Showing posts with label definition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label definition. Show all posts

What is hypomagnesemia - Definition of hypomagnesemia

› › › What is hypomagnesemia - Hypomagnesemia definition
What is hypomagnesemia?
Hypomagnesemia is defined as a deficiency of ionized magnesium in the blood serum wherein the levels fall below 1.8 mg/dL (below 0.74 mmol/L).
Advertisements
The normal range for blood serum magnesium in a healthy person is between 0.74 mmol/L and 0.94 mmol/L (1.8 mg/dL and 2.3 mg/dL). The most common reason for the low levels is chronic inadequate magnesium intake.

Hypomagnesemia may also develop when there is increase in elimination of magnesium by the gastrointestinal tract or kidneys. Gastrointestinal disorders can cause poor absorption of the mineral. In certain adverse health conditions hypomagnesemia arises when ionic magnesium present in the extracellular spaces is redistributed to intracellular spaces.

The kidney is one of the major regulators of the extracellular fluid electrolytes like calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium and chloride. Several inherited or acquired renal disorders result in magnesium wasting. Hypomagnesemia often contributes to other serum electrolyte balance disorders, such as hypocalcemia and/or hypokalemia.

Hypomagnesemia with secondary hypocalcemia (HSH) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder. The disorder affects intestinal magnesium absorption.
| | | |
The affected infants, if left untreated may suffer from convulsions, muscle spasms, tetany, seizures, mental retardation and die at an early age.

Hypomagnesemia web definition

Definition by merriam-webster.com: "deficiency of magnesium in the blood."
Definition by en.wiktionary.org: "The condition of having an abnormally low concentration of magnesium ions in the blood."
Definition by medterms.com: "Low magnesium in the blood, which can occur due to inadequate intake or impaired intestinal absorption of magnesium."

The factors responsible for low serum magnesium levels are many. , malabsorption, increased gastrointestinal loss, excessive intercellular binding, excessive intracellular protein binding, genetic or acquired renal disorders, use of diuretics, certain medicines and chemicals are the contributing factors. Alcoholism and chronic diarrhea are known to contribute to this condition.

What are the symptoms of hypomagnesemia?

Mild low serum magnesium levels may go unnoticed. The signs of mild deficiency are weakness and muscle pain.
| | | |
In case of severe deficiency symptoms like, muscle cramps, hypokalaemia, hypoparathyroidism, hypocalcemia, bronchodilation, irritability, hyperreflexia, nystagmus, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, tachycardia, osteoporosis and nephrolithiasis may be encountered. Very severe condition may result in pulmonary arrest, cardiac arrest and death.

In case of mild to moderate deficiency, and supplements are given.
| | | | |
If the patient suffers from gastrointestinal disorders, intravenous magnesium sulfate is administered at a slow phase to bring back and establish the normal serum levels. If the magnesium wasting is due some acquired factor, simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of the trigger is necessary to control the loss.
Advertisements

Related topics in nutritional health
benefits:
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
References:
1.Assadi F. Hypomagnesemia: an evidence-based approach to clinical cases. Iran J Kidney Dis. 2010 Jan;4(1):13-9.
Interesting topics in nutritional health
benefits:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Current topic on nutritional health benefits: What is hypomagnesemia and its definition.
by No comments:
Labels: ,

What is hypermagnesemia - Definition of hypermagnesemia

› › › What is hypermagnesemia? - Definition of hypermagnesemia
What is hypermagnesemia?
Hypermagnesemia is a disorder of serum electrolyte balance caused by the abnormally high concentration of magnesium in the blood. Hypermagnesemia is a rare medical condition, occurring in patients with impaired kidney function.
Advertisements
Persons taking excess of laxatives containing magnesium and pregnant women undergoing treatment for preeclampsia or eclampsia with magnesium sulfate infusion are prone to develop this electrolyte imbalance.

The disturbance in electrolyte balance of magnesium may cause concurrent disorders like hypocalcemia and/or hyperkalemia. The normal range of serum magnesium levels is 1.8-2.6 mg/dL. In a normal healthy person excess ingestion of magnesium does not give rise to any health problems as the excess quantity is stored in the bones and/or excreted in urine and feces. Renal insufficiency, hyperparathyroidism and prolonged severe constipation are precipitating factors for the disorder when abnormal quantity of magnesium is ingested or infused. The upward disturbance in
can cause a variety of symptoms of hypermagnesemia.
Hypermagnesemia web definition
Merriam-webster.com definition: "the presence of excess magnesium in the blood serum."
Medterms.com definition: "Excess magnesium in the blood."
Drugs.com definition: "An abnormally large concentration of magnesium in the blood serum."

