whys

LDL refers to low-density lipoproteins, a type of molecular protein produced in the liver that carries cholesterol through the blood. Though low-density lipoprotein is frequently called “bad” cholesterol, it does have some positive features. It carries amino acids and antioxidants to other cells. However, too much LDL can lead to a number of significant health problems, so the positive aspects of this protein are far outweighed by its negative impacts.

In general, when one hears the term cholesterol, it refers to low-density lipoproteins. This is because LDL provides a steady stream of cholesterol to the arteries. When advertisements claim a product can reduce your cholesterol, they are referring to the risks of high LDL levels.

Those with high levels of LDL are at great risk for hardening of the arteries or artery blockage, which can enlarge the heart or completely cut off blood supply to the heart. This, in turn, can lead to heart attacks, or necessitate surgery to remove blockages. Other main arteries in the body can also become blocked, a condition known as peripheral artery disease, and require clearing via catheterization to restore normal blood flow to and from the heart.

High cholesterol also increases the risk of sudden stroke. Clogged arteries can lead to excess clotting of the blood. These clots can then pass to the brain or lungs, causing thrombosis. The presence of low-density lipoproteins can also decrease the level of high-density lipoproteins, known as the “good” cholesterol.

Given the very dangerous medical conditions associated with high levels of LDL, it makes sense to keep one’s levels of this protein at a very low rate. Testing for LDL is quite simple, usually requiring a simple blood test to measure all cholesterol levels in the body. A physician may require that you fast for 12 hours prior to testing, but usually the test itself only takes a few minutes.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has adopted the following standards for evaluating safe and unsafe levels of LDL. Less than 100 milligrams per deciliter is considered optimal. 100-129 is considered near optimal, while 130-159 is borderline high. 160-189 is high, and anything over 190 is very high. Further AHA guidelines suggest anyone with heart disease should try to maintain an LDL of no more than 70.

Reducing LDL levels can be simple for some. Following a diet with lower saturated fat and higher fiber, plus exercising, can sometimes be enough to lower cholesterol to accepted levels. Others, however, may need to combine diet and exercise with cholesterol-reducing drugs. A common mistake is the belief that cholesterol can be lowered by medication alone. In general, this is not true, and in any case, those with high cholesterol are at greater risk for heart disease, so adhering to a sensible diet and exercise regimen make sense in any case.

Another common mistake people make is assuming that body size indicates cholesterol level. While it is true that overweight people tend to have higher levels of LDL, it does not follow that thin people cannot have high levels. In some cases, high levels of bad cholesterol are genetically predetermined. Family history of high cholesterol is reason for greater vigilance in anyone.

Though high cholesterol levels occur more frequently in men, women still need to have their levels checked. While pre-menopausal women tend to have lower levels because estrogen blocks some cholesterol production, post-menopausal women do not have this safeguard. As a woman approaches menopause, the AHA recommends checking cholesterol levels. The AHA does not advocate using hormone replacement therapy for lowering cholesterol, as use of estrogen has recently been shown to increase the risk of stroke and certain cancers.

A high LDL level is a matter of concern, but fortunately it can often be medically addressed. Working closely with a physician to create a better diet and a good exercise program, and to determine whether cholesterol-reducing drugs should be applied, is an excellent way to prevent the health conditions associated with bad cholesterol.

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Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the level of glucose, a simple sugar that provides energy, in the blood.

The human body requires a steady amount of glucose throughout the day, and that glucose comes from the foods we eat. Obviously, though, we don’t spend our entire day eating a bit of food at a time to maintain a steady stream of glucose. This is where insulin comes into play.

When glucose levels are high, insulin stimulates cells in the liver, muscles and fat. Liver and muscle cells combine glucose into a compound called glycogen, essentially storing the energy for later use. Insulin also removes other by-products of food from the body by stimulating fat cells to form fats from fatty acids and liver and kidney cells to turn amino acids into proteins. Finally, insulin prevents the liver and kidneys from producing glucose from partially-metabolized materials, a process that can damage these organs over time.

Insulin is closely related to glucagon, another hormone secreted by the pancreas. Glucagon is called into action when blood-sugar levels are low. It stimulates the liver and muscles so that they will break down the glycogen that was created through the intervention of insulin. Together, insulin and glucagons represent a complete cycle of blood-glucose control.

