Prostate

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The prostate is a gland below the bladder and in front of the rectum in men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB). It consists of connective tissues and glandular tissues. It adds fluid to semen, and its muscles help push semen through your urethra. Conditions that affect your prostate include cancer, prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

What does a prostate do for a man?

Your prostate contributes additional fluid to your semen (ejaculate). Ejaculate is a whitish-gray fluid that releases from your penis when you orgasm. The fluid contains enzymes, zinc and citric acid, which help nourish sperm cells and lubricate your urethra (pronounced “yer-ree-thruh”). The urethra is a tube through which ejaculate and pee flow out of your body.

Your prostate’s muscles also help push semen into and through your urethra when you orgasm.
Do women have a prostate?

No, women don’t have a prostate. Women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) have Skene’s glands. However, some people refer to Skene’s glands as the female prostate gland.

The Skene’s glands are on either side of the urethra. Medical researchers believe these glands may secrete fluid that helps with urination (peeing) and cleanliness. They may also have a function for sexual intercourse, possibly providing the fluid for female ejaculation.

Where is the prostate located?

Your prostate is below your bladder and in front of your rectum. Your urethra runs through the center of your prostate.
What does the prostate look like?

Your prostate has five lobes: anterior (in the front) and posterior (in the back) lobes, two lateral lobes (on the sides) and one median (in the middle) lobe. Connective tissues and glandular tissues make up its structure. The prostatic fascia covers your prostate. Prostatic fascia is a sheet of stretchy connective tissue.
How big is the prostate?

Your prostate is about the size of a walnut.

The prostate usually gets larger after age 40 (benign prostatic hyperplasia). It can grow from the size of a walnut to the size of a lemon. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) isn’t cancerous, and it doesn’t increase your risk of developing prostate cancer.
How much does your prostate weigh?

Your prostate weighs about 1 ounce (30 grams), which is as heavy as five U.S. quarters.

What are the common conditions and disorders that affect the prostate?

Common conditions that affect your prostate include:

Prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer that affects men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB).
Inflammation (prostatitis). Four different prostatitis conditions cause inflammation in your prostate gland: acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) and asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis. It’s the most common urinary tract issue in men and people AMAB younger than 50, and the third most common in men and people AMAB over 50.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia. BPH causes your prostate to grow, which can cause blockages in your urethra. Almost all men and people AMAB will develop some prostate enlargement as they age.

What are the warning signs of prostate problems?

Common warning signs of prostate problems include:

Pain in your penis, testicles or perineum (pronounced “pare-uh-nee-um”). The perineum is the area between your testicles and your rectum.
Frequent urges to pee.
Pain while peeing (dysuria) or ejaculating.
Slowness or dribbling of your pee stream.
Difficulty starting to pee.
Frequent need to get up at night to pee.
Erectile dysfunction (ED).
Blood in urine or semen (hematospermia).
Pain in your lower back, hip or chest.

What are common tests that check the health of the prostate?

Common tests to check your prostate health include:

Digital rectal exam. Your healthcare provider inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum and feels your prostate gland. Bumps or hard areas may indicate cancer.
Prostate-specific antigen blood test. Your prostate makes a protein called protein-specific antigen (PSA). Elevated PSA levels may indicate cancer. PSA levels may also rise if you have BPH or prostatitis.
Biopsy. Your healthcare provider uses a needle to get a sample of your prostate tissue. A healthcare provider will examine the sample under a microscope in a lab.

What are common treatments for the prostate?

Prostate treatment depends on the type of condition you have.
Prostate cancer

Active surveillance. You get screenings, scans and biopsies every one to three years to monitor cancer growth.
Brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is a type of internal radiation therapy. Your healthcare provider places radioactive seeds in your prostate. The seeds help preserve the surrounding healthy tissue.
Focal therapy. Focal therapy focuses on treating only the cancerous area of your prostate. Focal therapy options include high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), cryotherapy, laser ablation and photodynamic therapy (PDT).
Prostatectomy. Your healthcare provider surgically removes your prostate.

