Credit: iStock Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a spectrum of liver disease that begins with excess fat accumulation in liver cells. Left unchecked, this can progress to a more advanced disease stage, called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), that involves scarring and inflammation of the liver. There aren’t any approved therapies for NASH yet, which means … Continue reading How Technology and Physiology Are Making Sick Livers Transplantable
Inflammation
Could Anti-Inflammatory Medications Reduce Heart Disease Risk in People With Depression?
Credit: iStock Major depressive disorder, which occurs in about 15% of adults worldwide at some point in their life, is a staggering public health challenge. It’s projected to be the leading cause of global disease and disability burden by 2030, with an associated annual economic burden of more than $210 billion. Alarmingly, the number of … Continue reading Could Anti-Inflammatory Medications Reduce Heart Disease Risk in People With Depression?
Brain-Lung Crosstalk: How the Brain and Lungs Communicate with Each Other
Credit: iStock As the body’s “command center,” the brain’s job is to communicate with other organs to make sure all our body systems are in proper working order. But you may not know that people who have brain injuries are also more likely to develop respiratory disorders. This is due to the brain-lung axis—how the … Continue reading Brain-Lung Crosstalk: How the Brain and Lungs Communicate with Each Other
Spotlight On: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Credit: iStock Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic, progressive condition that leads to issues with the digestive system, specifically the intestines. This makes it difficult for these organs to absorb nutrients and fluids from your diet so your body can meet its needs. It is not entirely known what causes inflammatory bowel disease, but factors … Continue reading Spotlight On: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
A Prune—or Six—a Day May Keep Inflammation Away
Credit: iStock Scientists who study physiology and in other biomedical research fields—including anatomy, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology—network, collaborate and communicate about the latest research at the American Physiological Society (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology (EB). This week’s post reveals how prunes may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis after menopause. Dried fruit is a staple in many pantries … Continue reading A Prune—or Six—a Day May Keep Inflammation Away
New Trends in Sex and Gender Medicine Conference: Transgender Health, Addiction, Colon Cancer and More
Credit: iStock Scientists studying how sex and gender affect health and medical outcomes delve into topics—such as female reproductive risk factors, transgender health, and how biological sex affects COVID-19 outcomes, the microbiome and opioid addiction—that haven’t always been studied extensively or well understood. Researchers who specialize in these areas understand how much biological sex matters … Continue reading New Trends in Sex and Gender Medicine Conference: Transgender Health, Addiction, Colon Cancer and More
Recapping the Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin
Credit: iStock Dozens of leading endothelin (ET) researchers from around the world presented new findings at the Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin (ET-17), hosted and organized by the American Physiological Society (APS). Their work highlighted practical uses of blocking the ET system and the use of ET as a biomarker for disease. Endothelins are amino … Continue reading Recapping the Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin
Enjoy the Fall! (And Stay Healthy and Happy)
Credit: iStock As September turns to October, many areas of the country start to feel a nip in the air and have brightly colored foliage on the trees. The beginning of “sweater weather,” going apple picking and seeing pumpkin spice everything in coffee shops and grocery stores are just a few of the things that … Continue reading Enjoy the Fall! (And Stay Healthy and Happy)
Post-vaccination Blues: Why Feeling Sick Is a Good Sign
Credit: iStock Many of us have experienced symptoms such as a sore arm or a fever after receiving vaccinations. Feeling a little under the weather can make some people hesitant to get a jab in the future. But these aftereffects are actually a good thing and an important part of how our bodies develop immunity … Continue reading Post-vaccination Blues: Why Feeling Sick Is a Good Sign
The Physiology of Grief
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