Rest Changes Through the Life Cycle Rest is required for growth and maturation, but the requirements change over the life cycle. We need separate kinds of rest for special purposes at every stage of life – infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Recent work points out some of what’s required for growing kids: Infancy […]
Caffeine, sleep, and memory (6/1/11)
Blame It On Adenosine What is the main action of caffeine? To block adenosine receptors – in the brain and the rest of the body. And what does adenosine do? Tell us that we’re getting sleepy. And foul up our memories. So does blocking adenosine through caffeine improve memory? If only life were so simple. […]
Cholesterol – what does those numbers really mean to me? (5/31/11)
Behind the Numbers Be careful what you wish for – especially when the target is something as complex as cholesterol and heart disease. Controlling cholesterol levels has near religious status among drug companies and many researchers. Statins have been the source of tens of billions in profits for drug companies, who have continued to […]
Can I avoid Alzheimer’s using “Lifespace”? (5/25/11)
Lifespace and Alzheimer’s Disease If you want to get through a long life and remain healthy, you might want to at least check a study done at Rush Medical School’s Rehabilitation Unit. It claims that those with greater “lifespace” were on five year follow-up far less prone to Alzheimer’s than those who stayed in their […]
24 seconds to roadkill (5/18/11)
Whatever Happened to Pedestrian Rights? 24 seconds – not 24 hours. That’s how long you’ve got on the traffic shot-clock to cross 6 rows of cars on the main street of my home town, Sarasota, if you hope to reach the grounds of our main regional hospital. Before and during those 24 seconds motorists desperate […]