Scleroderma is a disease that affects the skin and internal organs. The literal meaning of the word is "hard skin"; people with scleroderma experience a hardening and tightening of their skin. The inflammation and scarring associated with...
Phentermine is a supplement medication used along with diet and exercise to reduce weight when you are obese. The National Library of Medicine says that typical dosage is 37.5mg of phentermine (1 capsule) daily prior to breakfast or 1 to 2 hours...
Pulmonary hypertension is elevated blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs. The progressive injury from the elevated pressure results in an increase in the resistance inside the vessels. This is transmitted back to the heart and in the...
Glyburide is an anti-diabetic medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas still secretes insulin but not enough insulin is produced to aid the body in absorbing glucose. Glyburide stimulates the pancreas so it...
Pulmonary arteries carry blood from the heart to the lungs to get oxygen. Hypertension is elevated or high blood pressure. When the pressure becomes elevated in the pulmonary arteries, it is a condition called pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary...
Pulmonary heart disease, or cor pulmonale, is a condition where the right side of the heart fails, caused by long-term high pressure in the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries. In a normal heart, the right side pumps blood under lower pressure,...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a medical problem that consists of mainly two conditions: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The Mayo Clinic says that COPD is the leading cause of death globally. Specific symptoms of COPD include...
Pulmonary hypertension makes it very hard to breathe. This condition, known as PH or PAH, is a rare and potential life threatening disorder of the blood vessels in the lung that causes the pressure in the pulmonary artery to rise above the normal...
Sickle cell anemia is a condition in which there is an abnormally low red blood cell count, and these blood cells assume a sickled shape. Typically, red blood cells contain a pigment called hemoglobin that works to carry oxygen throughout the...
Orthopnea refers to a symptom in which shortness of breath occurs while lying down. This can cause people to awake in the middle of the night in order to catch their breath. Sometimes, orthopnea is a sign of an underlying medical problem. There...
The pulmonary (lung) circulation refers to a set of blood vessels composed of arteries, veins and capillaries (small blood vessels). Specifically, the pulmonary arteries lead to the lungs while the pulmonary veins leave the lungs. Sometimes, the...
Scleroderma is a chronic disease characterized by persistent inflammation, immune system attack on body tissues, blood vessel abnormalities and tissue scarring. Although scleroderma is a systemic (body-wide) disease, it manifests differently from...
The heart is an important cardiac muscle that beats within the center of the chest. It contains such major blood vessels as the coronary arteries and aorta. The heart also consists of an electrical pathway that determines the heart's exact rhythm....
Simvastatin, sold under the brand name Zocor, lowers cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, which decreases the risk of stroke, heart attack and other heart complications. Although taking simvastatin often proves beneficial for some...
The product Tri-Sprintec, which consists of the active ingredients norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol, prevents pregnancy, regulates the menstrual cycle and may be used to treat the symptoms of menopause. While it is always wise to use caution...