Prostatitis

Depending on the cause and type of your prostatitis, your healthcare provider may recommend:

Medications. Some medications help relax the muscles around your prostate and bladder to help improve urine flow. Antibiotics help kill infection-causing bacteria.
Stress management. Counseling for anxiety and depression can help relieve symptoms.
Exercises. Pelvic floor exercises can help reduce or eliminate muscle spasms.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia

Medications. Medications can help decrease the production of hormones that cause your prostate to grow.
Surgery. Surgery can remove the obstructing prostate tissue that blocks the flow of pee.
Water vapor therapy. A healthcare provider inserts an instrument through your urethra and into your prostate. The instrument emits steam vapor, which kills prostate cells and shrinks your prostate.

Gut Disease

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More than 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates — the father of modern medicine — suggested that all disease begins in the gut.

While some of his wisdom has stood the test of time, you may wonder whether he was right in this regard.

This article tells you all you need to know about the connection between your gut and disease risk.

Though Hippocrates was incorrect in suggesting that all disease begins in your gut, evidence shows that many chronic metabolic diseases do.

Your gut bacteria and the integrity of your gut lining strongly affect your health.

According to numerous studies, undesirable bacterial products called endotoxins can sometimes leak through your gut lining and enter your bloodstream.

Your immune system then recognizes these foreign molecules and attacks them — resulting in chronic inflammation.

Some hypothesize that this diet-induced inflammation may trigger insulin and leptin resistance — driving factors for type 2 diabetes and obesity, respectively. It’s also believed to cause fatty liver disease.

At the very least, inflammation has been strongly linked to many of the world’s most serious conditions.

Nonetheless, keep in mind that this area of research is rapidly developing, and current theories may be overhauled in the future.

SUMMARY

Though not all disease begins in the gut, many chronic metabolic conditions are hypothesized to be caused or influenced by chronic gut inflammation.

Effects of Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is your immune system’s response to foreign invaders, toxins, or cell injury.

Its purpose is to help your body attack these unwanted invaders and begin repair of damaged structures.

Acute (short-term) inflammation, such as after a bug bite or injury, is generally considered a good thing. Without it, pathogens like bacteria and viruses could easily take over your body, causing sickness or even death.

However, another type of inflammation — called chronic, low-grade, or systemic inflammation — may be harmful, as it’s long term, may affect your entire body, and inappropriately attacks your body’s cells.

For example, your blood vessels — such as your coronary arteries — may be inflamed, as well as structures in your brain.

Chronic, systemic inflammation is now believed to be one of the leading drivers of some of the world’s most serious conditions.

These include obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and numerous others.

Still, the exact causes of chronic inflammation are currently unknown.

Endotoxins and Leaky Gut

Your gut houses trillions of bacteria — collectively known as your gut flora.

While some of these bacteria are beneficial, others are not. As a result, the number and composition of your gut bacteria can greatly affect both your physical and mental health.

The cell walls of some of your gut bacteria — called gram-negative bacteria — contain lipopolysaccharides (LPS), large molecules also known as endotoxins.

These substances can cause an immune reaction in animals. During an acute bacterial infection, they can lead to fever, depression, muscle pains, and even septic shock.

In addition, these substances can sometimes leak from the gut into the bloodstream — either constantly or right after meals.

Endotoxins may either be carried into your blood circulation along with dietary fat, or they may leak past the tight junctions that are supposed to prevent unwanted substances from getting across your gut lining.

When this happens, they activate immune cells. Though their amounts are too small to cause symptoms of an infection like fever, they’re high enough to stimulate chronic inflammation, causing issues over time.

Therefore, increased gut permeability — or leaky gut — may be the key mechanism behind diet-induced chronic inflammation.

When endotoxin levels in your blood increase to levels that are 2–3 times higher than normal, this condition is known as metabolic endotoxemia.

What is Cancer ?

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Cancer is a large group of diseases that can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, go beyond their usual boundaries to invade adjoining parts of the body and/or spread to other organs. The latter process is called metastasizing and is a major cause of death from cancer. A neoplasm and malignant tumour are other common names for cancer.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths, or one in six deaths, in 2018. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.

The cancer burden continues to grow globally, exerting tremendous physical, emotional and financial strain on individuals, families, communities and health systems. Many health systems in low- and middle-income countries are least prepared to manage this burden, and large numbers of cancer patients globally do not have access to timely quality diagnosis and treatment. In countries where health systems are strong, survival rates of many types of cancers are improving thanks to accessible early detection, quality treatment and survivorship care.

Diabetes

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Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose. Hyperglycaemia, also called raised blood glucose or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.

