Sunday, November 15, 2009

Information About Paget’s Disease of Bones

Paget's disease is a metabolic bone disease, occurring in the middle aged and elderly peoples. The other name of Paget's disease is osteitis deformans. It is a chronic condition in which both the breakdown and formation of bone tissue are increased, which result in deformity. It is most frequently occur in the pelvic and leg bones, skull, and lower spine. It may lead to bone pain, deformities, and fractures. Paget's disease may be caused by a "slow virus" infection, present for many years before symptoms appear. There is also a hereditary factor since the disease may appear in more than one family member.

Paget's disease may affect only one or two areas of your body, or may be widespread. Paget's disease tends to appear in families. It can be present in as many as 25 percent to 40 percent of the relatives of someone with the disease. It is also more common in people of Anglo-Saxon descent. Many patients do not know they have Paget's disease because they have a mild case with no symptoms. Sometimes, symptoms may be confused with those of arthritis or other disorders.

Paget's disease of bone causes your bones to grow larger and weaker than normal. They also might break easily. The disease can lead to other health problems, too, such as arthritis and hearing loss. You can have Paget's disease in any bone, but it is most common in the spine, pelvis, skull and legs. The disease might affect one or several bones, but not your entire skeleton. More men than women have the disease. It is most common in older people.

Paget's disease is uncommon in people younger than 40 years of age. It is more common as people age. There are no known ways to prevent Paget's disease from occurring. Eating a healthy diet with sufficient calcium and vitamin D and getting exercise are important components in maintaining skeletal health and joint mobility.

Paget's disease causes bones to grow too large and weak. You can have Paget's disease in any bones in your body, but most people have it in their spine, pelvis, skull, or leg bones. The disease may affect only one bone or several bones, but it does not affect the entire skeleton. Bones with Paget's disease may break more easily, and the disease can lead to other health problems.

Paget's disease, also called osteitis deformans, is a chronic bone disorder in which there is abnormal bone remodeling (the process of bone breakdown and rebuilding). With Paget's disease, bone is broken down more quickly, and is then replaced with softer, more porous bone. As a result, affected bones become thicker, weaker, and deformed. It usually affects the bones of the skull, pelvis, collarbone, spine, and legs.

Healthy bone tissue has an ordered structure that gives the bone its strength. Bones affected by Paget's disease, however, have a structure that is disorganized. This disorganized structure weakens the diseased bone and makes people suffering from this disease more likely to have fractures. These fractures are slow to heal.

Women and Heart Disease

Five hundred thousand American women die each year from heart diseases and the risks increases with age. Heart disease includes the narrowing of the arteries, heart failure, diseases of the heart muscles, inborn defects, hardening of the arties, and other conditions.

We tend to think of men as the ones who commonly have heart diseases but heart diseases is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States. Scientists who are studying the cause of the rise in cardiac problems in woman have identified two factors that appear to be the leading cause of hard disease in woman.

The Change of Life.

After menopause, a woman's body experiences reduced estrogen production, changes in cholesterol levels, changes in the structure of blood vessels, and increased production of the clotting agent fibrinogen. Women who have gone through menopause are two to three times more likely to suffer heart disease than a pre-menopausal woman of the same age. Women that have had a hysterectomy also experience these same raised risk factors. No one yet knows exactly how much a woman's risk is affected by each of these changes, but they are definitely associated with greater heart disease risk.

Scientists studying women and heart disease hypothesized that hormone replacement therapy could help post-menopausal women fight heart disease; however, long-term studies do not confirm that preliminary idea and doctors no longer recommend hormone replacement therapy to battle heart disease.

When talking about your heart disease risk factors with your doctor, get his or her opinion on using hormonal birth control (the pill or the patch). Most doctors believe that using birth control is reasonable safe for women under thirty-five if no other risk factors are involved such as smoking or being overweigh. For women over the age of thirty-file there is not enough evidence that birth control hormones can increase or decrease heart disease in women and more studies are being conducted.

A Change of Lifestyle.

