Quick Blood Test That May Determine if Chest Pain is Serious

Heart disease is the leading causes of death in the United States. It affects more men than women and accounts for one in four deaths altogether. Fortunately, there is a new blood test that has the potential to give doctors information about a patient's risk for serious heart problems before the problems actually show up. 

A new study published January 10, 2017 in the European Heart Journal reveals that a simple blood test may be able to save lives by giving doctors the chance to treat an underlying heart problem before it gets out of control.

The new test measures the blood levels of a molecule with the name of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO is created in the intestines where friendly bacteria break down foods into smaller particles for absorption. Previous research shows that animals with high levels of TMAO have greater inflammation of the blood vessels. Prior studies have also shown that those who have increased levels of TMAO along with a heart condition have a higher risk of developing blood clots at some point in the future. Researchers are not certain if TMAO levels are related to increased blood clot risk in people who are healthy.

In the new study, the researchers studied the TMAO levels in two groups of people. The first group consisted of 530 adults at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic who visited the emergency room because of chest pain. The patients had blood samples taken when they first arrived and again four, eight and 16 hours later. The researchers kept tabs on these patients over the course of the next seven years to see if they developed heart problems or died from a heart condition.

According to the study, those whose TMAO levels were high were six times more likely to die than those whose TMAO levels were below a certain level. Those with high levels were also more likely to need blood vessel surgery or have a heart attack or stroke within 30 days. This finding was mentioned in a statement by Dr. Thomas Lüscher, a cardiologist at Switzerland's University of Zurich. Additionally, those with the highest TMAO levels were almost twice as likely to die within the seven-year follow-up period as those whose TMAO levels were the lowest. 

Lüscher stated that the elevated risk of death or serious complications from heart disease remained even after heart disease risk factors such as smoking, age and cholesterol levels were taken into account.

Researchers also took into account the levels of a compound known as troponin T. Troponin T is found in the blood after a person has experienced a heart attack. According to Lüscher, even patients who did not initially have high levels of troponin T when first arriving at the hospital but had the highest levels of TMAO were nearly six times more likely to suffer from a major cardiovascular event as those whose TMAO levels were lower.

The second group of patients was located in Switzerland and included more than 1,600 people who had been admitted to the hospital because of chest pains. TMAO levels in this group of patients were measured approximately five days after the patients entered the hospital. The patients were given follow-up exams one month later and then again 12 months later. 

Again, researchers found that the patients with the highest levels of TMAO in their blood were 1.5 times more likely to die, have a heart attack or stroke, or require blood vessel surgery a year later. Those whose TMAO levels were lowest were less likely to suffer from serious complications. According to Lüscher, it is possible that the decreased risk level for the Swiss patients versus the Ohio patients is a result of factors such as diet. 

The study finishes by mentioning the benefits of this quick blood test in helping doctors to determine which patients are at the highest risk for serious heart complications, thereby giving them the opportunity to suggest preventative measures before it is too late.

Getting ahead of Internal of Internal Cystitis and Back To Normality

Interstitial cystitis, or IC, can be difficult to diagnose and even harder to treat. Also called painful bladder syndrome, it can mimic other health problems, such as kidney stones or bladder infection. Your doctor may need to rule out other causes before diagnosing you with IC and take your medical and family history as well as perform a physical exam.

The kidneys filter waste products and create urine, which is passed into the urinary bladder. The urinary bladder can usually hold between two and four cups of urine at a time, but when you have IC, you may have frequent, painful urges to go. While the average person voids between six and eight times a day, someone with IC may go up to 40 to 60 times a day.

Symptoms can vary from person to person, and they may come and go. However, the condition is considered chronic, and most people will suffer a relapse.

Common symptoms include:

▪   Painful pressure

▪   Pain in the lower tummy, pelvic area or urethra

▪   Pain in the vagina or vulva in women

▪   Pain in the penis, scrotum or testicles in men

▪   Feeling the urge to urinate nearly constantly

▪   Intercourse pain

▪   Burning pain with urination

▪   A dull ache, a stinging sensation or burning pain

An inflamed bladder is a universal symptom, and up to 10 percent of sufferers will develop bladder ulcers. Your doctor may recommend more than one method of testing to rule out more serious problems and distinguish between IC and a normal bladder. The cause of IC is not fully understood but may be related to immune system attacks on the urinary tract and abnormal nerve stimulation or response.

