fenil210/Med-Lamma huggingface dataset:
How to prevent Coronary Heart Disease ?
You can prevent and control coronary heart disease (CHD)by taking action to control your risk factors with heart-healthy lifestyle changes and medicines. Examples of risk factors you can control include high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and overweight and obesity. Only a few risk factorssuch as age, gender, and family historycant be controlled.
                
Your risk for CHD increases with the number of risk factors you have. To reduce your risk of CHD and heart attack, try to control each risk factor you have by adopting the following heart-healthy lifestyles:
                
Heart-healthy eating
                
Maintaining a healthy weight
                
Managing stress
                
Physical activity
                
Quitting smoking
                
Know your family history of health problems related to CHD. If you or someone in your family has CHD, be sure to tell your doctor. If lifestyle changes aren't enough, you also may need medicines to control your CHD risk factors. + NHLBI + Coronary Heart Disease
What is (are) Vasculitis ?
Vasculitis (vas-kyu-LI-tis) is a condition that involves inflammation in the blood vessels. The condition occurs if your immune system attacks your blood vessels by mistake. This may happen as the result of an infection, a medicine, or another disease or condition.
                
Inflammation refers to the bodys response to injury, including injury to the blood vessels. Inflammation may involve pain, redness, warmth, swelling, and loss of function in the affected tissues.
                
In vasculitis, inflammation can lead to serious problems. Complications depend on which blood vessels, organs, or other body systems are affected.
                
Overview
                
Vasculitis can affect any of the body's blood vessels. These include arteries, veins, and capillaries. Arteries carry blood from your heart to your body's organs. Veins carry blood from your organs and limbs back to your heart. Capillaries connect the small arteries and veins.
                
If a blood vessel is inflamed, it can narrow or close off. This limits or prevents blood flow through the vessel. Rarely, the blood vessel will stretch and weaken, causing it to bulge. This bulge is known as an aneurysm (AN-u-rism).
                
Vasculitis
                

                
The disruption in blood flow caused by inflammation can damage the body's organs. Signs and symptoms depend on which organs have been damaged and the extent of the damage.
                
Typical symptoms of inflammation, such as fever and general aches and pains, are common among people who have vasculitis.
                
Outlook
                
There are many types of vasculitis, but overall the condition is rare. If you have vasculitis, the outlook depends on:
                
The type of vasculitis you have
                
Which organs are affected
                
How quickly the condition worsens
                
The severity of the condition
                
Treatment often works well if its started early. In some cases, vasculitis may go into remission. "Remission" means the condition isn't active, but it can come back, or "flare," at any time.
                
Sometimes vasculitis is chronic (ongoing) and never goes into remission. Long-term treatment with medicines often can control the signs and symptoms of chronic vasculitis.
                
Rarely, vasculitis doesn't respond well to treatment. This can lead to disability and even death.
                
Much is still unknown about vasculitis. However, researchers continue to learn more about the condition and its various types, causes, and treatments. + NHLBI + Vasculitis
What causes Vasculitis ?
Vasculitis occurs if your immune system attacks your blood vessels by mistake. What causes this to happen isn't fully known.
                
A recent or chronic (ongoing) infection may prompt the attack. Your body also may attack its own blood vessels in reaction to a medicine.
                
Sometimes an autoimmune disorder triggers vasculitis. Autoimmune disorders occur if the immune system makes antibodies (proteins) that attack and damage the body's own tissues or cells. Examples of these disorders include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma. You can have these disorders for years before developing vasculitis.
                
Vasculitis also may be linked to certain blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma. + NHLBI + Vasculitis
Who is at risk for Vasculitis? ?
Vasculitis can affect people of all ages and races and both sexes. Some types of vasculitis seem to occur more often in people who:
                
Have certain medical conditions, such as chronic hepatitis B or C infection
                
Have certain autoimmune diseases, such a lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma
                
Smoke
                
For more information, go to "Types of Vasculitis." + NHLBI + Vasculitis
What are the symptoms of Vasculitis ?
The signs and symptoms of vasculitis vary. They depend on the type of vasculitis you have, the organs involved, and the severity of the condition. Some people may have few signs and symptoms. Other people may become very sick.
                
Sometimes the signs and symptoms develop slowly, over months. Other times, the signs and symptoms develop quickly, over days or weeks.
                
