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Abby's Magazine - September/October 2015 | Page 51 Insulin resistance causes inflammation, too. In a study published in the August online version of Diabetes, H. Henry Dong and his colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh showed that a protein called FOXO1 serves as a master switch that turns on the expression of another key inflammatory cytokine, interleukin 1-beta, which also interferes with insulin signaling. Normally insulin keeps FOXO1 in check; it "rapidly inhibits FOXO1" by moving it out of the nucleus so it can be targeted for degradation, Dong says. But when a person becomes insulin-resistant and pancreatic cells no longer produce enough insulin to overcome the resistance, activity of FOXO1 increases. Dong's results suggest that inflammation and insulin resistance reinforce each other via a positive feedback loop. And indeed, the two often come together: for instance, rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory disease, heightens the risk of insulin resistance developing, Dong states. Perhaps the biggest remaining question is whether inflammation always precedes insulin resistance. "We don't truly know which comes first," says Aruna Pradhan, an epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Insulin resistance could develop first and then incite inflammation through its effects on FOXO1. "It's a chicken-and-egg question," Dong says. "Nobody knows." And inflammation and insulin resistance aren't the only factors to consider: genetics and environmental influences such as nutrition play a role in diabetes, too. In September 2009 Pradhan and her colleagues published a surprising study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showing that drugs that reduced insulin resistance had little effect on inflammation levels. Bizarrely, the subjects who received placebos had fewer signs of inflammation at the end of the study than those taking the drugs did, suggesting a complex interplay of factors. So even as scientists create a clearer picture of inflammation and diabetes, new puzzle pieces seem to keep adding more complexity to a complex disease. Kidney, bladder and urinary tract problems may arise as we age. Elderly people often suffer from dysfunctional kidneys because the size, weight and amount of fluid passed through the organ decreases as the individual ages. The most important change is the decrease in the filtration rate of the kidney, known as the glomerular filtration rate. With every ten years, the rate of blood flow through the kidneys decreases by 10%. In addition, people between the age of 70 and 90 suffer from a reduction in the size of their Bowman's capsule, decreasing their kidney function by another 10%. Under normal conditions, the kidneys of older people can function adequately in the area of blood flow and electrolytic regulation. However, altered or sudden changes in the environment may stimulate unfavorable kidney reactions and result in the deterioration of the kidney buffer zone. A common response to environmental changes is glomeruli retardation. During glomeruli retardation, the kidneys lack the ability to absorb blood from urine and to expel waste. As kidney function declines, one must be especially aware of medications that exit through the kidneys. Bladder sphincter and ureter wall muscles also weaken with age, especially in women who have given several births, resulting in urinary incontinence. In men, prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) can cause obstruction of the urinary outlet and symptoms associated with overfilling. Kidney Chi by Chi Enterprise contains herbs that are very effective for urinary tract, bladder, or kidney inflammation. Kidney Chi can be taken at the first signs of bladder problems. It works quickly, sometimes only taking days to completely relieve symptoms. It is also handy for when you are traveling in case you get a bladder problem and cannot get medical help right away. Kidney Chi is also effective for both inflammation of the urethra (urethritis) and inflammation of the kidneys (nephritis). Asparagus extract and Cordyceps are other Chi products that improve kidney function. Kidney and Urinary Tract Inflammation