Homocysteine levels high enough to cause adverse health effects are considered dangerous. Homocysteine is a metabolite of methionine, an amino acid. Under normal circumstances it is harmless; however, high levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Your body uses B vitamins to keep homocysteine levels in a safe range. Your physician can perform and interpret a homocysteine test to determine whether your levels are dangerously high.
The human body has a rapid and effective mechanism to deal with the unexpected loss of blood. Called coagulation, or blood clotting, this process depends on a series of events and the presence of several different proteins, enz...
More than half a million Americans suffer from kidney stones every year, according to 2011 information from the National Kidney Foundation. A kidney stone is made from chemicals in the urine such as calcium, oxalate, urate or ...
Blood clots have been linked to numerous health complications, including Alzheimer's, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. If you are overweight or obese and have factor V Leiden, a few simple alterations to your diet ...
The same guidelines apply to conditions like Meniere's, which affect the ear and the ear canals. Be aware of the benefits and risk factors of of exercise on Meniere's for your optimal health and wellness.
The main treatment for endometritis is antibiotics, although on rare occasions surgery may be necessary to treat the condition. Endometritis is the inflammation or irritation of the uterine wall lining. It can be caused by an i...
Alzheimer's disease is a devastating, progressive brain disease that erodes memory and other cognitive skills. Eventually, persons with Alzheimer's lose the ability to recognize family, speak or do simple tasks. According to th...
Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder that results in degeneration of neurons in certain areas of the brain. Early signs include clumsiness, uncontrolled movements and difficulties maintaining balance. Huntington's progr...
Intelligence is one of the most mysterious attributes of human nature. Intelligence, as measured by the IQ test, means how much you are able to learn, rather than how much you have actually learned. Psychologists are divided on...
A laryngectomy is usually done to treat cancer of the larynx, or rarely done to treat damage of the larynx due to trauma. "Perspectives in Nursing" reports that in United States, about 12,300 new cases of laryngeal cancer are d...
Amebiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Entamoeba histolytica, a type of amoeba. Dysentery resulting from this infection, called amoebic or amebic dysentery, is a more severe form of amebiasis. Mos...
It describes conditions leading to chest pain, heart attacks and stroke, all of which share the same risk factors. Some of these factors are within a person's control, others are not.
The disease does not have a cure. The biggest risk factor for developing Parkinson's is age, but exposure to pesticides and herbicides have also been implicated and a small percentage of people, less than 5 percent, are genetic...
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is the end stage of the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, infection that weakens the immune system. While no cure is available, knowing the risk factors for this disease can redu...
Alzheimer's disease is a devastating neuro-degenerative disorder characterized by the death of nerve cells within the brain. Progressive cell death leads to memory loss, changes in personality and behavior, loss of motor functi...
The symptoms result from a lack of the chemical messenger dopamine in the brain and progress as the areas of the brain that produce dopamine accrue further damage. Doctors do not know exactly what prompts the brain changes in P...
If you have Parkinson's disease or PD, the structure in your brain that produces dopamine becomes damaged. While there is currently no cure for PD, in some cases the progression of this disease can be slowed if caught early eno...
It tends to get worse with time and it is fatal. Alzheimer's causes a loss of memory, behavioral problems and eventually a loss of independence. In some cases it progresses slowly while in others the progression is fast. Many o...
The causes of this disease are not well understood. There is some evidence, however, that points to risk factors that may influence the development and progression of this debilitating disease.
Coronary disease can cause angina, heart failure or even a heart attack. It is caused by a buildup of plaque on the inner walls of the blood vessels, which can either decrease their elasticity or break off to form a clot. Often...
Alzheimer's, a type of dementia, is a progressive degenerative disease which causes a decline in cognitive and physical ability. The exact cause of Alzheimer's is unknown. However, multiple factors such as genetics, environment...
Trachoma is an infectious eye disease that is caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria. This condition is rare and not common in Western countries, but is prevalent in poor and remote areas in Africa, Asia, Central and Sout...
Symptoms can usually be controlled with lifestyle changes; however, patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease may require surgery. While the procedures are mainly safe, there are risk factors involved.
People who are refugees, homeless, or victims of a war situation or natural disaster are prone to contracting body lice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Unlike head lice, body lice are parasit...
Catching this disease before it can cause serious kidney damage involves knowing its risk factors so that a physician can regularly conduct tests to determine if kidney function has declined. The earlier this disease is detec...
There is no cure for COPD, and the disease progressively gets worse over time. However, treatment can help to control the symptoms. Risk factors include smoking, age and medical history, hereditary and environmental exposure to...
While the factors that causes Alzheimer's have yet to be determined, doctors and scientist believe it is a combination of lifestyle, genetics and environment.
Fuchs dystrophy is passed on from generation to generation. It is a disorder of the cornea, and it usually doesn't present until late in life. If you have any close relatives who have suffered from Fuchs dystrophy or other pec...
Individuals who have the surgery are (for whatever reason) far more likely to develop the condition than those who never do. If you're experiencing cataract problems that must be addressed by surgical means, and you believe you...
American Cancer Society statistics show that the average age of diagnosis for a child with inherited neuroblastoma is 9 months. However, the disease can also occur spontaneously without heredity, and this cannot be predicted o...
The origin of Kawasaki Disease has yet to be discovered, but there are some known risk factors that can help you recognize unfamiliar symptoms as Kawasaki related. The disease typically strikes children under the age of five a...