In 2014, 8.5% of adults aged 18 years and older had diabetes. In 2019, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.5 million deaths and 48% of all deaths due to diabetes occurred before the age of 70 years. Another 460 000 kidney disease deaths were caused by diabetes, and raised blood glucose causes around 20% of cardiovascular deaths (1).

Between 2000 and 2019, there was a 3% increase in age-standardized mortality rates from diabetes. In lower-middle-income countries, the mortality rate due to diabetes increased 13%.

By contrast, the probability of dying from any one of the four main noncommunicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases or diabetes) between the ages of 30 and 70 decreased by 22% globally between 2000 and 2019.
Symptoms

Symptoms of diabetes may occur suddenly. In type 2 diabetes, the symptoms can be mild and may take many years to be noticed.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

feeling very thirsty
needing to urinate more often than usual
blurred vision
feeling tired
losing weight unintentionally

Over time, diabetes can damage blood vessels in the heart, eyes, kidneys and nerves.

People with diabetes have a higher risk of health problems including heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

Diabetes can cause permanent vision loss by damaging blood vessels in the eyes.

Many people with diabetes develop problems with their feet from nerve damage and poor blood flow. This can cause foot ulcers and may lead to amputation.
Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent, juvenile or childhood-onset) is characterized by deficient insulin production and requires daily administration of insulin. In 2017 there were 9 million people with type 1 diabetes; the majority of them live in high-income countries. Neither its cause nor the means to prevent it are known.
Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes affects how your body uses sugar (glucose) for energy. It stops the body from using insulin properly, which can lead to high levels of blood sugar if not treated.

Over time, type 2 diabetes can cause serious damage to the body, especially nerves and blood vessels.

Type 2 diabetes is often preventable. Factors that contribute to developing type 2 diabetes include being overweight, not getting enough exercise, and genetics.

Early diagnosis is important to prevent the worst effects of type 2 diabetes. The best way to detect diabetes early is to get regular check-ups and blood tests with a healthcare provider.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be mild. They may take several years to be noticed. Symptoms may be similar to those of type 1 diabetes but are often less marked. As a result, the disease may be diagnosed several years after onset, after complications have already arisen.

More than 95% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was formerly called non-insulin dependent, or adult onset. Until recently, this type of diabetes was seen only in adults but it is now also occurring increasingly frequently in children.
Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is hyperglycaemia with blood glucose values above normal but below those diagnostic of diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy.

Women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and at delivery. These women and possibly their children are also at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the future.

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed through prenatal screening, rather than through reported symptoms.
Impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glycaemia

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) are intermediate conditions in the transition between normality and diabetes. People with IGT or IFG are at high risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes, although this is not inevitable.
Prevention

Lifestyle changes are the best way to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

To help prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications, people should:

reach and keep a health body weight
stay physically active with at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day
eat a healthy diet and avoid sugar and saturated fat
not smoke tobacco.

Diagnosis and treatment

Early diagnosis can be accomplished through relatively inexpensive testing of blood glucose. People with type 1 diabetes need insulin injections for survival.

One of the most important ways to treat diabetes is to keep a healthy lifestyle.

Some people with type 2 diabetes will need to take medicines to help manage their blood sugar levels. These can include insulin injections or other medicines. Some examples include:

metformin
sulfonylureas
sodium-glucose co-transporters type 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors.

Along with medicines to lower blood sugar, people with diabetes often need medications to lower their blood pressure and statins to reduce the risk of complications.

Additional medical care may be needed to treat the effects of diabetes:

foot care to treat ulcers
screening and treatment for kidney disease
eye exams to screen for retinopathy (which causes blindness).

WHO response

WHO aims to stimulate and support the adoption of effective measures for the surveillance, prevention and control of diabetes and its complications, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To this end, WHO:

provides scientific guidelines for the prevention of major noncommunicable diseases including diabetes;
develops norms and standards for diabetes diagnosis and care;
builds awareness on the global epidemic of diabetes, marking World Diabetes Day (14 November); and
conducts surveillance of diabetes and its risk factors.

In April 2021 WHO launched the Global Diabetes Compact, a global initiative aiming for sustained improvements in diabetes prevention and care, with a particular focus on supporting low- and middle-income countries.

In May 2021, the World Health Assembly agreed a Resolution on strengthening prevention and control of diabetes. In May 2022 the World Health Assembly endorsed five global diabetes coverage and treatment targets to be achieved by 2030.

What Is Dementia?

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Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.

