Aging, Telomeres and Torpor
Wed, 02/8/12 – 2:08 | No Comment

Why aren't they hibernating?
What do aging, telomeres and torpor have in common? It may be that torpor slows the process of aging.
Aging is directly linked to telomere lengths. Telomeres, the caps on the end of …

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Running May Be Good for Knees
Monday, 4 Jan, 2010 – 4:35 | No Comment
Running May Be Good for Knees

Who knew? An on-line article from Time/CNN recently reported on several studies that counter the long-held belief that running is bad on the joints and leads to early osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.
OA is frequently …

Vitamin K: Why It’s Important
Monday, 28 Dec, 2009 – 4:05 | No Comment
Vitamin K: Why It’s Important

Vitamin K is crucially important in enabling our blood to clot. It was originally identified by a Danish scientist who called it “koagulationsvitamin” referring to its ability to coagulate (clot), the blood.
Vitamin K is synthesized …

Natural Sedatives in Breast Milk
Wednesday, 16 Dec, 2009 – 4:07 | No Comment
Natural Sedatives in Breast Milk

Who knew? A breastfeeding mother who expresses her milk during the day and then gives it to her infant that evening may actually be depriving that baby of a good night’s sleep. Apparently, sedatives are …

Hair Loss: What's Normal?
Wednesday, 11 Nov, 2009 – 4:01 | No Comment
Hair Loss: What's Normal?

Hair loss in men and women can be  psychologically damaging so it’s important to know what causes hair loss and what is considered normal hair loss.
Here are some facts about hair growth and loss:

We are …

How Often Does the Average Person Sneeze and Blow the Nose?
Friday, 30 Oct, 2009 – 4:02 | No Comment
How Often Does the Average Person Sneeze and Blow the Nose?

Yes, there was a study done on this in order to evaluate different types of treatment for rhinitis (chronic runny nose). The study, conducted in Copenhagen, Denmark, took 80 hospital employees who were self-described as …

Average Saliva Production and Dry Mouth
Friday, 23 Oct, 2009 – 4:00 | No Comment
Average Saliva Production and Dry Mouth

On average, we produce 1.5 liters of saliva a day – the equivalent of 2 bottles of wine! Anything less than 0.1ml/hr constitutes dry mouth – a seemingly benign problem that can lead to dental …

How Much Will a Human Stomach Hold Before It Bursts?
Monday, 14 Sep, 2009 – 4:03 | No Comment
How Much Will a Human Stomach Hold Before It Bursts?

For a fascinating account of the history of human cadavers in research, look no further than Mary Roach’s book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Just how much a human stomach will hold depends …

Intestinal Transplantations: Who Gets It and Why
Wednesday, 9 Sep, 2009 – 4:00 | No Comment
Intestinal Transplantations: Who Gets It and Why

Types of intestinal transplantation
A total of 185 intestinal transplantations were performed in 2008. Intestinal transplantations involve at a minimum, the transplantation of the small bowel (also referred to as the small intestine or jejunoileum) but …

Cherry Angiomas: A Common Skin Disorder
Wednesday, 29 Jul, 2009 – 4:18 | No Comment
Cherry Angiomas: A Common Skin Disorder

I had a patient in her early 50s who came to me recently concerned about a number of small, round, raised, bright red lesions that were appearing on her trunk. Although they were painless, she was concerned about …

The Velocity of a Cough
Wednesday, 13 May, 2009 – 4:31 | No Comment
The Velocity of a Cough

There are three phases to a cough which impacts its velocity:

inspiratory phase where pressure builds up in the thoracic cavity
the compressive phase when the thoracic and abdominal muscles contract
expiratory phase when the air is rapidly expelled

According to the …