Heart drug may improve pre term labor outcomes

Treatment with transdermal nitroglycerin can prolong pregnancy in women who go into labor prematurely and its use seems to reduce illness in the newborn, a study shows.

While a number of drugs called tocolytics that block uterine contractions can prolong pregnancy, "none have been shown to improve neonatal outcomes," lead author Dr. Graeme N. Smith, from the Kingston General Hospital in Canada, told Reuters Health.

Nitroglycerin is thought to prolong pregnancy by relaxing the uterine smooth muscles, Smith explained. "We used transdermal nitroglycerin off-label, since its approved use is for coronary disease." However, he added that prior studies have already established a dose of transdermal nitroglycerin that is safe for use during pregnancy.

The study included 153 women who were in labor between 24 and 32 weeks gestation and were randomized to receive transdermal nitroglycerin or placebo.
The use of transdermal nitroglycerin reduced the risk of premature birth before 28 weeks by 50 percent, the report indicates.

Eleven infants in the placebo group experienced the main outcome -- a composite of chronic lung disease, inflammation of the intestines, intraventricular hemorrhage, and a brain disorder called periventricular leukomalacia -- compared with just three infants in the nitroglycerin.

Moreover, no infant deaths were seen in the nitroglycerin group, while three occurred in the control group.

Women treated with nitroglycerin were 41 percent more likely to experience side effects than were control subjects. Common side effects seen more often with nitroglycerin included headache and local irritation.

Exactly how nitroglycerin improves preterm labor outcomes is unclear, but it may involve more than simply prolonging pregnancy, Smith said. "Nitroglycerin might improve blood flow to the uterus and the placenta," he speculated.

Since this study was completed, he said that transdermal nitroglycerin has become a standard therapy for preterm labor at his and many surrounding centers.

Dyslexia

We are now aware that dyslexia is a disorder that affects millions of people all around the world. The world Dyslexia -'Dys' Means "difficulty" and 'lexia' means "Words" essentially gives one the definition of what dyslexia is in a nut shell - " A person with difficulty in words". This disorder is one type of specific learning disability. It commonly affects the person to have difficulty in verbal skills, abstract reasoning, hand-eye coordination, concentration, perception, memory and social adjustment. Some of the common symptoms of a dyslexic are the following:

Difficulty in comprehending

Difficulty in expression, written or oral

understanding letters phonetically or otherwise

Difficulty in reading

Inability to memorize (Sequential Problem)

Difficulty in spelling and reading - (specially with english Phonetic as it's a mixture of different languages

Difficulty in doing simple mathematical problems

Difficulty in attending to class instructions, and gets distracted too much (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder- ADD/ADHD)

Learning any new language

Weight loss improves heart function in obese

A new study shows that people who are obese can reverse some early heart and blood vessel dysfunction by adopting a healthy lifestyle and losing weight. But exercise alone, without weight loss, does not appear to be enough to improve cardiovascular function.

Dr. Chiew Y. Wong of the University of Queensland in Australia and colleagues had 106 obese men and women with no cardiovascular disease complete an eight-week lifestyle intervention program. Sixty-two cut their calorie and fat intake and exercised, while 44 exercised but did not change their diet.

Forty-eight of the study participants lost an average of 4.5 percent of their body weight, while the remaining 58 kept their weight stable or gained weight.
Among those who lost weight, the researchers noted improvements in their arteries' response to changes in blood pressure, as well as a 15 percent improvement in peak VO2, a measure of how well the body uses oxygen during exercise.

The more weight people lost, the greater their improvements in blood vessel function and fitness. People who lost weight also showed some improvement in their left ventricular function.
While the men and women who didn't lose weight did show improvements in peak oxygen uptake -- a measure of how well the body uses oxygen -- no significant changes were seen in their heart or blood vessel function.

This study "supports the argument that increasing cardiorespiratory fitness alone is not sufficient to produce the same cardiovascular benefits," the researchers conclude.

Dental X-rays can spot osteoporosis

A computer program that analyzes routine dental X-rays could offer a simple, cheap way to detect the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, new research suggests.