Scientists studying women and heart disease find that women are knowledgeable about what lifestyles are associated with heart disease, and yet they are still prone to maintain those unhealthy lifestyles. For example, according to the National Institutes of Health, fifty-six million American women have high cholesterol, 33% of women have high blood pressure, and 62% of women are overweight. Despite these risks, women are less physically active than men, on average.

The best course of action to take is to reduce your risk of developing congestive heart disease and improve the quality of life. Habits such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight by regular activity or exercise, cutting down on the fatty foods, and getting your cholesterol tested can dramatically help prevent heart disease. Don't become another statistic about women and heart disease.

Common Vitamins and over the counter products can help with Heart Disease such as Sytrinol, Policosanol, Potassium, Pectin, and Niacin.

Sytrinol are known to be useful in helping maintain a healthy cholesterol level in the body by reducing triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.

Policosanol is a natural supplement derived from sugar cane. Policosanol promotes healthy platelet function and helps to maintain normal cholesterol levels in the human body.

Potassium may help prevent high blood pressure and protect against artherosclerosis and reduce the risk of stroke.

Pectin limits the amount of cholesterol the body can absorb. High pectin count in apples may be why "One a day keeps the doctor away".

If you are at risk from Heart Disease then find a good health care professional prior to starting any type of home treatment.

Niacin is the closest thing available to a perfect treatment that corrects most causes of coronary heart disease. Niacin blocks the release of fatty acids from fat cells. Niacin plays a critical role in energy production, gene expression, and hormone synthesis. You cannot live without it. Niacin also tends to shift LDL particle distribution to larger particle size and improve HDL functioning. The intake of 3 grams Niacin for as little as two weeks can reduce serum cholesterol by 26 percent.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Heart Disease: Know your Risks

This supplement formula is designed to target common heart problems. Recovery and prevention are addressed with known antioxidants. All-natural ingredients have been included to provide effective support; for example, hawthorn, which improves coronary artery blood flow and strengthens of the contractions of the heart muscle; and garlic, which has been proven to lower atherosclerosis and also helps to lower cholesterol levels and excessive platelet adhesion.

Heart disease(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Heart-Disease.html) is a wide-encompassing category that includes all conditions that affect the heart and the blood vessels. Until age 50, men are at greater risk than women of developing heart disease, though once a woman enters menopause, her risk triples.

Many people with cardiovascular disease have elevated or high cholesterol levels. Low HDL cholesterol (known as the "good" cholesterol) and high LDL cholesterol (known as the "bad" cholesterol) are more specifically linked to cardiovascular disease than is total cholesterol.3 A blood test, administered by most healthcare professionals, is used to determine cholesterol levels.

Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) of the vessels that supply the heart with blood is the most common cause of heart attacks. Atherosclerosis and high cholesterol usually occur together, though cholesterol levels can change quickly and atherosclerosis generally takes decades to develop.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and the risk increases as blood pressure rises. Glucose intolerance and diabetes constitute separate risk factors for heart disease. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease caused by hypertension.

Abdominal fat, or a "beer belly," versus fat that accumulates on the hips, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attack. Overweight individuals are more likely to have additional risk factors related to heart disease, specifically hypertension, high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and diabetes.

What are the symptoms of Heart Disease(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Heart-Disease.html)?

People with heart disease(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Heart-Disease.html) may not have any symptoms at all. If symptoms are present, they may include difficulty in breathing during exertion as well as when lying down; fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting, depression, memory problems, confusion, frequent waking during sleep, chest pain, an awareness of the heartbeat, sensations of fluttering or pounding in the chest, swelling around the ankles, or a large abdomen.

Main Function

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Many risk factors are associated with heart disease; most can be managed, but some cannot. Many people with heart disease have elevated cholesterol levels or high blood pressure. Atherosclerosis of the vessels that supply the heart with blood is the most common cause of heart attacks. Atherosclerosis and high cholesterol usually occur together, though cholesterol levels can change quickly and atherosclerosis generally takes decades to develop. Garlic has been proven to lower atherosclerosis and it also helps to lower cholesterol levels and excessive platelet adhesion. CoQ10 is an antioxidant that has been shown to support heart health as well as lower blood pressure.

