Credit: iStock Many of us have experienced the death of a loved one and the grief that inevitably accompanies it. Such loss is widely considered to be the most stressful event we will ever encounter in our lives. I have been thinking about this lately because in just a few months it will be five … Continue reading The Physiology of Grief
Immune System
Smile Rx: A Smile a Day Can Go a Long Way
Credit: iStock The biggest authentic smile—called a Duchenne smile—happens when we use our whole face, show our teeth and crinkle the muscles around our eyes. What a beautiful outward projection of our inner positive emotion! Smiling can cause positive changes in our bodies, too, and even a fake smile is worth something. Smile fact:There are … Continue reading Smile Rx: A Smile a Day Can Go a Long Way
Horseshoe Crabs Help in Fight against COVID-19
Credit: iStock COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for distribution across the U.S. As of mid-January 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 31 million doses of vaccine have been distributed and about 12 million people in the U.S. have received a COVID-19 vaccination. That may sound like a lot, but to fully … Continue reading Horseshoe Crabs Help in Fight against COVID-19
Mild Symptoms, Major Impact: How Getting COVID-19 Changed One Student’s Perspective
Kelsey Bayles has fully recovered from COVID-19. Credit: Kelsey Bayles APS member Anberitha Matthews, PhD, recently spoke to Kelsey Bayles, a senior in the bachelor of science in nursing program at the Mississippi University for Women, who became infected with the coronavirus in the summer of 2020. APS thanks Bayles for giving us permission to … Continue reading Mild Symptoms, Major Impact: How Getting COVID-19 Changed One Student’s Perspective
How ACE2 Influences COVID-19 Severity in Older Adults
Credit: iStock In the spring of 2020, ACE2—angiotensin-converting enzyme 2—became a major focus of attention as the entryway of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. As of early November 2020, over 47 million cases of COVID-19 were confirmed worldwide, with more than 9 million cases in the U.S. Since the beginning … Continue reading How ACE2 Influences COVID-19 Severity in Older Adults
Why ‘Physiology’ Is Important to the Nobel Prize Name
Many physiologists and physicians around the world look forward to the first week of October. It’s not the crisp, cool autumn air or the promise of enjoying one more pumpkin spice latte before they disappear from coffeeshops that beckons, although those things are nice too. It’s the anticipation of learning what top scientific research has … Continue reading Why ‘Physiology’ Is Important to the Nobel Prize Name
COVID-19 and the Heart
Credit: iStock SARS-CoV-2—the virus responsible for COVID-19—is a respiratory virus. When first discovered, the virus was thought to mostly affect the lungs. We now know that it affects many different organs in the body, including the heart. All respiratory viruses, including the seasonal flu, lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. But SARS-CoV-2 appears … Continue reading COVID-19 and the Heart
Spotlight On: Itching
Credit: iStock You probably don’t think much about itching until you have an itchy spot that’s just out of reach. Then, it’s all you can think about until you’re able to get rid of the “not-quite-painful-but-almost” feeling with a satisfying scratch. What exactly is itching? And what purpose does it serve? A review published in … Continue reading Spotlight On: Itching
Exercise Is Medicine: Staying Active during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Credit: iStock The coronavirus pandemic poses a global health threat. As we try to adjust to a new way of life with teleworking, remote learning and physical distancing, we are moving less and sitting more. This is a major concern because physical inactivity and increased sitting are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. … Continue reading Exercise Is Medicine: Staying Active during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Why COVID-19 Makes It Hard to Breathe
Credit: iStock COVID-19—the viral respiratory infection caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2—is a rapidly evolving disease that will undoubtedly profoundly affect many, if not all, of our lives in one way or another. As we learn more about the disease, we can better understand how and why it affects people so differently. We don’t have a … Continue reading Why COVID-19 Makes It Hard to Breathe