Ageing is a natural process....just as you go to bed at night to rest your tired body, and wake up fresh as a daisy in the morning, fully rested. Some age better than others....just as one who knows how to take full advantage of restful sleep to savour the best of the next day!
The benefits of research
Science is beginning to uncover some of the secrets of ageing and the pace of research is hotting up. But don't worry that research will produce a nightmare world in which we all linger longer in a state of advanced decrepitude - the goal of most of this research is to improve the quality of our later years. Already, we're living longer than ever before.
One of the important advances is to get rid of the fatalistic idea that we're simply programmed to die when our time is up. This idea has always been hard to square with the fact that even in old age the body does its very best to keep itself alive. If we were programmed to self-destruct after three score years and ten, the programming seems pretty clumsy. There are neater ways to die than ageing.
Why we age
The reason we age and die is not that death serves any biological purpose. In past times when lifespans were so much shorter, our genes didn't evolve to keep us going indefinitely. When life was brutal and short, you were more likely to be cut down in your prime by an infection or an accident. There was no point in building bodies that might last forever. We live, biologically speaking, with bodies that were designed for the Stone Age rather than the 21st century.
How we age
What this tells us about the ageing process is very important. As we live our lives, all kinds of things begin to go wrong within the cells of our bodies. We have billions of cells. It takes a long time for the damage to build up to a level where it may harm us. But build up it does - in time we can no longer overlook it. The fibres of protein that make our skin and artery walls elastic go through changes that lead to loss of that vital flexibility. The DNA strands inside our cells get damaged, too. The cells' energy production systems may ultimately fail.
Odd things about ageing
One of the unusual things about ageing is that although we know it will catch up with us eventually, we don't know exactly what lies in store. Some of us may keep our mental faculties largely intact until we're over 100. Others will suffer from dementia. Some of us will still be able to get about - others with conditions like arthritis will find it more difficult.
How ageing will affect us is partly down to luck - where the damage strikes first and hardest. Some of it's down to genes and some of it will be affected by how we choose to live our lives. Researchers are beginning to look at the genetic contribution to ageing, linked with the human genome project.
Longevity
Long life tends to run in families. Longer lived parents tend, on the average, to have longer lived children. The risk of age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's, appears also to have a genetic component. Understanding how genes affect ageing will help us to understand how the ageing process unfolds.
As with all new research that seeks to harness the incredible power of genetic analysis, we mustn't abuse the knowledge that will come. Luckily it appears that the genetics of ageing can tell us only part of what may affect each of us as we grow old.
(This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in May 2005.First published in March 2000.)
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Early to bed.....may save your life
For Some, Restful Sleep Can Be Lifesaving
A good night's sleep is vital to everyone's good health. But for some people who are severely depressed, good sleep literally may be lifesaving.
Recent research has found that people who attempt suicide are much more likely to experience sleep disturbances than other members of the general population. Sleep disorders such as insomnia may contribute to feelings of despair or clouded judgment associated with suicide.
People who think of killing themselves often experience overpowering feelings of despair, hopelessness and isolation. Such intense feelings are considered abnormal reactions to normal events in life such as loss, disappointment, rejection or failure. In addition, stressful events may trigger the extreme emotions that can lead to suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
The intensity of these feelings may be coupled with the disturbances produced by sleep disorders such as nightmares. Nightmares are frightening dreams that occur later in the sleep period and cause a person to awaken with a lingering sense of fear or anxiety. Suicidal associations were also seen with people who had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.
If you or a loved one are depressed and are experiencing sleep problems, it is important to see a physician. In addition to diagnosing any associated depression, the doctor may discover underlying physical, neurological and mental health conditions that are at the root of your sleep problems.
A doctor or therapist also may teach you various relaxation techniques or employ other therapies designed to help you relax. Medications are sometimes used to treat both sleep problems and depression.
You can also encourage better sleep and lower your risk of depression simply by making certain changes in your life. Such steps include:
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Foods and drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, soft drinks and chocolate, should be avoided during late afternoon or evening hours. Alcohol speeds the onset of sleep, but increases waking during the latter half of the night. Alcohol is also a depressant that can make you feel blue.
• Avoid eating or drinking too close to bedtime. This can interrupt sleep. Also, avoid foods that may cause heartburn, such as tomato products and spicy foods. Lying down worsens heartburn and makes falling asleep more difficult.
• Avoid smoking. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which has been linked to difficulty falling asleep and problems awakening. Also, when smokers fall asleep, they experience nicotine withdrawal, which may cause them to awaken.
• Exercise. Exercising 20 to 30 minutes a day often helps people sleep, although exercising too close to bedtime can cause difficulties falling asleep. Regular exercise also has natural antidepressant effects.
• Get light exposure at the proper times. Too little exposure to sunlight during the day can cause sleep problems at night, and is also associated with depression. In addition, bedrooms should be kept dark during sleeping hours so light does not interfere with slumber.
