Consumer health basics
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Do you have a living will?
Life-threatening situations can happen to anyone, so it's important to have a living will or other advance directive. These documents spell out your preferences regarding medical treatments you would or would not want to keep you alive. You can also outline your preferences for other medical decisions, such as pain management or organ donation. By planning ahead, you can get the medical care you want and save your family from having to make tough decisions in a crisis.
Blood pressure chart: What your reading means
Checking your blood pressure helps you avoid health problems. Learn more about what your numbers mean.
Mayo Clinic Minute: New definition of Alzheimer's changes
Researchers are changing the way they define Alzheimer's disease and opening the door for better research — and hopefully, better treatments.
Diagnosing Alzheimer's: How Alzheimer's is diagnosed
Even though there isn't a cure, early diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia is important.
Barium enema
Find out how to prepare and what to expect if your doctor has recommended a barium enema.
Glucose tolerance test
These simple blood tests are performed to screen for diabetes. Your healthcare professional may suggest one or more of these tests depending on your risk factors.
Coronary calcium scan
This heart CT test can show calcium deposits in the blood vessels. Know how the findings relate to your heart disease risk.
Coronary angiogram
Learn more about this heart disease test that uses X-ray imaging to see the heart's blood vessels.
Positron emission tomography scan
Learn how this imaging scan can play an important role in early detection of health problems, such as cancer, heart disease and brain disorders.
Endoscopic ultrasound
Learn more about this minimally invasive imaging test combining endoscopy and ultrasound to diagnosis digestive and lung diseases.
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