falan42/medcuad_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? Taking Steps to Lower Your Risk of Getting Diabetes
Question: What to do for Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? Taking Steps to Lower Your Risk of Getting Diabetes ?
Answer: Your eating, diet, and nutrition choices play an important role in preventing or delaying diabetes. Follow the suggestions below to reach and maintain a reasonable weight and make wise food choices most of the time. Remember that it can take time to change your habits and be patient with yourself. You can also get help from a dietitian or join a weight-loss program to support you while you reach your goals.
                

                
Reach and Maintain a Reasonable Body Weight
                
Your weight affects your health in many ways. Being overweight can keep your body from making and using insulin properly. Excess body weight can also cause high blood pressure. Every pound you lose lowers your risk of getting diabetes.
                
In addition to weight, the location of excess fat on the body can be important. A waist measurement of 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for women is linked to insulin resistance and increases a persons risk for type 2 diabetes. This is true even if your BMI falls within the normal range.
                

                
Find Your BMI
                
The BMI is a measure of body weight relative to height. The BMI can help you find out whether you are normal weight, overweight, or obese. Use the table on pages 24 and 25 to find your BMI.
                
- Find your height in the left-hand column.  - Move across in the same row to the number closest to your weight.  - The number at the top of that column is your BMI. Check the word above your BMI to see whether you are normal weight, overweight, or obese.
                
The BMI has certain limitations. The BMI may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build and underestimate body fat in older adults and others who have lost muscle.
                
The BMI for children and teens must be determined based on age, height, weight, and sex. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has information about BMI in children and teens, including a BMI calculator, at www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi. The CDC website also has a BMI calculator for adults. A BMI calculator from the NIH is available at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm.
                
The NIH also has a free smartphone app for calculating BMI. You can search My BMI Calculator on your phone to find the app. The app also provides links to information about steps you can take to bring your BMI into a healthy range.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
Question: What is (are) Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes ?
Answer: Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach. The pancreas contains clusters of cells called islets. Beta cells within the islets make insulin and release it into the blood.
                
Insulin plays a major role in metabolismthe way the body uses digested food for energy. The digestive tract breaks down carbohydratessugars and starches found in many foodsinto glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar that enters the bloodstream. With the help of insulin, cells throughout the body absorb glucose and use it for energy.
                
Insulin's Role in Blood Glucose Control
                
When blood glucose levels rise after a meal, the pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin and glucose then travel in the blood to cells throughout the body.
                
- Insulin helps muscle, fat, and liver cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream, lowering blood glucose levels.  - Insulin stimulates the liver and muscle tissue to store excess glucose. The stored form of glucose is called glycogen.  - Insulin also lowers blood glucose levels by reducing glucose production in the liver.
                
In a healthy person, these functions allow blood glucose and insulin levels to remain in the normal range.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
Question: What is (are) Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes ?
Answer: Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it effectively. When people have insulin resistance, glucose builds up in the blood instead of being absorbed by the cells, leading to type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
                
Most people with insulin resistance don't know they have it for many yearsuntil they develop type 2 diabetes, a serious, lifelong disease. The good news is that if people learn they have insulin resistance early on, they can often prevent or delay diabetes by making changes to their lifestyle.
                
Insulin resistance can lead to a variety of serious health disorders. The section "What is metabolic syndrome?" provides more information about other health disorders linked to insulin resistance.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
Question: What causes Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes ?
Answer: Although the exact causes of insulin resistance are not completely understood, scientists think the major contributors to insulin resistance are excess weight and physical inactivity.
                
Excess Weight
                
Some experts believe obesity, especially excess fat around the waist, is a primary cause of insulin resistance. Scientists used to think that fat tissue functioned solely as energy storage. However, studies have shown that belly fat produces hormones and other substances that can cause serious health problems such as insulin resistance, high blood pressure, imbalanced cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
                
Belly fat plays a part in developing chronic, or long-lasting, inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation can damage the body over time, without any signs or symptoms. Scientists have found that complex interactions in fat tissue draw immune cells to the area and trigger low-level chronic inflammation. This inflammation can contribute to the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and CVD. Studies show that losing the weight can reduce insulin resistance and prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
                
Physical Inactivity
                
Many studies have shown that physical inactivity is associated with insulin resistance, often leading to type 2 diabetes. In the body, more glucose is used by muscle than other tissues. Normally, active muscles burn their stored glucose for energy and refill their reserves with glucose taken from the bloodstream, keeping blood glucose levels in balance.
                
