Recent comments in /f/askscience

DoomGoober t1_j7oh23l wrote

Reply to Why aren't anabolic steroids/HGH prescribed for patients recovering from wounds/grafts? Wouldn't the steroids speed up recovery time? by TPMJB

Using rats, there is evidence that anabolic steroids can help speed muscle injury healing: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9934411/

However anabolic steroids had little effect on healing pressure ulcers (bed sores): https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011375.pub2/full

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Proof_Device_8197 t1_j7ogotx wrote

Reply to comment by LachoooDaOriginl in What's the mechanism behind smog causing stroke or heart disease? by Raul_Endy

The vessels go into ‘repair mode’ initiated by inflammation due to the oxidative stress insults described above. Going into inflammatory repair mode response is essentially the body’s way of laying down scar tissue in the blood vessels. This entire process repeats over and over again until you’ve essentially decreased the integrity and function of the vessels themselves, leading to cardiac diseases.

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theganglyone t1_j7occp2 wrote

Reply to comment by Selfeducated in Are people with autoimmune diseases less likely to get viral infections? How about cancers? by Selfeducated

There's a lot that is not understood about autoimmunity. I don't think what you're suggesting occurs in real life to any significant degree but it's not a crazy notion.

If someone had an autoimmune response to a particular protein and that protein happened to be very similar in structure to a viral or cancer antigen, they might have less chance of getting that particular infection or cancer.

The issue is that the "army" you're talking about is typically highly specific. It's not a "kill anything that moves" type of army. It's more like a "kill only troops that are carrying a sign that says, 'I am target S9p4kLwe43'". Literally, the immune system kills cells that present a highly specific and recognizable target on their surface.

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SolasHealth t1_j7oa5gn wrote

Reply to What's the mechanism behind smog causing stroke or heart disease? by Raul_Endy

Smog is composed of various air pollutants, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and ozone, which can cause inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. It can damage the blood vessels and increase the risk of stroke and heart disease.The particulate matter in smog can also enter the bloodstream. As a result colts are formed. And this clots are the leading causes of heart attacks and stokes.Furthermore, smog can aggravate pre-existing cardiovascular conditions like high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, making people more vulnerable to these diseases.

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ironette t1_j7oa2kr wrote

Reply to Are people with autoimmune diseases less likely to get viral infections? How about cancers? by Selfeducated

Semi-related: recent studies indicate that genes responsible for auto immune diseases grew in prominence in Europe during the Bubonic Plague. The theory being that those with heightened immune systems were more likely to survive the plague AND develop auto immune issues over time. But not clear if it goes the other way…as in do those who express auto immune disease have stronger immune systems than others.

Source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/genes-protective-during-the-black-death-may-now-be-increasing-autoimmune-disorders-202212012859

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