Sodium nitrite and cancer risk

Sodium nitrite and cancer risk

Sodium nitrite is a compound which is specially added to processed meat like cone beef, bacon and hotdogs. Even though this compound is neutral, within the body it can be converted to carcinogenic compounds which can cause cancers. It was clearly shown that Sodium nitrite increases the risk of leukemia.
Sodium nitrite is added to processed meat in order to retain the reddish appealing color. But this Sodium nitrite is converted to carcinogenic nitrosoamines by colonic bacteria which increase the risk of cancer. Since sodium nitrate is also converted to Sodium nitrite with in the body it also can be carcinogenic.
So if the same person who is eating lots and lost of processed food also having constipation the problem can be much more severe and probably he is having a heightened risk of colonic cancer. So beware of Sodium nitrite and cancer risk and next time make sure to read the label of the food item before you buy it.

CPK test

CPK test is a very important biochemical test used to diagnose specially conditions associated with muscle. CPK test also has a place in emergency care to diagnose myocardial infarctions. CPK Enzyme or the Creatine phosphokinase is found in almost all the cells of the body. But it is found in significant amounts in Heart, Brain and skeletal muscles. So when there is a heart attack, Brain cell necrosis or a muscle trauma the CPK enzyme contained with in these cells are released to the blood. So the plasma level of CPK enzyme is elevated. The objective of the CPK test is to measure this elevated CPK enzyme. Even in a normal individual there is a basal blood level of CPK enzyme. It is due to the normal wear and tear of the cells. In CPK test this amount is always measured. So when the CPK test result comes it is not something to get alarmed. Normal basal level of CPK enzyme in a properly conducted CPK test is 24-195U/L. But please keep in mind the outcome of the CPK test is laboratory and method specific. So you should always take into account the reference range given by the laboratory for the CPK test. Not only diseases there are drugs which can give rise to exaggerated results in CPK test.

How do people die?

How do people die?

How do people die? This is an obvious question. But the answer is very long. In legal sense death of a person occurs when all his brain functions are ceased. But medically there are several different types of deaths,
These include
Somatic death
Cell death
Brain death
But this is not the answer to the above question. To answer the above question we should list the causes of the death. These include trauma, Infections, toxins, irradiation, suffocation, dehydration, Nutritional deprivation, congenital abnormalities, cancers and etc. This is a very long list and it is almost impossible to mention everything here.
These different causes have different mechanisms in the causation of the death.

How does trauma cause death?
In a trauma vital organs can be damaged. For an example if the brain is damaged to a considerable extent it can cause an instant death. In some traumas excessive blood losses can cause circulatory arrest and shock.

How do toxins cause death?

Almost all the toxins interact with the cells at the molecular level. Well known poison cyanide inhibits the enzyme cytochrome oxidase of the respiratory chain and diminishes cellular production of ATP. This cause an instantaneous death of all the exposed cells. Some toxins like organo phosphates can interfere with the neurotransmitter function and can cause death.

How does irradiation cause death?

Some radiations like, alpha rays, can cause direct burn injuries. But the other radiations may not cause such obvious physical damage. But these radiations can cause damage to cellular DNA damage which can ultimately lead to the death. Small DNA alterations can give rise to tumors and carcinoma.

How do Infections cause death?

Infections can cause death in many ways. Infective organisms can cause direct death of the cells which ultimately lead to the death of that individual. Some infective organisms secrete toxines which can damage cells in different ways. Some infections cause immunodeficiency which ultimately leads to the death by an infection from another organism.