About dementia

What is dementia? Causes, symptoms and diagnosis. Dementia is an umbrella term for loss of memory and other abilities.Dementia is not a single disease; it’s an overall term — like heart disease — that covers a wide range of specific medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease. Disorders grouped under the general term “dementia” are caused by abnormal brain changes. These changes trigger a decline in thinking skills, also known as cognitive abilities, severe enough to impair daily life and independent function. They also affect behavior, feelings and relationships.

Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of cases. Vascular dementia, which occurs because of microscopic bleeding and blood vessel blockage in the brain, is the second most common cause of dementia. Those who experience the brain changes of multiple types of dementia simultaneously have mixed dementia. There are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, including some that are reversible, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies.

Dementia is often incorrectly referred to as “senility” or “senile dementia,” which reflects the formerly widespread but incorrect belief that serious mental decline is a normal part of aging.

Symptoms and signs of dementia

Signs of dementia can vary greatly. Examples include problems with:

Short-term memory.
Keeping track of a purse or wallet.
Paying bills.
Planning and preparing meals.
Remembering appointments.
Traveling out of the neighborhood.

Many conditions are progressive, which means that the signs of dementia start out slowly and gradually get worse. If you or someone you know is experiencing memory difficulties or other changes in thinking skills, don’t ignore them. See a doctor soon to determine the cause. Professional evaluation may detect a treatable condition. And even if symptoms suggest dementia, early diagnosis allows a person to get the maximum benefit from available treatments and provides an opportunity to volunteer for clinical trials or studies. It also provides time to plan for the future.

Causes

Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behavior and feelings can be affected.

The brain has many distinct regions, each of which is responsible for different functions (for example, memory, judgment and movement). When cells in a particular region are damaged, that region cannot carry out its functions normally.

Different types of dementia are associated with particular types of brain cell damage in particular regions of the brain. For example, in Alzheimer’s disease, high levels of certain proteins inside and outside brain cells make it hard for brain cells to stay healthy and to communicate with each other. The brain region called the hippocampus is the center of learning and memory in the brain, and the brain cells in this region are often the first to be damaged. That’s why memory loss is often one of the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

While most changes in the brain that cause dementia are permanent and worsen over time, thinking and memory problems caused by the following conditions may improve when the condition is treated or addressed:

Depression.
Medication side effects.
Excess use of alcohol.
Thyroid problems.
Vitamin deficiencies.

Diagnosis of dementia

There is no one test to determine if someone has dementia. Doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia based on a careful medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests, and the characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function and behavior associated with each type. Doctors can determine that a person has dementia with a high level of certainty. But it’s harder to determine the exact type of dementia because the symptoms and brain changes of different dementias can overlap. In some cases, a doctor may diagnose “dementia” and not specify a type. If this occurs, it may be necessary to see a specialist such as a neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist or geriatrician.

Parkinson’s Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

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Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.

Symptoms usually begin gradually and worsen over time. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking. They may also have mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue.

While virtually anyone could be at risk for developing Parkinson’s, some research studies suggest this disease affects more men than women. It’s unclear why, but studies are underway to understand factors that may increase a person’s risk. One clear risk is age: Although most people with Parkinson’s first develop the disease after age 60, about 5% to 10% experience onset before the age of 50. Early-onset forms of Parkinson’s are often, but not always, inherited, and some forms have been linked to specific alterations in genes.
What causes Parkinson’s disease?

The most prominent signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease occur when nerve cells in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that controls movement, become impaired and/or die. Normally, these nerve cells, or neurons, produce an important brain chemical known as dopamine. When the neurons die or become impaired, they produce less dopamine, which causes the movement problems associated with the disease. Scientists still do not know what causes the neurons to die.

People with Parkinson’s disease also lose the nerve endings that produce norepinephrine, the main chemical messenger of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls many functions of the body, such as heart rate and blood pressure. The loss of norepinephrine might help explain some of the non-movement features of Parkinson’s, such as fatigue, irregular blood pressure, decreased movement of food through the digestive tract, and sudden drop in blood pressure when a person stands up from a sitting or lying position.

Many brain cells of people with Parkinson’s disease contain Lewy bodies, unusual clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein. Scientists are trying to better understand the normal and abnormal functions of alpha-synuclein and its relationship to genetic variants that impact Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia.