What causes hypermagnesemia?

As earlier said, hypermagnesemia is caused by excess concentration of magnesium in the blood.
| | | | |
In a normal person increase in the magnesium levels does not arise as the excess ingestion/infusion is excreted by the kidney. In case of kidney insufficiency or failure, the excretion of the mineral is hampered and its serum levels increase.

What are the symptoms of hypermagnesemia?

Depending upon the severity of increase, various symptoms appear in the patient.
| | | |
Mild abnormal elevation in levels show symptoms like general lethargy and hypotension. Nausea, decreased respiratory rate, decreased reflexes, hypoxic encephalopathy, bradycardia, arrhythmia, asystole and cardiac arrest are the progressive symptoms and effects.

Hypermagnesemia treatment and management

The first step in controlling the increase in levels of the mineral is by limiting the inputs.
| | | | .
Emergency hemodialysis is carried out to flushed out excess magnesium in the blood. If the hypermagnesemia patient had taken magnesium laxatives and is still constipating, gastrointestinal evacuation/decontamination is done to stop continued absorption.
Advertisements

Related topics in nutritional health
benefits:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
References:
1.Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
2.Helmut Geiger, Christoph Wanner. Magnesium in disease. Clin Kidney J (2012) 5 (Suppl 1): i25-i38. doi: 10.1093/ndtplus/sfr165
3.Kutsal E, Aydemir C, Eldes N, Demirel F, Polat R, Taspnar O, Kulah E. Severe hypermagnesemia as a result of excessive cathartic ingestion in a child without renal failure. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2007 Aug;23(8):570-2.
Interesting topics in nutritional health
benefits:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Current topic on nutritional health benefits: What is hypermagnesemia and what is its definition.
by No comments:
Labels: ,

Porous bones - Osteoporosis definition - What is osteoporosis?

Feb 2014  › › › What is osteoporosis - osteoporosis definition - porous bones
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones. The word osteoporosis literally means 'porous bones' and is derived from the Greek words 'ostoun' meaning bone and 'poros' meaning pore.
Advertisements
It is an age-related disorder associated with progressive loss of bone mass and density. There is gradual decrease in the mineral density, deterioration of the structure into porous state and altering of the protein components in the skeletal system.

The osteoporosis disease is classified into primary type 1, primary type 2, and secondary type. Postmenopausal occurrences in women are referred as primary type 1. Primary type 2 occurs in men and women after 75 years of age. The secondary type can arise at any age and in any gender. Several predisposing factors can give rise to porous skeletal system. The consequence of all these forms is the increased risk of porous fractures which may be debilitating.

The bone density peaks by the age of 30 years and then there is a gradual loss throughout our lives. High bone density at the age of thirty years means less likelihood of developing the porous disease. Hence the density has to be built right from the childhood by taking balanced diet rich in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. Exercises, especially weight-bearing exercises will help in increasing the density.

Malnutrition, estrogen deficiency in women, decrease in testosterone levels in men, consumption of alcohol, genetic predisposition, tobacco smoking and sedentary lifestyle are some of the predisposing factors that can cause osteoporosis disease. The signs and symptoms of osteoporosis disease may not be very apparent in many patients. There may dull chronic pain in the lower back while the bone is becoming porous. The diagnosis of osteoporosis is by x-rays and bone density tests.
Elderly woman with osteoporosis
elderly women affected by osteoporosis
Osteoporosis treatment and management is by changing the lifestyle. The risk of porous fractures due to osteoporosis disease can be reversed and reduced by taking diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercising regularly and taking precautions to prevent falls.

Web definitions

1.The wordnetweb.princeton.edu defines as "abnormal loss of bony tissue resulting in fragile porous bones attributable to a lack of calcium; most common in postmenopausal women."

2.The merriam-webster.com defines as "medical : a condition in which the bones become weak and break easily."

3. The medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com defines as "The word osteoporosis literally means "porous bones." It occurs when bones lose an excessive amount of their protein and mineral content, particularly calcium. Over time, bone mass, and therefore bone strength, is decreased. As a result, they become fragile and break easily. Even a sneeze or a sudden movement may be enough to break a bone in someone with severe osteoporosis."


Advertisements
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OsteoCutout.png
Image author: James Heilman, MD | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic in nutritional deficiency diseases:
What is osteoporosis disease - definition - porous bones.
by No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

High calcium in blood - Hypercalcemia definition - What is hypercalcemia?