Insulin works in the body day after day, without anyone giving it much thought. In fact, most people don’t know anything about insulin until they learn that they or someone in their family has diabetes. This illness is caused when the body begins to have problems with insulin. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops producing insulin; in Type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to the insulin the pancreas produces. Type 2 diabetes can usually be controlled through diet and medication, but Type 1 diabetes requires injections of synthetic insulin so that the body can process glucose. Since insulin is such an integral component to body function, it is vital that diabetes be carefully controlled to prevent organ damage.

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Our body’s primary source of energy takes the form of glucose. This type of sugar comes from digesting carbohydrates into a chemical that we can easily convert to energy. When glucose levels in the bloodstream aren’t properly regulated, one can develop a serious condition, such as diabetes.

We get most of our glucose from digesting the sugar and starch in carbohydrates. Foods like rice, pasta, grain, potatoes, fruits, a few vegetables, and processed sweets qualify as carbohydrates. Our digestive system, using bile and enzymes, breaks down the starch and sugar in these foods into glucose. This functional form of energy then gets absorbed through the small intestine into the bloodstream. There, a chemical known as insulin, excreted by the pancreas, meets the glucose. Together, they can enter cells in muscles and the brain, allowing glucose to power activities like lifting a book or remembering a phone number.

Since it is such a vital form of energy, and interacts with both the digestive and endocrine system, keeping glucose within a normal range is extremely important to health. Our body has adapted to maintain this ideal level by storing extra glucose in the liver as glycogen, so it can be reabsorbed when our levels drop. We can also speed or slow the release of insulin. However, at any step in the process, problems can arise in keeping the right amount of glucose circulating in the blood.

Excessively high glucose levels, called hyperglycemia, might be due to too much sugar or too little insulin. The opposite, extremely low glucose levels, can result from too little food or variable insulin excretion. A common disease related to irregular management of glucose is diabetes. Sometimes, diabetes can be controlled by strict dietary requirements, or a diabetic might need insulin injections. Your doctor can measure your glucose levels with a simple blood test to determine if you are within a healthy range.

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Diabetes is a disease wherein the body fails to manufacture or properly use insulin. Insulin itself is a hormone the body uses to convert starches, sugar, and other food products into energy for the body to put to use and function properly. The four major types of diabetes are Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, Gestational diabetes, and Pre-diabetes.

World-wide, diabetes affects huge numbers of people. In the United States alone, over 6% of the population (roughly 18 million people) are diabetic.

While the exact causes of diabetes remain a mystery, researchers have discovered certain symptoms. These symptoms, as reflected by the American Diabetes Association, include: “frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme hunger, unusual weight loss, increased fatigue, irritability, and blurry vision.”

For people with Type 1 diabetes, insulin must be taken every day. A diabetic will generally administer the insulin shot using a syringe or have someone else administer the shot for him. This type of diabetes is more common in caucasians and in people who live in colder climates.

Type 2 diabetes can often be controlled by monitoring the food one eats and by partaking in regular physical exercise. Some Type 2 diabetics may also need to take insulin shots or pills to regulate their blood sugar levels. Obesity is a major factor in acquiring Type 2 diabetes. If a person has an unhealthy diet of fatty food and exercises infrequently, he may be walking a path that will lead directly to this disease.

Pregnant women who become diabetic during their pregnancy have what is called Gestational diabetes. This form of the disease affects approximately 4% of all pregnant women in the United States. Women who become diabetics during their pregnancy are likely to have a family history of diabetes. Obesity again may play a factor. Pre-diabetes is simply a term for an individual who has blood glucose levels higher than normal, but not quite at diabetic levels.

Though children of diabetics will not necessarily inherit the disease from their parents, research has shown that these children are more likely to get the disease than children of non-diabetics. Type 1 diabetes is also less common in people who were breastfed as infants.

Diabetes is a serious disease which can lead to heart problems, strokes, loss of limbs due to poor circulation, and death. Research continues to indicate that regular exercise and a healthy diet are two factors which can help people avoid diabetes, as well as allow diabetics to have functional lives. If you find yourself experiencing some of the symptoms of diabetes, you should seek a doctor’s advice. Unfortunately, millions of people across the globe have diabetes but it goes undetected because they ignore the symptoms and do not seek medical attention.

