Running: A Fever

There is a group of brain disorders in which the patient experiences a loss of cognitive function. The name used for this group is "Dementia". So it's not one particular ailment. But a group of them that have certain things in common. The cause of these disorders is thought to be the deterioration of brain cells. This is a natural process that occurs throughout our lives, but in people with dementia the loss of these nerve cells (neurons) is far greater. A normal adult brain has about 100 billion neurons. Also some sources indicated that at least one type of dementia shows no significant loss of neurons, indicating that other factors are at play. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/225  

I'm sorry to interrupt our fascinating study of dementia, but this new article about COVID-19 is somewhat related and very timely, so I thought I should bring it to your attention. Last week a report was released of a study conducted by Dr. Adam Hampshire of Imperial College London. This has been widely reported, I have some links in the show notes at http://RunningAFEVER.com/245.  The results are new, so they have not been peer-reviewed. 84,000 people who had recovered from COVID-19 were studied and found to perform worse on cognitive performance tests than demographics would normally predict. The difference was found to be equivalent to a 10-year decline or an 8.5-point difference in IQ. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/245  

This episode is the beginning of a major series. I have planned 17 episodes in the series, so this will take us a few weeks into 2021. The subject is dementia. I think it's important. It affects 50 million people worldwide. But this wouldn't necessarily convince me to spend so much time on this disease. The fact is, some pretty reliable sources of medical information say that dementia is a preventable disease. And since we want to be healthy as long as possible here on Running: A FEVER, we definitely want to do whatever we can to prevent dementia. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/224  

An annual physical is essential to optimal health management. If you are fortunate enough to not have any medical problems throughout the year, or any chronic disorders that need to be managed, it at least gives you one meeting with your doctor, in which you can ask any of those nagging questions you have. He might also have some good ones for you. This time my doc asked me if I had any skin rashes. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/243

Believe it or not, I like going in to see my doctor. For someone who cares enough about health to do a podcast episode every week on it, it's a chance to get some professional insight and real-life point of view on medicine. Plus he's just a nice guy. I'll have a separate episode on how my annual physical went and what you can learn from it. But today I'll share with you how a primary care physician is handling the pandemic. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/242  

Medical Dept. I wanted to emphasize hydration in a couple of episodes. This is especially important in hot weather, but really it is something that is important year-round. Running: A FEVER interviewed pro wrestler and bodybuilder David Hernandez. In this episode he talks about hydration and its importance in terms of performance, health, and safety. We talk about "cutting" in preparation for a bodybuilding show and how hydration affects vascularity, and about heat- and hydration-related illnesses and how they can be especially dangerous to athletes. http://RunningAFEVER.com/223  

Medical Dept. This episode I'm joined by my friend, who just happens to be a dialasis nurse. I wanted to emphasize hydration in a couple of episodes. This is especially important in hot weather, but really it is something that is important year-round. It is technically possible to drink too much water, but this would be extremely rare. Your body is going to tell you you need to stop long before you drink too much. Insufficient hydration can cause kidney failure even though it is not common. And anything that reduces circulation can also increase the risk for kidney disease. The main thing to remember about blood supply to the kidneys is, as in all organs, it is affected by cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death. Avoiding this is paramount. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER/222 Episode #222

Well, I love my coffee. I don't think about it much though. I mean usually I don't pay attention to it, it's more of a comforting morning ritual. But the other day I noticed how flavorful my coffee was. Turns out it was Rwandan. Rwandans make a mighty mean bean, that's for sure. I get the whole beans. I have a coffee maker with a built-in grinder. I just fill it up with water, a filter, and the beans, then I have one button to push and everything else is done. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/218

I love honey, especially our local Mountainburg honey and other local honeys around here. Hmm . . . local honeys . . . Uh, anyway Mountainburg honey has a nice buttery flavor. I eat it on toast with Smart Balance, but I preobably use more of it making homemade granola. And it seems to taste even better when I think that it's good for me. But is it? Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/217  

Last year I counted down the 10 longest-lived people and talked a little about each of them. But the only change since then has been the addition of Kane Tanaka, who is now #6 on the list and moving up, as she is still living. You move up quick on this list. If she lives another year, she will be 3rd. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/212

We know what COVID-19 is, the disease caused by the SARS-COV-2 virus. Very serious, very uncomfortable, very infectious. I want to talk about the relationship between inflammation and COVID, but I've realized I don't really know much about inflammation in general. So I'll start with defining it. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/241

In episode 220, I mentioned PMIS or Pediatric Multisymptom Inflammatory Syndrome, as a complication affecting some children diagnosed with COVID-19 disease. COVID-19 is the disease. The virus is officially called SARS-COV-2. Now, I've heard about this in the news, and I thought it might be a new disease split off from COVID. The first wikipedia article appeared in May of this year. It is similar to Kawasaki disease, which was discovered in 1961. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/221

In the midst of everything we're doing and experiencing and all the bad news, it's easy to forget that many thousands of people have recovered after being sick with the COVID-19 virus. That being the case, we should have some information on any residual effects of the disease. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/220

Running: A FEVER interviewed professional wrestler David "El Pero" Hernandez. He tells us what it's like being a pro wrestler, his influences and inspiration, how he got into this entertaining sport and his hopes for a future career in the big time. http://RunningAFEVER.com/216

Running: A FEVER interviewed competitive bodybuilder David Hernandez. He tells us how he went from an overweight teenager to a healthy man with less than 20% body fat. He relates his inspiration to get into the sport, and how he works in a schedule of intense workouts and a training diet into his schedule. http://RunningAFEVER.com/215

Well a lot of us have been pretty much home bound and not by choice necessarily. It's certainly possible to get out, but we incur risk to ourselves, our families, and others of contracting or spreading the COVID-19 virus. There is not a complete knowledge of what harm it does, and I have heard statements about possible long-term effects. I'm sure we'll get into that later. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/219  

Last year I did a whole series on the longest-lived people ever. It's 2020 and time to update the list. We're talking specifically about the people who have lived the longest, with documented proof. I'll give you the whole list, talk about what's changed since last year, and ask some questions. What can we learn from the lives of this list of the royalty of longevity? Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/211  

I’ve been thinking a bit about old age lately. From time to time I discover a book or TV show or movie and it gets me to thinking. I’ve been watching an old British show called Absolutely Fabulous. It deals humorously with the issue of aging, especially for women. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/210

I went for a walk with a good friend this morning, 5-point-screw-5 miles around Lake Fayetteville. It had been months since I had seen him in person. It was humid, Our featured photo shows the fog we saw coming off the water. Reminded me of an old Deep Purple song. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER.com/214  

How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And Thou wilt not hear? I cry out to Thee, “Violence!” Yet Thou dost not save. Seems like forever we have been quarantined, wearing masks, wiping down our groceries, and acting like everyone around us has the plague. Is that what this is, a plague. Read the full post at http://RunningAFEVER/213