Tag Archives: Inflammation

Predicting Disease Susceptibility Through Changes in Cognitive Performance

Cognitive function and other physiological factors, such as stress levels, have long been associated with physiological health and immunocompetence. Markers of cognitive function, such as reaction time, vigilance, and processing speed, are central to human ability and optimal performance. Variability in these measures is common, as numerous environmental, physical, and mental factors can modify them, including sleep quality, dietary patterns, and other lifestyle choices.

A burgeoning body of scientific evidence suggests that intra-individual variability reaction time and other cognitive performance markers may reflect neurobiological disturbances and, thus, have valuable prognostic significance. Prior research has shown that a heightened variability in reaction time is explicitly associated with greater mortality risk in both younger and older adults. Now, the results of a recent 2022 study reveal a potential connection between cognitive performance and disease susceptibility that could transform our understanding of and approach to the brain-immune system pathway.

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The Brain On Fire: Is Depression An Inflammation-Based Disease?

Complex, heterogenous, and often debilitating, depression is a multifaceted condition that affects millions of people worldwide. According to current statistics, one in five Americans will experience major depressive disorder (MDD) in their lifetime, and many will not find relief from current therapeutic approaches. While there is an ever-growing list of potential causes of MDD, recent research suggests that inflammation in the body may be a contributing factor to the development and severity of depression. And the latest clinical trial data suggest that targeting and treating inflammation as the root cause may help clinicians provide more precise, personalized care to patients struggling with depression and help them achieve lasting mental and physical wellness.

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Where Our Worlds Collide: The Systemic Storm of Inflammation, Cardiovascular Disease and Psoriasis 

A Partner Blog from Three of the Tarsus Family of Brands: American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, Cardiometabolic Health Congress, and LiVDerm.

A review published in May 2021 in the European Cardiology Review sought to elucidate the various potential factors, mechanisms, or processes linking cardiovascular disease (CVD) and psoriasis. Observational relationships between these two diseases include: an increased independent association between cardiovascular disease and severe psoriasis in younger patients; a higher mortality rate in patients with psoriasis with an overall five-year reduction in life expectancy; a parallel rise in psoriasis severity and CVD risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; a higher rate of both CVD and psoriasis in geographical populations furthest from the equator; and the majority of deaths in patients with psoriasis being attributed to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events. The authors of the review noted that severe psoriasis was more strongly linked to cardiovascular-related mortality than was mild or moderate psoriasis.

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