Some cases of Parkinson’s disease appear to be hereditary, and a few cases can be traced to specific genetic variants. While genetics is thought to play a role in Parkinson’s, in most cases the disease does not seem to run in families. Many researchers now believe that Parkinson’s results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as exposure to toxins.
Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s has four main symptoms:

Tremor in hands, arms, legs, jaw, or head
Muscle stiffness, where muscle remains contracted for a long time
Slowness of movement
Impaired balance and coordination, sometimes leading to falls

Other symptoms may include:

Depression and other emotional changes
Difficulty swallowing, chewing, and speaking
Urinary problems or constipation
Skin problems

The symptoms of Parkinson’s and the rate of progression differ among individuals. Early symptoms of this disease are subtle and occur gradually. For example, people may feel mild tremors or have difficulty getting out of a chair. They may notice that they speak too softly, or that their handwriting is slow and looks cramped or small. Friends or family members may be the first to notice changes in someone with early Parkinson’s. They may see that the person’s face lacks expression and animation, or that the person does not move an arm or leg normally.

People with Parkinson’s disease often develop a parkinsonian gait that includes a tendency to lean forward; take small, quick steps; and reduce swinging their arms. They also may have trouble initiating or continuing movement.

Symptoms often begin on one side of the body or even in one limb on one side of the body. As the disease progresses, it eventually affects both sides. However, the symptoms may still be more severe on one side than on the other.

Many people with Parkinson’s disease note that prior to experiencing stiffness and tremor, they had sleep problems, constipation, loss of smell, and restless legs. While some of these symptoms may also occur with normal aging, talk with your doctor if these symptoms worsen or begin to interfere with daily living.

Diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease

There are currently no blood or laboratory tests to diagnose non-genetic cases of Parkinson’s. Doctors usually diagnose the disease by taking a person’s medical history and performing a neurological examination. If symptoms improve after starting to take medication, it’s another indicator that the person has Parkinson’s.

A number of disorders can cause symptoms similar to those of Parkinson’s disease. People with Parkinson’s-like symptoms that result from other causes, such as multiple system atrophy and dementia with Lewy bodies, are sometimes said to have parkinsonism. While these disorders initially may be misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s, certain medical tests, as well as response to drug treatment, may help to better evaluate the cause. Many other diseases have similar features but require different treatments, so it is important to get an accurate diagnosis as soon as possible.
Treatments for Parkinson’s disease

Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, medicines, surgical treatment, and other therapies can often relieve some symptoms.
Medicines for Parkinson’s disease

Medicines can help treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s by:

Increasing the level of dopamine in the brain
Having an effect on other brain chemicals, such as neurotransmitters, which transfer information between brain cells
Helping control non-movement symptoms

The main therapy for Parkinson’s is levodopa. Nerve cells use levodopa to make dopamine to replenish the brain’s dwindling supply. Usually, people take levodopa along with another medication called carbidopa. Carbidopa prevents or reduces some of the side effects of levodopa therapy — such as nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, and restlessness — and reduces the amount of levodopa needed to improve symptoms.

People living with Parkinson’s disease should never stop taking levodopa without telling their doctor. Suddenly stopping the drug may have serious side effects, like being unable to move or having difficulty breathing.

The doctor may prescribe other medicines to treat Parkinson’s symptoms, including:

Dopamine agonists to stimulate the production of dopamine in the brain
Enzyme inhibitors (e.g., MAO-B inhibitors, COMT inhibitors) to increase the amount of dopamine by slowing down the enzymes that break down dopamine in the brain
Amantadine to help reduce involuntary movements
Anticholinergic drugs to reduce tremors and muscle rigidity

Deep brain stimulation

For people with Parkinson’s disease who do not respond well to medications, the doctor may recommend deep brain stimulation. During a surgical procedure, a doctor implants electrodes into part of the brain and connects them to a small electrical device implanted in the chest. The device and electrodes painlessly stimulate specific areas in the brain that control movement in a way that may help stop many of the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s, such as tremor, slowness of movement, and rigidity.
Other therapies

Other therapies that may help manage Parkinson’s symptoms include:

Physical, occupational, and speech therapies, which may help with gait and voice disorders, tremors and rigidity, and decline in mental functions
A healthy diet to support overall wellness
Exercises to strengthen muscles and improve balance, flexibility, and coordination
Massage therapy to reduce tension
Yoga and tai chi to increase stretching and flexibility

Support for people living with Parkinson’s disease

While the progression of Parkinson’s is usually slow, eventually a person’s daily routines may be affected. Activities such as working, taking care of a home, and participating in social activities with friends may become challenging. Experiencing these changes can be difficult, but support groups can help people cope. These groups can provide information, advice, and connections to resources for those living with Parkinson’s disease, their families, and caregivers.

