Tips for sciatic nerve pain relief at night
There are several ways a person can help manage sciatic nerve pain at night, including adjusting sleep positions and trying pain relief remedies before bed.
Sciatic nerve pain typically starts in the lower back or buttocks and radiates to the back of the thigh and legs or feet. When it occurs at night, it can affect a person’s sleep quality and duration.
Sciatica is a general term to describe pain that occurs from irritation of the sciatic nerve. It is not a diagnosis but rather a symptom of an underlying cause or condition, such as a slipped disc.
A person can help manage and prevent pain through strategies that include adopting certain sleep positions and taking steps to manage pain before bedtime.
In this article, we will review some of the best and worst sleep positions for sciatica, pain relief tips, and when to contact a doctor.
Certain sleeping positions may help take pressure off the sciatic nerve, which may help decrease pain. Experts recognize that supporting the lumbar spine can helpTrusted Source a person manage pain.
Sleep positions that help support the lumbar spine may help. This can include sleeping in the fetal position or on the side with a pillow between the knees. If lying on the back, a person may wish to place an additional pillow below their knees or under their lower spine.
If possible, a person may want to consider switching mattresses or getting a mattress topper that helps support all parts of the spine. The design of many modern mattresses can help maintain the natural alignment of the spine and take pressure off the lower back.
It is best for a person to take some time to try different positions and see what works best for them. Not everyone will respond well to the same positions. Testing different positions, mattresses, and pillows may help.
Click here to learn more about the best sleeping positions for back pain.
It is best to avoid any position in bed that causes additional pain.
These may be positions that cause compression or twisting of the lower back, such as sleeping on the stomach. If sleeping on their front, a person can place a pillow under the pelvis or lower belly to help maintain the arch of the back. However, this may result in some neck discomfort due to turning the head one way or the other.
It is also best to avoid remaining in bed for long periods. Movement generally helps improve pain associated with sciatica.
Sciatica may improve without much need for medical intervention if a herniated disc is the cause. About 80–90% of people see improvements after a few weeks of nonsurgical treatment.
However, home remedies and nonoperative treatments may not work as well if bone spurs or spinal stenosis is the cause. Spinal stenosis is a condition that leads to compression of the spinal nerves.
A person can try several different strategies shortly before bedtime to help improve their sciatic nerve pain, includingTrusted Source:
- applying hot or cold packs
- gently stretching the lumbar spine and legs
- avoiding sitting or standing for long periods
- using proper posture throughout the day
In addition, exercises can help a person improve their core strength. When lifting, it is best to practice good form. Experts recommend people also do light cardio, such as walking or swimming.
However, it is best to avoid exercising right before bedtime to prevent trouble sleeping. According to a 2019 study, finishing with exercise at least 90 minutes before bedtime may help ensure a person can fall asleep as they typically would.
Click here to learn more about treatment options for managing sciatica pain.
Experts recommend people consider contacting a doctor if they experience persistent sciatic nerve pain during the day or night. Since sciatica itself is not a diagnosis, an underlying condition is likely the cause.
A doctor can help determine the underlying cause and provide treatment specific to the condition. After this, a person should notice their symptoms start to improve. A doctor may also prescribe medications to help manage symptoms, such as pain, at night or during the day.
Without management, sciatic nerve pain at night can interfere with sleep. Though a doctor may recommend over-the-counter or prescription medications, a person may also be able to take some steps to help prevent and relieve their pain at home.
Steps for management can include switching sleep positions, stretching, using hot or cold packs, and avoiding long periods of standing or sitting throughout the day. People may also find that regular light exercise, increasing core strength, and practicing proper form when lifting can help them manage and prevent pain.
When experiencing this kind of pain for the first time, or if the pain is difficult to manage at home, a person may wish to consider consulting a doctor to determine the underlying cause. The doctor can provide suitable treatment and help a person find relief.
Running as a form of escapism may lead to dependence, study suggests
- A new study looks at the role of escapism, a motivation known to be powerful, in exercise dependence.
- The study finds that when people are running away, rather than toward something, they are more likely to feel bad about their lives.
- Such people are at an increased risk of developing exercise dependence or addiction.
When it comes to running for recreation or exercise, a person’s motivation can be a critical factor in developing exercise dependence or not, according to a new study.
The study explores the role of escapism in running and finds that people who use the activity to escape life’s problems are more likely to develop an unhealthy exercise addiction.
Escapism as a powerful motivational factor has been explored in other contexts dating back to the 1990sTrusted Source. A new study now aims to fill a gap in research by investigating whether or not escapism plays a role in running, and what that role might be.
The research team, led by Dr. Frode Stenseng of the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology, recruited 227 recreational runners through social media sites.
Participants were evenly divided in terms of gender, and their running habits and styles varied. Anyone who reported running regularly was sent a study questionnaire to complete.
A questionnaire assessed the role of escapism in each participant’s running, the degree to which they were or were not dependent on this form of exercise, and their level of general life satisfaction.
The study appears in Frontiers of Psychology.
While running and exercise, in general, are recognized as being beneficial to health, some people become addicted to exerciseTrusted Source, as described in a 2011 study led by psychotherapist Dr. Marilyn Freimuth.
A 1997 study found that about 25% of recreational runners become addicted to the activity, and about 50% of marathon runners feel dependent of the sport.
A 2021 study lists some signs of exercise addictions among athletes:
- undertaking exaggerated exercise volumes
- lack of control over how much they participate in their chosen form of exercise
- experiencing withdrawal symptoms when they stop exercising
- and having conflicts with family and friends over exercise.