Feb 2014  › › › High blood calcium - Hypercalcemia definition - What is hypercalcemia?
What is hypercalcemia?
Hypercalcemia is high blood calcium levels. High levels of serum calcium can be due to excessive release of the mineral from the bones, its increased absorption in the intestines or decreased excretion of calcium by the kidneys.
Advertisements
The most common cause of hypercalcemia is hyperparathyroidism. The hyperfunction of the parathyroid glands causes excessive production of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and causes the disorder.

PTH regulates the calcium and phosphate levels in the blood. The excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) increases the renal absorption of the mineral. Parathyroid hormone also induces the production of vitamin D (calcitriol) and increases the bone turnover and the release of calcium from the bones. Primary hyperparathyroidism may result due to adenoma, hyperplasia or carcinoma of the parathyroid glands. The parathyroid adenoma, parathyroid hyperplasia, parathyroid carcinoma and multiple endocrine neoplasia are some of the diseases known to cause primary hyperparathyroidism. High overdose of vitamin D in infants can cause idiopathic hypercalcemia with symptoms like increased bone density and mental retardation.

Hypercalcemia causes signs such as bone pain, renal stones, anxiety, drowsiness, confusion, increased gastric acidity, fatigue, muscle weakness and sleeplessness. The advanced hypercalcemia symptoms include cognitive dysfunction, abnormal heart rhythms and coma. When the serum levels of the mineral exceed 15–16 mg/dL or 3.75–4 mmol/l medical emergency results. Hypercalcemia treatment involves hydration, inducing urinary excretion of the mineral, decreasing its intestinal absorption.

Web definitions

1.wordnetweb.princeton.edu defines the disorder as "the presence of abnormally high levels of calcium in the blood; usually the result of excessive bone resorption in hyperparathyroidism or Paget's disease".

2.thefreedictionary.com defines as "an abnormally high level of calcium in the blood, usually more than 10.5 milligrams per deciliter of blood."

3.According to merriam-webster.com, "Definition of HYPERCALCEMIA: the presence of an excess of calcium in the blood".



Advertisements
Current topic in nutritional deficiency diseases:
High blood calcium and hypercalcemia
by No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Low blood calcium - Hypocalcemia definition - What is hypocalcemia?

Feb 2014  › › Low blood calcium - Hypocalcemia definition - What is hypocalcemia?
What is hypocalcemia? Hypocalcemia is low blood calcium levels. The blood serum calcium concentration levels are influenced by the presence of serum phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and vitamin D.
Advertisements
The most common cause of hypocalcemia is hypoparathyroidism. Other causes are chronic kidney disease and vitamin D deficiency. Neonatal hypocalcaemia is likely to occur when the birth weight is less than 1500 grams or the gestational age is less than 32 weeks.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) regulates the calcium levels in the serum. In response to low free ion levels in the serum, PTH promotes renal absorption of the mineral. PTH also induces the production of vitamin D (calcitriol) and release of the mineral from the bones. The calcitriol increases the intestinal absorption of the mineral. Hypoparathyroidism commonly occurs due to neck surgery and in rare cases due to autoimmune destruction of the parathyroid glands.

Eating disorders, decreased sun exposure, intestinal malabsorption, defective Vitamin D metabolism and acute renal failure can affect the active vitamin D availability in the serum and cause the disorder. As kidney has a major role in maintaining calcium levels by resorption, any damage to its normal function causes low serum levels of the mineral.

Initially, hypocalcemia causes numbness on hands and feet, numbness around mouth and lips and convulsions. Hypocalcemia symptoms include neuromuscular irritability, tetany, bronchospasm, laryngospasm, cardiac arrhythmias, petechiae and purpura. Hypocalcemia treatment and its management include administering intravenous calcium gluconate/chloride and maintenance doses of the mineral and vitamin D to stop possible decline.

Web definitions

1.wordnetweb.princeton.edu. defines hypocalcemia as "abnormally low level of calcium in the blood; associated with hypoparathyroidism or kidney malfunction or vitamin D deficiency".

2.thefreedictionary.com defines hypocalcemia as "a low blood calcium level, occurs when the concentration of free calcium ions in the blood falls below 4.0 mg/dL (dL = one tenth of a liter). The normal concentration of free calcium ions in the blood serum is 4.0-6.0 mg/dL".

3.According to merriam-webster.com "Definition of HYPOCALCEMIA: a deficiency of calcium in the blood".