Ingredients Description

Garlic has been proven to lower atherosclerosis as well as lower cholesterol levels and excessive platelet adhesion. Magnesium may regulate heart rhythm and reduce blood clots. CoQ10 is an antioxidant that has been shown to support heart health and lower blood pressure. The Vitamin B Complex promotes energy metabolism. Cayenne increases blood circulation. N-Acetyl L-Cysteine, L-Glutathione Reduced, Vitamin C and Selenium work together in absorbing free radicals from the system. Hawthorn is beneficial for the heart system

The Neglected Tropical Diseases

Do these diseases sound familiar to you...leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, or trachoma? If you answered no, do not feel bad because many individuals rarely hear about these tropical diseases anymore. The reason is that industrialized countries do not usually have to deal with these diseases. They are the diseases that still ravage poor countries.

Poor countries have little money to make known their plight to the rest of the world. To make the voices of despair heard around the world the Neglected Tropical Disease Coalition (NTDC) was formed. The NTDC is made up of individual disease alliances, as well as international agencies, their corporate partners, interested academic institutions, some faith-based groups, and also non-governmental organizations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and also the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify diseases that are "targets of opportunity" with the purpose of improving global health.

The six diseases mentioned earlier are being targeted to help control or to eliminate the diseases altogether. What will make this possible is the joint effort of all the participants in NTDC to cooperate with scientific breakthroughs and corporate philanthropic efforts to fund research and treatment programs.

Success can almost be seen in the treatment of trachoma in Morocco and leprosy has declined globally. When disease is irradiated in these countries, the citizens become more productive and the global economy improves. This is why all countries industrial or poor should care about these neglected tropical diseases.

Improved economies have an impact on the global economy because of world trade. Financial impact and the health of local residents is not the only concern. International travelers, many those who are called to serve are also greatly at risk to contract these neglected tropical diseases.

These neglected tropical diseases not only have an impact on the citizens of the poor countries where they are found, but any individual traveling to those countries are at risk for exposure to these tropical diseases including missionaries, and also volunteers with the peace corps. These individuals deserve the opportunity to serve without being exposed to these neglected diseases.

The statistics are sad and should be alarming to everyone. 3 billion children, women and men are at risk from these 6 neglected tropical diseases. 350 million individuals have already been disabled or impaired severely by exposure to these neglected tropical diseases.

The cost to work productivity is $10 billion annually or more. This loss represents revenue that could have boosted the country out of poverty and enabled it to become productive in the global economy.

The ability to diagnose, treat and even prevent these 6 diseases exists; the goal to eliminate these diseases is real. There are low or no-cost medications available from four of the major pharmaceutical companies, namely - GlaxoSmithKline,Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis, and Pfizer who have already donated drugs and cash support.

Treatment intervals that are community based is possible which will offer the ability to combine treatments that will be more cost effective and have a greater impact on more of the population. The cost for community-wide treatment of these six diseases ranges from just a few cents to a few dollars per individual.

There are in existence the tools, local and national support to rid these countries of the diseases. Even though tools and opportunity exist to address the issue of neglected tropical diseases, it remains the responsibility of individuals, corporations and countries to take action.

Introduction And Definition Of Disease

Disease is the term used for any condition or tendency that hampers the normal functioning of the body. In general, human beings refer the term 'disease' to any condition that causes uneasiness, dysfunction etc. The study of diseases is called pathology. Also, the classification of diseases is called Nosology.

Diseases can be classified based on the cause or the mechanism by which the disease is caused.

There are various factors that cause disease. They are classified as:

 Intrinsic factor - Disease caused due to the abnormalities existing within the body. They include genetic defects, stress-related diseases, autoimmune disorders, nutritional defects etc.

 Extrinsic factor - Disease caused due to environmental conditions. An example for extrinsic factor may be passive smoking.