“Escapism” is defined as a “habitual diversion of the mind to purely imaginative activity or entertainment as an escape from reality or routine.”
But not all escapism is alike. Dr. Stenseng told Medical News Today that he and his collaborators have been exploring the phenomenon of escapism for over 10 years and:
“We have repeatedly found that escapism comes in two forms: One that is about facilitating positive emotions through engaging in the activity (self-expansion), and one that is about suppressing disturbing thoughts and emotions through the activity (self-suppression).”
“Running is a very popular activity,” said Dr. Stenseng, “which can be quite absorbing, so we wanted to test whether we found this dualism of escapism also in running.”
The study found that self-expansive escapism was associated with a positive sense of well-being, while self-suppressive escapism was linked to a poor sense of well-being.
Dr. Freimuth, who was not involved in the current study, agrees with the authors’ notion that escapism is of two types, saying that “[d]istinguishing two types of motivation, one that is more pleasurable, and one that is about escape, is really interesting.”
She noted that self-suppressive escape is often associated with dependence on substances or activities.
The study suggests that self-suppressive escapism promotes negative feelings about one’s life, which then may spiral into even more exercise dependence.
“If you have limited means to escape/ avoid feelings,” said Dr. Freimuth, “and life circumstances or your internal world keep bringing up bad feelings, then the behavior can continue to increase in frequency, such that some adverse effects occur, like ignoring a responsibility, increasing exercise leading to an injury, etc.”
MNT asked Dr. Stenseng how a person can identify their own motivation in running, specifically whether self-expansive or -suppressive escapism is at play.
He answered that “one good question to ask oneself is: Do I feel refreshed or ashamed after I have worked out?”
“When you run with a self-suppressive mindset, you tend to feel ashamed afterward, not in an elevated state of mood,” explained Dr. Stenseng.
Considering that exercise dependence may be a response to serious life issues, resolving it means facing those issues as best one can.
“Any time a person is using a substance or behavior to escape from something in their life,” said Dr. Freimuth, “they need to identify the fear, the stress, the anxiety, etc., and begin to question its reality for them currently. And then take steps to reduce it.”
In situations where a person is attempting to manage unresolvable problems such as grief or insurmountable obstacles, suggested Dr. Freimuth, “[p]erhaps the most effective method is to learn how to tolerate uncomfortable feelings without having to do anything.”
How urinary tract infections (UTIs) negatively impact women’s quality of life
- More than 150 million women worldwide have urinary tract infections (UTIs) each year.
- Researchers from two healthcare companies report that more than half of women with UTIs experience declining sleep, exercise, and sexual intimacy.
- Scientists also found women who have recurring UTIs see a decrease in their health-related quality of life and workplace productivity.
An estimated more than 150 million women worldwide have urinary tract infections (UTIs) each year.
Although UTI is a treatable condition, it can cause various symptoms impacting a person’s daily life. Past researchTrusted Source shows recurring UTIs can impact a woman’s self-esteem and relationships. And a 2022 studyTrusted Source reported women with recurring UTIsTrusted Source experience negative emotions, including worry, frustration, and anger.
A new study from researchers at healthcare companies Cerner Enviza and GSK has found that more than half of women with UTIs experience a decline in sleep, exercise, and sexual intimacy. And recurrent UTIs caused a decrease in health-related quality of life.
The study appears in the journal PLoS ONETrusted Source.
Bacteria cause the majority of UTIs. In typical conditions, bacteria that enter the urethra are flushed out. However, sometimes this doesn’t happen, and the bacteria can travel to the bladderTrusted Source, resulting in a UTI.
Symptoms of a UTI include:
- pain or burning during urination
- increased frequency or urge to urinate
- fever
- nausea and/or vomiting
- tiredness
- shaking and/or chills
While a UTI can happen to any woman, some are at a higher risk for developing UTIs than others. These include women who:
- previously had a UTI
- have diabetesTrusted Source
- are sexually activeTrusted Source
- are pregnantTrusted Source
There are two main types of UTIs. According to Dr. Jennifer Linehan, a urologist and associate professor of urology and urologic oncology at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, an uncomplicated UTITrusted Source occurs when someone gets a UTI without any mitigating factors and is treatable with antibiotics.
“A complicated UTITrusted Source (may occur in someone) who has altered anatomy, may have a catheter in, may have kidney stones, or obstruction of the urinary tract at some point,” Dr. Linehan explained to Medical News Today. “Or perhaps they have a fistula that’s causing the UTI. All those things are complicated.”
For this study, researchers conducted an online survey of 375 women aged 18 and over from the United States. All of them had experienced a UTI in the past 60 days with a prescription of one or more oral antibiotics.
The survey included questions regarding how UTIs impacted the participants’ activities, health-related quality of life, workplace productivity, healthcare resource use, and costs.
Upon analysis, researchers found 66.9% of participants experienced impaired sexual intercourse, 60.8% impaired sleep, and 52.3% impaired ability to exercise.
Participants with UTIs also had increased work productivity and activity impairment and experienced higher medical costs.
“As a woman who gets UTIs, I can attend to the fact that it is very difficult to work and very difficult to sleep, and it is even more difficult to exercise if you have a UTI,” Dr. Linehan explained. “The feeling to urinate, like the burning, etc. that happens with a UTI is one of the most noxious stimuli to the brain. And one of the reasons that I know that is when I am operating on patients, doing simple things like even a camera into the bladder, if I overfill the bladder, the patient will literally start waking up from anesthesia. That is how noxious the stimuli is to the brain.”
