Many people with vascular disease are interested in reducing salt intake. Salt or sodium is a well known factor that affects blood pressure. Reducing salt intake can help maintain a normal blood pressure. Controlling blood pressure is a great thing to do if you are concerned about vascular disease. Other reasons to reduce salt intake…
Many patients with vascular disease need to avoid salt. Eating salt is connected to elevated blood pressure. There is a chance that eating less salt will prevent elevated blood pressure. Eating more salt can make it hard to control blood pressure. Salt is also connected to swollen legs. But salt makes food taste good. Lack…
When the kidney, or part of it, does not receive blood, this may cause a renal infarction. Sometimes, blood flow is limited because of a local problem. But often, systemic illness is the problem. Symptoms of Renal Infarction Renal infarction is often diagnosed late. The reason is that symptoms are non-specific. Patients often have abdominal…
Pulse palpation is an important part of the vascular physical examination. It is essential in the evaluation of patients with peripheral artery disease and other vascular conditions. By the way, in Chinese medicine pulse palpation has a very central role. In Chinese Medicine over 20 types of pulses are identified, each with a different meaning….
Takayasu arteritis is a large vessel vasculitis. This means it is an inflammation of large arteries. It is most typical in young Asian women. Latin women also have it more than others. It can also occur in other parts of the world. It mostly affects the aortic arch and its tributaries. Takayasu arteritis is also…
How to eat right is one of the elusive keys to staying healthy. Eating right is not complicated, but many people just don’t know enough about it. This is why I wrote these easy ‘eat right tips’. Following these tips is easy and not expensive. 10 tips on how to eat right – the DO’s…
The web is filled with advice about how to stay healthy, but most of it is either inaccurate or plain wrong or just meant to sell you something. Staying healthy is smarter, cheaper and, well… just healthier than dealing with disease. This list of 10 simple things YOU should do to stay healthy will guard…
Homocysteine is an intermediate amino-acid. Elevated levels of homocysteine, are called hyperhomocysteinemia. 5-7% of the population have hyperhomocysteinemia. Hyperhomocysteinemia correlates with accelerated atherosclerosis and with recurrent venous thrombosis. Severe hyperhomocysteinemia may be part of a syndrome called homocysteinuria. Causes for elevated homocysteine Homocysteine levels are elevated because of genetic factors or because of lack of…
The combination of anticoagulation and surgery poses a set of unique challenges. What is the risk of performing surgery if anticoagulation is not held? What is the risk of thrombosis (e.g. arterial embolism, deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) if anticoagulation is stopped before surgery? When should anticoagulation be started after surgery? How should anticoagulation…
The purpose of preoperative assessment of vascular patients is to identify reversible problems and minimize risk of vascular procedures. Vascular patients are often high risk surgical patients. Just as they have peripheral vascular disease they often have coronary vascular disease, which may be occult. These patients often have other cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension,…
