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We all know sleep deprivation  (SD) can lead to fuzzy thinking, traffic accidents, even weight gain.  But did you know scientists are now finding that it can cause us to age, and maybe even develop diabetes and other serious diseases, as well? A new study has looked at how our organs are affected by SD, which sometimes may even lead to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's in the elderly, who often suffer from disrupted sleep.   The findings suggest that " inadequate sleep in the elderly, who normally experience sleep disturbances, could exacerbate an already-impaired protective response to protein misfolding that happens in aging cells," according to newswise.com. Protein misfolding -- a process where proteins get degraded -- and clumping is what is associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, along with many other diseases, the Web site reports.  “The combined effect of aging and sleep deprivation resulted in a loss of control of blood sugar reminiscent of pre-...

If your child had asthma, as mine did, from birth to about five, a new study says he could be at higher risk for diabetes type 1.  That's the really bad one, that, if left untreated is fatal. Diabetes Type 1 attacks your organs, including your heart , eyes , kidneys , nerves , and gums and teeth if treatment, which usually includes insulin injections, is not started. “Our study identified respiratory infections in early childhood, especially in the first year of life, as a risk factor for the development of T1D," the authors noted in their report, as reported by newswise.com. As a new mom, I didn't realize that seeing my son's ribs go in and out like an accordion while he was in the bathtub meant, get him to the pediatrician at once.  I waited until his breathing was very labored and then brought him in.  It took about 20 minutes with a nebulizer, through all of which he screamed, to get his breathing back to normal. He went on to have colds that turned into ...