Posts by Medilab An

Calcium is more than just a building block for bones and teeth. It is critically important for muscle contraction, heart rate regulation, nerve impulse transmission, blood clotting, and hormonal activity. Despite its wide significance, calcium metabolism disorders can go unnoticed for a long time. That is why a calcium test is an important tool for detecting subtle but potentially serious malfunctions in the body. Why is a calcium test prescribed? This test allows you to detect not only a deficiency or excess of calcium, but also to assess overall mineral metabolism. It may be prescribed for the following reasons: prolonged muscle spasms or cramps changes in heart function (arrhythmia, tachycardia) frequent fractures or suspected decreased bone density disorders of the nervous system (numbness, tingling, unsteady gait) kidney, thyroid, or parathyroid disease monitoring calcium levels in patients receiving vitamin D, calcium supplements, or anticonvulsants ...

The immune system is not only a defense against infections, but also a constant balance of all body systems. It reacts sensitively to any external and internal changes, including our psychological state. Scientific research in recent decades has confirmed a direct link between stress and a decrease in immune defense. This is especially relevant in the modern rhythm of life, when emotional stress has become a chronic phenomenon. Biology of stress and its impact on the immune system In response to any stressful stimulus - physical, emotional, social - the body activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which stimulates the release of stress hormones: adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. In the short term, this reaction is useful - it mobilizes strength, speeds up the heartbeat, increases blood glucose levels, and temporarily suppresses unimportant functions, including immune ones. But with prolonged stress: the activity of natural killers (NK cells) decreases, the production of T-lymphocytes decreases, the balance of cytokines (proteins that control the immune response) is disrupted, the level of pro-inflammatory processes increases, regeneration slows down...

Why tumor markers are of interest even to healthy people A few years ago, tumor markers were mainly taken by patients with suspected oncology. Today, they are prescribed both during routine medical examinations and during monitoring of chronic conditions. The reason is clear - this is one of the fastest ways to check whether everything is fine with the internal organs. But at the same time, there are many misunderstandings around the topic: some perceive tumor markers as a "cancer test", while others - as an ordinary biochemical analysis. To understand what they really show, it is worth considering their role in more depth. Tumor markers - what are they anyway? Tumor markers are specific substances (mainly proteins or antigens) that can be secreted: by the tumor itself or by the body in response to its development. They can be detected in blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva or tissues. There are three main roles of tumor markers: Signal about a probable tumor process Monitoring dynamics after treatment Assessing the effectiveness of therapy Tumor markers do not make a diagnosis on their own, but often prompt the doctor to...