Credit: iStock Plastics are pervasive in our environment. News stories frequently surface about microplastics and the potentially dangerous chemicals present in plastics (such as bisphenol A (BPA). In December 2012 the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of BPA in baby bottles after a slew of research showed detrimental effects to development and health. … Continue reading What BPS In Your Water Bottle Means for Your Health
Cardiovascular System
The Vascular Clock: Understanding Female Vascular Aging
Credit: iStock/FatCamera Many of us fear wrinkles, gray hair and other signs of aging. But not as many people seem to worry about aging associated with our vascular system, the network of vessels that circulate blood throughout our body. Years of blood flowing to and from the heart can lead to some consequential changes that … Continue reading The Vascular Clock: Understanding Female Vascular Aging
Cancer and Heart Health: A Surprising Connection You Need to Know
Credit: iStock/SDI Productions Cancer and heart disease—one affects cells, the other affects blood flow. You might not think they are connected at all. But these two conditions share more than you might expect. Your heart health and your risk of cancer go hand in hand. Taking care of your heart could also help protect you … Continue reading Cancer and Heart Health: A Surprising Connection You Need to Know
Using Physical Activity Levels as a Health Vital Sign
Credit: iStock/money business images Think back to the last time you had a checkup with your health care provider. They likely weighed you, asked your height and measured your blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and breathing. The medical team probably also asked questions about your health history, current medications and if you had any pain. … Continue reading Using Physical Activity Levels as a Health Vital Sign
How Constipation May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease
Credit: iStock Straining to use the bathroom, having a bowel movement less than three times a week, abdominal cramps. Most people know these symptoms as signs of constipation and have experienced it at one time or another. However, according to health care data in the U.K., only about 20% of people discuss constipation with their … Continue reading How Constipation May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease
The Top 10 Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts of 2024
Credit: iStock/gustavofrazao It’s been another “ph-un” filled year of physiology on the I Spy Physiology blog! We’ve featured posts ranging from marijuana research and bone cancer in children to how many steps do we really need to take per day and if alkaline water lives up to the hype. To complement our Women’s Health Research … Continue reading The Top 10 Most-read I Spy Physiology Posts of 2024
How Many Steps a Day for Better Health? It Might Be Fewer Than You Think
Credit: iStock/Tingting Ji Most of us know that regular physical activity is great for health, reducing risks of heart disease and even lowering the risk of death. Walking is one of the easiest ways to fit in physical activity, and even just a little more walking can make a difference. For example, taking an additional … Continue reading How Many Steps a Day for Better Health? It Might Be Fewer Than You Think
Enjoy Health Benefits of the Sweet-and-Sour Cranberry This Holiday Season
Credit: iStock/gaus-nataliya As trees change colors and shed leaves and the air cools down, many of us cannot stop dreaming of seasonal festivities. You might think there’s nothing more festive than meeting your loved ones for a Thanksgiving feast. Don’t forget to add a side of cranberries while you gobble up your turkey! Besides adding … Continue reading Enjoy Health Benefits of the Sweet-and-Sour Cranberry This Holiday Season
Oh ‘NO’! How Too Much Salt Affects the Kidneys
Eating too much salt is a huge problem. Globally, high salt can be linked to 1.65 million annual deaths from cardiovascular disease. High salt is often linked to high blood pressure, also called hypertension. However, some people who eat a lot of salt and have cardiovascular issues, have no hypertension. So, salt must be doing … Continue reading Oh ‘NO’! How Too Much Salt Affects the Kidneys
Spotlighting Women’s Heart Health on World Heart Day
Credit: iStock/FatCamera Scientists used to believe that men and women had the same physiology. With that line of thinking, if a physiological change was found in men, it just had to be the same in women. We now know this to be far from true. Unfortunately, until recently, most of the heart research has been … Continue reading Spotlighting Women’s Heart Health on World Heart Day