Women at average risk for breast cancer should begin annual mammograms at the age of 40, according to new guidelines issued by the largest organization of breast surgeons in the United States, the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS). These new recommendations are different from those offered by other medical organizations. The American Canc...

You probably already know that varicose veins are those twisted and enlarged veins that can appear on the lower legs. You might have already noticed that varicose veins are extremely common too – more than one-third of people in the United States have them, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery. If you are like many people, though, you may ...

Mammography is an effective breast cancer screening method for women ages 65 and older, but the results of a new study show that older women benefit significantly with the addition of a three-dimensional (3D) technique, known as tomosynthesis. The American Cancer Society says that doctors will diagnose more than 268,00 new cases of invasive breast ...

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), claiming approximately 610,000 lives each year. Doctors use a variety of tests, such as stress echocardiograms, catheterizations and stress nuclear exams, to detect heart disease, assess its severity...

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...

While many types of imaging have already shifted from film to digital formats, mammography has been one of the last to make the change. The results of a new study show that moving from film to digital mammography improved breast cancer detection in the United Kingdom by 14 percent. Making the switch did not increase the recall rates, which is the f...

Doctors perform a number of tests to monitor the health of their patients. Practitioners are expanding their tests to help them manage certain emerging health issues within the community, such as obesity. Being overweight or obese puts patients at risk for serious health problems. One such obesity-related problem is a condition affecting the liver,...

Type 2 diabetes has a number of warning signs, such as frequent urination, increased thirst, fatigue, hunger, and slow wound healing. The results of a new study suggest that shoulder "brightness" on an ultrasound test might also be a sign of diabetes. Doctors frequently use ultrasound to diagnose shoulder problems, such as sprains, strains, tears, ...