“So when you’re in the midst of UTI, it’s a really intense infection (and) it is markedly uncomfortable,” she added. “You can’t think or do anything else but deal with that.”
MNT also spoke with Dr. S. Adam Ramin, a urologist and medical director of Urology Cancer Specialists in Los Angeles, CA, about this study. He was also not surprised by the findings.
“(These findings) essentially makes everyone understand that UTI is not a disease process that should be taken lightly,” Dr. Ramin explained. “It’s important that we pay attention to our patient’s symptoms and act accordingly in terms of treatment.”
However, Dr. Ramin stressed that this study was self-reported, where participants reported they had a UTI.
“We know that there are a certain percentage of patients in whom there is no true urinary tract infection, but the symptoms of a UTI exist,” he said. “It wasn’t so parsed out in this study in terms of whether these patients truly had a UTI or not, although they were all treated with antibiotics. We also know that many doctors treat patients with symptoms of UTI without doing a urine cultureTrusted Source.”
For this reason, Dr. Ramin said it would be good to have a study of people with UTIs diagnosed by culture. And suggested also including participants who may have a UTI diagnosed by culture but are not symptomatic.
“Obviously the ones who are symptomatic are the ones who are going to have lower quality of life as well,” he explained. “If there was going to be future studies, we would want to see possibly the quality of life impact on patients who may not be symptomatic or may not necessarily know they have a UTI unless the culture had been done.”
Early cardiovascular disease may speed up cognitive decline in middle age
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects around 550 million people worldwide, and its prevalence has doubledTrusted Source since 1990.
- CVD has been associated with cognitive impairment and dementia in older people.
- The incidence and mortality of CVD among young and middle-aged adults have been steady or increasing in recent years.
- New research has found that people with early CVD may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems and worse brain health in middle age.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major causeTrusted Source of global mortality and disability. Although the CVD burden is declining in those aged over 50, current rates of CVD below this age have either remained steady or increasedTrusted Source.
In high-income countries, lifestyle factors, such as obesity, lack of physical activity, and poor diet, are all increasing the incidence of CVD.
StudiesTrusted Source have shown that cardiovascular risk factors may contribute to late-life cognitive decline and dementia but, until now, there has been little evidence that CVD might speed cognitive decline in middle age.
Now, new research, part of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young AdultsTrusted Source (CARDIA) study, has found that premature CVD — at or below the age of 60 — may affect brain health and increase cognitive decline in midlife.
The research appears in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
This prospective cohort study enrolled people aged between 18 and 30 years, and followed them for 30 years. Participants had follow-up examinations every 2–5 years during the study.
The participants were from four cities in the United States, just over half were female and just under half were Black.
Dr. Sandra Narayanan, board-certified vascular neurologist and neurointerventional surgeon at Pacific Stroke & Neurovascular Center at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, who was not involved in the study, commented for Medical News Today:
“The longitudinal, prospective study design over 30 years limits bias. The number and forms of cognitive assessments applied to this large cohort during this period also enabled a thorough evaluation of brain health in multiple domains such as executive functioning, processing speed, and verbal learning and memory.”
At the 30-year point, 3,146 participants, with a mean age of 55 years, underwent a range of cognitive assessments. In total, 147 (4.7%) had developed one or more premature CVD events, 126 of which were coronary heart disease or stroke. The mean age of the first CVD event was 48.4 years.
Those who had premature CVD were more likely to be male, older, Black, have had access to less education, have lower household income, and have more risk factors for CVD, such as poor diet and low levels of physical activity.
Researchers tested participants in verbal fluencyTrusted Source, global cognitionTrusted Source, verbal memory, processing speedTrusted Source, and executive functionTrusted Source.
They adjusted for demographics, education, literacy, household income, depressive symptoms, physical activity, diet, and APOETrusted Source — a gene that is linked to an increased risk of dementia — when analyzing their findings.
In addition, they assessed 5-year cognitive decline in 2,722 people who underwent testing at both the 25- and 30-year points.
At the end of the study, 663 participants also underwent MRI brain scans to assess white matter hyperintensitiesTrusted Source (WMH), which are associated with cognitive impairment. The researchers also used diffusion tensor imagingTrusted Source to assess participants’ brain health.
Only a small proportion of those undergoing MRI scans had early CVD, as lead author Dr. Xiaqing Jiang, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, told MNT.
“Among those with MRI, 16 participants had premature CVD. More people will develop premature CVD events as they age as most participants were still under 60,” she said.
People who had premature CVD performed worse on all cognitive tests, except verbal fluency. The association was strongest for processing speed and executive function.
However, in women, premature CVD was significantly associated with lower verbal fluency — an association that did not occur in men. Black men with premature CVD had a greater decrease in executive function than what occurred in others with premature CVD.
Those with early CVD were almost three times as likely to show accelerated cognitive decline. Researchers detected it in 13% of those with premature CVD, compared with 5% of those without premature CVD.
Dr. Giovanni Schifitto, professor of neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, not involved in this study, explained why early CVD might have these effects.
“Early CVD risk factors also affect cerebral perfusion (brain vessel disease) which can lead to neuronal dysfunction and death,” he told us.
“Cardiovascular disease is closely linked to [the] progression of cerebrovascular disease due to alteration of cerebral blood flow, increased cerebral inflammation and microvascular stress, shared vascular risk factors, and in many cases, shared pathophysiology,” explained Dr. Narayanan.
“Clinically silent white matter lesions, mild cognitive impairment, and overt vascular dementia are linked to increasing burden of these vascular risk factors,” she added.
