Cardiac Risk Factors
C Reactive Protein (CRP) is a indicator for inflammation. It is been used to gauge inflammation in response to infection. The best treatment for a high C reactive protein is niacin, weight loss, quitting smoking, and exercise.
Homocysteine is an amino acid that is normally found in blood. High levels are associated with increased risk of heart attack and other vascular diseases. Homocysteine levels may be high due to a deficiency of folic acid or Vitamin B12, due to heredity, older age, kidney disease, or certain medications. Men tend to have higher levels. You can reduce your homocysteine level by eating more green leafy vegetables and fortified grain products or cereals. The usual treatment is folic acid.
High lipoprotein concentrations are associated with premature coronary heart disease (CHD). It appears that there is a strong genetic component to elevated lipoprotein levels that associate with coronary disease. Persons with diabetes and a high lipoprotein level appear to be at greater risk of coronary disease.
Thyroid
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is a protein hormone that is secreted by the pituitary gland and regulates the thyroid gland. A high level suggests your thyroid is underactive, and a low level suggests your thyroid is overactive.
Complete Blood Count
The CBC typically has several parameters that are created from an automated cell counter. These are the most relevant:
White Blood Count (WBC) is the number of white cells. High WBC can be a sign of infection. WBC is also increased in certain types of leukemia. Low white counts can be a sign of bone marrow diseases or an enlarged spleen.
The Hemoglobin (Hgb) is the amount of oxygen within the red blood cells. Low Hgb suggest anemia. Anemia can be due to nutritional deficiencies, blood loss, destruction of blood cells internally, or failure to produce blood in the bone marrow. High Hgb can occur due to lung disease, living at high altitude, or excessive bone marrow production of blood cells.
Platelet Count (PLT) : This is the number of cells that plug up holes in your blood vessels and prevent bleeding. High values can occur with bleeding, cigarette smoking or excess production by the bone marrow. Low values can occur from acute blood loss, drug effects, infections, enlarged spleen, or bone marrow failure from diseases such as leukemia.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
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