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Porphyria is an illness characterized by the overproduction and accumulation of porphyrins, a type of molecule in the body. There are different types of porphyria, each of which is caused by deficiency in a certain enzyme, which results in a buildup of porphyrin at a specific site in the body. Porphyria types may be generally categorized as hepatic, affecting the nervous system; erythropoietic, affecting the skin; or a combination of the two. Porphyria may be genetic or acquired.

Hepatic porphyria, also known as acute porphyria, is a very serious condition. Symptoms may include mental illness, seizures, severe neuropathy, gastrointestinal complaints, tachycardia, and arrhythmia. Patients with hepatic porphyria also have an increased risk of liver cancer. Erythropoietic porphyria causes a number of skin conditions, including photosensitivity, blisters, swelling, itching, abnormal hair growth, and necrosis. Discoloration of the urine, teeth, and nails may also present.

All types of porphyria are rare, and the condition is often misdiagnosed, especially the hepatic varieties. Diagnosis is made through analysis of urine, blood, or stool samples, and tests must often be conducted at a specialized facility. In addition, the samples to be tested should be collected during a suspected attack, they must be stored properly, and multiple tests may be necessary.

There is no cure for porphyria, but it can be managed through diet and drug therapy. A high-carbohydrate diet can help stave off attacks in patients with hepatic porphyria, and drugs can be used to minimize the symptoms associated with attacks. The pain associated with hepatic porphyria is severe, so opiates are typically prescribed for pain management. Hormone treatment is sometimes used as well, though it can trigger attacks in some patients. Certain drugs cannot be used by porphyria patients under any circumstances, including any drugs that may have triggered the condition. Blood transfusion, the anti-malarial chloroquine, and sunscreen are the primary treatments for erythropoietic porphyria.

Biochemist David Dolphin speculated in a 1985 speech that erythropoietic porphyria cases may have been the basis for vampire legends, due to the sufferers’ sensitivity to light and strange appearance. He also suggested that people with porphyria may have craved and ingested blood in the belief that it would alleviate their symptoms and that they have an aversion to garlic, but neither of these speculations has ever been substantiated. In fact, it was not known until fairly recently that porphyria is a disorder of the blood that can be treated with transfusions. Unfortunately, Dolphin’s ideas gained a lot of publicity, and porphyria consequently carries somewhat of a stigma.

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Coagulation is the means by which we stop bleeding (hemostasis) and form blood clots after injury to blood vessels. Essentially, coagulation is clotting of the blood, an extremely important process. How our bodies coagulate blood has been a matter of intensive study, since some people with certain diseases like hemophilia are unable to do so. Understanding when coagulation is more hurtful than harmful, such as when a blood clot causes a stroke, has increased our understanding of the value of this process and when it might be necessary to arrest it.

You can describe coagulation in the simplest terms as a system of several parts that is initiated by the damage of a blood vessel. The first thing that occurs during coagulation is constriction. Constriction shrinks the injured blood vessel causing it to move blood at a much slower rate. This translates to less bleeding.

Secondly, platelets, an important part of blood, gather at the injury site to form a platelet plug. These platelets tend to be signaled by a release of proteins that give the forward march order for platelets to congregate at the injury site. Yet, the platelet plug is only a temporary form of coagulation. More is needed to keep the platelet plug in place.

The body has proteins, more than 20 types, which then move to the site of the injury to help strengthen the platelet plug. A final protein, thrombin, forms a meshlike protection for the platelet plug, essentially finishing the coagulation process. This mesh is called fibrin mesh, and acts like a reinforcement for the platelets, holding them in place and ultimately keeping the blood clotted.

The fibrin mesh actually gets stronger as the wound gets older, usually healing the wound completely. The scabs from wounds for example are part blood, part platelet and part fibrin mesh. Proteins that help the blood clot do interact with air when the wound is external, helping to harden and strengthen a scab. Once the coagulation process is over, the scab will gradually become useless and fall off. Picking the scab can restart coagulation if the blood vessels are not fully healed.

