Vitals like blood pressure, respiration rate, height, weight and heart rate are pretty boring and mundane. They give us some general ideas about the overall health of the patient, but I know that I personally don’t think of them as having direct links to lab values. Of course, we can make some general assumptions that […]
Rheumatoid arthritis can be debilitating as well as disfiguring. The heavier duty treatments try to reign in critical elements of the immune system. When it comes to the immune system, balance is key. You may also hear this balance called “immune tolerance.” In other words, we want the immune system to attack the invaders that […]
Lipolysis of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins generates PPAR ligands: Evidence for an antiinflammatory role for lipoprotein lipase. Sorry for the long, biochemically title, but it’s good for shock value. PPAR receptors are a group of genes that produce proteins that seem to have a beneficial impact on insulin sensitivity and inflammation (there are at least 3 known […]
Perilla Seed Oil Supplement May Be Helpful in Some Asthmatics Perilla seed oil is high in alpha-linolenic acid which can help shift the balance of leukotriene production (an intercellular messenger) away from inflammation. In addition, diets high in plant products and low in animal fats can also shift the balance away from the inflammation associated […]
Inactivation of catecholamines by superoxide and septic shock Superoxide is a free radical generated by inflammation and damage to the body, and is inactivated by superoxide dismutase (SOD). SOD is a very important antioxidant enzyme in the human body and is instrumental in quenching free radicals. This article suggests that SOD may be of value […]