The researchers also found a significant association between early CVD and changes in brain white matter. Changes in white matterTrusted Source often occur in dementia patients.
“In this biracial cohort of middle-aged adults, we found that having premature CVD was associated with worse cognitive performance on most domains, accelerated cognitive decline over 5 years, and worse white matter health, which was not entirely driven by stroke/ TIA [transient ischaemic attack] and even independent of cardiovascular risk factors.”
– Dr. Xiaqing Jiang
This study highlights the importance of minimizing risk factors for CVD early in adulthood.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendTrusted Source increasing physical activity, following a healthy diet, not smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight to keep the heart healthy.
And, as Dr. Schifitto pointed out, “[t]here is emergent literature that CVD risk factors should be aggressively treated even at a young age to protect the brain.”
Dr. Jiang agreed, saying that “CVD prevention and intervention, including preventing cardiovascular and other risk factors, may start as early as young adulthood, which may be critical to prevent early divergences of cognitive function and brain health.”
“More research is needed to understand why premature CVD is independently associated with cognition and how these associations evolve over the life course as people get older,” she added.
Bariatric surgery: Study finds significant drop in death rates in 40-year follow-up
- Bariatric surgery — also known as weight loss surgery — has been in practice since the 1950s.
- Researchers from the University of Utah found people who received bariatric surgery showed significant reductions in death rates from all causes and cause-specific conditions up to 40 years later.
- Scientists found an 83% increase in death rates from chronic liver disease in people who had bariatric surgery.
- And researchers also found young people who received bariatric surgery had a higher suicide rate.
Bariatric surgery, which refers to different weight loss surgery techniques, has been in practice since the 1950s. Doctors conducted more than 198,000 bariatric surgery procedures in the United States in 2020.
While weight loss surgery can have life changing — and even life-saving — outcomes for patients, the procedures also have potential risksTrusted Source.
Now a new retrospective study from the University of Utah finds people who received bariatric surgery showed significant reductions in death rates from all causes and cause-specific conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer up to 40 years after surgery.
However, scientists found death rates from chronic liver disease in people who received weight loss surgery were 83% higher than in people who did not have the surgery. And young people ages 18 to 34 who received bariatric surgery had an increased suicide rate than those who did not have surgery.
The study appears in ObesityTrusted Source, the official journal of The Obesity Society.
Bariatric surgery is an umbrella term for different weight loss surgery procedures. These include:
- gastric bypass
- sleeve gastrectomy
- gastric band
- biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switchTrusted Source (BPD/DS)
Depending on the type of surgery, the body is changed to alter how much food a person can eat at one time and how the food is absorbed, aiding in weight loss.
Previous studies show bariatric surgery can have additional benefits, including a reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events, type 2 diabetes remission, and increased sex drive.
And weight loss surgery has been shown to positively impact sleep apnea, depression, and joint pain.
Potential downsides to bariatric surgery include surgery-related issues such as bleeding, infections, obstructions, leaking, or blood clots. Additionally, some people who have bariatric surgery experience acid refluxTrusted Source, nausea, vomitingTrusted Source, and the inability to eat certain foods.
For this study, researchers examined data from almost 22,000 people who received bariatric surgery in Utah between 1982 and 2018. Researchers compared this data to those who had not had bariatric surgery but were matched in terms of age, sex, and body mass index.
Upon analysis, scientists found that all-cause mortality was 16% lower in people who had undergone bariatric surgery than those who had not. Additionally, researchers reported the death rate for people who had weight loss surgery decreased by 29% for cardiovascular disease, 43% for cancer, and 72% for diabetes compared to people who had not had the surgery.
Medical News Today spoke with Dr. Ted D. Adams, adjunct professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and adjunct associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology at the University of Utah, and corresponding author of this study:
“We believe that the improved mortality in the bariatric surgery patients compared to the matched non-surgery subjects for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes further support improved comorbidities — heart disease, cancer, and diabetes — and reduced incidence of these illnesses following bariatric surgery.”
“That is, improved comorbidities and reduced incidence of these specific diseases following bariatric surgery appear to be linked with improved long-term mortality for these causes,” Dr. Adams added.
Also, during the study, Dr. Adams and his team found death rates from the chronic liver disease were 83% higher in people who had received bariatric surgery than those who had not.
Dr. Adams emphasized that researchers did not extract any clinical data related to the liver status or liver function of the subjects before surgery, nor did they extract any clinical data related to alcohol use.
“As a result, the reason for increased death from liver disease is not known and can only be speculated,” he explained. “There are some studiesTrusted Source that suggest following certain types of bariatric surgery there is increased disinhibition and impulsivity and increased rates of absorption of alcohol after specific types of bariatric surgery.”
“The increased mortality of cirrhosis of the liver was primarily seen in the surgical patients who had surgery when they were ages 18 to 34 years, compared to the matched non-surgery patients,” Dr. Adams added. “This finding may promote increased research interest.”
And this new research also uncovered a higher death rate from suicide in younger people who had bariatric surgery. Dr. Adams and his team found that those aged 18 to 34 who had received bariatric surgery had a hazard ratioTrusted Source for suicide 2.4 times higher when compared to young people who had not had weight loss surgery.
“Unfortunately, this study did not extract any pre-surgical or post-surgical psychological-related data. The findings may further encourage the inclusion of psychological/behavioral screening prior to the surgery, especially in patients who are seeking surgery at younger ages.
“In addition, additional post-surgical follow-upTrusted Source of [the] psychological/behavioral nature of specific patients may be warranted,” he added. “There appears to be an important need for additional research directed at understanding why the increased rates of suicide occurred in the patients who had their surgery when in the younger age range.”
