The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) virus and resulting COVID‐19 pandemic present important diagnostic evaluation challenges. These range from understanding the value of signs and symptoms in predicting possible infection, assessing whether existing biochemical and imaging tests can identify infection and people needing critical care, and evaluating whether new diagnos...
What is cTnI? Troponin (Tn) is a complex of three regulatory proteins (C, I, T) that is integral to muscle contraction in skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle, but not smooth muscle. However, TnT and TnI in cardiac muscle are presented by forms different from those in skeletal muscles. Distribution of cTnI during AMI When AMI and myocardial cell damage occurs: The free cTnI in cardiac muscle is rele...
Vitamin D and Bone Health What is Vitamin D? Vitamin D, first identified as a vitamin early in the 20th century, is now recognized as a prohormone. It is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids that is naturally present in very few foods, responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, and many other biological effects. Vitamin D plays an important ro...
Preface Influenza is a seasonal respiratory illness that occurs annually, usually peaking in winter. It affects 5-10% of adults and 20-30% of children each year.[1] This common, yet serious, infectious disease, represente a significant threat to public health. Globally, annual influenza epidemics are estimated to result in about 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness, millions of hospita...
COVID-19 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020[1,3] . According to European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the rate of COVID-19 cases among people aged 65 years and older increased by 7% by the week ending 18 December 2022 compared with the previo...
Mild or moderate COVID-19 lasts about two weeks for most people. But others experience lingering health problems even after the fever and cough go away and they are no longer testing positive for the illness, which is known as post-COVID conditions (PCC) or long COVID. The World Health Organization has developed a definition for long COVID as coronavirus symptoms that persist or return three month...
Things You May Want to Learn About Calprotectin Inflammatory bowel disease and the current diagnostic dilemma IBD are chronic diseases that result from the inflammation of the intestinal wall resulting in diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, and weight loss. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two major forms of IBD. [1.2] The diagnosis of IBD relies on a c...
Stress Hormone: Cortisol—— The Roles and Diseases it Takes Part in Over recent years, due to the changing social environment and increasing challenges, stress and stress-related feelings especially after COVID-19 pandemic are on the rise. These stressors containing global conflicts, personal health, economic downturn, rising up family responsibilities, etc[1]. What are Str...
