Health
‘Atherosclerosis, Cause Of Heart Diseases’
The underlying cause
of most heart disease, the number one killer in civilised nations has been said to be Atherosclerosis.
This is brought on by high blood cholesterol levels which are themselves caused by a diet low in antioxidants and high in animal fat, butter and hydrogenated vegetable fats.
According to the Natural Remedies Encyclopedia, sixth edition, Atherosclerosis which means clogged arteries, affect most parts of the human body including the brain resulting to cardiovascular disease (disease of), the heart and blood vessels stating that these diseases remain the biggest challenge in recent times.
It said “heart disease is the biggest killer in the entire world. In developed nations, the proportion of total deaths rises to more than 50 percent. Worldwide, heart attacks and strokes account for 25 percent of all deaths”.
Explaining the clogged arteries, the Encyclopedia said “in cerebral (brain) arteries, blockage of blood flow produces strokes; in carotid (neck) arteries, heart attack; in coronary (heart muscle) arteries, angina pectoris; in the aorta, aneurysm; renal (kidney) arteries, intermittent claudication in femoral (upper leg) arteries, gangrene”.
It stated that the cardiovascular system starts with the heart which is the blood pump with the blood being sent through arteries and veins throughout the body, adding that should the system be affected, the entire body is also affected and could lead to death.
The Natural Remedies Encyclopedia reveal that although many of the underlying causes and means of preventing cardiovascular diseases have been identified in scientific research articles, researchers have isolated three special substances in the body (which they call ‘markers’) and which point to the likelihood of serious health challenge.
The first it revealed is the fibrinogen which is a protein that is normally used to coagulate-clump together various substances, an action that is primarily needed to stop bleeding when the body is injured.
However, high fibrinogen levels can bring on a high attack in one or another of three ways: hypercoagulation, blood platelet aggregation and excessive blood thickening, all involving clumping of particles of blood or substances within the blood vessels, adding that medical researchers have found that persons with high levels of fibrinogen are more than twice as likely to die of a heart attack.
The second marker is called reactive protein which with a high level, subjects a person to an increased risk of having floating pieces of plaque in his blood vessels, leading to arterial blood clotting.
While explaining that plaque is an accumulation of cholesterol (a blood protein) and other substances on the inner sides of blood vessels, it said that it can be extremely dangerous when pieces of arterial plaque break loose revealing that it can block the flow of blood through a coronary artery resulting in a heart attack and with such people being three times as likely to die of heart attack.
The third marker, the encyclopedia revealed, is a high level of homocysteine. Excessive homocysteine blocks the natural breakdown of fibrinogen by inhibiting the production of EPA and serving as a major cause of heart attack.
The encyclopedia however noted that homocysterine can be avoided in the system by simply avoiding the consumption of various meat products.
It further advised that there should be a reduction in the general consumption of fat-soluble diets and an increase of litamins and natural food intake to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and obtaining a longer life span.
Two United States scientists who unraveled the human micro RNA have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024.
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the coveted prize for their work on microRNA as their discoveries help explain how complex life emerged on earth and how the human body is made up of a wide variety of different tissues.
MicroRNAs influence how genes – the instructions for life – are controlled inside organisms, including humans.
Every cell in the human body contains the same raw genetic information, locked in our DNA.
However, despite starting with the identical genetic information, the cells of the human body are wildly different in form and function.
The electrical impulses of nerve cells are distinct from the rhythmic beating of heart cells. The metabolic powerhouse that is a liver cell is distinct to a kidney cell, which filters urea out of the blood.
The light-sensing abilities of cells in the retina are different in skillset to white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection.
So much variety can arise from the same starting material because of gene expression.
The US scientists were the first to discover microRNAs and how they exerted control on how genes are expressed differently in different tissues.
The medicine and physiology prize winners are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
They said: “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
“It is now known that the human genome codes for over 1,000 microRNAs.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun acting to curb effects of antibiotic pollution.
The new guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for antibiotic manufacturing sheds light on this important but neglected challenge ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) taking place on 26 September 2024.
The emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic pollution could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including the medicines produced at the manufacturing sites responsible for the pollution.
Despite high antibiotic pollution levels being widely documented, the issue is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions. In addition, once distributed, there is a lack of information provided to consumers on how to dispose of antibiotics when they are not used, for example, when they expire or when a course is finished but there is still antibiotic left over.
“Pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic manufacturing can facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread globally and threaten our health. Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to keeping these life-saving medicines effective for everyone,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for AMR ad interim.
Globally, there is a lack of accessible information on the environmental damage caused by manufacturing of medicines.
“The guidance provides an independent and impartial scientific basis for regulators, procurers, inspectors, and industry themselves to include robust antibiotic pollution control in their standards,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “Critically, the strong focus on transparency will equip buyers, investors and the general public to make decisions that account for manufacturers’ efforts to control antibiotic pollution.”
In a concerted effort to curb brain drain, the Kebbi State Government has harmonised medical doctors’ salaries to be at par with their colleagues in the federal government’s tertiary health facilities.
Kebbi State Commissioner for Health, Musa Inusa-Isma’il, disclosed this at the handing over of ambulances to the state-owned health facilities at the Ministry of Health in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
Inusa Isma’il, according to a statement by Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the essence of the harmonisation was to retain the existing medical doctors and attract more to the services of the state.
According to him, the doctors across the state had already started enjoying the new salaries from August 2024.
He said the release of the vehicles was in fulfilment of Governor Nasir Idris’ promise to uplift health care services in the state.
“His Excellency said I should inform you, the beneficiaries of this gesture, that the vehicle should be strictly used for the intended purpose. It should not be used for anything else.
“If there is no referral case, each of the vehicles must be parked at the hospital by 6 pm. The governor said you should warn your drivers against reckless driving as well as violating the instructions.
“We should also do everything possible to reciprocate the gesture by working according to the terms and conditions attached,” he advised.
The benefiting health facilities included Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi; State Teaching Hospital, Kalgo; General Hospital, Argungu; General Hospital, Yauri; General Hospital, Zuru; and General Hospital, Bunza.
In his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shehu Koko, recalled that the ambulances were handed over to the ministry last Friday by the governor for the onward handover to the benefiting hospitals.
He observed that the ambulances would go a long way in improving the referral system in the state, adding that delays in reaching the secondary and tertiary facilities would be eliminated.
The permanent secretary attributed the high rate of maternal mortality in the country to delays in getting to the health facilities for proper medical care.
“We believe with the provision of these ambulances, part of the gaps we have in our referral system will be addressed, whereby patients who require secondary healthcare could be easily transported to secondary and tertiary health centres, where they can get such help,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Commissioner for Information and Culture Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed expressed gratitude to the governor for the support he has given to the ministry to excel.
While advising the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously, the commissioner advised that services and maintenance of the vehicles must be prompt to derive the maximum benefits from the vehicles.
The commissioner also highlighted some achievements recorded by the government in the last year, including beautification of the state capital, completion of a multimillion-naira ultramodern state secretariat, road construction, construction and renovation of classrooms and upgrading of some health facilities, among others.