British researchers found that a software program they developed was able to spot signs of declining bone density in dental X-rays of the lower jaw — a potential sign of osteoporosis.

The findings, they report, suggest that routine dental X-rays could provide an inexpensive way to provide wide screening of older adults for osteoporosis. Those with signs of bone thinning in the jaw could be referred for more expensive osteoporosis testing.

In the U.S., the Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all women age 65 or older be screened for osteoporosis — the “gold standard” for screening is a relatively expensive test called dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Medicare will pay for this test every two years.

In the United Kingdom, the national health system currently has no program for osteoporosis screening.

That means many people with the disease — most often older women — won’t know they have it until they suffer a fracture, said Dr. Hugh Devlin of the University of Manchester, the lead author on the new study.

The study findings, published online in the journal Bone, are based on bone X-rays of 652 European women 45 to 70. All of the women underwent DXA, as well as panoramic dental X-rays, which show the whole jaw.

Cancer Drug May Harm Bone

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) -- a medication commonly used to help reduce the toxic effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients -- also caused bone loss and promoted tumor growth in the bones of mice, a new study finds.
As a result of their findings, the researchers urged that doctors closely monitor cancer patients' bone health during chemotherapy. The study appears online in the journal Blood.
G-CSF helps restore white blood cell counts after chemotherapy, which can destroy white blood cells. Low levels of white blood cells increase the risk of infection in patients.
In the study, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis gave G-CSF to mice for eight days.
They found that the mice lost bone mass. The rodents also showed increased bone tumor growth when they were injected with cancer cells.
"This growth factor encourages bone breakdown, and any therapy that decreases bone density could potentially enhance tumor growth in bone," senior author Dr. Katherine Weilbaecher, an assistant professor of medicine and of cell biology and physiology, said in a prepared statement.
"But there are things that can be done to counteract this. Physicians should carefully monitor their cancer patient's bone health with regular bone density scans (DEXA) and prescribe medications to prevent bone loss when needed. And patients should consume enough calcium and vitamin D and get sufficient exercise to maintain strong bones," Weilbaecher said.
While G-CSF -- known by the trade names Neupogen, Neulasta and Granocyte -- had a strong effect in mice, early research in cancer patients treated with G-CSF and chemotherapy has so far found no increase in bone tumors and no adverse impact on survival, the study authors noted.

Source:http://www.epsdrugstore.com/

Diabetics Can Have Cake and Eat It Too!

Diabetics were told to stay away from sweets and keep fat consumption to a minimum, but it now appears that restricting certain types of foods is not necessary to keep blood sugar levels under control.

Guidelines recently released by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) lift restrictions on products made from sucrose, or table sugar, and allow a diet high in monounsaturated fats like olive, canola, and peanut oils. The guidelines give diabetics more dietary options, but patients still must be vigilant about how they eat, experts say.

"We often say that a good diabetic diet is really just a good diet.The key to keeping diabetes under control is not avoiding particular foods, but keeping blood sugar at acceptable levels. The guidelines stress that regular exercise is key to achieving this goal for most diabetics. Moderate exercise not only lowers blood sugar levels, it is an important part of permanent weight control.

High blood sugar levels increase the chance of problems from diabetes such as heart attack, stroke, leg amputations, and blindness. Fifteen million Americans have type 2 diabetes. Being overweight or obese is the most significant risk factor for the disease, which is reaching epidemic numbers among adults and being seen for the first time in large numbers of children.
Clark says clinical experience and scientific research have highlighted the flaws in the one-diet-fits-all approach to controlling diabetes. An individualized approach to eating is important, he adds, because different diabetics have different needs.

Research conducted for the past 15 years has shown that there is no significant difference in blood sugar response to foods high in sugar or starch, as long as the total amount of carbohydrates is similar. The guidelines note that many things, including how a food is processed and whether it is cooked, can influence a food's effect on blood sugar.
"When I counsel patients, the first thing I do is find out how they like to eat," says Clark, who is the ADA's national vice president for clinical affairs. "With proper planning, a person with diabetes should be able to eat what others would eat."

