Throughout the history of mankind, people have always looked for ways to prolong life expectancy and extend the length of human lifespan.  The Fountain of Youth is a mythical and legendary body of water that has appears in the writings of Herodotus and many other authors, and is believed to restore youthful vigor and life […]

Obesity is associated with several other disorders including type 2 diabetes.  With increasing degrees of obesity, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is also increased.  This results partly due to the emergence of insulin resistance with increasing adiposity.  As the world has witnessed the worsening of the obesity epidemic, so too has the rate […]

As we age, it is common for older adults to have fewer social interactions and personal relationships.  As a result, loneliness becomes an increasingly prevalent problem for older adults.  The creation of community centers and day programs for older individuals has attempted to lessen this problem but has had minimal benefit.  Loneliness in the elderly […]

Previous studies have shown that being overweight and obese can increase the risk for developing cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia in later life.  This is particularly true for middle aged individuals, as it is believed that the effects of obesity on cognition occur over a prolonged period of time.  Obesity increases the risk […]

Bone is a dynamic and fluid tissue and is continually changing to meet the needs of the physical activity level of a particular person.  Physical activity is known to strengthen both muscle and bone, and increased physical activity results in bones that are denser and more resilient to stress.  On the other end of the […]

Cardiovascular disease is caused by the progressive narrowing of arteries, which is termed atherosclerosis.   Atherosclerotic disease in the coronary arteries of the heart and the cerebral arteries of the brain can lead to heart attack and stroke, respectively.  In the peripheral arteries of the legs, atherosclerosis can lead to peripheral arterial disease which can lead […]

Mild cognitive impairment is a clinical diagnosis where mild memory deficits exist but afflicted individuals are otherwise highly functioning without evidence of dementia.  Individuals with mild cognitive impairment are at increased risk of developing the more debilitating memory deficits of dementia.  The treatment of mild cognitive impairment is an area of active research because intervention […]

Our modern diet has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many of the diseases that afflict civilized industrial societies of today.  The Western diet in particular has been targeted as the cause of the obesity epidemic, increasing rates of type 2 diabetes, and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.  The current Western diet contains large amounts […]

Inflammation has been found to increase as humans age and contributes to the degenerative processes of aging.  Inflammatory processes are thought to accelerate muscle mass loss during aging and can contribute to sarcopenia and functional decline.  Accelerated inflammatory processes and chronic low level inflammation have been linked to the development of several diseases including heart […]

Since it was first isolated from the bark of the willow tree, aspirin (also known as acetylsalicylic acid) has been used for both its analgesic and antipyretic properties. Aspirin is beneficial for many diseases, and in modern times has been used for headaches, arthritic pain, and muscle aches. Aspirin causes irreversible inactivation of an enzyme […]