Effective & Trusted Medications Guide » Liver, Kidney & Urinary System
Cystitis is a bacterial infection of the bladder or lower urinary tract.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Cystitis occurs when the lower urinary tract (urethra and bladder) is infected by bacteria and becomes irritated and inflamed. More than 85% of cases of cystitis are caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacteria found in the lower gastrointestinal tract. Sexual intercourse may increase the risk of cystitis because bacteria can pass from the urethra to the bladder during sexual activity. When you urinate, you help remove bacteria from the bladder. If the bacteria grows faster than it is removed by urination, an infection results.
The condition is very common, and frequently affects sexually active women ages 20 to 50. However, it may also occur in those who are not sexually active.
High uric acid level, or hyperuricemia, is an excessive concentration of uric acid in your blood. Uric acid is waste produced during the breakdown of purine, a substance found in many foods. Uric acid normally is carried in your blood, passes through your kidneys and is eliminated in urine.
A high uric acid level may not cause problems. However, some people develop gout, kidney stones or kidney failure due to high uric acid levels. A high uric acid level may appear prior to the development of high blood pressure, heart disease or chronic kidney disease, but it’s often unclear whether high uric acid level is a direct cause or merely an early warning sign of these conditions.
More than 6 million children in the United States have a condition called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can boost their odds for heart disease, researchers report.
NAFLD results from oily droplets of triglycerides forming in liver cells. In some children, this can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure and the need for liver transplant. In others, NAFLD can help cause diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all of which are linked to cardiovascular trouble.
“NAFLD is now the most common chronic liver disease in children,” noted lead researcher Dr. Jeffrey Schwimmer, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego. “We believe that children with NAFLD are at greatest risk for heart disease and diabetes,” he said.