Systemic Signs and Symptoms
                
Systemic signs and symptoms are those that affect you in a general or overall way. Common systemic signs and symptoms of vasculitis are:
                
Fever
                
Loss of appetite
                
Weight loss
                
Fatigue (tiredness)
                
General aches and pains
                
Organ- or Body System-Specific Signs and Symptoms
                
Vasculitis can affect specific organs and body systems, causing a range of signs and symptoms.
                
Skin
                
If vasculitis affects your skin, you may notice skin changes. For example, you may have purple or red spots or bumps, clusters of small dots, splotches, bruises, or hives. Your skin also may itch.
                
Joints
                
If vasculitis affects your joints, you may ache or develop arthritis in one or more joints.
                
Lungs
                
If vasculitis affects your lungs, you may feel short of breath. You may even cough up blood. The results from a chest x ray may show signs that suggest pneumonia, even though that may not be what you have.
                
Gastrointestinal Tract
                
If vasculitis affects your gastrointestinal tract, you may get ulcers (sores) in your mouth or have stomach pain.
                
In severe cases, blood flow to the intestines can be blocked. This can cause the wall of the intestines to weaken and possibly rupture (burst). A rupture can lead to serious problems or even death.
                
Sinuses, Nose, Throat, and Ears
                
If vasculitis affects your sinuses, nose, throat, and ears, you may have sinus or chronic (ongoing) middle ear infections. Other symptoms include ulcers in the nose and, in some cases, hearing loss.
                
Eyes
                
If vasculitis affects your eyes, you may develop red, itchy, burning eyes. Your eyes also may become sensitive to light, and your vision may blur. Rarely, certain types of vasculitis may cause blindness.
                
Brain
                
If vasculitis affects your brain, symptoms may include headaches, problems thinking clearly, changes in mental function, or stroke-like symptoms, such as muscle weakness and paralysis (an inability to move).
                
Nerves
                
If vasculitis affects your nerves, you may have numbness, tingling, and weakness in various parts of your body. You also may have a loss of feeling or strength in your hands and feet and shooting pains in your arms and legs. + NHLBI + Vasculitis
What are the treatments for Vasculitis ?
Treatment for vasculitis will depend on the type of vasculitis you have, which organs are affected, and the severity of the condition.
                
People who have severe vasculitis are treated with prescription medicines. Rarely, surgery may be done. People who have mild vasculitis may find relief with over-the-counter pain medicines, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen.
                
The main goal of treating vasculitis is to reduce inflammation in the affected blood vessels. This usually is done by reducing or stopping the immune response that caused the inflammation.
                
Types of Treatment
                
Common prescription medicines used to treat vasculitis include corticosteroids and cytotoxic medicines.
                
Corticosteroids help reduce inflammation in your blood vessels. Examples of corticosteroids are prednisone, prednisolone, and methylprednisolone.
                
Doctors may prescribe cytotoxic medicines if vasculitis is severe or if corticosteroids don't work well. Cytotoxic medicines kill the cells that are causing the inflammation. Examples of these medicines are azathioprine, methotrexate, and cyclophosphamide.
                
Your doctor may prescribe both corticosteroids and cytotoxic medicines.
                
Other treatments may be used for certain types of vasculitis. For example, the standard treatment for Kawasaki disease is high-dose aspirin and immune globulin. Immune globulin is a medicine thats injected into a vein.
                
Certain types of vasculitis may require surgery to remove aneurysms that have formed as a result of the condition. (An aneurysm is an abnormal bulge in the wall of a blood vessel.) + NHLBI + Vasculitis
How to prevent Vasculitis ?
You can't prevent vasculitis. However, treatment can help prevent or delay the complications of vasculitis.
                
People who have severe vasculitis are treated with prescription medicines. Rarely, surgery may be done. People who have mild vasculitis may find relief with over-the-counter pain medicines, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen.
                
For more information about vasculitis treatments, go to "How Is Vasculitis Treated?" + NHLBI + Vasculitis
What causes High Blood Cholesterol ?
Many factors can affect the cholesterol levels in your blood. You can control some factors, but not others.
                
Factors You Can Control
                
Diet
                
Cholesterol is found in foods that come from animal sources, such as egg yolks, meat, and cheese. Some foods have fats that raise your cholesterol level.
                
For example, saturated fat raises your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level more than anything else in your diet. Saturated fat is found in some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, and deep-fried and processed foods.
                
Trans fatty acids (trans fats) raise your LDL cholesterol and lower your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Trans fats are made when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to harden it. Trans fats are found in some fried and processed foods.
                
Limiting foods with cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fats can help you control your cholesterol levels.
                
