Your skin produces vitamin D from cholesterol and ultraviolet light. The resulting vitamin D is inactive and must be activated by the liver and kidneys before it can be used by the body. Vitamin D exerts a variety of effects throughout your body,...
The American Heart Association recommends all adults get 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. People experiencing numbness and shortness of breath during exercise may simply be out of shape. It may also be a sign of a more serious ailment...
Stress is your physical and mental response to increasing demands in life. It can be chronic or acute, depending on the situation. Stress can have both positive and negative effects on the body. It can be motivating and cause increased energy, or...
Cells normally divide in a controlled fashion that supports the needs of the body. Unchecked cell growth that can invade neighboring tissues and spread through the body is called cancer. Cancer cells that get into blood or lymphatic channels and...
Ejaculation is the emission of semen, a mixture of fluids and sperm, from the male reproductive tract. Generally the result of physical or mental sexual stimulation, ejaculation accompanies almost all orgasms, though some men achieve orgasm...
All sterols have the potential to elicit beneficial and adverse effects. Sterols are organic compounds found naturally in animals, plants, and fungi and are essential for their growth and development. Cholesterol is the most renowned animal...
Chronic liver damage can result in the replacement of normal liver tissue with non-functioning scar tissue. Advanced liver damage is called cirrhosis, and glucose intolerance is a common feature of this condition. An article in the January 2009...
Diabetes is characterized by insufficient production of insulin and insulin resistance of skeletal muscle cells. Diabetes drugs help manage levels of blood glucose, a sugar used by the body for energy. Edema is swelling of the hands, arms, feet...
A urinalysis is very useful for determining if there are any diseases that involve the urinary tract. It can even be used to monitor the status of some diseases. Certain congenital disorders, toxins, medications, infections, injuries and diseases...
Vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is not found in any plant sources, but only animal-sources. This is why a strict vegetarian is at risk for developing a vitamin B-12 deficiency. The vitamin binds to a protein called intrinsic factor, which is...
Colorectal carcinoma, or colon cancer, is a deadly disease that affects upwards of 135,000 and kills more than 55,000 patients per year, according to an article in the March 2005 "Clinics in Laboratory Medicine." Protocols such as rectal exams and...
Lipid metabolism is your body's way of using a broad array of substances such as fat and cholesterol for several important cellular functions. Diabetes is linked to problems with lipid metabolism because the hormone insulin is involved in starting...
Red blood cells take oxygen from the lungs and distribute it to all of the tissues and organs in the body. Having less red blood cells, therefore, means having less oxygen. With an abnormally low number of these blood cells, people become anemic....
Gluten is a protein found in a large variety of foods. Gluten is classically associated with celiac disease, which is characterized by gastrointestinal discomfort and poor nutrient absorption. A small percentage of people with celiac disease may...
Tylenol is an over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic; that is, a pain reducer and fever reducer. Tylenol is the North American trade name for the active ingredient acetaminophen. The use of Tylenol is contraindicated in individuals with...
Some medications are nephrotoxic, which means that they have an elevated risk for harming the kidneys. In the worst case, the drug causes kidney failure, while in other cases, the kidneys are damaged, but don't fail. The most common nephrotoxic...
Contrary to popular belief, fatigue is not the same as sleepiness, MayoClinic.com notes. Fatigue is often accompanied by a desire to sleep, as well as a lack of motivation to do anything else. Fatigue can be a symptom of several health conditions...
The liver is located in the upper right area of the abdomen. The organ is responsible for many functions, all of which are vital in order to maintain a healthy body. An unhealthy liver cannot perform its functions properly. Depending on its...
The formation of fatty deposits in your arteries can lead to the development of atherosclerosis, commonly called hardening of the arteries. The risk factors for this condition include not only a diet high in cholesterol and fat, but obesity, high...
Fatty liver is a progression that starts out as a simple build-up of extra fat cells in your liver and can advance to liver failure. About 1 percent of American adults have fatty liver disease due to excessive alcohol consumption and about 30...
The Atkins diet focuses on restricting carbohydrate count and increasing protein to generate weight loss. The Atkins diet is used as a way to switch your body’s fat-burning mode to use stored fat for energy. While the Atkins diet does not...
Amino acids are used by the cells to make substances such as DNA, RNA, collagen, enzymes and the various structural parts of the cells. DL-phenylalanine is one form of phenylalanine, one of the amino acids. If this amino acid accumulates, it can...
Thyroxine is one of the main hormones released by the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located in the neck and is regulated by factors released from the brain. Thyroid hormones such as thyroxine are necessary for proper development and...
Glucocorticoids are a type of steroid hormone that is made and released from an area within the adrenal gland. Cortisol is the main glucocorticoid, and it affects many areas within the human body and has many effects on metabolism, as well. In...
Normally, there is a balance between the formation of clots and their destruction. But there are times when that balance is not maintained. Cancer, infections, atherosclerosis, certain medications and injury can all cause blood clots to be formed....
Motor neurons are nerves that send signals to the muscles. In motor neuron diseases, there are fewer nerves to send these signals. Infants with motor neuron disease have a hard time breathing, sucking and even swallowing. Their muscles and tongue...
Hypothyroidism describes the medical disorder in which the thyroid gland does not secrete its hormone, resulting in several effects on the metabolism. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a liver disorder that can develop as a result of...
Your body is an amazing machine; most of what it needs to function properly is automatic, such as sending signals to nerves and muscles by your brain, the beating of blood through your heart and the flow of air through your lungs. If healthy, your...
Low blood pressure, or hypotension, affects people of all ages. Older adults, for example, remain more likely to have low blood pressure than younger adults, according to a February 1995 report in the “Annals of Internal Medicine.”...
