Cholesterol in the body is thought of as originating solely from the diet through absorption from the gut. However, the reality is that most of the cholesterol is not sourced from food but rather manufactured within the body. Dietary cholesterol or exogenous cholesterol is absorbed from within the intestines. Endogenous >> Read More ...
What is Episiotomy? An episiotomy is an incision that is made on the perineum, the area between the vagina and the anus, during a vaginal delivery to enlarge the outlet. It is no longer considered a routine procedure during childbirth although it is performed in most first deliveries and in many multigravida women (women >> Read More ...
What are Lipoproteins? When one hears about blood cholesterol levels, there is a bit of a misunderstanding about what exactly is being discussed. The body’s lipids – cholesterol, triglycerides and phosphoplipids – are transported in the blood attached to lipoproteins. Without these lipoproteins, >> Read More ...
What is Retained Menstruation? Retained menstruation occurs when a woman has normal periods but the menstrual blood is unable to flow out due to an obstruction in the tract. This occurrence is also known as cryptomenorrhea. In medical terms, accumulation of menstrual blood in the vagina is known as hematocolpos. When there >> Read More ...
What is the viral load in HIV? Viral load is an indication of the amount of virus in the bloodstream in HIV infection. It also known as HIV viral load or plasma viral load and is an important means to monitor the progress of the disease and the success of treatment. Regularly monitoring the viral load, at least every 3 >> Read More ...
The change in CD4 T-lymphocyte levels associated with HIV infection is an indication of the immune system defense capability. As the CD4 cell count declines the body becomes susceptible to infections. Some of these infections are common and short-lived (acute) when contracted by a person with a healthy immune system >> Read More ...
Normal CD4 Count The CD4+ T-lymphocyte is only one type of white blood cell and is named so due to the presence of CD4 receptors on its surface. It is these surface receptors that allows HIV to bind to the cell and infect it. Read more on HIV and AIDS. Therefore HIV has an affinity for CD4+ T-lymphocytes. The level of CD4+ >> Read More ...
Definitions HIV and AIDS HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. These are the scientific names to describe a virus that destroys the immune system and leads to a syndrome of immune deficiency. HIV/AIDS is also known by several common names that vary not only in >> Read More ...
The heart beats about 70 to 80 times per minute in the average adult and the rhythm is usually regular. The rate, however, may rise during activity and lowers during rest. Usually a person is not aware of their beating heart unless they feel their pulse. During periods of exercise, the heart beat may become more prominent >> Read More ...
What is Cardiomyopathy? Cardiomyopathy is disease of the heart muscle (myocardium). There are several types of cardiomyopathies but all affect heart functioning to varying degrees. Cardiomyopathy is a weakening of the heart often associated with enlargement and is sometimes referred to by common names like enlarged heart >> Read More ...
