By Dr. Mercola on Jul 2, 2008 in Main Content | 0 Comments
Researchers have shown that the unfolded protein response (UPR), a reaction to stress induced by sleep deprivation, is impaired in the brains of old mice. This suggests that inadequate sleep in the elderly could exacerbate an already-impaired protective response to protein misfolding that happens in aging cells.
Researchers found that the UPR was activated in 10-week old sleep-deprived mice, so that misfolded proteins did not accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum of brain cells in the cerebral cortex. However, in two-year-old sleep-deprived mice, the UPR failed to do its job and misfolded proteins clogged the endoplasmic reticulum.
Old mice that were not stressed by sleep deprivation were shown to already have an impaired UPR.
By Dr. Mercola on Jun 30, 2008 in Main Content | 0 Comments
Most general anesthetics, which are used to put patients to sleep during surgery, can actually increase the discomfort patients feel when they wake up.
“Noxious” anesthesia drugs — a category which includes most general anesthetics — activate and then sensitize specific receptors on neurons in the peripheral nervous system.
It was already known that general anesthetics cause irritation at the infusion site or in the airways when inhaled, and that they can activate pain-sensing nerve cells in the peripheral nervous system. However, the specific mechanism by which anesthetics affect sensory neurons was not known until now, nor the fact that anesthetics can continue to cause pain and inflammation even as they’re used during surgery.
By Dr. Mercola on Jun 25, 2008 in Main Content | 0 Comments
A group of elderly residents who have been encouraged to increase their intake of water have reported dramatic results. Some say they feels 20 years younger, more alert, energetic, and cheerful.
Residents were encouraged to drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day, water coolers were installed, and they were each given a jug for their room.
They reported significant improvements in health as a result, including fewer falls, fewer GP call-outs, a cut in the use of laxatives and in urinary infections, better quality of sleep, and lower rates of agitation among residents with dementia.