"There was a concern that diabetes control would be threatened with any high-fat diet." So we can now offer people a choice of either a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet or one that is high in monounsatuated fats.

Foods high in monounsaturated fats include most nuts, avocados, and olive, canola, and peanut oils. They have been shown to help lower the level of LDL "bad" cholesterol.
Other recommendations made by the ADA, and published in a supplement to the January issue of the journal Diabetes Care, include:
Foods containing carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat milk should be included in a healthy diet. The total amount of carbohydrates in meals or snacks is more important than the source or type. Non-calorie sweeteners are safe when consumed within the acceptable daily intake levels established by the FDA.

Problem of Broken Bones

the broken bone is the result of a major trauma or injury.
whenever you feel broken bones pain call for emergency help.
Everyone having problem of broken bones should take these actions immediately :
*Stop any bleeding. Apply pressure to the wound with a sterile bandage, a clean cloth or a clean piece of clothing.
*Immobilize the injured area. Don't try to realign the bone, but if you've been trained in how to splint and professional help isn't
readily available, apply a splint to the area.
*Apply ice packs to limit swelling and help relieve pain until emergency personnel arrive. Don't apply ice directly to the skin — wrap the ice in a towel, piece of cloth or some other material.
*Treat for shock. If the person feels faint or is breathing in short, rapid breaths, lay the person down with the head slightly lower than the trunk and, if possible, elevate the legs.

Acne -Natural Skin Problem

we are straddled with a variety of skin disorders like Skin Allergies, Skin Rash, Fungal Infection like Ring Worm and Acne. The patches due to infection and the scars due to acne are not only causes of itchy skin but also make us irritable and can cause great psychological trauma due to the disfigurement of our face and body.

the Acne is a provocative disease of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of the skin that is marked by the eruption of pimples or pustules, especially on the face.
Also Acne occurs when the follicles get blocked. Sebum (oil), which normally drains to the surface, gets blocked and a bacterium begins to grow.

There is several factor causes acne as acne happens when oil (sebaceous) glands come to life around puberty, when these glands are stimulated by male hormones that are produced in the adrenal glands of both boys and girls. The oil glands, which are located just beneath the skin, continuously produce and secrete oil through openings in the skin. The oil lubricates and protects the skin. Under certain circumstances, cells that are close to the openings of the oil glands block the openings. This causes a buildup of oil underneath the skin. Bacteria, which live in everyone’s skin but generally mind their own business, feast on this oil, multiply, and cause the surrounding tissues to become inflamed.

Treatments of Acne:-

Conventional treatments for acne are usually quite successful. They can include cleansing agents and lotions made with benzyl peroxide, gels or creams made modified forms of vitamin A, and antibiotics applied to the skin or taken orally. The risk of scarring is an important factor when considering the type of treatment.

causes of back pain

The spine is the central support system of the body. We only realise how much work our backs do when something goes wrong. A sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, being overweight, bad working practises and a high level of stress all contribute to back problems.

back pain is pain which makes us realise that our back is not functioning properly. Often pain develops gradually of intermittently and the cause is not obvious. The back is a complicated structure and pain can occur anywhere along its length. Most commonly it occurs in the neck and the lower back. People are often concerned that back pain indicates other serious disorders.

Back Strains Abnormal stress, either sudden or over time, can injure the muscles, ligaments or joints of the spine. An acute back injury may result from an unexpected jolt or incorrect lift. Alternatively, poor posture and weak muscles can lead to a chronic backache. Muscle and ligament strains are the most common cause of back pain.

Disc degeneration Degeneration of the outer layers of a disc result in flattening and bulging.

Improvement in general fitness helps to reduce and prevent back pain.
Regular back exercises will help to:
*strengthen muscles supporting the back
*stretch tight joints, muscles and ligaments
*increase mobility
*improve posture

Pizza Can be Healthy for You

Pizza. It’s the weakness of many, many people including me. I love pizza- always have. I eat it in moderation, but it’s still one of my favorite foods.

There’s now good news for pizza lovers…
According to Men’s Health magazine, research concludes that pizza can be good for you. We’re talking about, however, real pizza- not the kind you get from Pizza Hut, Dominoes or the frozen food section of your supermarket. By real, I mean pizza made with real tomato sauce and olive oil.

