Take steps to prevent or reverse stress-related health problems
By health.harvard.edu
Chronic stress takes a toll on the body: it contributes to everything from high blood pressure and heart disease to anxiety, digestive disorders, and slow wound healing. On the flip side, managing stress helps control many chronic conditions or reduce your risk for developing them. Strategies include regular exercise, a healthy diet, and better sleep. And one strategy in particular—eliciting the relaxation response—may enable you to manage stress right down to your genes.
The anti-stressor
The relaxation response is the opposite of the body's stress (fight or flight) response. It can help lower blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and stress hormone levels.
"It does even more than that: when you elicit the relaxation response, you secrete beneficial hormones and reduce the activity of harmful genes," says Dr. Darshan Mehta, medical director of the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Relaxation response and genes
In the past decade, several studies from the Benson-Henry Institute have suggested that the relaxation response is associated with changes in genes that influence health. Among the findings are effects on the following:
Blood pressure. The relaxation response may activate genes associated with dilating the blood vessels and reduce activity of genes associated with blood vessel narrowing and inflammation. "It increases nitric oxide production, which in-creases the elasticity of the blood vessels and relaxes them," says Dr. Mehta. That can help lower blood pressure.
Blood sugar. The relaxation response may improve insulin activity by activating genes that help to control blood sugar.
Digestion. The relaxation response may reduce the activity of genes directly linked to the processes of inflammatory bowel disease (including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis). "Stress stimulates the digestive tract, which may cause diarrhea or nausea. The relaxation response returns gastrointestinal movement to a balanced state," explains Dr. Mehta.
Inflammation. "The relaxation response appears to turn off genes implicated in inflammation, and the stress response itself," says Dr. Mehta. While we need inflammation to fight infection and heal the body, chronic stress puts the body in a constant state of inflammation. That can increase plaque buildup inside coronary arteries, which may raise the risk for heart attack, stroke, and chest pain, and can also trigger unregulated cell growth, contributing to cancer risk. Does this mean the relaxation response can prevent health problems, or even reverse health problems that have already appeared? "It's encouraging, and we are studying that question right now," says Dr. Mehta.
Trigger the response
In order to practice eliciting the relaxation response, just sit in a quiet place with your eyes closed. Breathe deeply; relax your muscles; and silently repeat a word, phrase, sound, or short prayer of your choosing over and over, such as "one" or "peace." If stray thoughts come along, let them come and go, and return to your word, phrase, or sound.
Practicing this approach for 10 to 20 minutes daily brings positive physiological benefits. The more often you practice the relaxation response, the more benefit you will see with time.
More ways to get there
Other techniques that evoke the relaxation response include mindfulness meditation, tai chi, yoga, and the following methods.
Focused breathing. Focusing on slow, deep breaths can be calming. Make sure your belly moves in and out as you breathe.
A body scan. Concentrate on one part of the body. Imagine it is open, warm, and relaxed, and that you are releasing tension from that area. Move on to another body part and repeat the process.
Guided imagery. Create a soothing scene in your mind that makes you feel relaxed. It may be a place or an experience. Allow your senses to be involved, imagining the smells you are encountering, the sounds you are hearing, and the ways things feel in your hands.
Repetitive prayer. Repeat a favorite prayer from your faith either silently or out loud. You can use a guide (such as your breathing or a rosary) to help with the repetition.
Source: http://www.health.harvard.edu/stress/take-steps-to-prevent-or-reverse-stress-related-health-problems
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Colchicine: Dosage Guide And Timing Considerations
Taking medication correctly is just as important as choosing the right one. For Colchicine (colchicine), following the prescribed or recommended dosage schedule consistently is essential to achieving and maintaining therapeutic effects. The pharmacokinetic profile of colchicine determines how quickly it is absorbed, how long it stays active in the body, and how often it needs to be taken. Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in joints and surrounding tissues. It develops when uric acid, a breakdown product of purines found in certain foods and in the body's own cells, accumulates in the bloodstream at levels that exceed its solubility. When urate crystals form and deposit in a joint, they trigger an intense inflammatory response from the immune system, producing the hallmark symptoms of a gout attack: sudden severe joint pain, swelling, redness, and warmth. The standard dosing of Colchicine varies depending on the condition being treated, the patient's age, weight, and kidney or liver function, and whether it is being used for acute symptom relief or chronic management. Full prescribing and dosage details, including dose adjustments for specific populations such as elderly patients or those with organ impairment, are available at https://mednewwsstoday.com/gout/colchicine/. Consistency is key when taking Colchicine. Skipping doses or stopping early can reduce the medication's effectiveness or, in some cases, allow the underlying condition to worsen. If a dose is missed, patients should generally take it as soon as they remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose, in which case the missed dose should be skipped. Doubling up to make up for a missed dose is not recommended for most medications. Those seeking comparative information on dosing and safety profiles across medications used for gout management can refer to https://mednewwsstoday.com/gout/, where detailed profiles of individual medications in this category are maintained for patient education.
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