• Create a good sleep environment. Minimize ambient noise with ear plugs, rugs, heavy curtains or drapes, or double-pane windows. Find the right temperature for sleeping - extreme temperatures can disrupt sleep. Get a good mattress.
• Create a consistent routine. Get into bed only when tired and maintain consistent sleep and wake times. Use the bed only for sleep and sex, not for reading, eating or television viewing.
A good night's sleep is vital to everyone's good health. But for some people who are severely depressed, good sleep literally may be lifesaving.
Recent research has found that people who attempt suicide are much more likely to experience sleep disturbances than other members of the general population. Sleep disorders such as insomnia may contribute to feelings of despair or clouded judgment associated with suicide.
People who think of killing themselves often experience overpowering feelings of despair, hopelessness and isolation. Such intense feelings are considered abnormal reactions to normal events in life such as loss, disappointment, rejection or failure. In addition, stressful events may trigger the extreme emotions that can lead to suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
The intensity of these feelings may be coupled with the disturbances produced by sleep disorders such as nightmares. Nightmares are frightening dreams that occur later in the sleep period and cause a person to awaken with a lingering sense of fear or anxiety. Suicidal associations were also seen with people who had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.
If you or a loved one are depressed and are experiencing sleep problems, it is important to see a physician. In addition to diagnosing any associated depression, the doctor may discover underlying physical, neurological and mental health conditions that are at the root of your sleep problems.
A doctor or therapist also may teach you various relaxation techniques or employ other therapies designed to help you relax. Medications are sometimes used to treat both sleep problems and depression.
You can also encourage better sleep and lower your risk of depression simply by making certain changes in your life. Such steps include:
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Foods and drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, soft drinks and chocolate, should be avoided during late afternoon or evening hours. Alcohol speeds the onset of sleep, but increases waking during the latter half of the night. Alcohol is also a depressant that can make you feel blue.
• Avoid eating or drinking too close to bedtime. This can interrupt sleep. Also, avoid foods that may cause heartburn, such as tomato products and spicy foods. Lying down worsens heartburn and makes falling asleep more difficult.
• Avoid smoking. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which has been linked to difficulty falling asleep and problems awakening. Also, when smokers fall asleep, they experience nicotine withdrawal, which may cause them to awaken.
• Exercise. Exercising 20 to 30 minutes a day often helps people sleep, although exercising too close to bedtime can cause difficulties falling asleep. Regular exercise also has natural antidepressant effects.
• Get light exposure at the proper times. Too little exposure to sunlight during the day can cause sleep problems at night, and is also associated with depression. In addition, bedrooms should be kept dark during sleeping hours so light does not interfere with slumber.
• Create a good sleep environment. Minimize ambient noise with ear plugs, rugs, heavy curtains or drapes, or double-pane windows. Find the right temperature for sleeping - extreme temperatures can disrupt sleep. Get a good mattress.
• Create a consistent routine. Get into bed only when tired and maintain consistent sleep and wake times. Use the bed only for sleep and sex, not for reading, eating or television viewing.
The many wonders of Green Tea
Green Tea May Ease Rheumatoid Arthritis
May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Green tea, already touted for its cardiovascular and anticancer benefits, may also help ease the inflammation and pain of rheumatoid arthritis, a new study suggests.
The study was conducted in the laboratory, and its findings are preliminary, stressed lead researcher Salahuddin Ahmed, an investigator at the University of Michigan Health System, in Ann Arbor.
"It's too early" to fully recommend green tea to ease rheumatoid arthritis, he said, but the study "is a starting point."
Ahmed was scheduled to present the research Sunday at the Experimental Biology meeting, in Washington, D.C.
For the study, Ahmed isolated cells called synovial fibroblasts from the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These cells form a lining of tissue surrounding the capsule of the joints.
In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, this lining is inflamed, leading to long-term joint damage and chronic pain. About 2.1 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
Ahmed's team next cultured these cells and exposed them to the active ingredient in green tea, a compound named epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Next, the cells were stimulated with a protein of the immune system known to play a role in causing joint degradation in rheumatoid arthritis. The protein is called cytokine interleukin-1 beta or IL-1B.
"IL-1B is a major player in mediating cartilage degradation," Ahmed explained.
In an earlier study, Ahmed's team found that fibroblasts pretreated with EGCG and then stimulated with cytokine IL-1B were better able to block IL-1B's ability to produce damaging proteins and enzymes. Those proteins and enzymes can infiltrate the joints and cause the cartilage breakdown seen in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
In the more recent study, the researchers focused on whether EGCG had the ability to block the activity of two potent molecules, IL-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), which also play a role in breaking down bone in an RA joint.
The two molecules were suppressed by the EGCG, Ahmed's team found. While he said it is difficult to quantify exactly the effect of the suppression, the EGCG "blocked them significantly," he said.
EGCG also blocked the production of prostaglandin E2, another compound that can cause joint inflammation.
One expert said the new green tea study was intriguing. "This study is very specific," said Stephen Hsu, an associate professor of dentistry, molecular medicine and genetics at the medical College of Georgia in Augusta.
