A decision in March by the Supreme Court to disallow a patent on a laboratory test could impact any biomedical firms' decisions to develop and market diagnostic tests in the future, according to some attorneys who have followed the case. Alternately, however, these patent rulings may allow more universal patient access to testing in the medical management of certain diseases. Many view this as a success for the advancement of personalized medicine. Read more.

In 2010, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) adopted the policy of screening all incoming athletes for the sickle-cell trait. Athletes with sickle cell trait are at risk for "exertional sickling," a condition in which intense exercise can cause blood cells to become deformed enough to block the blood flow to muscles and cause rapid muscle deterioration. In January 2012, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) issued a policy statement opposing this practice as unnecessary and possibly harmful, recommending instead universal procedures that prevent exertion-related collapse in all athletes.

A blood test for the hormone leptin may be an effective way to gauge how much excess fat a person is carrying, according to a recent study. In some people, checking the level of leptin in the bloodstream may be more accurate than relying solely on the traditional body mass index (BMI) to assess body fat, although more research is needed to determine whether leptin will be a useful clinical tool in the management of obesity.

More Americans today die from hepatitis C than from HIV, according to a new study by the CDC. The rise in deaths affects people born between 1945 and 1964, most of whom are unaware that they have even been infected by this slowly progressing disease. A second study found that routine age-based screening followed by treatment can be a cost-effective method to prevent serious liver disease and premature death associated with chronic hepatitis C infection.