We know a great deal about coagulation because the presence of too many platelets, or too much of certain types of proteins can cause blood clots to form when they shouldn’t. In some cases, narrowed arteries can cause platelets to become stuck together and clot, resulting in stroke. When people have heart surgeries, the danger of blood clotting is high, and people are frequently given medications called anticoagulants to stop blood from clotting at a fast rate. They do work on the whole body, and people taking them may have an arrested process of coagulation when they get bruised or cut.

Other people lack some of the proteins needed for the body to complete the coagulation process. The absence of these proteins can be extremely dangerous, and even small injuries can result in significant blood loss. People can also lack appropriate amounts of platelets, which is a condition called thrombocytopenia. This can be transient, and may occur when people undergo cancer treatment. Occasionally, the coagulation process is significantly impaired by anticoagulants like warfarin and heparin and the result is induced thrombocytopenia. Again, this poses great risk for the person with the condition, but may be corrected with transfusions of platelets.

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Blood clots are not a normal condition, but occur when blood coagulates, or hardens. These form during injury to the body. A thrombus, or blood clot, is made when blood cells lump together with fibrin, a stretchy, thread-like protein. Research has shown fibrin to be a strong material that can absorb blood from cuts to help heal them, but is also responsible for making blood clots hard to break down. Medications are now available to help destroy blood clots by working to break up the fibrin.

Thrombi, or blood clots, develop and remain in the heart or in a blood vessel. Emboli are blood clots that are located somewhere in the body besides the heart or a blood vessel and this condition is called an embolism. An embolism called a thromboembolism occurs when a part of the thrombus, or blood clot, causes blockage to the heart, brain or lungs and stops or restricts blood flow. When this happens, a heart attack could result.

Blood clots can also cause destruction of the body’s tissue. This is because, as the blood flow is restricted by the emboli and thrombi, oxygen as well as blood flow is kept out of the tissues in that part of the body. Ischemia is the name of the condition that occurs when no blood flow or oxygen reaches the tissue. If ischemia is left unchecked, body tissues in the affected region can become damaged or dead.

Blood clots can cause death to persons with conditions like deep venous thrombosis (DVT). DVT occurs when a thrombus, or blood clot, enters a vein in the lower part of the body such as the pelvis, thighs or lower part of the legs. Blood clots in deep venous thrombosis cases restrict the blood flow.

Sometimes, swelling and redness occur in DVT, but some people do not experience any systems. Other people experience a lot of pain due to the formation of blood clots. Genetic factors are thought to be partly responsible for the causes of deep venous thrombosis. Poor circulation caused by sitting in long airplane flights is thought to be another causative factor in blood clots in some cases of DVT.

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Triglycerides are the chemical formation of animal and vegetable fats. In molecular form, three molecules of fatty acids combine with glycerol to form triglycerides. In the human body, these are carried through the blood plasma, and unused molecules are stored in the body as fat.

Virtually all naturally occurring fats contain triglycerides. However, while higher than normal levels of these lipoproteins are considered medically unsafe, a normal intake is encouraged. Both carbohydrates and proteins provide energy to the body. Triglycerides provide twice that.

Triglycerides are not only present in the body through the consumption of fats, but also through the consumption of carbohydrates. Most carbohydrates are naturally turned into triglycerides by the body. Therefore, a diet low in fat, but high in carbohydrates, may serve to increase triglyceride levels.

Consumption of both fats and carbohydrates in moderation is encouraged. High protein diets, generally containing a great deal of fat, are not encouraged. Diets such as Atkins or the South Beach Diet typically result in a higher level of triglycerides because the consumption of proteins, like bacon, translates to a consumption of high levels of fat. Healthier dietary practices primarily focus on portion control and a balanced intake of protein and complex carbohydrates.

Though high levels of triglycerides are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, they are not usually a primary cause. Generally, the body must also have a high level of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and a lower than normal level of high density lipoproteins (HDL), to increase the risk of hardening of the arteries, atherosclerosis, heart attack, or stroke. A chemical analysis of LDL and HDL levels provides a better indicator for one’s risk of heart disease than a triglyceride count. However, blood tests screening for LDL and HDL also provide a triglyceride count.

While only suspect in heart disease, excess levels of triglycerides are directly linked to obesity and to pancreatitis. Pancreatitis causes severe stomach pain, which lasts for two to three days. Chronic pancreatitis may result in long-term pain, diarrhea, and nausea. Pain may worsen after large meals. The chronic form is difficult to treat, so lowering triglycerides makes good sense to avoid this condition.

