Pernicious anemia is due to lack of vitamin B12, which causes progressive nerve damage, forgetfulness, loss of ability to concentrate and abnormal sensations such as burning, itching and loss of feeling. However, many people with pernicious anemia do not have abnormally low blood levels of vitamin B12.
A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society shows that older people have lower blood levels of a chemical called homotranscobalamin II that carries vitamin B12 into the cells, so they need higher blood levels to have normal tissue levels.
Since low-normal blood level of vitamin B12 do not rule out B12 deficiency, the diagnosis of pernicious anemia is often made late in the course of the disease after many people have suffered permanent nerve damage. According to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine, two percent of Americans over 60 have low blood levels of vitamin B12, but the incidence of vitamin B12 deficiency causing nerve damage in older people is much higher than that, sometimes as high as 50 percent. Therefore, many older people who are diagnosed with senility actually suffer from lack of vitamin B12 which can be cured by taking vitamin B supplements.
Lack of vitamin B12 also can cause heart attacks, so all people over 60 should be screened with blood tests for vitamin B12 and those with normal levels of B12 and symptoms of nerve damage or arteriosclerosis should also get a blood test called homocysteine.
Many people cannot correct their B12 deficiency with diet because they cannot absorb enough B12 from their food.
Almost always, those with a deficiency can a cured by taking a 1000 microgram pill of vitamin B12 once a day. They usually do not need to take injections. Low levels of B12 are also associated with stomach diseases and infections such as Helicobacter pylori.
Posts Tagged ‘Arteriosclerosis’
When you suffer from some type of heart disease, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be very difficult. We all need to eat healthy, maintain a good regular exercise routine and have regular checkups from our health care provider. When heart disease is not managed well the effects on our kidneys can be catastrophic.
The kidneys job is to filter the blood to remove carcinogens that we take in daily through the ingesting of out highly refined and processed foods. In addition it also removes excess fluid from the blood stream. The kidneys filter the waist products from the blood stream by using the natural pressure of the blood supply.
When this excess fluid is not being remove then the heart will have to work harder to pump the blood throughout our bodies by increasing our blood pressure. Higher blood pressure will cause more damage to our kidneys causing less fluid and toxins being removed from the blood stream.
As you can see the cycle of the heart damaging the kidneys which in turn cause more damage to the heart is a leading cause of death for patients suffering from heart disease. This viscous cycle must be control as soon as possible before permanent damage is done to the effected organs.
The leading causes of kidney disease are as follows:
Decreased blood flow to the kidney is usually caused by clogged arteries. Arteriosclerosis, congestive heart disease, plaques or fatty deposits containing large quantities of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood stream can all cause a decreased blood flow to the kidneys.
Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN) is the death of tissue do to a loss of oxygen to the kidney. Long term decreased of oxygen to the kidney can be caused by congestive heart disease, clogged arteries, anemia, iron deficiency, cycles cell anemia and infections such as acute septicemia. Short term loss of oxygen to the kidney can be caused a heart attack or by direct kidney injury.
Damage to the kidneys can be the result of over exposure to metals, solvents, drugs and other pollutants.
Excessive amounts of alcohol will cause death of muscle and organ tissue. When tissue dies myoglobin is released into the blood supply. Myoglobin is very toxic to the renal tubular epithelium and may cause kidney failure. One of the blood test done after a heart attack is the testing for the amount of myoglobin in the blood stream. The larger amount of myoglobin found has a direct correlation to the amount of damage caused to the heart muscle by a heart attack.
High blood pressure will also cause damage to the filtering process of the kidneys.
Prevention is always better than a cure and knowing you are at risk for heart or kidney disease should go a long way in your ability to prevent long term damage to these vital organs. Take steps today to maintain a health life style and to improve the quality of life.
Common vitamins and and minerals can help with preventing disease such as vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, Cranberry Juice, Natural diuretics and Garlic.
Vitamin A is a known antioxidant and can assist the human body in the healing process. Vitamin A is stored in the liver and fat cells of the human body and can reach toxic levels. DO NOT take more than the recommended dosage of Vitamin A.
Vitamin B taken together as a team perform vital biological processes including aiding in the healing process for congestive heart failure and reduces fluid retention. It is required for the development of red blood cells.
Vitamin C has been shown to combat the development of cholesterol deposits in the arteries. Within a few hours after receiving vitamin C patients showed a sharp decline in the cholesterol levels of the blood. Take 1,000 to 5,000 mg daily.
Vitamin E is known to help the red blood cells to live longer and keep them from breaking down too soon.
Cranberry Juice may also help prevent kidney and bladder infections. If you are taking COUMADIN then check with your doctor before using cranberry.
Natural diuretics are contained in cranberries, anything that has caffeine and apple cider vinegar. Fruits and vegetables such as watermelon and cucumbers contain a lot of water and will help increase urination.
Garlic counteract the usual result of high fats in the diet and to help reduce high blood pressure.
This report is nutritional in nature and not to be construed as medical advice.
Always consult your doctor before using this information.

