If you have ever undergone medical imaging, such as an MRI or CT scan, chances are good that you received contrast. MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) and CT ( computed tomography ) are types of medical equipment that creates image of internal organs and structures. Contrast material enhances and improves the quality of these images. Contrast materi...

The results of a new study suggests that PET/CT imaging may do a better job of helping doctors diagnose dangerous blood clots than several other methods used today. Blood clots are normally a good thing – the formation of blood clots stop excessively bleeding. Sometimes, though, blood clots can pose a health hazard and can even be life threatening....

Susan Lucci is the picture of health – she's slim, she exercises and she eats the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Her regular check-ups went well, routine EKGs showed no problems, and her blood pressure was on the lower end of normal. On the outside, she didn't seem to have any of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. On the inside, t...

"This too, shall pass" is usually a comforting sentiment, except when it comes to kidney stones. Some describe the pain of passing kidney stones as being as bad as childbirth; others say it is like trying to eat and digest a running chainsaw. So what exactly are kidney stones and why are they so painful to pass? First, a Little Information about Yo...

Almost every medical student learns about the old adage Dr. Theodore Woodward coined in the late 1940s that says, "When you hear hoofbeats , think of horses not zebras." The intent is to teach medical students to look for the most common explanation for a patient's illness. Most people with high blood pressure consume too much salt, do not exercise...

February is American Heart Month, which makes it the perfect time to reduce your risk for heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. American Heart Month has been around for decades. President Lyndon B. Johnson was the first American president to recognize the event when he issued Proclamation 3566 on December 30, 1963. The first American Heart Month...

The good news is that lung cancer rates are dropping. The bad news is that lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths. Screenings can help doctors detect signs of lung cancer early, while the disease is most responsive to treatment. Lung cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both cells. As areas of abnormal cells...

According to the CDC , heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for almost one in every four deaths. Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as a "man's disease," around the same number of women and men die each year of heart disease in the U.S. Yet, many Americans don't know that. Our recent survey found that many...