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On March 5, U.S. House and Senate lawmakers introduced the VALID Act, which would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) new, expansive powers to regulate laboratory developed tests—tests that are already regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and are subject to stringent personnel, quality control, and proficiency testing requirements. This bill promotes duplicative, costly federal regulations for clinical laboratories that will result in decreased patient access to essential medical tests. AACC urges Congress not to act on this bill until its impact on healthcare can be thoroughly evaluated.

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AACC thanks the FDA for being responsive to the concerns of the clinical laboratory community and amending the coronavirus guidance to allow CMS-certified labs to develop and implement new tests for coronavirus prior to FDA approval.

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In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), AACC is urging the agency to allow clinical laboratories to develop coronavirus tests without going through FDA review. Lifting this regulatory requirement is key to ensuring that all patients have access to high-quality coronavirus testing and that healthcare workers have the tools they need to control the spread of this disease in the U.S.

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Breaking research in AACC’s Clinical Chemistry journal shows that two new tests accurately diagnose coronavirus infection in about 1 hour. These tests could play a critical role in halting this deadly outbreak by enabling healthcare workers to isolate and treat patients much faster than is currently possible.

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AACC today announced that its CEO, Janet B. Kreizman, will retire in the second quarter of 2020. “For the past 7 years, Janet has been a strategic leader for the organization, strengthening the association’s position as the leading voice and hub for laboratory medicine professionals dedicated to advancing quality patient care and improved health outcomes,” said AACC President Dr. Carmen L. Wiley.

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Biotin’s upsurge in popularity has led to a parallel rise in incidents of this health supplement interfering with critical medical tests. A new guidance document from AACC urges clinicians and laboratory experts to collaborate to prevent this potentially harmful test interference, and to ensure that patients taking biotin receive high quality care.

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Novel research shows that a blood test can differentiate elderly concussion patients with brain tissue damage from those without it. This finding, published in the special brain health collection of AACC’s The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, could help ensure that elderly patients with severe concussions receive crucial treatment for their injuries.

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In a special brain health collection, AACC’s The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine highlights the innovative clinical tests that laboratory medicine experts are developing to improve care for concussions.

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One of the many advertised benefits of vitamin D and fish oil supplements is that they reduce systemic inflammation, which in turn could help prevent certain chronic illnesses. However, a first-of-its-kind study published in AACC’s journal Clinical Chemistry has discovered that these two supplements do not actually reduce inflammation in healthy individuals, a finding that could help consumers make more informed choices about which supplements they decide to take.

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AACC, a global scientific and medical professional organization dedicated to better health through laboratory medicine, is pleased to announce that its peer-reviewed publication The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine has been accepted for indexing in PubMed, one of the largest and most respected databases of medical research in the world.

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AACC, a global scientific and medical professional organization dedicated to better health through laboratory medicine, is pleased to announce a publishing partnership with Oxford University Press for its peer-reviewed journals, Clinical Chemistry and The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine. Both journals will join Oxford University Press’s world-class science portfolio starting in January 2020. The partnership will increase researchers’ and healthcare practitioners’ access worldwide to the important science published in the journals.

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Point-of-care testing is transforming healthcare: this type of testing helps patients get diagnosed and treated faster, and also makes it easier for patients in remote areas to have access to medical testing. Join AACC and leading experts in laboratory medicine for a discussion about what lies ahead for point-of-care testing and what needs to happen so that all patients can benefit from quality testing of this kind.

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AACC welcomed thousands of medical professionals and healthcare leaders to the 71st AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo from August 4-8. The meeting featured pioneering advances in medical testing that will help patients get the right diagnoses and the care they need.

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AACC is pleased to announce the recipients of the AACC 2019 Top Corporate Supporter Awards. This year, AACC recognizes 44 different companies and organizations that generously support the association through sponsorships, advertising, and exhibiting. These significant contributions make it possible for AACC to improve patient care by fostering research, innovation, and professional excellence in the field of laboratory medicine.

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Research presented today at the 71st AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo shows that a questionnaire-based algorithm predicts the risk of a pregnant woman developing preeclampsia. This method could lower the high maternal death rate in resource-limited countries by identifying women who need treatment for this often fatal condition.

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Researchers have developed a novel test that identifies individuals who are the most likely to experience negative health effects if they eat a high salt diet. This new test and a second study showing that the ketogenic diet improves diabetes symptoms were presented today at the 71st AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, and could empower people to transform their health through dietary changes.

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A new study shows that a person taking the medicinal cannabis derivative cannabidiol (CBD) won’t fail a drug test for marijuana—but a person taking the emerging sleep aid cannabinol (CBN) will. These findings were presented today at the 71st AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, and could prevent people from being unfairly penalized for using CBN.

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A novel study has discovered metabolites that predict which Alzheimer’s patients are likely to see their symptoms improve with exercise therapy. These findings were unveiled today at the 71st AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, and could be used to develop a blood test to guide Alzheimer’s treatment.

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Groundbreaking research presented at the 71st AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo has revealed how transgender hormone therapy affects the results of common laboratory tests in the long term. This first-of-its-kind study could enable the development of transgender-specific reference intervals, which are crucial to ensuring that transgender patients get accurate diagnoses and equitable healthcare.

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AACC released a position statement today calling for increased collaboration between clinical laboratories, the healthcare community, and federal agencies to end the opioid epidemic. The statement emphasizes that labs are critical to preventing opioid abuse and urges the medical community and government to leverage the expertise of clinical laboratory professionals to curb soaring drug overdoses in the U.S.