Have you Heard of Rheumatic Heart Disease and Rheumatic Fever ?

Rheumatic heart disease(RHD) is a condition or illness which left untreated for longer time then, can cause permanent heart damage. This disease is observed in many countries of world, especially developing countries where poverty is widespread, as the most common acquired heart disease in children. Basically rheumatic fever causes inflammation of connective tissues of body especially, those of the heart, joints,brain or skin. Rheumatic fever is caused by a preceding group A streptococcal infection. This infection usually occurs in children between the age group of 5 to 15 years. It has been proved that, 60% of people with rheumatic disease can develop subsequent heart disease. 

Symptoms of RHD : 

If the child is suffering from RHD then, there must be possibility that he or she have symptoms related to aortic or mitral valve abnormalities. The symptoms include chest pain, heart palpitations, excessive fatigue, shortness of breath, swollen ankles, burning sensation in chest, swollen wrists, etc. 

Rheumatic Heart Disease 

Rheumatic Heart Disease Diagnosis: 

When it comes to diagnosis of this condition, your doctor will check for the any possibility of strep infections or any recent occur-ance of sore throat and even doctor can often hear a heart murmur through stethoscope while physical examination. During the exam, your child’s doctor will look for signs of inflammation in your child’s joints.

The doctor will ask for details about your child’s symptoms, their health history and your family health history. Your doctor may order a throat culture or a blood test to check for strep throat or signs of a recent strep infection, as well as performing other blood tests from pathology labs in India.

Further to check for normal functioning of heart and find information about heart doctor can also suggest exams which includes X-ray chest,echocardiogram and electrocardiogram or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the heart. Known as an ECG or EKG, is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart to show the rate and rhythm. 

Treatment : 

Primary prevention of acute rheumatic fever (the prevention of initial attack) is achieved by treatment of acute throat infections caused by group A streptococcus. This is achieved by up to 10 days of an oral antibiotic (usually penicillin) or a single intramuscular penicillin injection. And secondary involves regular administration of antibiotics, and has to be continued for many years.

Quench the thirst for fitness : Top 5 Reasons You Should Do CRP Test To Save Your ...

Quench the thirst for fitness : Top 5 Reasons You Should Do CRP Test To Save Your ...: When you get up early morning to find body swelling that persist for longer time, immediately you visit a doctor. After examining you co...

Top 5 Reasons You Should Do CRP Test To Save Your Life.

When you get up early morning to find body swelling that persist for longer time, immediately you visit a doctor. After examining you completely GP will tell you to under go CRP test or C-reactive protein testas preventive health check up for inflammation, which can literally save your life because, C-reactive protein (CRP) is a substance produced by the liver in response to inflammation. C-reactive protein is also called high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, which may be shortened to HS-CRP, US-CRP, or simply CRP. The level of C-reactive protein (CRP), which can be measured in your blood, increases when there's inflammation in your body. C-Reactive Protein test measures the concentration of a special type of protein produced in the liver from blood serum. This protein is present particularly during period of acute inflammation or infection. In the body, CRP interacts with the complement system, an immunologic defense mechanism. Apart from this Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and plasma viscosity (PV) are blood tests that detect inflammation. These are useful tests to help diagnose and monitor the activity of certain diseases, most probably are included under complete health check up packages.

Your doctor may suggest C-reactive protein test for the treatment of infections or for other medical conditions like chronic inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus,  risk of heart disease, trauma, burns, atherosclerosis as well as certain types of cancers. In one clinical study of 18,000 healthy adults, a high level of CRP was associated with a risk of heart attack three times higher than average. In persons with atherosclerosis the burden of plaques in the body can be proportional to the degree of CRP elevation. A high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) test, which is more sensitive than a standard test, also can be used to evaluate your risk of developing coronary artery disease, a condition in which the arteries of your heart are narrowed. Coronary artery disease can eventually lead to a heart attack. 

When CRP in the blood is increasing, suggesting the presence of inflammation but it will not able to identify its location or the condition causing it. This test can be used to determine the efficiency of the treatment, for example in the person suffering from the inflammation due to bacterial infection initially the CRP level is elevated and as the treatment will progress then it will drop, this indicates that the inflammation is subsiding due to appropriate treatment.

Administering the Test from best pathology labs in India :

The best part of this test is no special preparation needed as you can follow your normal routine on the day of the test. Also, you do not have to go anywhere as BCT i.e. Blood collection technician will visit your home to draw blood from a vein. 

First, the skin over the vein will be cleaned with antiseptic. Next, the nurse or health practitioner will wrap an elastic band around your arm, causing your veins to bulge out slightly. Then, the practitioner will insert a small needle into the vein and collect your blood in a sterile vial.

Once your blood sample has been collected, the elastic band will be removed and you’ll be asked to apply pressure to the puncture site with gauze. Tape or a bandage may be used to hold the gauze in place.

What is normal range of CRP ? & What are Abnormal results?

C-reactive protein is measured in milligrams of CRP per liter of blood (mg/L). Optimal CRP levels for everyone to strive for are under 0.55 mg/L in men and under 1.0 mg/L in women. With the hs-CRP test, a result of lower than 1.0 mg/L is associated with a low risk of developing cardiovascular disease; average risk of developing cardiovascular disease is associated with a level between 1.0 and 3.0 mg/L; and high risk for cardiovascular disease is linked to hs-CRP above 3.0 mg/L.

