Progesterone is a steroid hormone made primarily in the ovaries but also by the placenta during pregnancy. Progesterone acts with other female hormones, such as estrogen, to maintain female reproductive health and female sex characteristics.
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Calcium channel blockers and beta-blockers are both medicines used to treat hypertension and abnormal heart rhythms. Calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem, prevent calcium from getting into heart muscle cells and smooth muscle cells surrounding arteries.
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Cavities in the lungs are formed by inflammation of lung tissue leading to the development of an abscess. When the abscess ruptures, the contents are expectorated, leaving behind an air- and fluid-filled cavity. Chest X-rays and computer tomography, or CT, scans can detect lung cavitations.
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Growth hormone is a protein produced by the pituitary gland, which is a pea-sized gland located below the brain. Growth hormone is one of the hormones critical for normal growth in children and adolescents, and it is also involved in regulating metabolism. In adults, growth hormone deficiency is extremely rare.
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Chronic liver damage can result in the replacement of normal liver tissue with non-functioning scar tissue. Advanced liver damage is called cirrhosis, and glucose intolerance is a common feature of this condition.
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The liver, weighing about three pounds in a human, is a vital organ necessary for survival. It is located in humans on the right side of the upper abdomen and consists of four unequally sized lobes. The many functions of the liver are carried out by the hepatocyte.
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Progesterone is a steroid hormone that plays a role in maintaining the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy and human development. Progesterone is produced in the ovaries, adrenal glands and placenta. During the menstrual cycle, estrogen stimulates growth of the endometrium, which is the inner lining of the uterus.
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Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder, refers to a group of mood disorders that varies in the severity of episodes of mania and depression and the predominant type of episode. Certain chemicals, also called neurotransmitters, act as messengers between neurons in the brain.
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Policosanol is a mixture of alcohols extracted from sugar cane wax, wheat germ, rice bran or beeswax. It is sold by many companies that advertise its lipid-lowering effects.
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