UF Health Podcasts

Whether we’re binging one more episode of our favorite TV show, scrolling through social media, or battling insomnia, there are plenty of distractions in today’s world to keep us from sleep.

But getting enough sleep is extremely important for a variety of reasons, and two new studies from the University of Michigan show that those who don’t get enough sleep can have extreme difficulty forming memories and retaining information.

What exactly is happening in our brains that allows sleep deprivation to inhibit the formation of memories and decrease cognitive function?

Researchers observed what are known as place neurons, which are part of the brain associated with a specific task, such as navigating the environment. The neurons are in the hippocampus, a part of the brain where memories form.

In this experiment, the lab rats’ neurons fired as they explored a maze. Next, the scientists noted many of the same neurons fired as the rats slept, suggesting that sleep is a crucial component for memory formation.

In the second study, the researchers monitored lab rats’ brain neuron activity, both during sleep and sleep deprivation.

Neural firing patterns were seen to be higher in sleep and lower when the rats remained awake. During sleep deprivation, the electric signals from the lab rats’ brains were produced at a similar or higher rate as when they slept, but at a lower power and amplitude.

So, whether you’re doom-scrolling or just tossing and turning, do what you can to get the sleep your brain needs. If you don’t, when someone asks a simple question, like “What did you do last night?” — you might just draw a blank.

If you’re a woman who needs another reason to shovel in those fruits and veggies or forgo that triple fudge brownie, this is it.

New research has shown that higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet can reduce overall mortality rates in women by 23%.

A study published in JAMA Network followed over 25,000 women for 25 years, observing their food choices and assigning points based on adherence to a Mediterranean diet.

Participants were given one point for above average vegetable, fruit, nut, whole grain, legume, and fish intake and one point for below-average red and processed meat intake. Participants earned a point if their alcohol consumption fell within a specified range.

The women were categorized by their Mediterranean diet adherence based on the points they received. A score of 0 to 3 meant low adherence, 4 to 5 was intermediate and a score of 6 to 9 was high.

Each woman also completed a health questionnaire twice during the first year and once every year after, and deaths were recorded.

Researchers found that a higher adherence score was associated with a decreased risk of overall death, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality. This was true even after adjustments were made for variables like smoking and physical activity.

Following a Mediterranean diet also provides a host of other health benefits. While avoiding an early grave, you’ll also be improving brain health, supporting a healthy body weight, and lowering the risk of stroke.

And no need to give up taste for health. The Mediterranean diet is popular for being simultaneously tasty and good for you.

Untreated diabetes can be life-threatening to your dog or cat, so it’s important to recognize the signs.

Diabetes is more common in cats than dogs, but the signs for both are similar. Excessive drinking and urinating are the most common, but some animals may become ravenous without gaining weight. Any of these signs warrant a trip to your veterinarian, who can diagnose diabetes using blood and urine tests.

Daily insulin injections are the most common treatment, which most animals don’t mind. For cats who’ve never been on insulin, there’s now an alternative oral treatment. Diet is also important in stabilizing your pet’s blood sugar and weight. And regular veterinary checkups are key to noting changes and fine-tuning therapy.

We spend a lot of time talking about tick prevention in our pets, but these creepy crawlers bother all sorts of animals — including horses. Worse yet, they can transmit dangerous diseases, which in horses include Lyme disease and equine granulocytic [gran-you-low-SIT-ick] anaplasmosis [ann-uh-plaz-MOE-sus].

Horses encounter ticks when they graze or just brush against vegetation. Most ticks prefer a horse’s head — or just under it — as well as their belly, mane and tail. That’s why daily grooming is the best way to check for ticks.

But prevention is the real way to go. Make sure to use a tick preventative that’s approved for horses, and don’t combine products unless you check with your veterinarian. It’s also important to have your horse vaccinated against Lyme disease.

In hot dry weather, your horse’s hooves can really take a beating.

Dry, hard ground increases the risk of lameness. Risks are even worse when a horse is exposed to alternating wet and dry conditions — like evening turnout in dew-soaked grass and hot, dry conditions during the day. The cycle causes a horse’s hooves to repeatedly swell and contract, ultimately causing horseshoe nails to loosen. The process speeds up if a horse stomps at flies or often walks the fence line.

Applying a hoof toughener before evening turnout cuts moisture absorption, while using Venice turpentine toughens soles. Strong fly protection and shorter turnouts can help. Shortening your summer shoeing schedule can also help ensure your buddy’s hoof health.

As temperatures break record highs all over the world, it’s more important than ever to protect our pets from the heat.

The best way to do that is to keep them cool indoors and provide plenty of fresh water. Pets shouldn’t stay out longer than five or 10 minutes in the midday heat — just long enough to do their business. Morning or evening walks are best. And never leave them in a car.

Heat exhaustion is most common in flat-faced animals, very young or elderly pets and those with underlying health problems. Signs can include excessive panting and drooling, restlessness and overgrooming. If you’re worried, never put your buddy in ice-cold water, which can make things worse. Instead, apply cool towels and get to a veterinary clinic.

When we call out certain plants for being hazardous to pets, we’re usually talking about toxicity. But with foxtails, it’s all about physical contact.

Foxtails are seemingly innocuous seed pods that arise from all sorts of grasses across the U.S. Their salient features are long, sticky fronds that attach to an animal’s fur. From there, pieces of the seed pod can work their way into an animal’s skin, eyes, ears or nose — sometimes much deeper.

Foxtails are especially prone to burrow between a pet’s toes, where they often cause painful inflammation. Paw chewing, eye discharge, coughing or sneezing and head shaking and are all signs to check for these sinister seed pods. Left unchecked, they can cause serious problems.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, was busy this spring approving medications for dogs with heart disease.

Pimobendan [pea-moh-BEN-din] and torsemide [TORE-suh-mide] were approved for dogs in congestive heart failure — that’s fluid buildup due to heart disease, when it’s caused by myxomatous [mix-OH-mah-tus] mitral valve disease, or a thickened heart valve.

Pimobendan was also approved for dogs in congestive heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy, which involves an abnormal heart muscle. Both conditions are diagnosed with imaging tests.

Torsemide has conditional approval in combination with other medications used to treat congestive heart failure. That means it can be safely while its effectiveness is studied.

If you’re a pup parent who’s planning to have your dog spayed or neutered — often referred to as “neutered” for both — you may have lots of questions.

For years, it’s been common to neuter dogs before they turn one year old — that is, before they mature. But in the past 20 years, research has shown that early neutering can increase the risk of joint disorders in certain breeds — especially the larger and heavier ones. Early neutering can also increase the risk of some cancers in some breeds. The risks of early neutering can even vary between males and females of the same breed.

Neutering age guidelines by sex and breed have recently been updated, so talk to your veterinarian about what’s best for your canine companion.

Most dogs love to eat. But what should you do if your pooch is absolutely obsessed with food?

If your buddy can’t ever seem to get enough to eat, there could be lots of reasons why. So, start by scheduling a visit with your veterinarian. Diabetes, Cushing’s disease and cancer are just three conditions that can increase a dog’s appetite. If your pooch gets a clean bill of health, ask your veterinarian how to calm your dog’s cravings.

Consider trying a food that’s higher in fiber. Offering veggies might help too — both in meals and as treats. Feeding multiple smaller meals each day may do the trick. Also, think about using your dog’s penchant for treats to help with training — like finding activities to distract from the cravings.