According to Men’s Health, scientists writing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating pizza can reduce your risk of a heart attack. In a 4-year study of nearly 1,000 Italians, those who ate pizza at least once a week were 30 percent less likely to experience a heart attack than the folks who didn’t partake of the pie.
This is contributed to pizza’s cardioprotective ingredients, including olive oil and tomato sauce. Top the pizza with vegetables, less cheese and thin crust and you’ve got a meal that is good for you!

Disturbed Sleep and Heart Trouble Go Hand in Hand

The connection between sleep and heart disease is a two-way street: Poor sleep can contribute to heart disease, and heart disease can disturb sleep.

Poor sleep has been linked with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attack and stroke, diabetes, and obesity. The thread that ties these together may be inflammation, the body’s response to injury, infection, irritation, or disease. Poor sleep increases levels of C-reactive protein and other substances that reflect active inflammation. It also revs up the body’s sympathetic nervous system, which is activated by fright or stress.

Sometimes heart disease is a cause of poor sleep. People with heart failure may wake up with trouble breathing, which stems from fluid buildup in the lungs. There’s also some evidence that heart failure leads to sleep apnea, a breathing problem that can awaken a person repeatedly throughout the night. Some people have nighttime angina (chest pain), bouts of atrial fibrillation, or palpitations (the sensation of a racing or pounding heart) that disturb sleep.

The Harvard Heart Letter suggests that if you aren’t getting enough sleep, you may need better sleep habits like the ones listed below. If these don’t work, talk with your doctor about having a sleep evaluation.
• Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
• Use your bed only for sleeping or sex.
• If you can’t sleep, get out of bed.
• Go easy on alcohol and caffeine; avoid nicotine.
• Exercise in the late afternoon.

Women more likely to survive lung cancer

When women and men have lung cancer of the same stage and are given the same treatment, the women are more likely to survive, according to the findings published in the journal of Chest.

Lung cancer "is the number one cause of cancer deaths in both men and women worldwide," Dr. Robert James Cerfolio and colleagues from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, write.

Several studies using data from national cancer registries have shown that men and women differ in lung cancer survival. The present study was different in that it determined survival in men and women who were diagnosed with lung cancer, treated based on the same algorithm, and then followed for up to 7 years.

The study focused on patients with non-small cell lung cancer, the most common type. Unlike the small cell variant, non-small cell lung cancer is often amenable to surgical removal and more responsive to chemotherapy.

The study included 1,085 patients -- 671 men and 414 women. There were no significant differences between the sexes in terms of race, other diseases, smoking history, lung function and the treatment received.

At 5 years, 60 percent of women were still alive compared with 50 percent of men. Moreover, women had consistently higher survival rates for all stages of disease.

As to why survival was better for women, it may relate to them being more responsive to chemotherapy, Cerforlio and colleagues report.

The researchers conclude that the findings might help improve the "dismal" overall 5-year survival rate for patients with non-small lung cancer "by helping to target new therapeutic options."

10 Tips to Prevent The Common Cold

The common cold is arguably the most common illness in humans.
Viruses that cause colds are spread from person to person through tiny droplets of mucus that enter the air from the nasal passages of infected persons and are inhaled by others. Colds can also be spread by touching surfaces that have been contaminated by contact with infected persons and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Wash your hands often. This is probably the single best measure to prevent transmission of colds. Especially after shopping, going to the gym, or spending time in public places, hand washing is critical.

Avoid touching your face, especially the nose, mouth, and eye areas, if you are around someone with a cold or have been touching surfaces in a public area.

Don't smoke. Cigarette smoke can irritate the airways and increase susceptibility to colds and other infections. Even exposure to passive smoke can make you (or your children) more vulnerable to colds.

Use disposable items if someone in your family is infected. Disposable cups can be thrown away after each use and prevent accidental spread of the virus from sharing of cups or glasses. This is particularly important if you have young children who may try to drink from others' cups.