Physical Activity and Weight
                
Lack of physical activity can lead to weight gain. Being overweight tends to raise your LDL level, lower your HDL level, and increase your total cholesterol level. (Total cholesterol is a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood, including LDL and HDL.)
                
Routine physical activity can help you lose weight and lower your LDL cholesterol. Being physically active also can help you raise your HDL cholesterol level.
                
Factors You Cant Control
                
Heredity
                
High blood cholesterol can run in families. An inherited condition called familial hypercholesterolemia causes very high LDL cholesterol. (Inherited means the condition is passed from parents to children through genes.) This condition begins at birth, and it may cause a heart attack at an early age.
                
Age and Sex
                
Starting at puberty, men often have lower levels of HDL cholesterol than women. As women and men age, their LDL cholesterol levels often rise. Before age 55, women usually have lower LDL cholesterol levels than men. However, afterage 55, women can have higher LDL levels than men. + NHLBI + High Blood Cholesterol
What are the symptoms of High Blood Cholesterol ?
High blood cholesterol usually has no signs or symptoms. Thus, many people don't know that their cholesterol levels are too high.
                
If you're 20 years old or older, have your cholesterol levels checked at least once every 5 years. Talk with your doctor about how often you should be tested. + NHLBI + High Blood Cholesterol
How to diagnose High Blood Cholesterol ?
Your doctor will diagnose high blood cholesterol by checking the cholesterol levels in your blood. A blood test called a lipoprotein panel can measure your cholesterol levels. Before the test, youll need to fast (not eat or drink anything but water) for 9 to 12 hours.
                
The lipoprotein panel will give your doctor information about your:
                
Total cholesterol. Total cholesterol is a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
                
LDL cholesterol. LDL, or bad, cholesterol is the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockages in the arteries.
                
HDL cholesterol. HDL, or good, cholesterol helps remove cholesterol from your arteries.
                
Triglycerides (tri-GLIH-seh-rides). Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. Some studies suggest that a high level of triglycerides in the blood may raise the risk of coronary heart disease, especially in women.
                
If its not possible to have a lipoprotein panel, knowing your total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol can give you a general idea about your cholesterol levels.
                
Testing for total and HDL cholesterol does not require fasting. If your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL or more, or if your HDL cholesterol is less than 40 mg/dL, your doctor will likely recommend that you have a lipoprotein panel. (Cholesterol is measured as milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood.)
                
The tables below show total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol levels and their corresponding categories. See how your cholesterol numbers compare to the numbers in the tables below.
                

                

                

                

                
Triglycerides also can raise your risk for heart disease. If your triglyceride level is borderline high (150199 mg/dL) or high (200 mg/dL or higher), you may need treatment.
                
Factors that can raise your triglyceride level include:
                
Overweight and obesity
                
Lack of physical activity
                
Cigarette smoking
                
Excessive alcohol use
                
A very high carbohydrate diet
                
Certain diseases and medicines
                
Some genetic disorders + NHLBI + High Blood Cholesterol
What is (are) Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a heart problem that occurs soon after birth in some babies. In PDA, abnormal blood flow occurs between two of the major arteries connected to the heart.
                
Before birth, the two major arteriesthe aorta and the pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) arteryare connected by a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus. This vessel is an essential part of fetal blood circulation.
                
Within minutes or up to a few days after birth, the vessel is supposed to close as part of the normal changes occurring in the baby's circulation.
                
In some babies, however, the ductus arteriosus remains open (patent). This opening allows oxygen-rich blood from the aorta to mix with oxygen-poor blood from the pulmonary artery. This can put strain on the heart and increase blood pressure in the lung arteries.
                
Normal Heart and Heart With Patent Ductus Arteriosus
                

                
Go to the "How the Heart Works" section of this article for more details about how a normal heart works compared with a heart that has PDA.
                
Overview
                
PDA is a type of congenital (kon-JEN-ih-tal) heart defect. A congenital heart defect is any type of heart problem that's present at birth.
                
If your baby has a PDA but an otherwise normal heart, the PDA may shrink and go away. However, some children need treatment to close their PDAs.
                
Some children who have PDAs are given medicine to keep the ductus arteriosus open. For example, this may be done if a child is born with another heart defect that decreases blood flow to the lungs or the rest of the body.
                
Keeping the PDA open helps maintain blood flow and oxygen levels until doctors can do surgery to correct the other heart defect.
                
Outlook
                
PDA is a fairly common congenital heart defect in the United States. Although the condition can affect full-term infants, it's more common in premature infants.
                
