July 2024

Discoveries, trends, and discussions in medical diagnostics

Welcome to July’s Diagnostics Dialogue, where you can get up to speed on the most important discoveries, trends, and discussions in medical diagnostics. Continue reading to learn more about:

World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day

Viral hepatitis affects millions of people in the US,1 and deaths from hepatitis are increasing2 as many people are unaware of their infection, making routine screening vital.

As we recognize World Hepatitis Day on July 28, let’s acknowledge the important role of early detection. Knowing which patients are at greater risk and should be screened can help stop the spread and prevent serious illness. Count on Quest for hepatitis screening solutions that align with CDC guidelines.3,4

All adults should be screened for HBV and HCV at least once in their lifetime3,4

For HBV, the CDC recommends screening using a triple panel test3

For HCV, the CDC recommends a 2-step testing sequence.4 We offer the full complement of guideline-based HCV testing, as well as reflex options to perform all testing from just 1 sample
Learn about our offerings
Learn about our offerings

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Better outcomes

Better outcomes

How micronutrient testing can help your patients

Essential to health and primarily obtained through diet, micronutrients are vital for well-being, disease prevention, and proper weight management. However, many Americans are deficient in key nutrients. In fact, more than 40% are deficient in Vitamin D,5 nearly 13% are deficient in vitamin B6,6 and 7% are deficient in Vitamin C.7
These deficiencies can contribute to various chronic health conditions8:
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Athletic performance optimization
  • Fatigue and sleep disorders
  • Mood disorders
  • Pharmacological impact from medications
  • Autoimmune conditions
  • Diet or food allergies

Diagnostic insights to navigate weight management for better health

Micronutrient deficiency is not the only contributor to chronic health conditions.8 Obesity is a contributing factor to several conditions, including cardiovascular disease, poor glycemic control, chronic kidney disease, fatty liver disease, and common endocrine disorders.
Therapies such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medications can lead to significant weight loss. But without lifestyle changes, including exercise to maintain muscle mass, the long-term benefit on cardiometabolic health is not sustained.9,10
Laboratory testing can help assess and monitor the effects of weight management and define patients’ personalized cardiometabolic risk.

Better experiences

Better experiences

CDC guideline-recommended testing for HIV PrEP

PrEP therapy is a proven intervention to help reduce the risk of HIV transmission.11 Its critical role in bringing an end to the HIV epidemic is reflected in updated CDC guidance for PrEP laboratory testing, which recommends11:

Baseline testing to determine eligibility for PrEP

Ongoing testing to continually monitor patients for HIV infection, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and any adverse PrEP medication effects 
Our HIV PrEP test offerings include all the most recent CDC guideline-recommend tests to determine clinical eligibility and to monitor patients while on PrEP.

Tools to help you empower your patients’ understanding of how to prevent skin cancer

Did you know most skin cancers are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays via sunlight?12
According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer.13 Melanoma accounts for only 1% of all skin cancers but is responsible for a large majority of skin cancer deaths.14 As patients spend more time outdoors in the summer months, now is a good time to help them learn how to self-identify potential trouble spots and encourage them to conduct monthly exams. Our patient education center, SpotTheSpot.org, empowers patients to take the first steps in managing the health of their skin.

Removing traditional barriers to testing 

Removing traditional barriers to testing 

Removing traditional barriers to testing 

How primary care plays a critical role in the prevention of TB, which is on the rise

The US tuberculosis (TB) rate increased by 15% from 2022 to 2023, with 40 states and Washington, DC reporting an increase in case counts and rates compared to those from 2022.15 Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) are highly accurate in screening for TB and require 1 single blood draw in 1 visit, versus the 2 separate visits for a tuberculin skin test (TST). 1 visit can help improve patient compliance and is 1 of the many ways that we work with you and your patients to help control healthcare costs.

Achieving Quadruple Aim:
Quest supports you and your patients

Our purpose is to support you and your patients with leading services, patient experiences, and innovative testing that can help provide clarity to the constant changes and challenges we’re seeing in healthcare today.

About Diagnostics Dialogue

In our conversations with providers across the country, we hear that you are facing many different constraints that make delivering care challenging. We’re here to help you navigate the uncertainty and deliver better health. With a broad test menu spanning 3,500+ tests and consultations from our medical staff of over 700 MDs and PhDs, we empower healthcare providers to create healthier communities, one patient at a time. 
Read past issues of Diagnostics Dialogue and learn what we’re doing every day to improve outcomes and accessibility to care for patients.
References
  1. CDC. Global viral hepatitis: millions of people are affected. Updated July 19, 2021. Accessed November 17, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/global/index.htm
  2. WHO. WHO sounds alarm on viral hepatitis infections claiming 3500 lives each day. Published April 9, 2024. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://www.who.int/news/item/09-04-2024-who-sounds-alarm-on-viral-hepatitis-infections-claiming-3500-lives-each-day
  3. CDC. Screening and testing recommendations for chronic hepatitis B virus infection (HBV). Reviewed March 28, 2022. Accessed December 13, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis-b/hcp/diagnosis-testing/
  4. US Preventive Services Task Force. Final recommendation statement: Hepatitis C virus infection in adolescents and adults: screening. March 2, 2020.  Accessed July 7, 2024. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/hepatitis-c-screening#fullrecommendationstart
  5. Forrest KY, Stuhldreher WL. Prevalence and correlates of vitamin D deficiency in US adults. Nutr Res. 2011;31(1):48-54. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2010.12.001
  6. Yang D, Liu Y, Wang Y, et al. Association of Serum Vitamin B6 with All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in a Prospective Study. Nutrients. 2021;13(9):2977. Published 2021 Aug 27. doi:10.3390/nu13092977
  7. Maxfield L, Daley SF, Crane JS. Vitamin C deficiency. StatPearls. Accessed June 19, 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493187
  8. Maggini S, Pierre A, Calder PC. Immune function and micronutrient requirements change over the life course. Nutrients. 2018;10(10):1531. doi:10.3390/nu10101531
  9. Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Davies M, et al. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2022;24(8):1553-1564. doi:10.1111/dom.14725
  10. Jensen SBK, Blond MB, Sandsdal RM, et al. Healthy weight loss maintenance with exercise, GLP-1 receptor agonist, or both combined followed by one year without treatment: a post-treatment analysis of a randomised placebo-controlled trial. eClinicalMedicine. 2024;69:102475. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102475
  11. CDC. US Public Health Service. Preexposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV infection in the United States – 2021 update – a clinical practice guideline. Accessed October 5, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/risk/prep/cdc-hiv-prep-guidelines-2021.pdf
  12. American Cancer Society. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Revised July 10, 2019. Accessed May 20, 2024. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/sun-and-uv/uv-radiation.html
  13. American Cancer Society. Skin cancer. Accessed May 20, 2024. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/skin-cancer.html
  14. American Cancer Society. About melanoma. Accessed May 20, 2024. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/melanoma-skin-cancer/about.html
  15. Williams PM, Pratt RH, Walker WL, et al. Tuberculosis—United States, 2023. MMWR. 2024;73(12):265-270. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7312a4
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