Keep household surfaces clean. Door knobs, drawer pulls, keyboards, light switches, telephones, remote controls, countertops, and sinks can all harbor viruses for hours after their use by an infected person. Wipe these surfaces frequently with soap and water or a disinfectant solution.

If your child has a cold, wash his or her toys as well when you are cleaning household surfaces and commonly-used items.

Use paper towels in the kitchen and bathroom for hand washing. Germs can live for several hours on cloth towels. Alternatively, have separate towels for each family member and provide a clean one for guests.

Throw tissues away after use. Used tissues are sources of virus that can contaminate any surface where they are left.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle. While there isn't direct evidence to show that eating well or exercising can prevent colds, maintenance of a healthy lifestyle, with adequate sleep, good nutrition and physical exercise can help ensure that your immune system is in good condition and ready to fight infection if it occurs.

Control stress. Studies have shown that people experiencing emotional stress have weakened immune systems and are more likely to catch a cold than their calmer counterparts.

Asthma :Attack Symptoms and Preventions for Asthma

Asthma is a very common disease that everybody has heard. The People with asthma have extra sensitive or hyper responsive airways. The airways react by narrowing or obstructing when they become irritated. This makes it difficult for the air to move in and out.There are lot of things seems to be able to bring an asthma attack. Dogs and cats cause asthma attacks in some people. Tobacco smoke, cold air, exercises and even laughing can cause attacks too. On the other hand, people with asthma tell us that they are worse when they are anxious.
Symptoms of Asthma:- There are very general symptoms of the asthma that every one can judge, like Wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, breathing changes, Chin or throat itches, Dark circles under eyes, trouble sleeping, Poor tolerance for exercise, By recognizing these clues that occur before actual asthma symptoms, early treatment should be started. These signs are unique to each person.

Herbal and homeopathic remedies for asthma:-
There are lot of Herbal and homeopathic medicines for the treatment of asthma and they are extremely effective for the managing the asthma. But it’s Depending on the severity of the asthma that which type of medicine is use for the cure and how much potency should it require have, these medicine can reduce or eliminate the need for the synthetic drugs and inhalers that persons are use generally for the fast management of the asthma .

Preventions for asthma:--smoke has been shown to aggravate asthma symptoms, especially in children. therefore it is very important to provide a SMOKE-FREE HOME for all children and asthma patient.Dust play a great role to attack the asthma, it directly act on the lungs of the patient and he feel much uncomfortable. Generally exercise is very useful for the humans but when a person is suffer by the asthma than no one physician will advise to do this because by the exercise the heart is start pumping blood very fast and the lungs are not support tot his activity of the heart so there is lot of chances of the attack of the asthma, finally the patients of asthma must avoid the exercise.

What a Headache: Migraines in Women Are Linked to the Blues

New study shows that women with chronic headaches are more prone to major depression .

As if blinding migraines are not bad enough, new research shows that women who get them are more likely than others to suffer from major bouts of the blues, especially if they also have headache-related symptoms like low energy and joint pain.
A study published in the January 9 Neurology found that women who suffer from chronic headaches (more than 15 a month) are four times more prone to major depression than those with episodic headaches (fewer than 15 monthly). Chronic headache sufferers were also three times more likely to report "a high degree" of related symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, nausea, dizziness, and stomach, back and joint pain. The study found that patients with chronic headaches accompanied by other ailments were 32 times more likely to develop major depression.

"I don't think it's just a coincidence that people with severe headaches have a higher incidence of developing major depression," says study author Gretchen Tietjen, a neurologist at the University of Toledo Health Science Campus.
Nevertheless, she says she was "surprised that major depression was as common in this population" as the research shows.
"Painful physical symptoms may provoke or be a manifestation of major depression in women with chronic headache, and depression may heighten pain perception," she says. "This relation between migraine and major depression suggests a common neurobiology."
Scientists studied 1,032 women who sought care at headache clinics in five states--593 were episodic headache sufferers and 439 chronic headache patients. About 90 percent of them were diagnosed with migraines.
Tietjen says that the research was part of a larger study to determine whether there are genetic and environmental factors that might predispose patients to chronic headaches, related symptoms and depression.
Researchers are now "midway" through a follow-up study, she says, in which they are asking patients when they first developed severe headaches and depression to see if there are certain patterns. They are also probing whether chronic headaches, related physical symptoms and the blues may be tied to a lack of serotonin in the central nervous system. She noted that researchers have already submitted a second paper on findings of a link between sexual and emotional abuse in childhood and chronic disabling headaches.
"If we can figure out what causes people to develop [severe headaches, major depression and related symptoms], we can figure out how better to treat them," Tietjen says. "We want to make sure that we consider a number of different things like depression to help us decide the best choice of treatment."

