Wednesday 19 September 2007 at 2:27 pm
The harmful health effects of tobacco smoking have long been recognized.
It is a self-inflicted human disease. Cigarette smoking is probably the largest single avoidable cause of death in the industrialized world. Lung cancer is now the most common cause of cancer deaths in men of most Western countries. In a recent survey of the trend in mortality from cancer in the USA it has been estimated that upto 90% of all such deaths could be attributed to potentially avoidable factors, namely tobacco, alcohol, diet, reproductive and sexual behavior, occupation, pollution and geographical features.
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Friday 14 September 2007 at 6:53 pm
Cholesterol is a waxy substance present in animal fats and oils. Cholesterol in moderate quantities is essential to maintain a healthy body.
In excess quantities, the deposits of cholesterol narrow the channels of the blood vessels. It reduces the blood flow to vital organs like heart and brain, which are the causes of heart attack and stroke (paralysis).
High cholesterol levels can run in families or can be hereditary.
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Wednesday 12 September 2007 at 11:38 am
When we use drug treatment we usually have an even higher demand for essential nutrients.
In an ideal world we get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients we need from the food we eat. Unfortunately the world is no longer perfect and we have little control over potential toxins and anti-nutrients, in our water, processed food and even the air we breathe. For this reason we need to support our bodies with extra nutrients, to provide us with the necessary firepower to deal with everything life throws at us and keep us in optimal health.
Almost 100% of my customers who I speak to about diet tell me "I eat a really good diet with lots of fruit & veggies". I'd like a dollar for each time I hear that line. In reality most of us eat a typical western diet high in simple carbohydrates, saturated fats, processed foods and low in fresh produce particularly raw. The richest source of good nutrients is uncooked fruit and vegetables - how much of this did you eat yesterday?
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Thursday 06 September 2007 at 5:49 pm
Influenza, also called flu, is a respiratory infection caused by a variety of influenza viruses. Outbreaks of flu usually begin abruptly and sweep through entire communities. A national epidemic is common every year between November and March. The risk for a flu outbreak is greatest where there are large numbers of people gathered, such as in schools, nursing homes, shopping malls, or at work.
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Monday 03 September 2007 at 5:08 pm
Allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes)
is characterized by repeated sneezing, watery rhinorrhea
(runny nose), nasal congestion (stuffy nose), postnasal drainage,
lacrimation (watery eyes), and pruritus of the nose, eyes, ears, and
palate. It is the result of a hypersensitivity response mediated by
immunoglobulin E (IgE) to airborne allergens (antigens) or nonspecific
irritants (e.g., tobacco smoke).
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Wednesday 25 July 2007 at 11:10 am
Venlafaxine should only be started by psychiatrists and medical practitioners with a
special interest in mental health for patients whose depression has failed to respond to
adequate trials of two other antidepressants. Patients are more likely to stop treatment
due to side effects and withdrawal symptoms occur more commonly with venlafaxine
than some other SSRIs. It can increase the QT interval so an ECG and blood pressure
measurements should be undertaken before starting treatment. Regulatory action based
on this advice is subject to an appeal.
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Monday 09 July 2007 at 4:39 pm
Sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil are phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors licensed for the
treatment of erectile dysfunction in the presence of sexual stimulation. There is no evidence
of any clinically important differences in efficacy between these agents. Sildenafil has a
good safety profile based on substantial patient years of experience. Tadalafil has a longer
half life than sildenafil. Patient preference is likely to influence treatment selection.
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Wednesday 04 July 2007 at 4:25 pm
Rosuvastatin calcium is a synthetic lipid-lowering agent that
inhibits HMG-CoA reductase.
Rosuvastatin modifies lipid levels by
increasing the number of hepatic LDL receptors to enhance uptake
and catabolism of LDL and by inhibiting hepatic synthesis of
VLDL, thus reducing the total number of VLDL and LDL particles.
Rosuvastatin calcium is a white amorphous powder that is
hydrophilic and sparingly soluble in water and methanol. Figure
2 shows the chemical structure of rosuvastatin.
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Friday 29 June 2007 at 08:37 am
Rimonabant (Acomplia) is a selective cannabinoid-1 receptor antagonist for the treatment of obesity in
adults. In clinical trials, one year's treatment with rimonabant 20 mg/day in conjunction with diet and
exercise significantly reduced body weight compared with placebo. In patients with dyslipidaemia or
hypertension this was associated with improvements in lipid levels (but not LDL-cholesterol), fasting
glucose and insulin resistance, and in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with
metformin or sulfonylurea, treatment with rimonabant was associated with improvements in HbA
1C.
Adverse effects included nausea, dizziness, anxiety, depression, diarrhoea and insomnia. It is not known
how rimonabant compares with established treatments for obesity and overweight. There is no data on
maintenance of weight loss or cost effectiveness of this treatment. Lifestyle changes and more established
drug treatments should remain preferred options before the use of rimonabant is considered.
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Friday 22 June 2007 at 7:06 pm
Paroxetine is indicated for the treatment of GAD.
Normal anxiety or tension associated with the stress of
everyday life usually does not require treatment with medication.
Paroxetine also is indicated for the treatment of depression, OCD,
panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder and has been studied for
the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. These disorders are
common in patients with GAD.
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