Physiology Helps You Protect Your Health

American Physiology Summit attendees listen to research findings presented at the meeting. Scientists who study physiology gathered in Long Beach, California, last week for the inaugural American Physiology Summit—a brand-new conference dedicated to sharing discoveries on the cutting edge of bioscience. Studies highlighted at the Summit span from the effect of cannabis extracts on blood … Continue reading Physiology Helps You Protect Your Health

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

Beat the Heat with a Wet T-Shirt

Credit: iStock The summer of 2020 will go down in history books because of the novel coronavirus pandemic but also possibly for record heat and humidity across much of the U.S. In some areas of the country, cooling centers and public pools may not be open due to public health concerns. Indoor gatherings are discouraged … Continue reading Beat the Heat with a Wet T-Shirt

Did You Know?: A Muscle May Increase Pneumonia in Older People

By the year 2030, an estimated 70 million people in the U.S.—about 20 percent of the total population—will be older than 65. Going forward, this number is only expected to rise due to a combination of declining birth rates and increased life expectancy. A well-known witticism is “Age is an issue of mind over matter. … Continue reading Did You Know?: A Muscle May Increase Pneumonia in Older People

Meditation, Stress and Mental Fatigue: Research from Experimental Biology 2018

Each year, scientists who study physiology and other biomedical research fields—including anatomy, biochemistry, pathology and pharmacology—gather at the Experimental Biology (EB) meeting. Scientific meetings such as EB provide a platform to present and learn about new and cutting-edge research and form collaborations with colleagues that can lead to advances in science and medicine. This year’s … Continue reading Meditation, Stress and Mental Fatigue: Research from Experimental Biology 2018

The Young Qualities of Old Muscle

Decline, decrease, deteriorate—all words associated with the aging process. Preventing “D” words is important to keep older people healthy. The loss of muscle is one of the most obvious age-related decreases we experience. Bulky muscles on a person that lifts a lot of weights or the sleek tone of a person that runs a lot … Continue reading The Young Qualities of Old Muscle