Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found in a study that heavy drinkers — men who consume an average of three or more alcoholic drinks per day — are nearly 45 percent more likely to suffer an ischemic stroke compared with nondrinkers. It has also been found that while light and moderate drinkers are neither at great risk nor greater advantage than non-drinkers when it comes to ischemic stroke. The frequency with which they consume alcohol is most likely to influence their risk.
The study published in the January 4, 2005 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, helped throw light on a subject that has been the source of some confusion in recent times.
Lead author Kenneth Mukamal, MD, MPH, a general internist at BIDMC and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School has noted in this study that the participants who were at lowest risk for stroke were those who consumed one or two drinks on three to four days of the week.
Almost 700,000 individuals in the U.S. suffer an ischemic stroke each year. This is also referred to as a “brain attack,” which develops when an artery in the brain becomes blocked by a blood clot. The two types of ischemic stroke are thrombotic, which occurs owing to the development of a blood clot within the brain itself, and embolic, which is the result of a clot traveling through the bloodstream from another part of the body and becoming lodged in the brain. Both instances, when left unchecked can result in neurological damage or death.
The 14-year study involved 38,156 participants who are part of the HSPH-based Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Beginning in 1986 and continuing every four years thereafter until 2000, the male participants answered a detailed questionnaire regarding diet and medical history, including alcohol consumption. They were in the age group of 40 to 75.
The researchers examined the following factors to gauge the influence of alcohol consumption on the risk for ischemic stroke: average amount of alcohol consumed; drinking patterns, and type of beverage consumed (red wine, beer, white wine, or spirits).

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Haemorrhoids are varicose veins located in or around the anus. Haemorrhoids can be bothersome and certain conditions like trauma during childbirth, excess weight during pregnancy, obesity and anal intercourse can cause it to swell. Bleed or get irritated.

External haemorrhoids are located under the skin outside the anus and internal haemorrhoids are varicose veins that surround the rectum. Thrombosed haemorrhoids have to be treated Read the rest of this entry »

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Jaundice is not an illness but a medical condition in which too much of bilirubin is circulating in the blood. This excess of bilirubin causes the skin, eyes and the mucus membrane to turn yellowish in color. While in newborns, jaundice is common and gets cured by itself in adults if the condition is left untreated it can lead to liver failure.

Causes of Jaundice

Jaundice can be caused by a lot of factors namely Read the rest of this entry »

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The term, blood pressure usually refers to arterial pressure, which is the pressure in the larger arteries, veins and capillaries. The systolic arterial pressure is the peak pressure in the arteries, and this takes place near the beginning of the cardiac cycle – the diastolic arterial pressure is the lowest pressure which occurs at the resting phase of the cardiac cycle. Hypertension is when the arterial pressure is abnormally high. The healthy adult should have a pressure of 120/80.

Causes of Blood Pressure

In about 10% of people, high blood pressure is caused by a disease called secondary hypertension. When the basic cause is treated, the blood pressure usually returns to normal. These secondary causes include Read the rest of this entry »

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ABO incompatibility disease is the reaction of two different and not compatible blood groups.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The blood types are based on the molecules which are on the surface of the blood cells. The different blood types are A, B and O. In persons with different blood groups the molecules are immune system triggers or antigens. Every person has two of these molecules as a combination except the O type, which does not have any molecule. The variations are AO or AA molecules in the A type blood group, and BO or BB molecules in the B type, the AB type and the O type. Those who have a particular type of blood form antibodies which cause a reaction to other types of blood. If they are exposed to a different Read the rest of this entry »

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Definition

Abetalipoproteinemia or Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome is a disease which is inherited and is very rare. In this disease the person is unable to completely absorb the dietary fats via the intestines.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

This syndrome is an autosomal recessive one which means that this trait, disease or disorder can be passed down generations in a family through several ways and this is just one of them. Two of an abnormal gene should be present for this trait to build up. This disorder usually affects Read the rest of this entry »

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Definition

Aneurysms are ballooning of the artery in one part which causes the walls in this area to become weak. This abnormal swelling in the artery makes the walls of the artery thin and there is a possibility of its rupturing. The legs, pelvic area and abdomen are supplied with blood through the aorta which is a large artery.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Though the exact cause of the disease, aneurysm cannot be pin pointed, the risks factors are many. This especially affects the male gender. Other factors, which lead to Abdominal aortic aneurysm are genetic factors and emphysema, obesity, high cholesterol, smoking and hyper tension or high blood pressure. The abdominal aortic aneurysm, which can Read the rest of this entry »

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Definition

A rare disorder Aase syndrome is also known as Congenital Anemia or Triphalangeal Thumb syndrome. Though the genetic root of this disease is not known, the under development of the bone marrow causes anemia. There are also skeletal deformities and the growth during childhood is poor. However, there is no mental retardation or neurological problem associated with this problem.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

There is no known cause or reason for this disease which is very rare. Though it is not passed down generations in the same family, it shows some traits that are Read the rest of this entry »

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Aarskog syndrome is a disease which is hereditary and can be passed down generations in a family. This affects the appearance, genitals, skeleton, muscles and height of the person. This syndrome is also referred to as facio genital dysplasia, shawl scrotum syndrome and Aarskog-Scott syndrome. This is a genetic disorder which affects mostly males, while females may be affected in a milder way. This is a condition which is brought on because of mutation in a gene which is the FGDY1 or “faciogenital dysplasia”.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

This syndrome is passed on in a manner which is described as X linked, which means Read the rest of this entry »

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Mesothalmia results in mesothelioma cancer, a disease that is a result of exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. If asbestos fibers are breathed in, they travel to the ends of the small air passages and cause lung cancer and various asbestos related diseases. There are no known cures for mesothelioma. There are treatment options that you can avail of to fight against this asbestos related disease. You can opt for surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and Read the rest of this entry »

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