Sufferers are about 90% women, and symptoms often first appear in the 40s. Lifestyle changes can be helpful. Common triggers include menstrual periods, stress, chocolate, tomatoes and citrus fruits. Limit your intake of foods and drinks that could worsen your symptoms, and practice relaxation techniques such as meditation to relieve stress. If you smoke, quit smoking, and limit your intake of alcoholic or caffeinated beverages. Low-impact exercise such as walking or stretching can be quite helpful for some patients. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy to help relax your pelvic muscles for bladder retraining so that you can hold more urine. Anti-inflammatories or other medications may be prescribed.

The Pains of Kidney Stones

People who have experienced the extreme pain of an advanced kidney stone problem often equate it to giving birth. It is a typically very painful problem, and one that is impossible to ignore. What many people do not know is that it is entirely possible to have a kidney stone without any symptoms at all. Most kidney stones are as small as a grain of salt and people end up passing them before they ever get big enough to cause pain. When things go wrong, however, and stones grown into a large solid substance in the urinary tract, the pain is inevitable. Symptoms of a blockage due to a stone include sharp, radiating or stabbing pain in the side, or lower abdomen. In some cases a blockage can cause lower back pain as well. It is a common belief that the pain is caused by the sharp crystine masses, but it is really a result of the calcium build up getting so big it can block urine from flowing through the urethra. Additional symptoms of a blockage include: • Pain or discomfort when you pee • Pain in the genitals • Blood tinged or cloudy urine • Frequent urination • Fever or chills • Trouble urinating • Pain in the groin area • Changes in or fluctuating frequency and intensity of pain • Nausea, vomiting, feeling sick to stomach What Causes Kidney Stones? Renal lithiasis, or kidney stones, are caused by a build up of minerals and acid salts. While it would be nice to be able to pin a particular cause on the development of these painful little crystals, anyone can get them. However, there are some risk factors that can increase your chances of developing tones, too much calcium in the diet, or a lack of the nutrients that prevent crystals from sticking to each other. People who have developed stones are more likely to have a repeat episode within a five-year period. It can help to know what type of kidney stone you had, in order to lower the chances of developing them again. There are four basic types of kidney stone: calcium stones which are the most common, struvite stones caused by infections in the urinary tract, uric acid stones caused by not getting enough water and fluids, and finally, cystine masses that are caused by a hereditary problem of the kidney’s releasing too high of a level of the amino acid cystinuria. General risk factors for developing stones include diet, lack of water or dehydration, family history, obesity, and some medical conditions. Having a kidney stone can, in extreme cases cause its own medical conditions. Kidney damage can occur if kidney stones are left untreated. It is also important to strive to follow up with your physician once you pass your stone. Even though the pain has stopped, small particles may remain behind that can be passed through the kidneys causing long-term damage. Your Diet and Kidney Stones What you eat can play an important role in preventing these type of stones. Eating foods with a high oxalate levels can increase the chances of developing urinary stones that develop into the pearls that get suck and cause such excruciating pain. Foods to avoid include dark beer, black tea, chocolate milk, nuts, soy products, starchy foods and even some vegetables like beans, beets, carrots and more. Treating a Kidney Stone Mild stones usually pass with very little problem. However, if you are experiencing extreme pain, fever, chills, nausea or there is a change in the color or frequency of your urination you should seek help fast. When a crystal gets stuck in the urinary track the blockage causes severe pain, but it also allows the stone to grow even bigger. Don’t wait for the pain to go away. Studies have shown that the kidney damage risk increased dramatically when stones were left untreated for more than 24 hours. After performing a few routine tests such as an ultrasound or CT scan, your physician will likely prescribe medications to help you break up the stone, as well as pain killers to help you deal with the discomfort. You may be guided to a nutritionist to follow up with how to get the right amounts of iron in your food and find the right range of oxalates so you can prevent future developments as well.