Oxycontin. Vicodin. Percocet. Opiates like these can make the agony of surgery or cancer more bearable. But potent painkillers come with serious risks—namely addiction and even death. And a new report finds more than half of hospital patients were given some opioid pain medications. Read the full article in Men’s Health.
doctor-patient relationship
Decoding Blood Test Results
If there’s one time to brag about being a runner, it’s at the doctor’s office—especially when your appointment includes blood or urine analyses. “Let your physician know if you are exercising heavily, and also how often and how recently you did tough workouts; it can influence how we interpret tests,” says William Roberts, M.D., a family physician and medical director for the Twin Cities Marathon. Read the full article in Runner’s World.
Can Doctors Recognize Depression?
Whether they come through a public service campaign or a pharmaceutical commercial, messages about depression always end the same: Talk to your doctor. But new research begs the question of whether or not that works. Read the full article in Men’s Health.
Does Your Doctor Play by the Rules?
Is your doc playing fair? Female physicians are more likely to successfully follow clinical guidelines—instructions on how to treat medical conditions—than their male counterparts, according to recent Canadian research. Read the full article in Men’s Health News.
8 Secrets Your Hospital Keeps
From leaked records to medication mix-ups, it’s what you don’t know that can hurt you during your hospital stay. Read the full article in Men’s Health.
When to Go to the E.R.
Your doc’s cramped schedule could send you to the E.R.: Physicians increasingly direct patients to hospital emergency rooms for complaints they don’t have the time or technology to handle, according to a new report from research group the RAND Corporation. Read the full article in Men’s Health News.
What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You—Unless You Ask
Modern medicine can do miraculous things—but every test and treatment has a downside. And your doctor may not disclose the dangers without prompting, a new survey finds. Read the full article in Prevention News.
3 Things Your Doctor Might Miss
If the Pope’s resignation wasn’t enough to shake your faith in authority, now there’s this: Your doctor may be wrong about your diagnosis. Read the full article in Men’s Health News.
5 Arguments Your Doctor Wants to Have with You
In a new survey, only 14 percent of patients said they would speak up if they differed with their doctor about the best way to treat a health issue. But believe it or not, sometimes your physician would prefer a face-off. Read the full article on MSN Healthy Living.