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Recent blog posts
Fasting Before a Blood Test: What You Can and Can't Have
Plain water is allowed before a fasting blood test, and drinking it is actively helpful. Tea and coffee are not allowed, even without sugar or milk. Fasting usually means 8 to 12 hours, and fasting longer than asked does not improve your results – it can distort them. Beyond that, the bigger question is which tests need fasting at all. The answer has changed for one of the most commonly ordered panels, and most people have not heard about it. Which Tests Need Fasting Test Fasting needed? Usual duration Fasting plasma glucose Yes 8 hours Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) Yes 8 hours, then about 2 hours at the centre Lipid profile Usually not – see below 9–12 hours o…
Low Testosterone in Men: Signs and Which Tests Confirm It
Low testosterone is both under-diagnosed in men who genuinely have it and over-diagnosed in men who do not. The reason is that its most talked-about symptoms – tiredness, low mood, poor concentration, reduced muscle – are non-specific and have many other causes. Two facts cut through most of the confusion. First, a diagnosis requires symptoms and consistently low levels, not a number on its own. Second, about 30% of men with an initial low reading have a normal result when the test is repeated, which is why a single sample settles nothing. This guide covers which signs actually point to low testosterone, how the test must be done to be meaningful, and what else is checked alon…
ECG, 2D Echo or TMT: Which Heart Test You Actually Need
ECG, 2D echo and TMT are often spoken of as though they are interchangeable, or as though doing all three gives a complete answer. They are not interchangeable. Each measures something different, each misses something different, and the single most important fact about the ECG is that a normal result does not rule out coronary artery disease. This guide explains what each test measures, what it cannot show, and how a doctor decides which one applies. The Short Version Test What it measures Takes Key limitation ECG Electrical activity of the heart, at rest A few minutes Can be completely normal in significant coronary disease 2D Echo Structure and pumping function, using ultrasoun…