What Is Vitamin C? Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid or ascorbate, is an essential water soluble vitamin. Fresh supplies of vitamin C are required every day to perform vital roles throughout the body among which are the production of ...
Read More »Cardiomyopathy, Idiopathic Dilated
What Is Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy? Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) is a disorder of myocardial (heart muscle) function characterized by dilation or enlargement of the cardiac chambers and reduction in the ability of the ventricles (lower chambers) to contract with the required force ...
Read More »Amino Acid Deficiency (Essential)
What Are Essential Amino Acids? Amino acids are small molecules, or subunits, that link together in various combinations to make up big, complicated proteins. As such, amino acids are commonly referred to as “the building blocks” of proteins. Q: How ...
Read More »Low Plasma Proteins
What Are Low Plasma Proteins? Low plasma proteins found in blood indicates an abnormal blood level. Plasma proteins are any of the proteins that constitute about 6% to 7% of the blood plasma in the body. They include albumin, fibrinogen, ...
Read More »Hashimoto’s Disease (Autoimmune Thyroiditis Causing Hypothyroidism)
What Is Autoimmune Thyroiditis (Hypothyroidism)? Autoimmune thyroiditis, also called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s Disease, is an autoimmune destruction of thyroid tissue characterized by insufficient thyroid hormone circulating in the body that causes formation of a goiter (enlarged thyroid gland) and ...
Read More »Juvenile Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
What Is Juvenile Autoimmune Thyroid Disease? Juvenile autoimmune thyroid disease is an autoimmune disorder occurring in childhood that targets and damages the thyroid gland, often causing goiter. It is characterized by abnormal circulating thyroid hormone levels in the bloodstream. Recent evidence ...
Read More »Failure To Thrive And Growth Retardation
What Is Failure To Thrive And Growth Retardation? Failure to thrive (FTT) and growth retardation are conditions affecting children characterized by weight consistently below the 3rd percentile for age or a decrease in the expected rate of growth based on ...
Read More »PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)
What Is PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)? Premenstrual syndrome is a menstrual disorder that occurs regularly during the last week of the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and starts to subside a few days before menstruation begins and is absent the ...
Read More »Bronchoalveolitis Leading to Bronchitis and Pneumonia
What Is Lymphocytic Bronchoalveolitis? Lymphocytic bronchoalveolitis is a pulmonary disorder characterized by lymphocytic airway inflammation of the bronchi (main passageways branching from the windpipe), bronchioles (small passageways), and alveoli (air sacs) at the end. The chronic, productive cough that develops ...
Read More »Erythema Nodosum
What Is Erythema Nodosum? Erythema nodosum is an inflammatory disorder involving the deep dermis layer of skin and subcutaneous fat septa that underlies the skin. It is characterized by eruptions of recurrent or persistent multiple painful, red nodules under the skin that ...
Read More »Edema
What Is Edema? Edema is an abnormal swollen condition of the skin characterized by excess extracellular fluid volume, meaning there is an increase of the fluid that normally surrounds cells. Edema may be hardly noticeable or it can become extensive. ...
Read More »Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy: definition
A cardiac disorder of myocardial (heart muscle) function characterized by dilation of the cardiac chambers and reduction in the ability of the ventricles (lower chambers) to contract often resulting in symptomatic heart failure.
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