On average, PDA occurs in about 8 out of every 1,000 premature babies, compared with 2out of every 1,000 full-term babies. Premature babies also are more vulnerable to the effects of PDA.
                
PDA is twice as common in girls as it is in boys.
                
Doctors treat the condition with medicines, catheter-based procedures, and surgery. Most children who have PDAs live healthy, normal lives after treatment. + NHLBI + Patent Ductus Arteriosus
What causes Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
If your child has patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), you may think you did something wrong during your pregnancy to cause the problem. However, the cause of patent ductus arteriosus isn't known.
                
Genetics may play a role in causing the condition. A defect in one or more genes might prevent the ductus arteriosus from closing after birth. + NHLBI + Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Who is at risk for Patent Ductus Arteriosus? ?
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a relatively common congenital heart defect in the United States.
                
The condition occurs more often in premature infants (on average, occurring in about 8 of every 1,000 births). However, PDA also occurs in full-term infants (on average, occurring in about 2 of every 1,000 births).
                
PDA also is more common in:
                
Infants who have genetic conditions such as Down syndrome
                
Infants whose mothers had German measles (rubella) during pregnancy
                
PDA is twice as common in girls as it is in boys. + NHLBI + Patent Ductus Arteriosus
What are the symptoms of Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
A heart murmur may be the only sign that a baby has patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound heard during the heartbeat. Heart murmurs also have other causes besides PDA, and most murmurs are harmless.
                
Some infants may develop signs or symptoms of volume overload on the heart and excess blood flow in the lungs. Signs and symptoms may include:
                
Fast breathing, working hard to breathe, or shortness of breath. Premature infants may need increased oxygen or help breathing from a ventilator.
                
Poor feeding and poor weight gain.
                
Tiring easily.
                
Sweating with exertion, such as while feeding. + NHLBI + Patent Ductus Arteriosus
How to diagnose Patent Ductus Arteriosus ?
In full-term infants, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) usually is first suspected when the baby's doctor hears a heart murmur during a regular checkup.
                
A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound heard during the heartbeat. Heart murmurs also have other causes besides PDA, and most murmurs are harmless.
                
If a PDA is large, the infant also may develop symptoms of volume overload and increased blood flow to the lungs. If a PDA is small, it may not be diagnosed until later in childhood.
                
If your child's doctor thinks your child has PDA, he or she may refer you to a pediatric cardiologist. This is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating heart problems in children.
                
Premature babies who have PDA may not have the same signs as full-term babies, such as heart murmurs. Doctors may suspect PDA in premature babies who develop breathing problems soon after birth. Tests can help confirm a diagnosis.
                
Diagnostic Tests
                
Echocardiography
                
Echocardiography (echo) is a painless test that uses sound waves to create a moving picture of your baby's heart. During echo, the sound waves bounce off your childs heart. A computer converts the sound waves into pictures of the hearts structures.
                
The test allows the doctor to clearly see any problems with the way the heart is formed or the way it's working. Echo is the most important test available to your baby's cardiologist to both diagnose a heart problem and follow the problem over time.
                
In babies who have PDA, echo shows how big the PDA is and how well the heart is responding to it. When medical treatments are used to try to close a PDA, echo is used to see how well the treatments are working.
                
EKG (Electrocardiogram)
                
An EKG is a simple, painless test that records the heart's electrical activity. For babies who have PDA, an EKG can show whether the heart is enlarged. The test also can show other subtle changes that can suggest the presence of a PDA. + NHLBI + Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Who is at risk for Heart Valve Disease? ?
Older age is a risk factor for heart valve disease. As you age, your heart valves thicken and become stiffer. Also, people are living longer now than in the past. As a result, heart valve disease has become an increasing problem.
                
People who have a history of infective endocarditis (IE), rheumatic fever, heart attack, or heart failureor previous heart valve diseasealso are at higher risk for heart valve disease. In addition, having risk factors for IE, such as intravenous drug use, increases the risk of heart valve disease.
                
You're also at higher risk for heart valve disease if you have risk factors for coronary heart disease. These risk factors include high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, insulin resistance, diabetes, overweight or obesity, lack of physical activity, and a family history of early heart disease.
                
Some people are born with an aortic valve that has two flaps instead of three. Sometimes an aortic valve may have three flaps, but two flaps are fused together and act as one flap. This is called a bicuspid or bicommissural aortic valve. People who have this congenital condition are more likely to develop aortic heart valve disease. + NHLBI + Heart Valve Disease