Agranulocytosis and cardiac toxicity - serious side effects of clozapine

Clozapine is probably the most effective antipsychotic. Treatment with clozapine is proved to decrease frequency of suicidal behavior. It is related to decrease in use of psychoactive substances and decrease in frequency and intensity of aggressive behavior among patients. It decreases the risk of rehospitalization and relapse. However because of serious, potentially fatal side effects like agranulocytosis or cardiac toxicity, use of clozapine is limited to schizophrenia symptoms partially or fully resistant to treatment with other antipsychotic drugs, or accompanied by persistent suicidal or self-injurious behavior

Patophysiology of metabolic syndrome in mentally ill patients treated by antipsychotics

The metabolic syndrome is increasingly named as epidemic of our time. It affects about 20-25% of the world's population and is associated with a twofold increase in the risk of death and a threefold increase in the risk of heart attack and stroke. Numerous scientific studies confirm the more frequent occurrence of the metabolic syndrome among the mentally ill patients than in the general population. It is related not only to common inflammatory etiology of psychiatric disorders and metabolic syndrome, endocrinopathies accompanying mental illness, unhealthy lifestyle of psychiatric patients or genetic predispositions of this group of patients to the development of metabolic disorders, but also with the use of psychiatric drugs such as antipsychotics or mood stabilizers

Role of vegan and vegetarian diets in type 2 diabetes

Significant benefits could be achieved in diabetes management with vegetarian and vegan diets. Many reports in literature indicate that both, vegetarian and vegan diet bring a potential benefits in a treatment of type 2 diabetes. What is more vegetarian and vegan diets have a positive effect on anti-atherogenic process. Observational studies indicate that risk of developing diabetes is reduced by half in people during a vegetarian diet, compared to non-vegetarian

The bitter side of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) - the global obesity pandemic

Sweet taste accompanies our lives since childhood. Sugar is commonly used in industrial production. Increased consumption of simple sugars has been observed since many years. Sugars come in different forms and one of them - glucose-fructose is on scientists aim because if it's impact on health. Fructose has unique metabolic features, that could be harmful for human organism. Excessive consumption of this substance contributes to obesity pandemic, development of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Obesity affects in particular children and teenagers.[1] High consumption of fructose disturb sense of hunger and satiety

Graves’ ophthalmopathy – thyroid eye disease

Graves’ disease (GD) is an autoimmune disorder that affects thyroid. It is caused by antibody, named thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin (TIS) that acts like thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), resulting in thyroid hormone overproduction – condition called hyperthyroidism. TSH receptors are located on thyroid cells, but also on ocular fibroblasts – that’s why Graves’ disease can result in ocular manifestations also known as Graves ophthalmopathy (GO). Typically patients with hyperthyroidism are affected by ophthalmopathy, but it can occur in hypothyroid or euthyroid patients as well. It is estimated that 20-35% of patients with Graves' disease develop thyroid eye disease. In most cases symptoms are mild and do not require specialist treatment. Decision about therapy should be made considering severity of the disease and it is influence on quality of life

Patophysiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Clinically, NAFLD is the most common cause of asymptomatic increases in transaminases. NAFLD is also currently the most common liver disorder in developed countries, affecting 24% of the world's population. The prevalence of NAFLD in European societies is estimated in the range of 17-46% and shows an upward trend with the increasing incidence of obesity and type II diabetes. NAFLD occurs in about 7% of people without excess weight, however, they are usually people with impaired insulin sensitivity, leading a sedentary lifestyle, having an increased cardiovascular risk, with higher levels of hepatic lipids as a result of reduced fat accumulation and reduced mitochondrial activity in adipose tissue and increased de novo hepatic lipogenesis

Postpartum depression – a mood disorder after delivery

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder characterized by depressive episode symptoms within three months after delivery, lasting between two and six months. The characteristic symptoms of postpartum depression are: exaggerated worry about the child's state of health, which does not cause any concern, weakened bond with the child, obsessive thoughts about harming the child (egodystonic thoughts), egosyntonic, non-obsessive thoughts about killing the child. All psychotropic medications are secreted in breast milk. Pharmacological treatment of PPD is not contraindication for breastfeeding. PPD should be treated because it disturbs formation of a proper bond between mother and child, which has an adverse effect on the child's psychosocial development

Major causes of insuline resistance

Causes of insulin resistance can be divided into innate and secondary. There are many reasons for insulin resistance, including genetic mutations like insulin receptor mutations, hormonal and pharmacological or immunological. However insulin resistance is most commonly associated with obesity. Obesity is associated with a low-grade inflammation of white adipose tissue (WAT) resulting from chronic activation of the innate immune system and which can subsequently lead to insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes

Perfluorocarbon droplets in the anterior chamber – Case Report

Perfluorocarbonated liquids (PFCL) are occasionally used in vitreoretinal surgery. In this article, we present a case of a young man who sustained a trauma to his eye resulting in a traumatic cataract and retinal detachment. He underwent combined cataract extraction, intraocular lens implantation and a vitrectomy for retinal detachment. Perfluorodecaline was used to stabilize the retina during the surgery. One day after surgery he was found to have many small bubbles of perfluorodecaline settling in the lower half of the anterior chamber. He was managed conservatively and followed up for a period of 1 year during which there were no sequel for the retained PFCL

Paraoxonase 1 as an important antiatherogenic agent

The inverse relationship between High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) level and risk of ischaemic heart disease was proved by many epidemiological studies. Although the main mechanism of antiatherogenic activity of HDL is a reverse transport of cholesterol from peripheral tissues to the liver, HDL additionally carries some antioxidative enzymes like Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) which protects LDL and HDL lipoproteins from oxidative modification. A lot of antiatherogenic activities of HDL depends on PON1 activity