Gallstones attack

A main symptom of gallstones is called gallstone attack, in which a person will experience intense pain in the upper abdominal region that steadily increases for approximately twenty minutes to several hours. A victim may also encounter pain in the back, ordinarily between the shoulder blades, or pain under the right shoulder. Sometimes, vomiting or nausea may occur. In some cases, the pain actually develops in the lower region of the stomach, nearer to the pelvis, but this is less common. One way to alleviate this feeling is to drink a full glass of water at the start of an attack to regulate the bile in the gallbladder, but this does not work in all cases. Often, these attacks occur after a particularly fatty meal and almost always happen at night. Other symptoms include abdominal bloating, intolerance of fatty foods, belching, gas, and indigestion. If the above symptoms coincide with chills, lowgrade fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes, and/or clay-colored stool, a doctor should be consulted immediately. Some people who have gallstones are asymptomatic and do not feel any pain or discomfort. These gallstones are called "silent stones" and do not affect the gallbladder or other internal organs. They do not need treatment.

Gilbert's syndrome

Gilbert's syndrome is a common hereditary cause of increased bilirubin. The main symptom is jaundice caused by elevated levels of unconjugated bilirubin in the blood. Reasonable levels of bilirubin can be beneficial to the organism. Evidence is being gathered that suggests bilirubin can protect tissues against oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Statistical analysis of people with high normal or slightly elevated bilirubin levels in blood shows that they have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. In infants it is not very common for the spleen to destroy red blood cells faster than the liver can conjugate the bilirubin. The effect of this would be increased bilirubin levels in the blood plasma.

Orthostatic intolerance

Orthostatic intolerance occurs in some humans while standing upright. This action is a fundamental stressor and requires rapid and effective circulatory and neurologic compensations to maintain blood pressure, cerebral blood flow, and consciousness. When a human stands, approximately 750 mL of thoracic blood is abruptly translocated downward. People who suffer from orthostatic intolerance - OI lack the basic mechanisms to compensate for this deficit. Changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and cerebral blood flow that produce OI "may be related to abnormalities in the interplay between blood volume control, the cardiovascular system, the autonomic nervous system and local circulatory mechanisms that regulate these basic physiological functions.

Calcium supplements

There is debate going on about safety of calcium supplements. The study published in British Medical Journal claims that taking calcium increases the risk of heart attacks. One of the other studies was showing a 40 per cent increase in the risk of heart attacks from the women who took calcium. Calcium supplements are often prescribed by doctors and have long been associated with better bone health, with many international trials showing a regular intake of calcium helps to cut the risk of broken bones in the elderly by almost a quarter. However buildup of calcium in blood vessels and heart valves increases a person's risk of heart disease but until now, the relationship between dietary calcium and cardiovascular problems is remaining uncertain.

Jugular Venous Pulse

Jugular venous pulse also known as jugular venous pressure - JVP can only be assessed when the patient is lying down and is used to estimate the right atrial pressure. The elevated JVP is the sign of venous hypertension which relates to right-side heart failure.
There are number of conditions which can cause elevated jugular venous pressure including: bradycardia, constrictive pericarditis, fluid overload, hyperdynamic circulation, obstruction of the superior vena cava and tricuspid valve disease.

Arthritis pain quiz

How well are you controlling your arthritis symptoms?
But taking this simple online quiz:
www.mayoclinic.com/health/arthritis/QZ00060
you will find out if you're doing all you can to keep your arthritis pain under control. It is suggested that joints pain may have more of an emotional impact and stronger association with fear and distress since osteoarthritis pain is processed in areas of the brain that also control emotions and fear.

Rise in Atrial Fibrillation

The study conducted in Minnesota has revealed that incidence of atrial fibrillation rose about 12 percent between 1980 and 2000. "This is a major problem for our country," said Dr. Teresa Tsang, senior author of the study to be published in Circulation: Journal of The American Heart Association. "Unless we are able to prevent atrial fibrillation, it will exact a major toll on our healthcare resources in the coming years."
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two upper heart chambers (the atria). It is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm originating in the atria. Instead of the impulse traveling in an orderly fashion through the heart, many impulses begin and spread through the atria and compete for a chance to travel through the atrioventricular node. This causes a rapid and disorganized heartbeat.

The risk of developing atrial fibrillation increases with age. An individual may spontaneously alternate between AF and a normal rhythm (paroxysmal atrial fibrillation) or may continue with AF as the dominant cardiac rhythm without reversion to the normal rhythm (chronic atrial fibrillation). Atrial fibrillation is often asymptomatic, but may result in palpitations, fainting, chest pain, or even heart failure. These symptoms are especially common when atrial fibrillation results in a heart rate which is either too fast or too slow. In addition, the erratic motion of the atria leads to blood stasis which predisposes to blood clots which may travel from the heart to the brain and other areas. Thus, AF is an important risk factor for stroke, the most feared complication of atrial fibrillation.

Rhythm control medications (antiarrhythmic drugs) help return the heart to its normal sinus rhythm and later maintain normal sinus rhythm. There are several types of rhythm control medications, including: Quinidex (quinidine); Pronestyl (procainamide); Norpace (disopyramine); Toprol, Lopressor (metoprolol); Tambocor (flecainide acetate); Rythmol (propafenone); Betapace (sotalol); Tikosyn (dofetilide) and Cordarone (amiodarone). These medications are effective in around 50 percent of patients, but may lose their effectiveness over time.

HDL Cholesterol News

Merck & Co., Inc. is conducting a new study to see if an experimental drug that boosts HDL cholesterol can prevent heart attacks and strokes, possibly strengthening its position in the $25 billion cholesterol industry even as a key blockbuster teeters on the brink of patent expiration.
In the late-stage study, the experimental drug MK-0524A will be combined with niacin, a vitamin also known as B-3. Oxford University is coordinating the $78 million study and plans to recruit 20,000 patients from the United Kingdom, China and Scandinavia. "This is an important cardiovascular outcome study," said Merck spokeswoman Janet Skidmore. "It's going to determine whether this compound (MK-0524A) could prevent heart attacks and strokes."
The MK-0524A-niacin combination will be tested to see how much it increases high-density lipoprotein, known as HDL or good cholesterol because it seems to prevent heart attacks.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Restless legs syndrome (RLS, or Wittmaack-Ekbom's syndrome) is characterized by frequent leg movements and painful sensations in the body's extremities. In benign form the sensations may be caused by decreased blood flow through some vessels in the legs. But in more serious cases the painful sensations may be the result of nerve damage.
In 2005, The Food and Drug Administration approved ropinirole to treat moderate to severe Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). The drug was first approved for Parkinson's disease in 1997. In February 2006, the EU Scientific Committee issued a positive recommendation for approving pramipexole (Sifrol, Mirapexen in the EU) for the treatment of RLS in the EU. US FDA approval is expected sometime in 2006. Another dopamine agonist, rotigitine delivered via a transdermal patch, is currently in process for US FDA and EU approval for RLS.
Dopamine agonists (DAs) which are drugs that act like dopamine may cause augmentation. This is a medical condition where the drug itelf causes symptoms to increase in severity and occur earlier in the day. Dopamine agonists may also may cause rebound, when symptoms increase as the drug wears off.