Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), one of the newest additions in genomic testing, is a simple blood test that can tell a lot about a baby’s likelihood of having certain genetic conditions.

Do I really want to know? This is one of the most important questions people ask themselves before genetic testing. And this conundrum is more relevant for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

Most commonly, asthma manifests itself as having difficulty breathing, accompanied by any number of other symptoms, including, chest pain or tightness, anxiety, fast heart rate, cough, throat irritation and/or wheezing.

Most people familiar with cancer treatment know of three main options: surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. But a newer option, called immunotherapy, is creating quite a buzz across the cancer community.

There is power in numbers. When a researcher is studying the causes of a human disease, the more people involved in the study, the greater the probability that the study will generate useful results.

Historically, the most important risk factors for head and neck cancer — which can strike anywhere from the lips to the larynx, and up into the sinuses and nasal cavity — consisted of alcohol use, tobacco use (including smokeless tobacco), poor oral hygiene and missing teeth.

Epilepsy is the fourth most-common neurological disorder in adults, and the most common neurological condition in children. About 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy over the course of their lifetime.

Almost every medication we take comes with some side effects. Thankfully, most of these risks are small and the side effects for common medications are mild.

When it comes to mechanical heart devices, downsizing has been a good thing.