National Donate Life Month Matters to Everyone

Every April, a non-profit organization called Donate Life America raises awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation through social media and cause-based campaigns. At the time of unexpected tragedy, many families make tough, but important decisions about providing the gift of life to those nearly 125,000 patients on the ‘waiting list’ for life…

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iSpecimen Outside of the Office: A Conversation with Jill Mullan

While iSpecimen serves the research community every day through our professional endeavors, the advancement of medicine is also deeply personal to us. Many of our employees do their part to further medical discovery outside of the office, through participation in fundraising, races for a cause, and other like-minded endeavors. Jill Mullan, our Chief Operating Officer,…

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National Heart Month and a Historic AHA Statement Collide

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and globally. Today is the first day of February, also known to some as National Heart Month. Last week, the American Heart Association (AHA) released the first-ever statement exclusive to women suggesting that women’s heart attacks are different than men’s. This could…

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The Significance of National Blood Donor Month

January was declared National Blood Donor Month in 1970 due to the difficulty of recruiting donors specifically during this month. Perhaps it’s the increase of cold and flu symptoms, inclement weather, or the winter blues after the holiday season or just the fact that there are 31 days, but whatever the case may be, even…

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Wake Up! The Truth about Tryptophan

As Thanksgiving approaches, we are reminded of the most important things in life: family, friends, and naps. Turkey is often labeled the culprit for inducing holiday sleep, but the effects of I-tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey, continue to be hotly debated. Some swear it’s the turkey causing the extra drowsiness while others claim…

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Out with November, In with Movember

Movember is the month formally known as November, in which men grow their moustaches to raise money for men’s health issues. While some believe the awareness month began to support prostate cancer, Movember actually helps to fund a variety of men’s health initiatives. Started in Melbourne, Australia in 2003, Movember has become an international phenomenon…

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Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: Where to Go to Get Involved

With all of the change occurring in the month of September from back to school to pumpkin-flavored everything, one may overlook the fact that September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. For men over 40, prostate cancer is a topic that cannot be ignored. 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their…

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Increasing Patient Empowerment Through Lab Tests

Blood is not only a carrier of life within the body, it’s also arguably the most reliable channel of information once it leaves the body either as a droplet on a sophisticated diagnostic strip or in larger quantities in a laboratory vial. For millions of people living healthy lives with diabetes, a common condition affecting…

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Personalized Medicine and Promise for Mental Health

May is National Mental Health Month, and in recognition we at iSpecimen thought it important to shed light onto the importance of personalized medicine in mental health. More prevalent than many know, and often harder to detect as most mental conditions cannot be “seen”, mental illness affects 50% of the U.S. population – and that is only directly. Add the family members and friends who experience the hardships of their loved ones, and that number becomes much higher.

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