It's never too late to get healthy

Even after age 60, people can significantly reduce their risk of heart disease and diabetes by adopting healthier habits, a new study from the UK shows.

"The present findings emphasize the benefits of lifestyle modification, including losing weight, increasing physical activity, stopping smoking, and avoiding a high-carbohydrate diet, in reducing the risk of the metabolic syndrome in older men," report Dr. S. Goya Wannamethee of the Royal Free and University College Medical School in London and colleagues.

People with the metabolic syndrome have a constellation of risk factors including high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, impaired blood glucose metabolism, and high cholesterol. The syndrome, which is more common among older people, increases the likelihood that a person will go on to develop heart disease and diabetes.

To better understand how lifestyle changes might affect metabolic syndrome risk in older people, Wannamethee and colleagues looked at 3,051 men aged 60 to 79 participating in a long-term study of heart disease. All were free of diabetes and heart disease, but about one in four had the metabolic syndrome.

Depression-symptoms & types

Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. But true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time.
Depression is a stress related illness. It is the most common mental illness. One in six women suffer and one in nine men. It is thought men are more reluctant to seek help or even admit they have depression.
Depression often centers around the lack of purpose in your life and the thought that it might even be better to end it. This is the point which is critical and could result in suicide.
Symptoms of Depression...
Can't make decisions
Wanting to cry
Lack of energy
Loss of appetite
Drinking too much
Loss of interest in sex
Not caring about your appearance
Can't concentrate
Lack of self confidence
Feeling isolated or lonely

The main types of depression include:

Major depression -- five or more symptoms listed above must be present for at least 2 weeks, but major depression tends to continue for at least 6 months. (Depression is classified as minor depression if less than five depressive symptoms are present for at least 2 weeks.)

Dysthymia -- a chronic, generally milder form of depression but lasts longer -- usually as long as two years.

Atypical depression -- depression accompanied by unusual symptoms, such as hallucinations (for example, hearing voices that are not really there) or delusions (irrational thoughts). Other common forms of depression include:

Postpartum depression -- many women feel somewhat down after having a baby, but true postpartum depression is rare.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) -- depressive symptoms occur one week prior to menstruation and disappear after you menstruate

A Different way to control CHOLESTEROL

Blood cholesterol and dietary cholesterol are two different types of cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is found in food of animal origin. Blood cholesterol is a waxy substance that occurs naturally in the body. Since cholesterol is not soluble in blood, it is carried around in a protein-coated package called a lipoprotein. High-density lipoprotein or HDL is known as the good package for cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein or LDL is the bad package for cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a significant factor in the development of coronary heart disease, or CHD.
A person's risk of developing CHD within 10 years is determined by using information from the Framingham Heart Study. This 10-year risk is calculated from a formula that takes the following into account:
*age
*cigarette smoking
*HDL cholesterol
*systolic bloodpressure, which is the top number on a blood pressure
reading total cholesterol
*treatment for high blood pressure

ZETIA is unique in the way it helps block the absorption of cholesterol that comes from food. Statins work mainly with the liver. ZETIA works in the digestive tract, as do some other medicines.
healthy food and exercise control cholesterol but you also take a statin. ZETIA, along with a statin, has been proven to lower bad cholesterol approximately 25%.* These are average results. Individual results may vary.

ZETIA is a prescription medicine and should not be taken by people who are allergic to any of its ingredients. ZETIA can be taken alone or with a statin. Statins should not be taken by women who are nursing or pregnant or who may become pregnant, or by anyone with liver problems. If you have ever had liver problems or are pregnant or nursing, your doctor will decide if ZETIA alone is right for you. Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start taking ZETIA with a statin and during treatment.

