h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A6724028 - The Liver and its Diseases - update for A134920

Sorry to hear that Z

Now that Z has entered this: A12349299 into PR in its own right, can this update of mine go ahead please?

Not just yet!

exercising burns off excess sugars in the form of calories

huh? a calorie is a unit of energy.

"with a different specific task" some enzymes can perform more than one task - Z will know more about this, but as an example (as I understand it) one of the enzymes responsible for breaking down ethanol also breaks down methanol, producing methanal instead of ethanal, methanal is also known as formaldehyde. (Please don't quote me on all of that.)

what is hepatitis? could you define it as a word? (inflammation of the liver?)

" [the bad one]"?

"statins" - some kind of drugs, right?

"liver function tests (LFTS" - should this be LFTs?

have fun NH

Thanks, I've attempted to explain all that..

I've expanded the explanation of bad cholesterol and good cholesterol.

..and a very short reference to suicide and the long-term liver damage caused by failed suicide attempts. This could be expanded if necessary, although it should really be an entry on its own, or possibly a section in Z's article currently in PR?

Sorry, it's a personal opinion, but I really can't stand the word 'bad' in there. Could you perhaps reword it, i.e. LDL cholesterol is the form of cholesterol which increases the risk of heart disease, as opposed to HDL cholesterol which ... - explaining why it is bad. and possibly telling the reader whether there are health problems associated with high levels of HDL cholesterol or not, or even labelling the HDL chlesterol as safe? I'm just throwing out ideas here...

I just had an idea: perhaps 'harmful' rather than bad?

But that is the correct terminology, I didn't write this, I rescued an abandoned update (by a medical-type person, which I'm not) of the original entry.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=180

I'll change it to harmful, but I'll have to put "bad" in brackets, is that OK?

If you have to, you have to. I don't gather why you have to, but that's irrelevant.

I would say you have to put 'bad' in, GB. Apart from anything else, it is common usage. I do agree it is not the ideal word but.. as I say, that is what people will recognise.

W

thanks

Anything else concerning this update?

HI Annie,
It's looking very very good but I still have a couple of things for you (sorry)...

One is the mention of jaundice. Can you mention neonatal jaundice (which is very reversible)? The current treatment is increased fluids and UV light therapy.

Another is the use of plant therapy such as milk thistle (http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/milktsum.htm go down to 'findings') which is being tested for use in alcoholics, the use of bitter herbs to support liver function (these include things like dandelion http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-dandelion.html , turmeric http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-turmeric.html and artichoke - I can't find a good link right now).

What do you think? Will this add to your entry?


W

addedthanks Wilma

Anything else I can do to improve this update?

Looks good to me.


W

Thank you Wilma



Any chance of this update going ahead then?

Update-amundo!

Well done for steering this through the murky depths!