Friday, March 7, 2008

The Effect of Dark Chocolate towards Blood Pressure by Sylviana

The popularity of chocolate as healthy diets were responded with studies suggesting that the consumption of dark chocolate provides a cardiovascular benefit for patients with essential hypertension

Polyphenols and Flavanols (especially), are rich component found in dark chocolate that are believed to have a beneficial effect on blood pressure (BP). On the other hand, white chocolate at lower level polyphenols might not have effect on BP. Recent studies were focused to find its salutary effect on BP during a longer treatment period, when its healthy effects might be negated by its high calorie content. Polyphenols could improve endothelial function and reduce indicated by the chronic increase in nitric oxide in the vascular endothelium. Besides, Flavanols were responsible for the observed effects on S-nitrosoglutathione and BP.

From a study, a healthy diet of Polyphenols-rich dark chocolate was believed to cause progressive reductions of systolic and diastolic BP (daytime and nighttime) of participants with pre-hypertension without inducing weight gain or other adverse effects.

However, the studies done did not explain the details of bio-chemical process of dark chocolate affecting blood pressure. Although the magnitude of the blood pressure reduction was small, the effects were clinically noteworthy. Consumption of dark chocolate daily in moderate amount has no harmful effect despite of its high calories content.

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Cardiac Failure caused by Hyperthyreoidism by Agus KL

Nowdays people always think that a cardiovascular and Hyperthyroidism are not related, after research had been done and from the way of the common pathophysiologies both of the syndrome has a connection from the systemic effect and to the adrenal gland. Thyrotoxicosis is one of the thyroid problems that needs a serious treatment and will effect the heart to become pathophysiological. . Meanwhile, on our community, hyperthyroid is known to be a disease that only locates in the neck The frequent occurrence of cardiac manifestations in hyperthyroid patients can be the result of thyrotoxicosis itself, A hyperthyroidms can become thyrotoxicosis and so it's affecting the heart. Patients with hyperthyroid heart disease frequently complain about symptoms related to chronotropic alterations. So all above both the syndromes are related and will always have the problems that sometimes we ignore, Amiodarone is a drug that can be used to the people suffering CHF and hyperthyroid. Amiodarone is an iodine-rich benzofuran derivative and an effective drug against a wide range of cardiac arrhythmias,it is also has a effect to the heart.

PNEUMONIA CAUSED BY AVIAN INFLUENZA by Siti Sarah

The avian flu that has affected birds and people in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, is different from the flu that many people get during the cold-weather months. Poultry - like chickens and turkeys - tend to get infected with the bird flu by migrating waterfowl (like ducks, geese, and swans), and spread it to other birds through their infected feces, saliva, or secretions. The people who have gotten sick or died from the bird flu in Asia have had direct contact with infected birds, or surfaces that have been contaminated by them. This strain of the bird flu - which is called H5N1 - can't be spread from person to person. Experts are concerned that this flu could mutate (undergo a genetic change) into a new form that can spread from person to person. Right now there's no vaccine for the bird flu, so they're worried that if it does mutate, it will be difficult to stop and will cause a pandemic, which is a global outbreak. Health officials around the world are taking precautions to make sure that the bird flu doesn't spread, and to keep people safe from it if it does. Many countries - including the United States - aren't importing poultry from countries where there have been avian flu outbreaks. Meanwhile, scientists are working on developing a vaccine to keep people from getting the avian flu. In most places, there's no immediate threat from bird flu. All the same, the best thing you can do to safeguard your family from any contagious illness is to practice good hand-washing habits, teach your child to do the same, and take proper food safety precautions. (Never eat undercooked or uncooked poultry, and wash any kitchen surfaces where you have handled or worked with any uncooked meat.)

Trgansgender by Kusuma Minayati

Gender identity disorder, mostly manifest as cross-gender identity, in adulthood virtually always causes distress to the individual, and cross-gender identity in childhood represents a distinct risk of cross-gender identity in adulthood. Gender Identity Disorder at any age, therefore, is regarded as a disorder and a possible reason for clinical intervention. Many persons with gender identity problems—particularly those functioning well in other areas of life—dislike the classification of such problems as psychiatric disorders because they regard all psychiatric diagnoses as stigmatizing. For this reason, activists in the transsexual community have proposed alternative conceptualizations. These include the argument that transsexualism is a somatic rather than a psychiatric condition. This position cannot at present be justified on medical or scientific grounds. Therefore, the best solution to the problem of psychiatric nosology is to retain the classification of severe gender identity problems as psychiatric disorders that gender identity disorders can be quite circumscribed in their effects, leaving the individual free to function in other areas of life at a satisfactory or even outstanding level.

The role of ultrasonography in modern medicine

Since the discovery of Ultrasonography its role in medicine become more and more important. With the help of this device, we are able to visualize almost every structure in our body. It is possible to look at a fracture of a bone or a lesion in the brain. Or a doctor is also able to diagnose a disease in our heart. The only difficulty is to visualize the lung since there is an abundance of air inside this structure and as we already know that air is a barrier to ultrasound wave.

THE HPV-VACCINE AS A RECENT PREVENTION by Hijriani

The cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide. Every year, approximately 500,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and almost 300,000 women die for it. A total of about 2.2 million women worldwide have cervical cancer. And its toll is the greatest in population that lack screening programmed to detect precursor lesions. Persistent infection with high risk genotypes of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is necessary, although not sufficient, to cause cervical carcinoma. Therefore, HPV vaccination provides an opportunity to affect profoundly cervical cancer incidence worldwide. A recently licensed HPV subunit vaccine protects women from a high proportion of precursor lesions in cervical carcinoma and most genital warts.

OBESE ADOLESCENCE AS A PREDISPOSITION FACTOR TO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Overweight and obesity in children is epidemic in North America and internationally. In the United States, the number of overweight children and adolescents has doubled in the last two to three decades, and similar doubling rates are being observed worldwide, including in developing countries and regions where an increase in Westernization of behavioral and dietary lifestyles is evident. The epidemic of childhood obesity, the risk of developing left ventricular hypertrophy, and evidence of the early development of atherosclerosis in children would make the detection of and intervention in childhood hypertension important to reduce long-term health risks; however, supporting data are lacking. 4

Primary or essential hypertension is more common in adolescents and has multiple predisposition factors, including obesity and a family history of hypertension. Evaluation involves a thorough history and physical examination, laboratory tests, and specialized studies. Management is multifaceted. Non pharmacologic treatments include weight reduction, exercise, and dietary modifications is the best management. Recommendations for pharmacologic treatment are based on symptomatic hypertension, evidence of end-organ damage, stage 2 hypertension, stage 1 hypertension which unresponsive to lifestyle modifications, and hypertension with diabetes mellitus. 2

by Nurul Amalia