Pharmlux: a state of art biomedical research and diagnostic center

12/04/2023

Family Business of the Year? We're honored to be nominated, NJBIZ.

As a family-owned company local to NJ (plus PA and now FL), this recognition signifies our commitment to quality, transparency and most importantly, our community and customers.

We'll find out if we're the winners on December 14th – so keep your fingers crossed.

09/17/2023

Although most PAs did not use telemedicine in their practices before COVID-19, AAPA’s Research Department reports in a recent data brief that PAs are now embracing telemedicine to provide remote, high-quality care to their patients. Several comment on how their jobs have changed.

09/17/2023

09/17/2023

A medical laboratory or clinical laboratory is a laboratory where clinical pathology tests are carried out on clinical specimens to obtain information about the health of a patient to aid in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease

09/17/2023

HEART ATTACK, SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, AND LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS:
A heart attack happens when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked and the heart can’t get oxygen. If blood flow isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle begins to die. Heart attack treatment works best when it is given right after symptoms occur. If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, call for medical emergency even if you are not quite sure.
CAUSES OF HEART ATTACK:
Heart attacks most often occur as a result of ischemic heart disease, also called coronary heart disease or coronary artery disease. Ischemic heart disease is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart.
When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. The buildup of plaque occurs over many years. Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture (break open) inside of an artery. This causes a blood clot to form on the plaque's surface. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery.
If the blockage is not treated quickly, the portion of heart muscle fed by the artery begins to die. Healthy heart tissue is replaced with scar tissue. This heart damage may not be obvious, or it may cause severe or long-lasting problems.
Coronary Artery Spasm: A less common cause of heart attack is a severe spasm (tightening) of a coronary artery. The spasm cuts off blood flow through the artery. Spasms can occur in coronary arteries that aren't affected by atherosclerosis. What causes a coronary artery to spasm isn't always clear. A spasm may be related to:
(a)Taking certain drugs, such as co***ne
(b) Emotional stress or pain
(c) Exposure to extreme cold
( d) Cigarette smoking
Symptoms of Heart Attack
Not all heart attacks begin with the sudden, crushing chest pain that often is shown on TV or in the movies. In one study, for example, one-third of the patients who had heart attacks had no chest pain. These patients were more likely to be older, female, or diabetic. The symptoms of a heart attack can vary from person to person. Some people can have few symptoms and are surprised to learn they've had a heart attack. If you've already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same for another one. It is important for you to know the most common symptoms of a heart attack and also remember these facts: Heart attacks can start slowly and cause only mild pain or discomfort. Symptoms can be mild or more intense and sudden. Symptoms also may come and go over several hours. People who have high blood sugar (diabetes) may have no symptoms or very mild ones. The most common symptom, in both men and women, is chest pain or discomfort. Women are somewhat more likely to have shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, unusual tiredness (sometimes for days), and pain in the back, shoulders, and jaw. Some people don't have symptoms at all. Heart attacks that occur without any symptoms or with very mild symptoms are called silent heart attacks.
Most Common Symptoms
The most common warning symptoms of a heart attack for both men and women are: Chest pain or discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest. The discomfort usually lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It also can feel like heartburn or indigestion. The feeling can be mild or severe. Upper body discomfort. You may feel pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or upper part of the stomach (above the belly button). Shortness of breath. This may be your only symptom, or it may occur before or along with chest pain or discomfort. It can occur when you are resting or doing a little bit of physical activity.
The symptoms of angina can be similar to the symptoms of a heart attack. Angina is chest pain that occurs in people who have ischemic heart disease, usually when they're active. Angina pain usually lasts for only a few minutes and goes away with rest. Chest pain or discomfort that doesn't go away or changes from its usual pattern (for example, occurs more often or while you're resting) can be a sign of a heart attack. All chest pain should be checked by a doctor.
Other Common Signs and Symptoms
Pay attention to these other possible symptoms of a heart attack:
-Breaking out in a cold sweat
-Feeling unusually tired for no reason, sometimes for days (especially if you are a woman)
-Nausea (feeling sick to the stomach) and vomiting
-Light-headedness or sudden dizziness
Any sudden, new symptoms or a change in the pattern of symptoms you already have (for example, if your symptoms become stronger or last longer than usual)
Not everyone having a heart attack has typical symptoms. If you've already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same for another one. However, some people may have a pattern of symptoms that recur. Note: The more signs and symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you're having a heart attack.
LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS: Blood Tests: During a heart attack, heart muscle cells die and release proteins into the bloodstream. Blood tests can measure the amount of these proteins in the bloodstream. Higher than normal levels of these proteins suggest a heart attack. Commonly used blood tests include troponin tests, CK or CK–MB tests, and serum myoglobin tests. Blood tests often are repeated to check for changes over time.
Coronary Angiography
Coronary angiography is a test that uses dye and special x rays to show the insides of your coronary arteries. This test often is done during a heart attack to help find blockages in the coronary arteries. To get the dye into your coronary arteries, your doctor will use a procedure called cardiac catheterization.
-A thin, flexible tube called a catheter is put into a blood vessel in your arm, groin (upper thigh), or neck. The tube is threaded into your coronary arteries, and the dye is released into your bloodstream.
-Special x rays are taken while the dye is flowing through the coronary arteries. The dye lets your doctor study the flow of blood through the heart and blood vessels.
- When a doctor finds a blockage, he or she may recommend a procedure called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), sometimes referred to as coronary angioplasty. This procedure can help restore blood flow through a blocked artery. Sometimes a small mesh tube called a stent is placed in the artery to help prevent blockages after the procedure.