Alzheimer Vitamin

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Vitamin D and Depression

Experts aren’t sure if a lack of it leads to depression or if it’s the other way around. But studies show a link between the two. Research is ongoing to see if raising your vitamin D levels can help with symptoms and boost your mood.

Fight the Flu

Scientists are still figuring out exactly how well vitamin D can treat or even keep you from getting the virus. One study showed taking vitamin D drops in the winter helped lower the number of Japanese schoolchildren who got the flu. It’s clear it’s an important part of a healthy immune system. Your body can’t fight germs well if it doesn’t have enough.

Multiple Sclerosis

Studies show vitamin D may lower your chance of getting MS. It’s a disease where your immune system attacks the central nervous system. If you already have it, some studies show vitamin D can ease your symptoms or even slow the disease’s growth.

Heart Help?

There’s no solid proof vitamin D supplements lower your risk of heart attack or stroke. But there’s hope it might head off heart failure. Researchers are looking into it.

Cancer Connection

Vitamin D may curb your chances of certain cancers, like colon, breast, and prostate. The rates are even better when paired with calcium. In one clinical trial, African Americans’ risk went down 23% when they took vitamin D supplements.

Bone Builder

Healthy vitamin D levels can slow bone loss. It also helps ward off osteoporosis and lowers your chance of broken bones. Doctors use vitamin D to treat osteomalacia. That’s a condition that causes soft bones, bone loss, and bone pain.

A Link to Weight Loss

Want to shed pounds? Try vitamin D supplements. Taken with calcium, it can keep you from feeling hungry as often. This means you eat fewer calories.

Vitamin D is known to participate in the clearance of amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregates,7, 8 one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and may provide neuroprotection against Aβ-induced tau hyperphosphorylation. Low levels of serum vitamin D have been associated with a greater risk of dementia and AD.

Alzheimer Supplement

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When you or someone you love has Alzheimer’s, you may be open to any and all possible ways to treat it and keep it from getting worse. Because there’s no cure, and a pretty limited number of medications you can take, you might be thinking about what vitamins and supplements can do.

No doubt about it: Good nutrition helps you from head to toe. But there are no vitamins or supplements proven to prevent, stop, or slow down Alzheimer’s.

The foods you eat do matter for your brain health, and they’re the best way to get nutrients. If you’re looking to try supplements, tell your doctor first to make sure that they’re not likely to have side effects or cause problems with any other medicines you take.
Antioxidants

These nutrients protect your body from molecules called “free radicals” that damage cells and can cause cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.

There are a lot of different antioxidants, like beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and resveratrol. They are in plant foods, such as berries, greens, tea, and bell peppers.

Free radicals tend to build up in nerve cells as we get older. Studies on the brains of people with Alzheimer’s have found signs of oxidative stress, which means that the body has been trying to fight free radical damage. So getting more antioxidants would seem to be a good thing.

But there is no easy answer, at least not yet.

The antioxidant connection is a hot area in Alzheimer’s research, but everyone agrees that more still needs to be done. Researchers aren’t sure if some antioxidants are better than others, and it’s possible that it might be better to get your antioxidants from food instead of from supplements.

Resveratrol

You can get this antioxidant from red grapes, red wine, peanuts, and some dark chocolate. Some researchers think it has anti-aging properties, and can lower your risk of certain diseases.

Scientists have thought for a while that resveratrol might be able to protect your brain from the effects of Alzheimer’s. A recent study showed that daily doses of resveratrol did slow down the progress of the disease.

That study is promising, but it doesn’t prove that resveratrol fights Alzheimer’s. The people in the study took a really strong dose of resveratrol that isn’t available to the public — 1 gram of it contains as much resveratrol as 1,000 bottles of red wine. But the study authors say it did show that resveratrol is safe to take if you have Alzheimer’s.

Plus, scientists need to see a lot of studies before they draw conclusions one way or the other. And some research shows that a diet loaded with resveratrol might not mean better health after all.
Vitamin D

One of vitamin D’s jobs is to help the brain. Most of us get our vitamin D from the sun and from foods like fatty fish, cheese, and egg yolks. But it’s also available over the counter as a supplement.

