A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, is typically caused by a complete blockage of one or more of the arteries supplying blood to your heart. The interruption in blood flow causes damage to that part of the heart, which can be...
Enzymes can assist many functions in the human body, including repairing or healing of tissues, provision of cellular energy, nutrient digestion and support of brain functions. When you exercise, enzyme levels and activity may change in response...
Your muscles use many enzymes to control the chemical reactions that make them able to function. The same enzymes are present in your heart muscle and the skeletal muscles that make you able to move your body. When these muscles become damaged by...
The cardiac, or heart, muscle is responsible for generating the pressures that help circulate blood throughout the body. In the cardiac muscle, proteins are needed for muscle contraction; such proteins include the filaments, troponin, CPK-MB and...
The skeletal muscle and other specialized muscle tissues, namely smooth and cardiac, contain various protein-based substances that help the muscle fibers function at the cellular level. These protein-based substances, also known as enzymes,...
When you exercise, your body produces enzymes that participate in the process of muscle contraction, relaxation, strengthening and conditioning. Since they also serve other functions, measuring them can tell you, your doctor or your trainer other...
Your body needs triglycerides for energy, but high levels of triglycerides in the body over a long period of time can be damaging to your health. According to Mother Nature, high triglyceride levels are associated with low levels of the good...
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, your health care provider might ask you to have blood tests often referred to in aggregate as liver function tests, or LFTs. Normally, liver enzymes or proteins are only present in your...
The leading cause of death in the United States is cardiovascular disease. When a heart attack is suspected, early diagnosis is imperative, since therapy to stop a heart attack with clot-busting drugs or stent placement are most effective within...
Muscle function at the cellular level relies on biochemical reactions, and these reactions in turn rely on proteins called enzymes in order to proceed rapidly and efficiently. Because exercise results in some degree of muscle breakdown, enzymes...
Testing levels of various substances in the blood can provide information about how the liver is functioning and whether it is currently sustaining damage. These blood tests are collectively referred to as liver function tests, or LFTs. LFTs can...
Enzymes are specialized proteins in your body that support life by vastly increasing the speed of a wide range of basic chemical reactions. Your liver contains three prominent enzymes that can appear in elevated amounts in your bloodstream when...
Your body's muscle tissue contains several enzymes, which are catalysts that cause chemical reactions. Your muscles require chemical reactions to supply them with energy, help them repair damage and help them function. High muscle enzymes in your...
Cherimoya, known scientifically as Annona cherimola, is an evergreen shrub or tree that grows naturally in South America's Andean highlands. Herbalists in the areas of its natural cultivation value cherimoya for its medicinal properties, which are...
As medicine and science begin to better embrace the basic vitamins and minerals our bodies need for good health, there are often reports about these nutritional supplements being a treatment or cure for new conditions and diseases. Vitamin B12 has...
Lithium carbonate, more commonly just called lithium, is a medication used to treat bipolar disorder. The older term for bipolar disorder is manic-depressive illness. Lithium decreases both the frequency and the intensity of the manic phase of the...
Absolute LDL levels are not the only factor to consider when determining cardiovascular risk. When discussing the health of an individual, you must always consider the LDL:HDL ratio. This is ultimately what determines how much free LDL is...
The word "cholesterol" may bring to mind heart problems, stroke and peripheral artery disease, but cholesterol kept at the right level is vital to the body. Cholesterol produces cell membranes; synthesizes bile acids, Vitamin D and hormones like...
The liver is a crucial organ. It is about the size of a football and is located on the right side of the abdomen under the rib cage. It helps to digest food, absorb nutrients and remove toxins. While it is usually able to heal itself after...
When your body converts glucose, a sugar, into energy, pyruvate is formed. One molecule of glucose breaks down into two molecules of pyruvate, and these molecules are used to provide further energy to the cells. Pyruvate unites multiple metabolic...
Azithromycin is an antibiotic sometimes prescribed for certain bacterial infections, including respiratory infections and certain sexually transmitted diseases. Although a small study of 20 subjects published in 1993 in the "Journal of...
The body performs myriad chemical reactions in order to support itself. Many of the chemical reactions are assisted by enzymes. An enzyme is a type of protein that acts like a machine to change the structure of molecules. Some tissue types have a...
Asacol treats an inflammatory chronic condition called ulcerative colitis. Asacol relieves the inflammatory process that occurs in the colon and rectum with ulcerative colitis and can lead to remission. Ulcerative colitis complications cause...
Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium, the sac that surrounds the heart. Chest pain is a common symptom with pericarditis that can mimic the pain seen with heart attacks. Distinguishing pericarditis from a heart attack requires...
The blood is composed of cellular and liquid portions. Red blood cells, also known as erythrocytes, carry oxygen. A condition of lower red blood cell counts is called anemia, a condition that can cause weakness, fatigue and pale skin. Anemia is...
Liver function test refers to a group of tests that screen the blood for enzymes and proteins produced in the liver. By determining the level of these substances, this group of tests can determine the presence of liver disease or damage. An...
The liver serves many metabolic functions, including the production of enzymes, which are chemicals that help reactions occur in the body. Inflammation or other conditions that affect the liver can cause these enzymes to leak out into the...
When you suffer a heart attack, medically termed a myocardial infarction, damage occurs to certain parts of your heart muscle, weakening its ability to pump. Damaged muscle allows enzymes to leak from the muscle into your bloodstream. Testing your...
Elevated liver enzymes may indicate liver damage or inflammation. Liver injury results in the leakage of enzymes called aminotransferases, which include alanine aminotransferase, or ALT, and aspartate aminotransferase, or AST. These enzymes are...
