Mixed Bag

Stress hormone linked to frailty
Lower morning and higher evening cortisol levels contribute to frailty in older individuals, according to new research accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). Eurekalert!

Dyspnea during daily activities predicts all-cause mortality
Dyspnea, a sensation of breathlessness, during light daily activities can be used as an indicator of exercise intolerance and low fitness. According to a study on Finnish twins, persistent or developing dyspnea reveals an increased risk of death.

The prospective cohort study on Finnish twins revealed that all-cause mortality increased along the degree of dyspnea during the 28-year follow-up. In the study, twin individuals with persistent dyspnea (dyspnea noticed in 1975 and 1981) and dyspnea developers (dyspnea noticed in 1981) had an increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.41, 95% CI 1.31–1.52 and 1.16, 1.05–1.25 respectively) compared to asymptomatic individuals. Easy shortness of breath also indicated an increased risk of death among individuals considered healthy at the 1981 baseline. MedicalXpress

McMaster researchers discover secret of bowel movement
Gastroenterology scientist Jan Huizinga and his team have learned that of the two types of movement, the segmentation motion occurs when not one but two sets of pacemakers interact with each other to create a specific rhythm. Then they work together with nerves and muscle to generate the movement that allows for nutrient absorption. The other type of movement moves the food along.

The discovery was made by Huizinga, a professor of medicine, and his researchers at the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Institute at McMaster University working with investigators of Wuhan University in China and colleagues at the University of Toronto. The paper was published by the prestigious science journal Nature Communications on Feb. 24. Eurekalert!