There’s a link between vitamin D and Alzheimer’s. A number of studies have shown that people with Alzheimer’s have low vitamin D levels. One study found people with very low vitamin D were twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s.

But, there’s so much left to learn about the connection between vitamin D and Alzheimer’s. We don’t know if low vitamin D causes Alzheimer’s. We also don’t know if taking vitamin D can treat or prevent the disease.

A lot more research has to be done before doctors will start prescribing vitamin D for Alzheimer’s. But, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation does list it as “very safe” for you to take as a supplement.
Ginkgo Biloba

You may have heard of ginkgo biloba as a memory aid — and maybe something that sounds like it could help you with Alzheimer’s. And researchers have studied it over the years. But so far, they haven’t found any proof that it improves memory at all, even in people who don’t have Alzheimer’s.

Ginkgo has been shown to cause other side effects, including bleeding, lowering blood sugar, and altering blood pressure. So it may be best to avoid completely.

Understanding the Basics of AC-DC Power Supply

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Understanding the Basics of AC-DC Power Supply

An AC-DC power supply, often known as an adapter, is a device that takes electricity from a grid and converts it to a different current, frequency, and voltage. AC-DC power supplies are required to give the correct amount of power to an electrical component.

AC-DC power supplies provide electricity to equipment that are usually powered by batteries or have no other source of power. Here’s everything you need to know about AC-DC power supplies.

Introduction to Power Supply

Electric power is the backbone of any electronic system, and the power source is the supplier of the system. Choosing the right source can be the difference between a device that is operating at the optimum level and a device that may be producing inconsistent results.  In addition to  alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) power supplies, DC / DC converters are also available. If your system already has a DC power supply, a DC / DC converter may be a better design choice.

DC power supply is untuned or tuned. A regulated power supply is available in several options, including linear, switched, and battery-based.

 

In other words, ACDC power supplies convert one type of electricity (AC “alternating current” to DC “direct current”. Most people definitely use electrical equipment that requires both types of electricity every day. 

 For example, a car needs a 12V DC power supply to operate. And  homes and businesses are powered by AC power. You may need to convert AC power to DC power. Therefore, an ACDC power supply is required.

 

  • AC Power

AC or Alternating Current is the same old form of strength provided from the electric grid to houses and businesses. It’s known as AC due to the waveform that the electrons take. Sometimes, the cutting-edge reverses and adjustments its magnitude.

AC energy`s voltage and frequencies fluctuate among regions; for example, the USA makes use of a hundred and twenty volts at a frequency of 60 Hz. Across the Atlantic, the UK makes use of 230 volts at a frequency of fifty Hz.

Because AC energy acts in waves, it could journey plenty similarly than DC energy, for this reason why it is utilised in electric grid structures throughout the world. While many electric gadgets use main-provided AC energy, others want changing to DC strength.

  • DC Power

Direct current is another type of electricity used in a variety of applications. Unlike AC, the path an electron takes in DC  is linear. You can see that electrical equipment such as batteries, solar cells, fuel cells, and alternators use direct current instead of alternating current. One of the advantages of direct current over alternating current is that it provides a consistent voltage supply to electrical equipment. However, the disadvantage of direct current is that it is not suitable for power grids because it can only flow over short distances. Most electronic items require DC electricity due to the `clean` delivery of power. Of course, mains electricity gets provided as AC power, so an ACDC power supply converts the electricity to DC power.  All ACDC power supplies have rectifiers built into them and transformers to raise or lower voltage levels where necessary. Rectifiers are the components in power supplies that convert AC power to DC.  DC electricity dates back to the late 19th century and is most commonly associated with early electrical pioneers like Thomas Edison. 

 

 

An AC-DC power supply is necessary for our electronic devices nowadays. You can find them in various formats, such as external adapters that plug into laptop computers, and internal converters like in all electronics from DVD players to medical equipment. Each AC-DC power supply has different design configurations, but the basic principles remain the same. For instance, an AC-DC power supply will have one or more transformers, rectifiers, and filters.

 

If you’re looking for the best place to get your AC-DC power supplies, EP-Power together with BriPower aims to give you a total commitment to ensure the best quality and provide first-class products and services.

 

For questions and inquiries, you may send us an email at: sales@edac.com.sg or call us at +6564547877.