An especially high CRP reading (greater than 10 mg/L) may indicate:

• an infection
•  an arthritis flare-up
• inflammatory bowel disease
• tuberculosis
• lupus or other connective tissue/immune disease
• cancer
• Pneumonia

Remember that this test does NOT provide a complete picture of your risk for cardiovascular disease. Your doctor may order a cholesterol test, a stress test, or a coronary angiogram to further pinpoint your risk for coronary artery disease.

Anti-biotics Consumption & risk of type two diabetes.

A person develops diabetes, which is characterized by high blood sugar levels, when the individual cannot produce enough of the hormone insulin or insulin does not work properly to clear sugar from the bloodstream. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the condition, accounting for around 90-95% of all cases. It occurs when the body is unable to use the hormone insulin effectively, causing abnormal blood glucose levels which can be detected by under going tests from reputed and well recognised diagnostic lab. It has been found that greater the number of antibiotic prescriptions an individual has each year, the higher their risk for type 2 diabetes. This is according to a new study by researchers co-author Dr. Kristian Hallundbæk Mikkelsen, of Gentofte Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues publish their findings in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The researchers identified a greater number of antibiotic prescriptions among individuals with type 2 diabetes, at 0.8 per year, compared with 0.5 antibiotic prescriptions annually for those without type 2 diabetes. According to research conducted  revealed that prior exposure to antibiotics was associated with a 53% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The finding could mean that antibiotics play a direct causal role in type 2 diabetes or that people with as-yet-undiagnosed diabetes may have a greater risk for infection and therefore are more likely to use antibiotics. These experts foud out from their study that individuals who filled more prescriptions for antibiotics were at greater risk for type 2 diabetes diagnosis. The overexposure is seen after, as well as 15 years, before the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Already microbiologists insists not to use antibiotic frequently and also doctors are also reluctant to prescribe them unless and until it is essential. This is because over use of an antibiotic can cause resistance against it. So, that new antibiotic can be given but the another problem is research and development of the new antibiotics take lot of time. Also, the drugs also kill off some of the ‘good’ bacteria in the gut, which are known to influence digestion and metabolism. 

In regard to this paper published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Professor Jodi Lindsay of St George’s University of London said: “This paper adds to the growing evidence that antibiotic usage is linked to type 2 diabetes”."Diabetes is one of the greatest challenges facing modern health care, with a globally increasing incidence" he said. "Further investigation into long-term effect of antibiotic use on sugar metabolism and gut bacteria composition could reveal valuable answers about how to address this public health crisis. 

6 illnesses linked to Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D is important for a good overall health and plays a vital role to make sure that our muscles, heart, lungs and brain function normally and properly. Our body has capacity to make its own vitamin D from sunlight. But still if you lack then,one can also get vitamin D from supplements, and a very small amount comes from consumption of some fish, fish liver oils, egg yolks and in fortified dairy, cereals and grain products. Keeping yourself recharged with ample of vitamin can aid prevention of Type 2 diabetes and hypertension also, monitoring of vitamin D levels on routine basis through preventive health check up is important indicator for prevention as well as diagnosis of diabetes.

Following are the diseases and illness linked to vitamin D deficiency : 

Osteoporosis : 

Vitamin D is much needed in order to help the body in absorption of calcium and phosphate from food we ate. These two minerals are really important to keep bones and teeth healthy. But the major worry is, just a mild to moderate vitamin D deficiency, can cause bone pain and osteoporosis, which is a weakening of the bones and lowering of bone density that makes them more likely to break or fracture.

Cancer : 

It was not believed that Vitamin D deficiency may be linked to cancer till, a certain study indicated that more than 75% of people with a variety of cancers have found out with low levels of vitamin D, and the lowest levels are associated with more advanced cancers. However still additional research is needed to find out exact relation between higher vitamin D levels and lower cancer incidence or death rates. Whatever type of cancer it is breast, prostate, cervical, colorectal, esophageal, gastric, endometrial, ovarian, pancreatic, or renal, all types are vulnerable to the vitamin D deficient people. 

Erectile dysfunction :

The most common sexual problem among men can be caused by other health conditions such as diabetes and prostate cancer, but a study published last year in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found men with severe cases of erectile dysfunction had much lower levels of vitamin D than those with mild cases. ED can emerged from other health conditions like diabetes, prostate cancer, and high blood pressure.

Rheumatoid arthritis : 

Low vitamin D may play an important role in causing rheumatoid arthritis. It has been found that women who get more vitamin D are less likely to get rheumatoid arthritis. Other way round people who already have rheumatoid arthritis, and those are with low vitamin D levels tend to have more severe symptoms. 

Dementia : 

Last year, a study published in the journal of Neurology found that the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, was doubled for older adults with a vitamin D deficiency.

Scientist found a definite association and believe the so-called ‘sunshine vitamin’ might help to clear plaques in the brain linked to dementia. Dementia is a decline in thinking, behavior, and memory that negatively affects daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for as many as 80 percent of dementia cases, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. 

These are most hazardous and harmful diseases of Vitamin D deficiency. Hence, it is crucial to always maintain Vitamin D levels in order to stay healthy and away from these disease illness.