What is Heart Burn Just Overcome from it!

What is Heartburn:-
Heartburn or pyrosis is a painful or burning sensation in the esophagus, just below the breastbone caused by regurgitation of gastric acid. The pain often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw. Heartburn is also identified as one of the causes of chronic cough, and may even mimic asthma. Heartburn actually has nothing to do with the heart; it is so called because of a burning sensation of the breastbone, although some heart problems have a similar sensation to heartburn

Cause of Heartburn:-
* Alcohol
* Coffee, tea, cola, and other caffeinated beverages
* Sodas (including cola), and other carbonated beverages
* Chocolate
* Citrus fruits and juices
* Tomatoes and tomato sauces (such as pizza and pasta sauce)
* Spicy foods
* Peppermint and spearmint
* Dry foods such as peanuts
* Fatty foods such as ice cream
Diagnosis for the Heartburns:-
Physicians typically diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) based on symptoms alone. When the clinical presentation is unclear, other tests can be performed to confirm the diagnosis or exclude other disorders.
Ambulatory pH Monitoring:--
A probe can be placed via the nose into the esophagus to record the level of acidity in the lower esophagus. Because some degree of variation in acidity is normal, and small reflux events are relatively common, such monitors must be left in place for at least a 24-hour period to confirm the diagnosis of GERD. The test is particularly useful when the patient's symptoms can be correlated to episodes of increased esophageal acidity.
Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Series:-
A series of x-rays of the upper digestive system are taken after drinking a barium solution. These can demonstrate reflux of barium into the esophagus, which suggests the possibility of gastroesophageal reflux disease. More accurately, fluoroscopy can be used to document reflux in real-time.

Treatment of Heartburn:-
If heartburn occurs when lying down, raising the head with pillows or sitting up frequently provides relief – although care must be taken to avoid placing continuous strain on the neck. Avoidance of certain foods shortly before bedtime is frequently advised to avoid future attacks.
Medications for Heartburn:-
Heartburn Drug Nexium: we can use Nexium for the tretments of the heartburn, Nexium is used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which backward flow of acid from the stomach causes heartburn and injury of the esophagus (food pipe between the mouth and stomach). Nexium is used to treat the symptoms of GERD, allow the esophagus to heal, and prevent further damage to the esophagus. It is also used with other medications to prevent stomach ulcers. Nexium is in a class of medications called proton pump inhibitors. It works by decreasing the amount of acid made in the stomach.
Heartburn Drug Prilosec : we can use Prilosec for the treatments of the heartburn, Prilosec is used to treat various acid-related stomach and esophagus problems. If you suffer from persistent heartburn (and have tried to treat it and changed your diet) Prilosec may be right for you. Prilosec (Omeprazole) is used to treat various acid-related stomachs and / or throat (esophagus) problems (e.g., GERD, ulcers, erosive esophagitis, or Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome). When using this medication to treat certain ulcers, it may be prescribed along with certain antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin, clarithromycin).

Diabetes, Its Symptoms and Prevention

Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. It can be caused by too little insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar), resistance to insulin, or both.

To understand diabetes, it is important to first understand the normal process of food metabolism. Several things happen when food is digested:

A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.
An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.

Diabetes affects about 17 million Americans. There are many risk factors for diabetes, including:

A parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
Obesity
Age greater than 45 years
Some ethnic groups (particularly African-Americans and Hispanic Americans)
Gestational diabetes or delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
High blood pressure
High blood levels of triglycerides (a type of fat molecule)
High blood cholesterol level
The American Diabetes Association recommends that all adults be screened for diabetes at least every three years. A person at high risk should be screened more often.

Symptoms

High blood levels of glucose can cause several problems, including frequent urination, excessive thirst, hunger, fatigue, weight loss, and blurry vision. However, because type 2 diabetes develops slowly, some people with high blood sugar experience no symptoms at all.

Prevention

Maintaining an ideal body weight and an active lifestyle may prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Currently there is no way to prevent type 1 diabetes.