Studies show that after exercising, muscles become more sensitive to insulin, reversing insulin resistance and lowering blood glucose levels. Exercise also helps muscles absorb more glucose without the need for insulin. The more muscle a body has, the more glucose it can burn to control blood glucose levels.
                
Other Causes
                
Other causes of insulin resistance may include ethnicity; certain diseases; hormones; steroid use; some medications; older age; sleep problems, especially sleep apnea; and cigarette smoking.
                

                
Does sleep matter?   Yes. Studies show that untreated sleep problems, especially sleep apnea, can increase the risk of obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Night shift workers may also be at increased risk for these problems. Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep. People may often move out of deep sleep and into light sleep when their breathing pauses or becomes shallow. This results in poor sleep quality that causes problem sleepiness, or excessive tiredness, during the day.   Many people aren't aware of their symptoms and aren't diagnosed. People who think they might have sleep problems should talk with their health care provider.   More information about sleep problems is available from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/resources/sleep.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
Question: What is (are) Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes ?
Answer: Prediabetes is a condition in which blood glucose or A1C levelswhich reflect average blood glucose levelsare higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. Prediabetes is becoming more common in the United States. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that at least 86 million U.S. adults ages 20 or older had prediabetes in 2012.1 People with prediabetes are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and CVD, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
Question: What are the symptoms of Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes ?
Answer: Insulin resistance and prediabetes usually have no symptoms. People may have one or both conditions for several years without knowing they have them. Even without symptoms, health care providers can identify people at high risk by their physical characteristics, also known as risk factors. The section "Who should be tested for prediabetes?" lists these risk factors.
                
People with a severe form of insulin resistance may have dark patches of skin, usually on the back of the neck. Sometimes people have a dark ring around their neck. Dark patches may also appear on elbows, knees, knuckles, and armpits. This condition is called acanthosis nigricans.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
Question: What is (are) Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes ?
Answer: Metabolic syndrome, also called insulin resistance syndrome, is a group of traits and medical conditions linked to overweight and obesity that puts people at risk for both CVD and type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is defined* as the presence of any three of the following2:
                
- large waist sizewaist measurement of 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for women  - high triglycerides in the bloodtriglyceride level of 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or above, or taking medication for elevated triglyceride level  - abnormal levels of cholesterol in the bloodHDL, or good, cholesterol level below 40 mg/dL for men and below 50 mg/dL for women, or taking medication for low HDL  - high blood pressureblood pressure level of 130/85 or above, or taking medication for elevated blood pressure  - higher than normal blood glucose levelsfasting blood glucose level of 100 mg/dL or above, or taking medication for elevated blood glucose
                
In addition to type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome has been linked to the following health disorders:
                
- obesity  - CVD  - PCOS  - nonalcoholic fatty liver disease  - chronic kidney disease
                
However, not everyone with these disorders has insulin resistance, and some people may have insulin resistance without getting these disorders.
                
People who are obese or who have metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, or prediabetes often also have low-level inflammation throughout the body and blood clotting defects that increase the risk of developing blood clots in the arteries. These conditions contribute to increased risk for CVD.
                
*Similar definitions have been developed by the World Health Organization and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
Question: What to do for Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes ?
Answer: - Insulin is a hormone that helps cells throughout the body absorb glucose and use it for energy. Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it effectively.  - Insulin resistance increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.  - The major contributors to insulin resistance are excess weight, especially around the waist, and physical inactivity.  - Prediabetes is a condition in which blood glucose or A1C levelswhich reflect average blood glucose levelsare higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.  - The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) study and its follow-up study, the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS), confirmed that people with prediabetes can often prevent or delay diabetes if they lose a modest amount of weight by cutting fat and calorie intake and increasing physical activity.  - By losing weight and being more physically active, people can reverse insulin resistance and prediabetes, thus preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes.  - People with insulin resistance and prediabetes can decrease their risk for diabetes by eating a healthy diet and reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, increasing physical activity, not smoking, and taking medication.  - The DPP showed the diabetes medication metformin to be most effective in preventing or delaying the development of type 2 diabetes in younger and heavier people with prediabetes and women who have had gestational diabetes.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: I Can Lower My Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for American Indians
Question: What is (are) I Can Lower My Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for American Indians ?
Answer: Diabetes causes blood glucose levels to be above normal. People with diabetes have problems converting food to energy. After food is eaten, it is broken down into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is then carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. The hormone insulin, made in the pancreas, helps the body change blood glucose into energy. People with diabetes, however, either no longer make enough insulin, or their insulin doesn't work properly, or both.
                