There are also other factors that cause diseases they are social, psychological, chemical and biological. These factors may fall into intrinsic or extrinsic factors. For example, when it comes to cigarette smoking the smoke released contains chemical substances that causes diseases to the smoker as well as the neighboring person. This is called either chemical factor or extrinsic factor.

When harmful germs or microbes (like bacteria, viruses and protozoa) enter the human body, they multiply and cause diseases, the human body is said to have an infection.

Infections are classified as

Infectious disease
 Non-infectious disease

Infectious diseases are those diseases that transmit from one person to another. These diseases are transmitted through air, insect bites, infected injections, contaminated water or food and sometimes through blood transfusion. These diseases can also be called as contagious or communicable diseases. To avoid spreading of this type of disease it is advised to take the appropriate medicines that fight the germs that cause them. Also, it is better to stay away from person during the time when the disease can be spread.

Non-infectious diseases are those diseases that do not transmit from one person to another. Examples of non-infectious disease are diabetes, stress-related disease etc.

The nine most expensive diseases in the US according to an article in Forbes, based on the research performed by Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) are:

Diseases Annual Cost
Heart Conditions (this excludes hypertension and elevated cholesterol) $68 billion
Trauma $56 billion
Cancer $48 billion
Mental Illness $48 billion
Respiratory Ailments $45 billion
Hypertension $32.5 billion
Arthritis And Joint Disorders $32 billion
Diabetes $28 billion
Back Problems $23 billion

The research further provides with the fast growing diseases in the US. Some of the diseases listed in the research are:

 Esophageal Disorders

The cost per patients has come down whereas the number of people diagnosed with heartburn and related disorders have increased by 509% to 10 million between 1997 and 1996-2002.

 High Cholesterol

The number of people diagnosed with High Cholesterol has increased by 145% to 19 million.

 Hemorrhoids

The number of people increased by only 23% to 1.2 million.

 Anxiety Disorders

The number of patients treated for anxiety has doubled to 12 million over five years.

 Breast Cancer

The number of cases rose 65% to 1.2 million.

Understanding Child Heart Disease

Heart disease is a disorder, which affect the proper functioning of the heart. Child heart disease is common affecting many newborn and older children. This article examines the various child heart diseases and their treatment.

Congenital Heart Disease

Heart disease is a serious ailment and often leads to premature death. Many children can also suffer from heart disease. Child heart disease is actually quite a common worldwide. When a child is born with an existing defect in the heart, it is called congenital heart disease. Congenital heart disease is fairly. It affects almost one percent of all newborn.

Often, the first diagnosis of child heart disease is made during routine examination when the pediatrician detects heart murmur. Heart murmur is the noise that the blood makes as it flows through the heart. Heart murmurs are fairly common in children. It is not necessarily a sign of child heart disease.

If a heart murmur is due to a problem in a child's heart, it is caused either by a hole in the heart, a leaky heart valve, or constricted heart valve. To confirm the diagnosis, an examination by a pediatric cardiologist is necessary. Pediatric specializes in child heart disease.

Abnormalities of the heart may or may not be noticeable at birth. For example, a hole in the heart wall will allows blood to travel from one side to the other. In such case, the baby may have blue lips or fingers. This is one of the signs of child heart disease.

Another example of child heart disease is an abnormal heart valve, which allow blood to flow in the opposite direction. Such a problem will usually require surgery once the child is older.

Congenital heart disease must be treated promptly or it will lead to more serious complications. Hence, early detection is important. Unfortunately, many heart defects are not detected at birth resulting in more damage to the heart and requiring more extensive treatment.

Some forms of congenital heart disease are actually self-healing. However, in many cases, major surgery will be required to rectify the problems.

While there are risks associated with surgery, the chances of full recovery and a normal life are very high. So the situation is not hopeless.

Connection between Premature Infants and Heart Disease

A baby is considered premature if born before 37 weeks. Most premature babies are born with some form of heart problem. A premature infant's organs are also not fully developed, and thus require special care in a nursery or intensive care unit while their organ systems continue growth.