03/25/2023

12/20/2020

Hyperthyroidism:

Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) occurs when your thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. Hyperthyroidism can accelerate your body's metabolism, causing unintentional weight loss and a rapid or irregular heartbeat.

Several treatments are available for hyperthyroidism. Doctors use anti-thyroid medications and radioactive iodine to slow the production of thyroid hormones. Sometimes, hyperthyroidism treatment involves surgery to remove all or part of your thyroid gland. Although hyperthyroidism can be serious if you ignore it, most people respond well once hyperthyroidism is diagnosed and treated.

Symptoms:
-Hyperthyroidism can mimic other health problems, which can make it difficult for your doctor to diagnose. It can also cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms, including:

-Unintentional weight loss, even when your appetite and food intake stay the same or increase
-Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia) — commonly more than 100 beats a minute
-Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
-Pounding of your heart (palpitations)
-Increased appetite
-Nervousness, anxiety and irritability
-Tremor — usually a fine trembling in your hands and fingers
-Sweating
-Changes in menstrual patterns
-Increased sensitivity to heat
-Changes in bowel patterns, especially more frequent bowel movements
-An enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), which may appear as a swelling at the base of your neck
-Fatigue, muscle weakness
-Difficulty sleeping
-Skin thinning
-Fine, brittle hair
Older adults are more likely to have either no signs or symptoms or subtle ones, such as an increased heart rate, heat intolerance and a tendency to become tired during ordinary activities.

Graves' ophthalmopathy
Sometimes an uncommon problem called Graves' ophthalmopathy may affect your eyes, especially if you smoke. This disorder makes your eyeballs protrude beyond their normal protective orbits when the tissues and muscles behind your eyes swell. Eye problems often improve without treatment.

Signs and symptoms of Graves' ophthalmopathy include:

-Dry eyes
-Red or swollen eyes
-Excessive tearing or discomfort in one or both eyes
-Light sensitivity, blurry or double vision, inflammation, or reduced -eye movement. Protruding eyeballs

When to see a doctor:

When someone experience unexplained weight loss, a rapid heartbeat, unusual sweating, swelling at the base of the neck or other signs and symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism, then visit your physician. It's important to completely describe the changes that has been observed, because many signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism may be associated with a number of other conditions.

If someone has been treated for hyperthyroidism or currently are being treated, visit a doctor regularly so that the physician can monitor the condition regularly.

Thyroid disease: Thyroid disease affect a person's mood?

Causes:
Hyperthyroidism can be caused by a number of conditions, including Graves' disease, Plummer's disease and thyroiditis.

Thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck, just below the Adam's apple. The thyroid gland has an enormous impact on your health. Every aspect of your metabolism is regulated by thyroid hormones.

