Laxative treatment elevates plasma homocysteine: a study on a population-based Swedish sample of old people.

Objectives: Elevated plasma homocysteine might indicate an increased risk of cancer, and cardiovascular and neurological diseases. The homocysteine level depends on the supply of folate and cobalamine, and constipation and/or laxative treatment might compromise this supply. The present study examined the impact of constipation and laxative treatment on the blood levels of homocysteine, folate and cobalamine in a population-based sample of aged people, including consideration of frailty and impaired renal function, both of which may also influence the homocysteine level.

Involvement of cardiac, respiratory and gastrointestinal functions in neural responses to stressful events.

In the stress concept, fight and flight situations as well as other CNS-controlled reaction patterns for alertness to danger have to be followed by or integrated with a restorative "build-up" process in order to maintain homeostasis. The "build-up" process can be studied physiologically for example after regular exercise or training. Under these conditions there is a decrease in resting sympathetic adrenergic activity and an increase in the parasympathetic vagal activity.