MNT also spoke about this study with Dr. Mir Ali, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA.
Dr. Ali said the reduced death rates for all causes and cause-specific conditions reaffirm the long-term benefits of weight loss surgery for people who meet the criteria.
“Obesity essentially affects every organ throughout the body and increases (the) risk for every type of complication, even cancer,” Dr. Ali explained. “And by losing weight, they’re able to reverse those changes that occur. And the most effective way is surgery for patients who meet the criteria for surgery.”
When asked about the increased death rate from chronic liver disease, Dr. Ali said sometimes the liver and other organs may become damaged before the patient receives weight loss surgery.
“Just losing the weight may not reverse the damage that (has) already been done, but it’s something that really needs to be studied further,’ he added.
And when asked about the higher suicide rate in younger people who received bariatric surgery, Dr. Ali said although most programs require surgical candidates to undergo psychological screening, the medical community needs to be more diligent in looking for subtle clues for those who may be at higher risk.
“It is something that has been known for some time,” he continued. “We have to do a better job of screening those people and finding a way to prevent that.”
Scientists reversed aging in mice. Is it possible in humans?
- Aging is a natural part of life that changes the body in ways we sometimes might not like.
- Researchers from Harvard Medical School believe that epigenetic changes — and not just changes to the DNA — affect aging.
- This view is supported by experiments where epigenetic changes caused mice to first age and the reversal of the induced changes caused reverse aging.
Aging is a life process everyone goes through. As we age, the body changes in different ways — sometimes good and sometimes not as good as we might like.
Scientists have looked for ways to slow downTrusted Source, stopTrusted Source, or reverseTrusted Source the aging process. While research and medical advances have helped increase life expectancyTrusted Source, aging continues.
For many years, most researchers have believed changes to a body’s DNA — called mutationsTrusted Source — are a leading cause of aging.
Now a team led by researchers from Harvard Medical School finds support for an alternative hypothesis: it is the changes that affect the expression of the DNA — called epigeneticsTrusted Source — that affect aging. Scientists demonstrated this via a mouse model where changes in epigenetic information caused mice to first age and then reverse aging.
The study appears in the journal CellTrusted Source.
Gene activity, the “switch on” and “switch off” of genes, is associated with epigenetic changes, chemical changes in the DNA that do not alter the DNA sequence. Epigenetics studies how the environment can modify how genes work without actually changing the genes themselves.
Some examples of things that may lead to epigenetic changes:
- dietTrusted Source
- agingTrusted Source
- physical activityTrusted Source
- obesityTrusted Source
- tobaccoTrusted Source and alcoholTrusted Source use
- environmental pollutants
- stressTrusted Source
- infectionsTrusted Source and diseases like cancerTrusted Source
This study is not the first time researchers have used epigenetics to study aging. For example, previous research shows epigenetics provides a biological clock for the body, helping scientists measure a person’s aging rate.
Medical News Today spoke with Dr. David Sinclair, a professor in the Department of Genetics and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Harvard Medical School, and senior author of this study.
Dr. Sinclair said the research team decided to study epigenetics as a potential driver for the aging process based on previous research he had been involved with in the 1990s that showed lifespan is under the control of epigenetic regulators called sirtuinsTrusted Source.
“We have discovered that if you turn on three “YamanakaTrusted Source” genes that normally switch on during embryogenesisTrusted Source, you can safely reverse the aging process by more than 50%,” he explained to MNT. “These genes initiate a program that is not well understood, but the outcome is age reversal and restoration of tissue function. For example, we can reverse the age of optic nervesTrusted Source to restore the visionTrusted Source of all mice.”
During this study, researchers created temporary, fast-healing “cuts” in the DNA of mice. These cuts imitated the effect of certain lifestyle and environmental effects on the DNA’s epigenetic pattern.
Researchers found the cuts caused the mice’s epigenetic pattern to change and eventually malfunction, causing the mice to begin looking and acting older. These mice also had increased biomarkers indicating agingTrusted Source.
Scientists then gave these mice gene therapy to reverse the epigenetic changes, which they said “reset” the mice’s epigenetic program and ultimately reversed the aging the mice had experienced.
“We hope these results are seen as a turning point in our ability to control aging,” Sinclair says. “This is the first study showing that we can have precise control of the biological age of a complex animal; that we can drive it forwards and backward at will.”
MNT also spoke about this study with Dr. Santosh Kesari, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, and Regional Medical Director for the Research Clinical Institute of Providence Southern California.
Dr. Kesari said this was a “very exciting study,” opening up the understanding of how aging occurs and how we can measure it at the DNA level.
“And it turns out it’s not just that we accumulate mutations in the DNA, which is we think is one of the main factors that cause age-related disorders, … but more of how the DNA is read that is really contributing to aging,” Dr. Kesari explained. “And as we age, the reading of the DNA is affected in a big way. (This) really opens up a new way of thinking about aging, but also a new way to think about targeting aging by developing drugs that affect how the cell reads the DNA.”
As this study was conducted in an animal model, Dr. Kesari said the next question and challenge would be to understand how individual humans age in the real world — what tests are required, and how scientists can monitor for bad aging.
“And then doing really smart studies to look at biomarkers that give you a signal that you’re actually affecting aging in a positive way,” he continued. “What are those markers? What drugs can we do to test that?”