The American Heart Association(AHA) has established the following guidelines for triglyceride levels:

• Normal levels are less than 150 milligrams per deciliter.

• Borderline high is 150-199mg/dl.
• High is 200-499 mg/dl.
• Very High is 500 or above mg/dl.

The AHA also recommends a sensible diet, smoking cessation, and exercising daily for at least 30 minutes to reduce triglyceride levels.

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The way in which the kidneys work is pretty fascinating. These bean-shaped, fist-sized organs filter the blood in your body to remove wastes and to maintain proper levels of various substances in the blood. As one might imagine, the kidneys provide a valuable function in the body, ensuring that wastes do not accumulate, potentially causing health problems. As a result, a malfunctioning kidney is a cause for serious concern.

About 20% of the blood pumped out by the heart goes directly to the kidneys via the renal artery. Once the blood enters the kidneys, it is pumped up into the nephrons, tiny structures which filter the blood. Cleaned blood is sent out from the renal vein, returning to the heart for circulation to the rest of the body, while waste products drain to the bladder through the ureters. These organs are equipped to handle a very high volume of blood every 24 hours, and kidneys can even adapt to do the job independently, in the event that one kidney fails or is removed.

When blood enters a nephron, the nephron absorbs material which it thinks will be useful, allowing the rest to circulate through so that it reaches the ureter. The nephrons regulate the components of the blood, compensating for a large intake of salt, for example, or a reduced water intake. The goal of the kidneys is to keep the volume of water in the body constant while maintaining the composition of the blood by removing waste and keeping concentrations of various substances constant. In the process, the kidneys also keep the acid/base balance in the blood stable, regulate the body’s blood pressure, maintain calcium, and stimulate the production of red blood cells.

The kidneys are quite efficient, extracting the maximum amount of value from the blood and producing surprisingly little waste. They work with the intestinal tract and the sweat glands to help remove wastes and toxins from the body, keeping the body healthy and in a state of homeostasis. However, kidneys can break down, causing serious health problems as toxins accumulate in the blood stream, rather than being filtered out. Kidney failure can happen to the elderly and to people with kidney diseases, and it requires prompt medical treatment, often including dialysis, a mechanical blood filtering treatment.

One sign that the kidneys are failing is blood in the urine, because normally kidneys do not filter red blood cells. Doctors can also test urine to look for specific proteins and other materials which can indicate unhealthy kidneys.

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The four humours are the basis of ancient medicine. Essentially, according to the four humours model, general health is held to be reliant on the balance of four major body fluids: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. The concept arose in Ancient Greece, but persisted into the 19th century. Though the idea of the four humours and their effect on general health and temperament has been discarded in the field of medicine, many modern theories of psychology are based upon the four personality types associated with the four humours.

Ancient Greek and Roman thinkers and physicians theorized that physical and mental disorders were the result of an imbalance in one of the four humours. An excess of any of the four was thought to correspond a certain temperament in the patient. A large quantity of blood made the patient sanguine or cheerful, perhaps with too much energy. Too much phlegm made him or her phlegmatic, or cool and apathetic. An excess of black bile, also called spleen or melancholy and thought to be excreted by the spleen, would make a person melancholic or depressive. Finally, too much yellow bile, or choler, made for a choleric or easily angered temperament.

Medical treatments in the past were often attempts to rebalance the four humours. Bloodletting was common in the medieval era, and in the Elizabethan period, certain foods were thought to address complaints caused by an excess or deficit of certain humours. Each of the four humours was believed to be either hot or cold and either dry or wet, so that each corresponded to one of the four possible combinations of these attributes. To treat an excess of phlegm, then, which was considered warm and wet, the patient would be given foods considered cold and dry. This system is the basis behind current classifications of foods and wines using these terms, such as a “hot” pepper or a “dry” white wine.

The four humours system became a thing of the past with more modern and accurate understandings of human physiology. For example, it is now known that there is no such thing as “black bile” secreted by the spleen. However, the four temperaments associated with the humours are still considered useful in psychology, where they are considered the four basic categories of human personality, and personality disorders are grouped according to them.

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