In his own research, Hsu has found that green tea may help protect against certain autoimmune diseases, in which the body triggers an immune response, basically attacking its own cells. Hsu studied EGCG's effect in helping to inhibit an autoimmune disorder known as Sjogren's syndrome, in which the salivary glands are affected, and in lupus, in which the skin is affected.
The new research by Ahmed is one of the first to focus on rheumatoid arthritis and green tea, Hsu said. If it bears out, it could be good news for rheumatoid arthritis patients, perhaps offering them a non-drug option to keep pain under control, he said.
Ahmed cautioned that it's too soon to advise rheumatoid arthritis patients to drink green tea. On the other hand, drinking green tea certainly wouldn't hurt, he said, since it is known to have many health benefits and no known side effects.
He said people might want to try drinking three or four 8-ounce cups of green tea per day. "Try different brands," he suggested. The flavors may taste slightly different. "Drink it continuously throughout the day," he said, to keep blood levels more constant.
And you might want to consider popping some tart cherries along with that tea, according to another study presented at the same meeting.
In the study, conducted by another team of University of Michigan researchers, powdered tart cherries appeared to lower total cholesterol and blood sugar and help the body handle fat and sugar -- at least in animals.
SOURCES: Salahuddin Ahmed, Ph.D., research professor, internal medicine-rheumatology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Stephen Hsu, Ph.D., associate professor, dentistry, molecular medicine and genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta; Experimental Biology 2007, April 29, 2007, Washington, D.C.
Publish Date: May 01, 2007
May 1 (HealthDay News) -- Green tea, already touted for its cardiovascular and anticancer benefits, may also help ease the inflammation and pain of rheumatoid arthritis, a new study suggests.
The study was conducted in the laboratory, and its findings are preliminary, stressed lead researcher Salahuddin Ahmed, an investigator at the University of Michigan Health System, in Ann Arbor.
"It's too early" to fully recommend green tea to ease rheumatoid arthritis, he said, but the study "is a starting point."
Ahmed was scheduled to present the research Sunday at the Experimental Biology meeting, in Washington, D.C.
For the study, Ahmed isolated cells called synovial fibroblasts from the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These cells form a lining of tissue surrounding the capsule of the joints.
In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, this lining is inflamed, leading to long-term joint damage and chronic pain. About 2.1 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
Ahmed's team next cultured these cells and exposed them to the active ingredient in green tea, a compound named epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Next, the cells were stimulated with a protein of the immune system known to play a role in causing joint degradation in rheumatoid arthritis. The protein is called cytokine interleukin-1 beta or IL-1B.
"IL-1B is a major player in mediating cartilage degradation," Ahmed explained.
In an earlier study, Ahmed's team found that fibroblasts pretreated with EGCG and then stimulated with cytokine IL-1B were better able to block IL-1B's ability to produce damaging proteins and enzymes. Those proteins and enzymes can infiltrate the joints and cause the cartilage breakdown seen in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
In the more recent study, the researchers focused on whether EGCG had the ability to block the activity of two potent molecules, IL-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), which also play a role in breaking down bone in an RA joint.
The two molecules were suppressed by the EGCG, Ahmed's team found. While he said it is difficult to quantify exactly the effect of the suppression, the EGCG "blocked them significantly," he said.
EGCG also blocked the production of prostaglandin E2, another compound that can cause joint inflammation.
One expert said the new green tea study was intriguing. "This study is very specific," said Stephen Hsu, an associate professor of dentistry, molecular medicine and genetics at the medical College of Georgia in Augusta.
In his own research, Hsu has found that green tea may help protect against certain autoimmune diseases, in which the body triggers an immune response, basically attacking its own cells. Hsu studied EGCG's effect in helping to inhibit an autoimmune disorder known as Sjogren's syndrome, in which the salivary glands are affected, and in lupus, in which the skin is affected.
The new research by Ahmed is one of the first to focus on rheumatoid arthritis and green tea, Hsu said. If it bears out, it could be good news for rheumatoid arthritis patients, perhaps offering them a non-drug option to keep pain under control, he said.
Ahmed cautioned that it's too soon to advise rheumatoid arthritis patients to drink green tea. On the other hand, drinking green tea certainly wouldn't hurt, he said, since it is known to have many health benefits and no known side effects.
He said people might want to try drinking three or four 8-ounce cups of green tea per day. "Try different brands," he suggested. The flavors may taste slightly different. "Drink it continuously throughout the day," he said, to keep blood levels more constant.
And you might want to consider popping some tart cherries along with that tea, according to another study presented at the same meeting.
In the study, conducted by another team of University of Michigan researchers, powdered tart cherries appeared to lower total cholesterol and blood sugar and help the body handle fat and sugar -- at least in animals.
SOURCES: Salahuddin Ahmed, Ph.D., research professor, internal medicine-rheumatology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Stephen Hsu, Ph.D., associate professor, dentistry, molecular medicine and genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta; Experimental Biology 2007, April 29, 2007, Washington, D.C.
Publish Date: May 01, 2007
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