Credit: iStock/zimmytws Obesity affects more than one billion people around the world. Historically, the genetic ability to store body fat is an evolutionary conserved adaptation to stave off starvation. The combination of the superb ability to store body fat, a high rate of sedentary lifestyle and an abundance of ultra-processed foods—a food landscape our great-grandparents … Continue reading GLP-1 Drugs for Weight Loss: From Science Fiction to Reality
Scientific Research
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
Keeping Older Adults Hydrated in the Heat
Credit: iStock/Yau Ming Low Most of us know it’s important to drink more when it’s hot outside, especially when we’ve been physically active. Without replacing the fluids we lose through sweating, we can start to show signs of heat-related illness, such as lightheadedness and muscle cramping. Dehydration also strains the heart and kidneys. This advice … Continue reading Keeping Older Adults Hydrated in the Heat
How to Turn Your Fitness Resolution into a Lasting Habit
Credit: iStock/Fokusiert If getting more exercise is on your New Year’s resolution list, you’re not alone. While becoming more active is one of the most common resolutions, only about 25% of adults meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. How can you beat the odds and make sure your resolution becomes more than just a … Continue reading How to Turn Your Fitness Resolution into a Lasting Habit
History of Adrenergic Receptors
Credit: iStock/ibreakstock The adrenergic system is a crucial component of the sympathetic nervous system and has widespread effects throughout the body. “Adrenergic” comes from “Andren,” relating to “adrenaline” (a stress hormone also referred to as epinephrine in the U.S.), and “ergic” derived from the Latin “ergy,” meaning “at work.” Put together, the word “adrenergic” is … Continue reading History of Adrenergic Receptors
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
The Physiology of Transgender Health Care
Credit: iStock/angelp Transgender people have a gender identity that is different from the gender associated with their assigned sex at birth. A transgender man may have been raised as a girl but later identifies as a man. A transgender woman may have been raised as a boy and now identifies as a woman. There are … Continue reading The Physiology of Transgender Health Care
Mississippi’s Heart Beats for the Jackson Heart Study
Credit: iStock/ibusca Mississippi has had its moments in the spotlight: the 2022 water crisis, political scandals and its continued thread of racism. Despite the grim persona the state often reflects at the national level, Mississippi has several opportunities that could help it overcome this negative identity. As a biased Alabamian-turned-Mississippian, I tend to see Mississippi … Continue reading Mississippi’s Heart Beats for the Jackson Heart Study