Russian composer of the romantic era

Date of birth: May 7th, 1840

Place of birth: Votkinks, Russia

Date of death: November 6th, 1893

Place of death: St-Petersburg, Russia


Tchaikovsky entered the St-Petersburg Music Conservatory at the age of 22.


Musical works:

BALLETS:

1875-1876:

Swan Lake. It was Tchaikovsky's first ballet. It was first performed in Moscow in 1877.

1888-1889:

Sleeping Beauty. It was performed at Mariinsky in St-Petersburg in 1890.

1891-1892:

The Nutcracker.


OPERAS:

1867-1868: Voyevoda

1869: Undina

1870-1872: Oprichnik

1874: Vokula the Smith

1877-1878: Eugene Onegin

1878-1879: The Maid of Orleans

1881-1883: Mazepa

1885: Cherevichki

1885-1887: The Enchantress

1890: The Queen of Spades

1891: Iolanta


SYMPHONIES

1866: No.1 in G minor, Winter Daydreams

1872: No.2 in C minor, Little Russian

1875: No.3 in D major, Polish

1877-1878: No.4 in F minor

1885: Manfred Symphony

1888: No.5 in E minor

1893: No.6 in B minor, Pathétique

What is diabetes?

Diabetes means that the glucose level in the blood is too high. There are 2 types of diabetes. Diabetes type I or insulino-dependant diabetes is characterized by an insufficient production of insulin. Diabetes type II or non insulino-dependant diabetes is present when there is a reduction in the sensitivity to insulin. It is most of the time associated with obesity.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin allows the transfer of glucose from the blood to the cells.

Diabetes has serious consequences such as heart diseases, renal failure, blindness and amputations.

Diabetes type I is treated with the administration of insulin. Diabetes type II is first treated by adopting a healthy lifestyle such as: adequate nutrition, physical activity, weight loss and maintaining ideal body weight.When these methods are not sufficient, medication in the forms of oral tablets and sometimes insulin can be added.

Definition :
Coronary artery diseases (CAD) include different types of heart diseases such as: angina, myocardial infarction and heart failure. A coronary artery disease is diagnosed when there is complete or partial blockage of coronary arteries. These arteries supply the heart with oxygen and other nutriments. The obstruction of coronary arteries is caused by the accumulation of cholesterol in the walls of the arteries.

Risk factors for coronary heart diseases
-----------------------------------------
Non modifiable risk factors:
Advanced age
Men over 45 years old
Women over 55 years old
Family history (father, brother, mother, sister) of heart diseases

Modifiable risk factors:
Hypertension
Diabetes
Hyperlipidemia
Tobacco
Overweight and obesity
Physical inactivity

What is hypertension?

Hypertension means that the blood pressure is too high. The blood pressure is expressed with 2 numbers in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). The first number is the systolic blood pressure (pressure in the arteries when the heart is contracted) and the second number is the diastolic blood pressure (pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between two contractions).

Example: blood pressure of 120 over 80 mmHg means that the systolic blood pressure is 120 mmHg and the diastolic blood pressure of 80 mmHg.


Hypertension has to be treated because it can lead to serious consequences. It can cause damage not only to the heart but also to the brain, the eyes and the kidneys. The most common complications of hypertension are: heart attack, heart failure, chronic renal failure and stroke.

Hypertension can be controlled with adopting a healthy lifestyle such as: adequate nutrition, physical activity, weight loss and maintaining ideal body weight. When these modifications are not sufficient, medication can be added.

What is hyperlipidemia?

Hyperlipidemia means that there is too much lipids (fat) in the blood vessels. Cholesterol and triglycerides are types of lipids. Lipids are essential elements for the body but, in large amount, it can lead to atherosclerosis and obstruction of the blood vessels. Causes of hyperlipidemia are heredity, diabetes, high fat and glucose diet.

In the blood vessels, lipids are attached to transporters called lipoproteins. There is 3 types of lipoproteins (HDL, LDL, VLDL)
HDL (high density lipoproteins), also called good cholesterol, take out cholesterol from the arteries.
LDL (low density lipoproteins), also called bad cholesterol, deposits cholesterol in the arteries.
High levels of HDL reduce the risk of heart diseases. On the other side, high levels of LDL increases the risk of heart diseases.

A lipid profile can be done to determine if a person has hyperlipidemia. A lipid profile is composed of levels of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, total cholesterolHDL ratio and triglycerides.

Hyperlipidemia can be treated by adopting a healthy lifestyle such as: adequate nutrition, physical activity, weight loss and maintaining ideal body weight. When these interventions are not sufficient to reach target levels, medication is added.