and blockage of the arteries, producing signs and symptoms originating from the particular part of the body that has decreased blood supply.

Blockage to the leg arteries causes claudication (pain with walking...

Read the High Cholesterol article »


Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Preoperative Testing »

Medical consultants are generally asked to assess preoperative risk in most patients who are to undergo surgery.

Read More on Medscape Reference »

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