“Certainly, we don’t want to wait (for) 10, 20, or 30 years to do aging studies, so the challenge is really identifying markers in humans, … testing drugs, and then having short-term biomarkers that tell us whether a drug is working or not and affecting age-related disorders,” Dr. Kesari concluded.
Study reveals how exercise turns back the clock in aging muscles
- Doctors call physical exercise a “polypill,” because it can prevent and treat many of the chronic diseases that are associated with aging.
- A new study of muscle fibers from mice and humans shows how exercise affects gene expression.
- The exercise-induced changes “reprogram” the epigenetic expression of the fibers to a more youthful state.
- The findings could provide leads for the development of drugs to mimic these benefits in people who are unable to exercise.
Research shows that people who exercise regularly not only strengthen their muscles but also improve their overall health, regardless of how late in life they start.
For example, recent studies have found that exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in older people.
Conversely, reductions in muscle mass and strength are associated with lower quality of life and higher mortality from all causes.
As a result of its proven ability to prevent and treat several chronic diseases at low cost, doctors have called exercise a drug-free “polypill” that can benefit nearly everyone.
“Exercise is the most powerful drug we have,” says Dr. Kevin Murach, assistant professor at the Exercise Science Research Center, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.
He believes that exercise should be considered a health-enhancing, potentially life-extending treatment, alongside medications and a healthy diet.
Scientists hope that a better understanding of how exercise rejuvenates aged muscle at a molecular level will provide clues for future anti-aging therapies.
Exercise may turn back the clock in muscle fibers by promoting the “epigenetic reprogramming” of chromosomes in the cells’ nuclei.
EpigeneticsTrusted Source refers to how chemical changes affect the activity or “expression” of genes. For example, proteins called transcription factors can dial up the expression of particular genes when they bind to specific DNA sequences.
In 2012, Dr. Shinya Yamanaka shared the Nobel Prize for MedicineTrusted Source for his discovery that four transcription factors can revert specialized, mature cells to more youthful, flexible cells called pluripotent stem cells.
The four factors are called Oct3/4, Klf4, Sox2, and Myc, or OKSM for short.
In a new study whose results appear in The Journal of PhysiologyTrusted Source, Dr. Murach and his colleagues compared the effects of OKSM factors on gene expression in the muscle fibers of mice that had access to an exercise wheel, and mice that had no access.
In addition, they compared the effects of OKSM factors on muscle with the effects of a single transcription factor, Myc. Scientists have found that exercise induces the expression of Myc to a greater extent than the other three factors.
The researchers also investigated how exercise alone affected gene expression in muscle fibers from both mice and humans. The mice were 22 months old, which is equivalent to a human age of around 73 years.
Mice in the exercise group were free to run on an unweighted wheel for the first week, then, over the next 8 weeks, the scientists made the wheel progressively heavier by attaching magnetic weights to it.
The results suggest that exercise reprograms muscle fibers to a more youthful state through increased expression of the genes that make Yamanaka factors, in particular Myc.
Dr. Murach suggests that the findings may one day lead to the development of drugs that supercharge the exercise response of muscles in people who are confined to bed, or the muscles of astronauts in zero gravity.
But he dismisses the idea of a pill that boosts the expression of Myc ever replacing the need to exercise. For one thing, exercise has beneficial effects throughout the body, not just in muscle.
In addition, Myc has been linked to cancer, so there are inherent risks in artificially boosting its expression.
In their paper, the researchers also note that drugs that are gaining a popular reputation as “life-extending” may actually block some of the beneficial effects of exercise on muscle.
Dr. Murach told Medical News Today:
“Evidence suggests that ‘life-extending’ drugs such as metformin and rapamycin interfere with the positive benefits of exercise specifically in skeletal muscle.”
He said it was “not outside the realm of possibility” that the drugs could disrupt the epigenetic reprogramming of muscle that happens with exercise.
MNT asked exercise physiologists to recommend the best type of exercise for older people.
“For individuals over 70 I would highly recommend low-impact, full-body workouts with a focus on lower body and core,” advised John C. Loges, an exercise physiologist at eVOLV Strong.
“Resistance training is not only suitable but highly recommended for those in their 70s and beyond,” he said.
“The key is starting slow and progressing slowly with consistency,” he added.
“[W]alking is an activity that I recommend, along with resistance and mobility training,” advised Melissa Hendrix Wogahn, an exercise physiologist at Joy of Active Living who offers fitness and health education for older adults.
“In terms of frequency, an older adult can walk every day, assuming they have no contraindications,” she added.
She recommended strength training at least two days a week and mobility training, including stretching, every day.
How Obesity May Be Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease
- Researchers say obesity, especially in middle age, can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
- Experts note that obesity can also heighten the risk of other conditions, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
- They say maintaining a healthy weight can be achieved through diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction.
Obesity might increase the chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease and losing weight may decrease the risk and slow cognitive decline, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Researchers analyzed brain scans of more than 1,300 individuals and compared patterns of the gray matter of people with Alzheimer’s disease to those of healthy participants.
They also compared brain scans of people with obesity to individuals without the condition.
The researchers then created brain maps of gray matter atrophy for all participants.
The scientists reported that obesity and Alzheimer’s disease affected gray matter similarly, suggesting that both could cause the same type of neurodegeneration in the brain.
Gray matter is a major factor in Alzheimer’s disease development.
Plaques can build up in the brain and decrease the amount of gray matter, leading to a decrease in higher functioning, according to a report published in 2021Trusted Source.
Cognitive function, motor function, and memory decline as the gray matter shrinks.