Advertisements
Current topic in nutritional deficiency diseases:
Low blood calcium and hypocalcemia
by No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Trans fatty acids - Definition

Mar 2014   › › Definition of trans fats
Trans fatty acids (TFA) are trans-isomer of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA).
In Trans fats, in the configuration of a double carbon bond, the next two hydrogen atoms are positioned on the opposite sides.
Advertisements
As the configuration is connected with double carbon chain, TFA is either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, but never saturated.

Partially hydrogenating vegetable oils under pressure create Trans FAs from UFA.
The amount of pressure, quantity of hydrogen passed, time taken for the process and the temperatures involved determine and define the percentage TFA created.

In nature trans FAs are present in small amounts in a few animal products.
Meat and milk of ruminants contain vaccenyl and conjugated linoleyl (CLA) containing trans configuration.
In fact CLA has one cis configuration and one trans configuration, making it simultaneously a cis- and a TFA.
In breast milk small quantities of trans FA are present and the quantity increases with increased consumption of TFA by the mother.

Consumption of TFA has been identified as a primary risk for cardiovascular diseases.
The use of TFA is universal in the food industry and it can be found in many food items such as cakes, cookies, baked products, pizza, fast food and biscuits.
Now in many countries it is mandatory to display nutritional information in the food products including the amount of trans FAs present.

Definitions

"An unsaturated fatty acid produced by the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils and present in hardened vegetable oils, most margarines, commercial baked foods, and many fried foods." as defined by thefreedictionary.com.

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn definition: "a fatty acid that has been produced by hydrogenating an UFA (and so changing its shape); found in processed foods such as margarine and fried foods and puddings and commercially baked goods and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils."

Related topics in nutritional deficiency diseases:
Krill oil omega-3.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).
Arachidonic acid (ARA).
Zinc deficiency symptoms.
Zinc immune system.
Selenium sulfide shampoo.
Fish oil DHA.
DHA supplements.
DHA from algae.
DHA and pregnancy.

Reference:
Talking About Trans: What You Need to Know-U.S. Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm079609.htm

Current topic in nutritional deficiency diseases:
Definition of trans fats.
by No comments:
Labels: ,

Unsaturated fatty acid - Definition

Mar 2014   › › Definition of unsaturated fatty acid
An unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) is a lipid in which the carbon chain is not completely incorporated with hydrogen atoms.
Advertisements
In other words we can define it as "a fatty acid having one or more double bonds in its carbon chain."
If the carbon chain contains only one double bond, it is termed as monounsaturated (MUFA) and if there are more than one double bond it is termed as polyunsaturated (PUFA).
SFA has no double bond and its carbon chain has the maximum number of hydrogen, making it very stable.
However the unsaturated state of UFA makes it highly vulnerable to lipid peroxidation, turning rancid very easily.
Higher number of double bonds increases its vulnerability.

The viscosity and melting point decreases with the increase in the number of double bonds.
Monounsaturated MUFA have higher viscosity and melting point when compared to polyunsaturated PUFA.
MUFA solidify when the temperatures are low.

Definition of unsaturated fatty acid

By 'wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn' - "a fatty acid whose carbon chain can absorb additional hydrogen atoms."
By 'thefreedictionary.com' - "A fatty acid, such as oleicacid, whose carbon chain possesses one or more double or triple bonds and hence can incorporate additional hydrogen atoms."

Related topics in nutritional deficiency diseases:
Selenium liquid.
Nutrition for premature babies.
Osteomalacia treatment.
Krill oil omega-3.
DHA side effects.
Algal DHA.
DHA fish oil.
DHA supplements.
Saturated fatty acids - Definition.
DHA health benefits.


Current topic in nutritional deficiency diseases:
Definition of unsaturated fatty acid
by No comments:
Labels: ,

Saturated fatty acids - Definition, structure & examples

Jan 2014  › › Saturated fatty acids - Definition, structure and examples
Saturated fatty acids (SFA) are long-chain carboxylic acids characterized by the presence of carboxyl group. Their structure does not contain double bonds between the individual carbon atoms.
Advertisements
SFA usually contain between 3 carbon atoms (propionic) and 36 carbon atoms (hexatriacontanoic). The chain of carbon atoms has the maximum possible hydrogen atoms for its structure. In nature, many saturated FAs occur and the difference between them is the number of carbon and hydrogen atoms present in their structures.

Definition of saturated fatty acid

Saturated fatty acid definition: "a fatty acid whose carbon chain cannot absorb any more hydrogen atoms; found chiefly in animal fats" definition by wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn.
Definition of saturated FA: " A fatty acid, such as stearic acid, whose carbon chain contains no unsaturated linkages between carbon atoms and hence cannot incorporate any more hydrogen atoms" as defined by medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com.