Type 2 diabetes
                
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type in American Indians. This type of diabetes can occur at any age, even during childhood. People develop type 2 diabetes because the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly. Eventually, the body cannot make enough insulin. As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are starved of energy. Over time, high blood glucose damages nerves and blood vessels, leading to problems such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and amputation.
                
Other kinds of diabetes
                
Type 1 diabetes
                
Type 1 diabetes is rare in American Indians. People develop type 1 diabetes when their bodies no longer make any insulin. Type 1 is usually first diagnosed in children or young adults but can develop at any age.
                
Gestational diabetes
                
Gestational diabetes is first diagnosed during pregnancy. It occurs when the body doesn't use insulin properly. Having an American Indian family background raises the risk of developing gestational diabetes. Although this form of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born, a woman who has had it is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: I Can Lower My Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for American Indians
Question: What are the symptoms of I Can Lower My Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for American Indians ?
Answer: Many people have no visible signs or symptoms of diabetes. Symptoms can also be so mild that you might not notice them. More than 5 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes and do not know it.
                
- increased thirst  - increased hunger   - fatigue   - increased urination, especially at night   - unexplained weight loss   - blurred vision   - sores that do not heal
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: I Can Lower My Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for American Indians
Question: Who is at risk for I Can Lower My Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for American Indians? ?
Answer: - My mother had diabetes when I was born.   - I am overweight.  - I have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.  - My family background is American Indian.  - I have had gestational diabetes, or I gave birth to at least one baby weighing more than 9 pounds.  - My blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or higher, or I have been told that I have high blood pressure.  - My cholesterol levels are higher than normal. My HDL cholesterol"good" cholesterolis below 35 mg/dL, or my triglyceride level is above 250 mg/dL.  - I am fairly inactive. I exercise fewer than three times a week.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Renal Artery Stenosis
Question: What is (are) Renal Artery Stenosis ?
Answer: Renal artery stenosis is the narrowing of one or both renal arteries. Renal means kidney and stenosis means narrowing. The renal arteries are blood vessels that carry blood to the kidneys from the aortathe main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to arteries throughout the body.
                
RVH is high blood pressure caused by RAS. Blood pressure is written with two numbers separated by a slash, 120/80, and is said as 120 over 80. The top number is called the systolic pressure and represents the pressure as the heart beats and pushes blood through the blood vessels. The bottom number is called the diastolic pressure and represents the pressure as blood vessels relax between heartbeats. A persons blood pressure is considered normal if it stays at or below 120/80. High blood pressure is a systolic pressure of 140 or above or a diastolic pressure of 90 or above.1
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Renal Artery Stenosis
Question: What is (are) Renal Artery Stenosis ?
Answer: The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine. Every day, the two kidneys filter about 120 to 150 quarts of blood to produce about 1 to 2 quarts of urine, composed of wastes and extra fluid.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Renal Artery Stenosis
Question: What causes Renal Artery Stenosis ?
Answer: About 90 percent of RAS is caused by atherosclerosisclogging, narrowing, and hardening of the renal arteries.2 In these cases, RAS develops when plaquea sticky substance made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other material found in the bloodbuilds up on the inner wall of one or both renal arteries. Plaque buildup is what makes the artery wall hard and narrow.
                
