The B vitamins represent a group of eight water-soluble nutrients that are indispensable for a wide array of metabolic functions within the human body.1 These micronutrients play crucial roles as coenzymes in enzymatic reactions that are fundamental to energy production, the synthesis and repair of […]

Introduction: Understanding Vitamin A Vitamin A is a vital nutrient that plays numerous critical roles in maintaining human health. Classified as a fat-soluble vitamin, it is naturally present in a variety of foods and is essential for fundamental processes such as normal vision, a properly […]

The Historical Trajectory of Vitamin A: From Obscure Observations to Essential Public Health Intervention 1. Introduction Vitamin A, a fat-soluble nutrient, stands as a cornerstone of human physiology, playing indispensable roles in a spectrum of processes encompassing vision, immune function, cellular growth and specialization, and […]

I. Introduction Hydralazine, a medication belonging to the vasodilator family, possesses a rich and multifaceted history within the realm of cardiovascular therapeutics. Primarily recognized for its efficacy in treating hypertension and heart failure, its journey from an experimental compound to a clinically established drug is […]

Baclofen, a medication recognized for its efficacy as a skeletal muscle relaxant, operates as an agonist of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter system within the central nervous system.1 Its primary mechanism involves the activation of GABA-B receptors, a subclass of GABA receptors that play a […]

Medication reconciliation is a term used in healthcare that describes the process of comparing a patient’s medication orders in a healthcare institution (hospital or nursing home) to what the patient has been prescribed and taking at home. The purpose of this short column is to […]

One of the most useful classes of medications to relieve pain and suffering are the oral skeletal muscle relaxants (SMR). This column will discuss the different oral muscle relaxants, and precautions when taking these medications. It will focus on the SMRs that are typically used […]

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet there is a famous quote, “To Be or Not to Be, that is the Question?”. In healthcare there is a similar idea, “To Take , or Not to Take, that is the Question?”. In addition, in healthcare, as in all science, ideas […]

The concept of a glycemic index (GI) was introduced by Dr. David J. Jenkins and colleagues in 1981 at the University of Toronto. It is defined according to the University of Sydney (Australia) as “a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 1 to 100 […]