Although there is no sure way to avoid premature labor, one of the most important preventive measures to receive proper prenatal care. Statistics show that proper prenatal care greatly reduces the odds of premature birth and related deaths.

The pregnant mother should also maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, keep well hydrated and have at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.

Hereditary Heart Disease

Hereditary heart disease refers to heart disease, which is passed down through genes. It is not preventable. If one has a history of heart disease in the family then one is at risk of hereditary heart disease.

The risk is greater when first-degree relatives, such as your mother, father, brother, sister and so on, have heart disease.

In rare cases, high cholesterol level runs in the family. This is called familial hypercholesterolaemia. It is a genetic problem, which results in exceptionally high level of cholesterol. As a result, there is a high of heart disease.

Hereditary heart disease is caused by various factors. Sometimes, it is merely a pattern of heart disease rather than true hereditary heart disease. These are actually avoidable. For example, the family lifestyle such as poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking. All of these factors contribute to heart disease and can be the start of the chain of hereditary heart disease. In such cases, changing these risk factors will reduce the likelihood of heart disease. This means eating a proper well-balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise, as well as avoids smoking and excessive drinking.

By living a healthy lifestyle, it is possible to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, even if one's genes are predispose to heart disease.

The Most Common Rose Diseases

Rose is the queen of flowers. It is gorgeous and wonderful but is one of weakest plants, too. Rose is always damaged by diseases and pests. And if you have rose in your garden, here is the information you should know.

Common rose diseases vary by area, as the fungi which cause many of them are affected by temperature and moisture. Some of the most common rose diseases are Black Spot Disease, Powdery Mildew, Rust, and Rose Mosaic.

While rose diseases do not always kill rose plants, they often affect the leaves and make it more difficult for the rose to survive in the winter. Step-by-step sowing instructions:

Black Spot Disease

This disease, as its name implies, appears as black spots on the upper surfaces of the rose’s leaves. It is caused by a fungus, which is allowed to propagate in moisture, which can come from rain or watering over the leaves instead of down at the soil. It can also be caught from other diseased plants, as the fungus can spread through fallen leaves, or even through composting of diseased leaves and stems. It causes most diseased leaves to drop off early, but survives through the winter on any leaves that manage to stay on the rose. It can also survive through the winter on the stem.

Rust

This disease is not harmful at low levels, merely causing small orange growths on the underside of leaves. At higher levels, leaves begin to be damaged, which can damage the plant since the leaves are the part of the plant that produces energy.

Powdery Mildew

This disease is different from other common rose diseases, as Powdery Mildew does not need water. This growth, which resembles a white powder, occurs on the top and bottoms of leaves and on stems. In the summer, if roses are free of any fungi caused disease, Powdery Mildew can simply be hosed off of affected roses and thus, can be easy to take care of.

Rose Mosaic

This viral disease does not kill plants. Many rose gardeners do not need to deal with this disease, as all it does it cause splotches, often yellow and green, to appear on leaves.
There are many other rose diseases, and which ones are the most common in each area changes depending on the weather in that area. Ask for free gardening advice from neighbors, friends, and fellow rose growers, or pick up one of the many books available on growing roses.

To avoid getting rose disease, start by buying disease free plants from the garden supply store. There are also many disease resistant variants of roses, which while still susceptible to disease, are at least less likely to become diseased.

Once a plant is diseased, there are many gardening tips available as to how to deal with these. An easy gardening tip is simply to prune away the affected areas.

Be careful not to leave any diseased leaves on the ground, and don’t put the diseased leaves and stems into compost, as compost does not always reach the temperature need to kill the fungi, and when the compost is used, the fungi will spread to the roses again. To help prevent reoccurrence of the disease, or an occurrence of any other disease, keep the rose beds clean. Clear away fallen leaves and pull any weeds.

These common rose diseases should not be too much of a gardening problem for any rose gardener, as, with early detection, they can easily be destroyed without the death of the entire rose bush and gard