Medical Tests and Treatments-Choosing Wisely

Sometimes patients ask their physicians to order tests or treatments that are not necessarily appropriate or which might actually be harmful. Consequently the American Board of Internal Medicine joined with leading specialty organizations to develop Choosing Wisely, lists of evidence-based tests and procedures for patients and physicians to discuss in order to make wise decisions.

Here is a list of conditions to check for the best advice on how to proceed if a condition affects you.

Here is a complete list of Choosing Wisely recommendations.

Energy Drinks May Have Heart-Related Side Effects

At a recent meeting of the American Heart Association researchers reported that energy drinks may have harmful side effects, even among the healthy. In those who drank only 1-3 cans of a drink, systolic blood pressure (the top number in a BP reading) was higher. Also, in those who consumed this type of drink the QT internal, a segment of the heart’s rhythm on an EKG, was longer. Prolonged QT intervals can cause serious irregular heartbeats and even sudden cardiac death. To read more about the study highlights go to American Heart Association Meeting Report.