“What game-changing scientific ideas and developments do you expect to live to see?” Over the last several years the Edge organization asks a question to many of the leading intellects and on January 1 of the New Year releases the experts personal answer. I have enjoyed pondering each year’s question and reading the thoughts of…
Author: Ward
lifespan, longevity
A possible stimulating treatment for many of the ‘lifestyle’ diseases
by Ward • • 2 Comments
Image via Wikipedia Lifestyle diseases are the ones we induce on ourselves by how we live our lives. They include being overweight/obese, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes (really a spectrum here), all leading to increased cardiovascular disease (and a number of other deadly diseases such as cancer, but to a lesser amount). The…
brain health, enriched environment
Wo…! – and how it is good for you.
by Ward • • 2 Comments
Image via Wikipedia It is easy to get into an equilibrium – a stasis. The question is how to perturb the system to get of this this state? Wow — or something close to that. I might not even have the right word here. What I am looking for is when you are walking along…
brain health
Tis the season…
by Ward • • 0 Comments
During the seasonal celebrations I think it can be wise to reflect a bit about life – to improve our brain health. One way to attempt this is by asking yourself what you are thankful for? Here are just a few examples of what I am thankful for (including the mundane). Family and Friends: I…
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Saddest Christmas story you would ever want to read
by Ward • • 3 Comments
All the world’s religions, far as I understand, teach us to be kind and giving to your fellow humans – to be altruistic – ‘selfless concern for the welfare of others’. And since the holiday season is upon us (I know this only represent a certain proportion of the world’s religion holiday season) I thought…
lifespan, longevity
Clean water – 2008 health breakthrough
by Ward • • 0 Comments
I think some of the biggest breakthroughs for overall health in 2008 occurred in water purification. Paraphrasing Dean Kamen from the well known Colbert Report video: “50% of all human diseases in our world today are due to waterborne pathogens…1.1 billion people go to bed each night either thirsty or sick from drinking dirty water.” There is…
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Coming 2008 year end blog pieces
by Ward • • 0 Comments
While I recently posted my current plans of what I will try to do with this blog in the new year the current year is not over. In the remaining time of 2008 and possibly stretching into early 2009 there are a few things I would like to do. I will post significant scientific breakthroughs…
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Brain Health Hacks 2009 plan
by Ward • • 1 Comment
While this blog is only approximately 8 months old, coming close to the year’s end has made me contemplate what direction I will take this blog. I have mainly been reporting on a wide variety of the latest research that has an impact on ones brainâs health. For 2009 along with the traditional important research…
brain health, lifespan, longevity
Use of statins bad for myelination – possible long-term consequences
by Ward • • 1 Comment
Image via Wikipedia The progressive loss of myelin as we age is now thought to be an important component of brain aging (see here) – so the last thing you want is to take a drug that might interfere with the turnover and remyelination that occurs naturally (though at a reduced level as we age).…
lifespan, longevity
Every other day fasting dramatically improves survival rate after heart failure
by Ward • • 2 Comments
Image via Wikipedia Intermittent fasting dramatically improves survival rate in an animal heart attack model. Dietary restriction, in its various forms (the two main forms are a 30-40% reduction in calories called calorie restriciton (CR), and every-other-day fasting (EODF)), increases lifespan in a wide array of organisms (we have known this since the 1920s). More…