Most other cases of RAS are caused by fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD)the abnormal development or growth of cells on the renal artery wallswhich can cause blood vessels to narrow. Rarely, RAS is caused by other conditions.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Renal Artery Stenosis
Question: Who is at risk for Renal Artery Stenosis? ?
Answer: People at risk for artherosclerosis are also at risk for RAS. Risk factors for RAS caused by artherosclerosis include
                
- high blood cholesterol levels  - high blood pressure  - smoking  - insulin resistance  - diabetes  - being overweight or obese  - lack of physical activity  - a diet high in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar  - being a man older than 45 or a woman older than 55  - a family history of early heart disease
                
The risk factors for RAS caused by FMD are unknown, but FMD is most common in women and people 25 to 50 years of age.3 FMD can affect more than one person in a family, indicating that it may be caused by an inherited gene.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Renal Artery Stenosis
Question: What are the symptoms of Renal Artery Stenosis ?
Answer: In many cases, RAS has no symptoms until it becomes severe.
                
The signs of RAS are usually either high blood pressure or decreased kidney function, or both, but RAS is often overlooked as a cause of high blood pressure. RAS should be considered as a cause of high blood pressure in people who
                
- are older than age 50 when they develop high blood pressure or have a marked increase in blood pressure  - have no family history of high blood pressure  - cannot be successfully treated with at least three or more different types of blood pressure medications
                
Symptoms of a significant decrease in kidney function include
                
- increase or decrease in urination  - edemaswelling, usually in the legs, feet, or ankles and less often in the hands or face  - drowsiness or tiredness  - generalized itching or numbness  - dry skin  - headaches  - weight loss  - appetite loss  - nausea  - vomiting  - sleep problems  - trouble concentrating  - darkened skin  - muscle cramps
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Renal Artery Stenosis
Question: What are the complications of Renal Artery Stenosis ?
Answer: People with RAS are at increased risk for complications resulting from loss of kidney function or atherosclerosis occurring in other blood vessels, such as
                
- chronic kidney disease (CKD)reduced kidney function over a period of time  - coronary artery diseasenarrowing and hardening of arteries that supply blood to the heart  - strokebrain damage caused by lack of blood flow to the brain  - peripheral vascular diseaseblockage of blood vessels that restricts flow of blood from the heart to other parts of the body, particularly the legs
                
RAS can lead to kidney failure, described as end-stage renal disease when treated with blood-filtering treatments called dialysis or a kidney transplant, though this is uncommon in people who receive ongoing treatment for RAS.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Renal Artery Stenosis
Question: What to do for Renal Artery Stenosis ?
Answer: Limiting intake of fats, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar can help prevent atherosclerosis, which can lead to RAS. Most sodium in the diet comes from salt. A healthy diet that prevents people from becoming overweight or obese can also help prevent atherosclerosis. People with RAS that has caused decreased kidney function should limit their intake of protein, cholesterol, sodium, and potassium to slow the progression of kidney failure. More information about nutrition for CKD is provided in the NIDDK health topics, Nutrition for Early Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults and Nutrition for Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults. People should talk with their health care provider about what diet is right for them.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Renal Artery Stenosis
Question: What to do for Renal Artery Stenosis ?
Answer: - Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is the narrowing of one or both renal arteries. The renal arteries are blood vessels that carry blood to the kidneys from the aortathe main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to arteries throughout the body.  - Renovascular hypertension (RVH) is high blood pressure caused by RAS.  - About 90 percent of RAS is caused by atherosclerosis. Most other cases of RAS are caused by fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), which can cause blood vessels to narrow.  - RAS often has no symptoms until it becomes severe. The first symptoms of RAS are usually either high blood pressure or decreased kidney function, or both, but RAS is often overlooked as a cause of high blood pressure.  - People with RAS are at increased risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD), coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.  - Imaging tests used to diagnose RAS include duplex ultrasound, catheter angiogram, computerized tomographic angiography (CTA) scan, and magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA).  - Treatment for RAS includes lifestyle changes, medications, and surgery.
(Source: NIDDK)
Topic: Amyloidosis and Kidney Disease
Question: What is (are) Amyloidosis and Kidney Disease ?
Answer: Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when amyloid proteins are deposited in tissues and organs. Amyloid proteins are abnormal proteins that the body cannot break down and recycle, as it does with normal proteins. When amyloid proteins clump together, they form amyloid deposits. The buildup of these deposits damages a persons organs and tissues. Amyloidosis can affect different organs and tissues in different people and can affect more than one organ at the same time. Amyloidosis most frequently affects the kidneys, heart, nervous system, liver, and digestive tract. The symptoms and severity of amyloidosis depend on the organs and tissues affected.
(Source: NIDDK)