“This study makes significant contributions to mounting evidence of the harmful effects of obesity — a multisystem disease linked to metabolic changes including direct impacts on the central nervous system — on cognition, overall brain health, and Alzheimer’s disease risk,” said Dr, Scott Kaiser, a geriatrician, and director of geriatric cognitive health for the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California.
“It shows neurodegeneration (or the loss of brain cells demonstrated by cortical thinning) might be one of the key mechanisms driving this risk,” Kaiser told Healthline. “This adds to the growing body of evidence surrounding ‘modifiable’ risk factors for dementia, meaning there is a wide range of things we can do — or avoid — to keep our brains healthy and reduce our future risk of developing dementia. And when it comes to dementia, experts suggest that one-third of cases might be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors.”
Experts say the new study strengthens previous research that links obesity to Alzheimer’s disease and points to cortical thinning, or the loss of brain cells, as one of the potential causes.
In a press release, Filip Morys, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Montreal Neurological Institute in Canada and a lead author in the study, said that decreasing weight in mid-life can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions.
It is obesity during the mid-life years that is most harmful, according to a report published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
“It is believed that getting to and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk from obesity for dementia,” said Dr. Glen Finney, the director of the Geisinger Memory and Cognition Program and a board member of the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
“Mid-life obesity is one of many health risks associated with increased risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, as does related health problems like diabetes. It is the most significant modifiable risk factor for dementia impacting the American population,” Finney told Healthline.
Being overweight in the mid-life years can cause numerous health issues decades later.
People who had a higher body mass index (BMI) were 2.5 times more likely to become frail earlier, according to a study published in BMJ Open. Frailty is a higher risk of falling, injuries, being hospitalized, and experiencing complications due to hospitalizations.
Obesity is considered the top modifiable dementia risk in the United States.
Being overweight affects men and women, but most women are overweight at midlife; according to the North American Menopause Society, Carrying extra weight increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and some types of cancer.
Some factors contributing to weight gain during mid-life include:
- Slowing metabolism
- Lean body mass decreases and body fat increases – fat burns fewer calories than muscle does
- Decrease in physical activity
Preventing obesity and maintaining a healthy weight involves several strategies, according to Harvard Health:
- Increasing healthy foods in your diet, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins
- Decreasing unhealthy foods with refined grains and sugars, white potatoes, red meat, and processed meats
- Increasing physical activity
- Decreasing the length of time you sit during the day
- Improving sleep
- Reducing stress
Here’s Why Coffee With Milk May Help Fight Inflammation
- When polyphenols are combined with amino acids, it can enhance the anti-inflammatory properties of the polyphenols.
- For the study, researchers tested coffee with milk and the results were promising.
- There are many benefits of incorporating polyphenols in your diet. Sources of polyphenols include berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, green tea, red wine, pomegranate, apples, nuts (such as almonds, and walnuts), and extra-virgin olive oil.
Polyphenols are compounds that are found in plant-based foods. Filled with antioxidants, polyphenols can help lower oxidative stress which results in inflammation.
Additionally, they can improve gut health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and some cancers.
However, research on polyphenols is limited, but a new study is helping researchers understand the impact these substances have on inflammation. And surprisingly they find simply adding milk to your coffee may help you combat inflammation.
Researchers from the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark wanted to explore what happens when polyphenols are paired with proteins found in foods.
They tested whether the molecules could bind to each other in a coffee drink with milk. Coffee beans are packed with polyphenols and milk contains protein. The findings were promising and the molecules did bind together.
The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, looked at how immune cells responded when they were exposed to a combination of polyphenols and amino acids. They found those cells exposed to both of those substances were twice as effective at fighting inflammation compared to polyphenols alone.
Researchers speculate this reaction could occur when other foods containing proteins and fruits or vegetables are combined.
Further studies will need to be conducted.
“When polyphenols are combined with amino acids, it is natural to believe that their properties change,” Marianne Nissen Lund, MSc from the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen and the lead author of the study, told Healthline. “In foods, it can be both positive and negative, as it depends on the type and concentration of the polyphenol, and in which type of food the reaction occurs.”
For example, in meat products some polyphenols can improve functional properties, such as gelation, but only if they are dosed correctly. Some polyphenols may lead to discoloration, and in some cases haze formation such as in beer, Nissen Lund added.
“When polyphenols are combined with amino acids, they can enhance the bioavailability of the polyphenols and lead to an increased release of anti-inflammatory compounds, which in turn can result in improved health outcomes,” Dr. Adil Maqbool, an expert in nutritional and metabolic diseases at Allama Iqbal Medical College in Pakistan, told Healthline.
In this study, the researchers honed in on the potential anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols.
“Polyphenols react readily with proteins in foods, and the effects on food quality have been studied to some extent, but the consequence on the anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols is unknown, which is relevant in relation to human health,” said Nissen Lund. “This is the first time, to the best of my knowledge, that polyphenols reacted with amino acids have been examined in immune cells. The next step is to investigate the effects in animals.”
Given the numerous health benefits of polyphenols, the food industry and researchers are working on adding the right amount of polyphenols for optimal quality.
“Since humans do not absorb that much polyphenol, scientists are trying to figure out how to combine polyphenols with proteins to boost their absorption in the body. This method has the added benefit of improving the anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols,” Nissen Lund explained.
Other sources of polyphenols include berries (such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries), green tea, red wine, pomegranate, apples, nuts (such as almonds, walnuts), and extra-virgin olive oil.
It is important to note that the amount and type of polyphenols in food can vary widely based on growing conditions, processing, and storage, so consuming a variety of these foods can help ensure a balanced intake of polyphenols, Maqbool explained.