Thyroid gland produces two main hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), that influence every cell in your body. They maintain the rate at which your body uses fats and carbohydrates, help control the body temperature, influence heart rate, and help regulate the production of protein. The thyroid also produces a hormone that helps regulate the amount of calcium in the blood (calcitonin).

Reasons for high thyroxine (T4)L:
Normally, the thyroid releases the right amount of hormones, but sometimes it produces too much T4. This may occur for a number of reasons, including:

Graves' disease. Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies produced by your immune system stimulate your thyroid to produce too much T4. It's the most common cause of hyperthyroidism.

Hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules (toxic adenoma, toxic multinodular goiter or Plummer's disease). This form of hyperthyroidism occurs when one or more adenomas of your thyroid produce too much T4. An adenoma is a part of the gland that has walled itself off from the rest of the gland, forming noncancerous (benign) lumps that may cause an enlargement of the thyroid.

Thyroiditis. Sometimes thyroid gland can become inflamed after pregnancy, due to an autoimmune condition or for unknown reasons. The inflammation can cause excess thyroid hormone stored in the gland to leak into your bloodstream. Some types of thyroiditis may cause pain, while others are painless.

Risk factors:
Risk factors for hyperthyroidism, include:

-A family history, particularly of Graves' disease
-Female s*x:
A personal history of certain chronic illnesses, such as type 1 diabetes, pernicious anemia and primary adrenal insufficiency
Complications.

Hyperthyroidism can lead to a number of complications:

Heart problems: Some of the most serious complications of hyperthyroidism involve the heart. These include a rapid heart rate, a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation that increases the risk of stroke, and congestive heart failure — a condition in which the heart can not circulate enough blood to meet the body's needs.

Brittle bones: Untreated hyperthyroidism can also lead to weak, brittle bones (osteoporosis). The strength of the bones depends, in part, on the amount of calcium and other minerals they contain.Too much thyroid hormone interferes with your body's ability to incorporate calcium into your bones.

Eye problems: People with Graves' ophthalmopathy develop eye problems, including bulging, red or swollen eyes, sensitivity to light, and blurring or double vision. Untreated, severe eye problems can lead to vision loss.

Red, swollen skin: In rare cases, people with Graves' disease develop Graves' dermopathy. This affects the skin, causing redness and swelling, often on the shins and feet.
Thyrotoxic crisis. Hyperthyroidism also places you at risk of thyrotoxic crisis — a sudden intensification of your symptoms, leading to a fever, a rapid pulse and even delirium. If this occurs, seek immediate medical care.

Thyroid disease: Thyroid disease can affect a person's mood?
Associated Procedures: Thyroidectomy

12/31/2019

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough—or any—insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells.

Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems. Although diabetes has no cure, you can take steps to manage your diabetes and stay healthy.

Types of diabetes?

The most common types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes

If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. Your immune system attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.
Type 2 diabetes

If you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not make or use insulin well. You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. However, this type of diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes.
Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops in some women when they are pregnant. Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born. However, if you’ve had gestational diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Sometimes diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is actually type 2 diabetes.
Other types of diabetes

Less common types include monogenic diabetes, which is an inherited form of diabetes, and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

Treatment of Diabetes:
Controlling blood sugar (glucose) levels is the major goal of diabetes treatment, in order to prevent complications of the disease. Type 1 diabetes is managed with insulin as well as dietary changes and exercise. Type 2 diabetes may be managed with non-insulin medications, insulin, weight reduction, or dietary changes.

Type 1 diabetes is managed with insulin as well as dietary changes and exercise.
Type 2 diabetes may be managed with non-insulin medications, insulin, weight reduction, or dietary changes.
The choice of medications for type 2 diabetes is individualized, taking into account:

-The effectiveness and side effect profile of each medication,
-The patient's underlying health status,
-Any medication compliance issues, and
-Cost to the patient or health-care system.

Medications for type 2 diabetes can work in different ways to reduce blood glucose levels. They may: increase insulin sensitivity,increase glucose excretion, decrease absorption of carbohydrates from the digestive tract, and work through other mechanisms.

Medications for type 2 diabetes are often used in combination.
Different methods of delivering insulin include:
syringes, pre-filled pens, and the insulin pump.

Proper nutrition is a part of any diabetes care plan. There is no one specific "diabetic diet" that is recommended for all individuals.