Could Heat Therapy Be an Effective Treatment for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases?
This article looks at the benefits of sauna. It is an intervention that is relatively widely available. Most YMCA’s have them at the cost of a membership. There are home saunas also. The article states ” Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are chaperones that regulate the aggregation and disaggregation of proteins in intracellular and extracellular spaces,…
Read MoreHeat-Shock Proteins in Neuroinflammation
Saunas cause proteins to be activated called “heat shock proteins”. They help with inflammation in general, but are of particular interest in their ability to fight inflammation in the brain. They also are associated with reduced cardiac causes of mortality. Stay in for 20 to 30 minutes at 178 degrees. Dukay B, Csoboz B, Tóth…
Read MoreCholinergic Modulation of Glial Function During Aging and Chronic Neuroinflammation
This is key to understanding how vagal activity, or cholinergic activity can mitigate the chronic inflammation found with Alzheimer’s disease. I have highlighted below the role of the (intimidating sounding) α7 nicotinic acetylcholine (α7nACh) receptors. These are receptors that are stimulated by acetylcholine the neurotransmitter found in vagal, or parasympathetic activity. These receptors are targeted in…
Read MoreLongevity Science Chapter Highlights Flip book
This ebook is a summary of the Longevity Chapter in my writing project. The writing project has taken seemingly forever, but people assure me that is normal for any long form writing. Here are a few highlights from the chapter. I hope you enjoy it and find it useful!!! See below
Read MoreOffspring of Centenarians-people who live to 100- are less likely to be frail due to genetic footprint
This finding, that offspring of centenarians are less likely to be frail, makes intuitive sense. People often refer to their parents “they lived to 90, so I will too” kind of reasoning. And there certainly seems to be some validity to it. When smoking was more of a problems than it is now, that was…
Read MoreThe Temin Effect in Science
I was unaware of this term! I like it! It refers to an observation that having a broader sense of knowledge in science but beyond that to the greater world, helps scientists to make important leaps of thought. These quantum shifts can help advance science further and yield truly innovative results. There are probably many…
Read MoreL-Serine, an Endogenous Amino Acid,Neuroprotective Agent for Neurological Disease, Alzheimer
This article discusses the supplement L-serine as a neuroprotective agent. It is quite safe and may have lots of benefits. I take it (when I remember ha ha!) I’ve discussed it before and the story of its discovery is fascinating. Ye L, Sun Y, Jiang Z, Wang G. L-Serine, an Endogenous Amino Acid, Is a…
Read MoreHelminth Immunomodulation in Autoimmune Disease.
This study relates to my interest in ways to modulate an overactive immune system. One radical way is to inoculate the patient with hookworm. Because hookworm has learned how to evade the immune system and coexist with humans, the thought is that it can put the brakes on immune overreaction. It doesn’t work reliably, unfortunately,…
Read MoreSauna bathing is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and improves risk prediction in men and women
Laukkanen T, Kunutsor SK, Khan H, Willeit P, Zaccardi F, Laukkanen JA. Sauna bathing is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and improves risk prediction in men and women: a prospective cohort study. BMC Med. 2018;16(1):219. Published 2018 Nov 29. doi:10.1186/s12916-018-1198-0 Background Previous evidence indicates that sauna bathing is related to a reduced risk of fatal cardiovascular…
Read MoreExercise and Immune Function
This study looks at the positive effects of exercise on immune function in younger and especially in older individuals. We’ve discussed exercise here and here Campbell JP, Turner JE. Debunking the Myth of Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression: Redefining the Impact of Exercise on Immunological Health Across the Lifespan. Front Immunol. 2018;9:648. Published 2018 Apr 16. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.00648 Campbell…
Read More