Polyphenols are compounds that are found in plant-based foods. Filled with antioxidants, polyphenols can help lower oxidative stress which results in inflammation.
When polyphenols are paired with amino acids, it can boost the anti-inflammatory properties of the polyphenols. In a new study, researchers examined the effects of coffee with milk and the results were promising.
Eating a diet rich in polyphenols is beneficial for your overall health. Sources of polyphenols include berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, green tea, red wine, pomegranate, apples, nuts (such as almonds, walnuts), and extra-virgin olive oil.
Osteoporosis: Prunes May Help Preserve Bone Mass, Fight Inflammation
- 10 million Americans age 50 and older have osteoporosis, but women are 4 times more likely to develop the condition.
- A new study shows that postmenopausal women who consume prunes have a decreased risk for bone loss associated with osteoporosis.
- Prunes contain many nutrients associated with bone health, but more research is needed to understand how prunes work to mitigate bone loss.
- Experts caution against relying on prune consumption as a treatment for osteoporosis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, nearly 20% of women 50 years of age and older are living with osteoporosis of the femur, neck, or lumbar spine.
However, two new studies from Pennsylvania State University found that eating prunes daily could help prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women.
The findings of both studies are based on data from the same 235 postmenopausal women and were shared in a poster session at the North American Menopause Society’s (NAMS) annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.
The research was funded by the California Prune Board.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)Trusted Source say about 10 million American adults over 50 have osteoporosis, but women are 4 times more likely than men to develop the condition.
This bone loss is caused partly by age and partly by declining estrogen levels, which contributes to increased inflammation that suppresses bone formation, according to NAMSTrusted Source.
The first of the two new studies looked at the relationship between cells called inflammatory mediators, which release inflammation-reducing substances, and different measures of bone health, including bone density and strength.
“Our findings demonstrate that inflammatory markers are negatively associated with bone health in postmenopausal women, suggesting that inflammation might be an important mediator for postmenopausal bone loss and a potential target for nutritional therapies,” Connie Rogers, PhD, MPH, professor and head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Georgia, said in a statement.
The other studyTrusted Source compared four groups to discover what benefit eating prunes may have to prevent bone loss.
There was a control group that did not eat prunes, a group that ate 5 to 6 prunes per day, a group that ate 10 to 12 prunes daily, and a combined group – which consisted of women eating either 5 to 6, or 10 to 12 prunes daily.
“Our latest research represents the largest trial, with a cohort of over 200 postmenopausal women, to investigate the connection between prunes and favorable bone health,” the study’s chief investigator, Mary Jane De Souza, PhD, FACSM, told Healthline.
“Through prior smaller studies, researchers have reported what is being referred to as the positive ‘prune effect,’ revealing that prunes seem to play an important role in bone health,” De Souza explained.
She explained that this larger, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to validate and replicate findings from earlier smaller trials suggesting prunes may be a “promising, non-pharmacological nutrition intervention” for preserving bone and maintaining bone density and strength.
De Souza’s findings also indicated that the pooled group of women experienced measurable bone benefits.
“While we were not necessarily surprised by the current results given previous studies that have also shown positive correlations to bone health,” she said.
“This study is the largest randomized controlled trial conducted to date on the topic, so we were quite pleased to see this type of result among such a substantial sample size.”
De Souza noted that prunes contain several vitamins and minerals important for bones but said “it’s not necessarily clear,” what it is in prunes that exerts a favorable effect on bone health.
“Prunes are good for bones,” De Souza said. “We also know that prunes have anti-inflammatory effects, and we have specifically studied this effect and will report on these findings soon.”
“We are eager to continue this type of bone health-related research while also expanding investigations into the influence of prunes on the gut-bone axisTrusted Source and what research may reveal about that connection,” De Souza added.
Emily Feivor, RDN, a registered dietitian at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills in Queens, part of Northwell Health in New York, told Healthline that food could be a “significant piece” for disease reversal in many chronic diseases, including:
“Medical nutrition therapy is used every day to aid in improving nutritional status in many of these preventable conditions,” Feivor said.
“Those who are prediabetic or have diabetes are encouraged to limit added sugars and incorporate more complex carbohydrates and fiber to decrease A1C [blood sugar levels]. Those diagnosed with heart disease are advised to monitor saturated fats, increase unsaturated fats, and fiber to lower cholesterol.”
Feivor echoed the study findings and said that prunes provide nutrients essential for maintaining healthy bones.
“In just four prunes, we receive 23% of our daily value of vitamin K, which makes proteins to assist in the building of our bones, as well as 6% of our daily potassium needs, which aids in preventing calcium loss from our bones,” Feivor said.
“Considering they pack such a punch in these nutrients, they may be beneficial to consume for those diagnosed with bone-loss ailments.”
According to Feivor, a serving of prunes also provides both types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.
“With each serving of prunes providing three grams, this aids in regulating cholesterol levels and moving food through our digestive tract,” she said.
Feivor emphasized that besides being a great source of fiber, prunes contain no added sugar, are an excellent source of minerals, and “can be a healthy choice in a balanced diet.”
However, Feivor cautioned that while “strong evidence” supports the benefits of consuming prunes based on their nutritional makeup, she would not recommend them to be the sole source of treatment for bone diseases.
New research finds that for postmenopausal women, including prunes in their daily diet can help prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis.
Experts say that prunes contain many nutrients associated with bone health but that it’s still unclear why they have the effect researchers observed.
They also say it’s not a good idea to rely solely on eating prunes as a treatment for bone disease.