Like every organ in your body, your eyes need good blood flow to bring oxygen and nutrients to nourish their tissues and to carry away waste products. High cholesterol deposits can block the blood vessels that feed your eyes and serious medical...
Hyperlipidemia, also called hyperlipoproteinemia, is a condition that occurs when an elevated level of fats or lipids consisting of cholesterol, cholesterol compounds, phospholipids and triglycerides enter the bloodstream. Once inside the...
Parkinson's disease describes a degenerative neurological condition characterized by tremors, rigidity, impaired balance and bradykinesia---a slowness of movement. Parkinson's disease occurs when nerve cells in the brain stem responsible for...
Parkinson's disease occurs when nerve cells in the base of the brain, the area known as the brain stem, become damaged due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The major symptoms of Parkinson's disease include tremors, rigidity,...
Methionine is an essential amino acid, meaning it is a protein building block you must consume in your diet because your body is unable to synthesize it. Part of the reason methionine is required in your diet is due to its ability to convert to...
At room temperature, nitric oxide is a toxic gas, so it might seem surprising that this poisonous compound could play any part in normal human physiology. Remarkably enough, however, your body actually uses nitric oxide in several different...
Small vessel disease, a disease that affects the blood flow through the brain, describes the most prevalent neurological disorder of the brain, according to the American Stroke Association. The risk of developing small vessel disease increases...
Much controversy exists regarding the role of vitamins and minerals in preventing Alzheimer's disease. A healthy diet -- one that incorporates all the essential nutrients -- is still a foundation for healthy living, but after age 50, doctor's...
Angiography describes a minimally invasive diagnostic procedure to examine blood vessels throughout the body. Doctors use angiography to visualize blood flow through the lungs, kidneys, brain and heart. An angiography performed to specifically see...
Plaque is a substance made up of fat, cholesterol and calcium that builds up in the coronary arteries that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood, according to the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute. A buildup of plaque increases risk of...
According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease accounted for one out of every 2.9 deaths in the United States in 2006. Poor lifestyle and eating choices have dramatically increased the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and high...
High density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol collects and transports excess fats from the blood to the liver for storage and disposal. Maintaining a healthy concentration of HDL is one of the hallmarks of health, and the National Institutes of...
Millions of people worldwide drink tea, making it the most consumed beverage after water. Tea is classified according to its length of fermentation. Green tea is not fermented, giving rise to the abundance of antioxidants it possesses over black...
Trypsin and chymotrypsin are both proteases--enzymes that degrade proteins by breaking chemical bonds at specific sites, a process called proteolysis. The primary difference is that trypsin targets the bond between amino acids lysine and serine or...
The body makes approximately 75 percent of circulating blood cholesterol; the other 25 percent is derived from dietary intake, according to the American Heart Association. Cholesterol supports many functions in the body, including hormone...
Most Americans are not in a ketosis state because of their high carbohydrate intake. The word "ketosis" indicates that your body burns fat as its main source of energy, producing ketone bodies as a by-product. Ketosis is not dangerous, and diets...
High density lipoprotein, or HDL, is a form of cholesterol that gathers excessive fats and transports them to the liver for storage and disposal. The National Institutes of Health Guidelines call for target concentrations of 40 to 82 mg per...