Structure of saturated fatty acid

To understand the structure of SFA, we can take the example of butyric acid. Its chemical formula is CH3CH2CH2-COOH.
1.example of chemical structure of saturated FA
The structure shows that the carbon atoms contain no double bonds between them.

2.Example flat structure of SFA
In the diagram of flat structure, the positioning of the carbons and hydrogen atoms in relation to one another is clearly seen.

3.Example of ball-and-stick model of saturated FA.
The ball and stick model shows the positioning of atoms in a long-chain SFA is well defined.

Butric or butanoic acid is present in many milk products such as milk, butter and cheese. It is also produced by anaerobic fermentation in the intestines.

Examples of saturated fatty acids and structures

Lauric acid contains 12-carbon atoms and is a carbon-chain example of SFA. It is a medium chain FA with the molecular formula C12H24O2. It is a white powdery solid. Coconut oil is a rich source. It is also present in smaller quantities in milk including breast milk. This FA has been found to increase the level of total cholesterol, particularly  high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Increase in HDL decreases the risk of atherosclerosis.

Myristic acid is an example of long chain SFA. It contains 14 carbon atoms in a chain. Its molecular formula is C14H28O2. Its boiling point is 250.5 °C. It acts as an anchor in biomembranes. Esters of this SFA, known as myristate have high skin absorption rate and are used in cosmetic preparations and topical medicines. Nutmeg butter is a very rich source of this SFA. It is also present in coconut oil and animal lipids. It is also found in high concentrations in sperm whale oil.

Palmitic acid is an example of long chain SFA. It contains 16 carbons in a chain. It appears as white crystals. Its molecular formula is C16H32O2 and its melting point is 62.9 °C. It is the most common SFA found in vegetable oils and animal lipids. Palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil are major plant sources of this SFA. It is also present in dairy products and meat. Its salt or ester is known as palmitate.

Stearic acid contains 36 hydrogen atoms and 18 carbon atoms in a long chain. Its an example of long chain SFA. It appears as white waxy solid with the melting point of 69.6 °C. Its molecular formula is C18H36O2. It present in both animal and plant sources of SFA. Animal lipids, cocoa butter and shea butter contain abundant quantities of this SFA. Stearates are salts and esters of this SFA.
In general, intake of saturated fatty acids is directly linked to increase in cardiovascular risks.

Current topic in nutritional deficiency diseases:
Saturated fatty acids - Definition, structure and examples
by No comments:
Labels: , , ,

What's scurvy - Definition - Causes

Home > Scurvy definition and its causes

Scurvy disease is an adverse health condition due the deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in diet.

What's scurvy and its definition

Definition: It is the fatal disease due to lack of/insufficient intake of ascorbic acid in diet leading to spongy gums, loosening of the teeth, livid spots formation on the skin , bleeding from most of the mucous membranes and bleeding into the skin.
Infantile scurvy definition: Infantile scurvy is an acute form (also called as Barlow's disease) affecting malnourished children and causes subperiosteal hemorrhages, paleness, bad breath, coated tongue and diarrhea.

Causes of scurvy disease

As described earlier the main reason for this condition is the diet deficient in vitamin C and its malabsorption.
  • Dietary deficiency of ascorbic acid may be due taking diet poor in this vitamin. Diet lacking fresh fruits and vegetables leads to the ailment.
  • The process of food preparation sometimes leads to loss of ascorbic acid and is one of the causes of this disease. Food preservation and storage method also leads to this condition.
  • Infantile scurvy is sometimes found in babies, whose mothers had taken very high doses of ascorbic acid during pregnancy.
    • Scurvy disease pictures: gingivitis hemorrhage in vitamin C deficiency
    Scurvy disease pictures: Hemorrhage of gums caused by vitamin C deficiency (enlarge)
  • Infants who are not breast-fed if not given vitamin C supplements can develop the condition.
  • Persons with digestive insufficiency and elderly persons with impaired digestion develop deficiency of vitamin C.
  • Alcoholics due to impaired absorption can develop the deficiency of ascorbic acid.
  • Persons under high stress and bedridden persons have the possibility of developing this ailment.
Though there are many causes for acquiring the scurvy disease, the definition of what's it, gives us clue about the treatment and cure by supplementing the diet with vitamin C.

Related topics:
Signs and symptoms
Treatment, cure and prevention
Foods - sources

Current topic:
Definition of scurvy and its causes.
by No comments:
Labels: , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)