Those that slept developed twice the amount of brain change as those kept awake during the experience. And this process is disrupted if you don't get sleep. For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin. A new geriatrics study has identified a biological marker that may help prevent functional decline and premature death by serving as an early identification of disease in at-risk, older populations. And IL-6 is what they call a cytokine.
Cytokines are very important in fighting infection or inflammation.
There's a whole cascade of events that happen from the time that you have an infection or an injury that cause inflammation. And inflammation is our body's way of fighting infections - it's our white cells, it's one of our most important defense mechanisms. High levels of IL-6 have been linked to chronic inflammation and functional disability in older people. Through this study and other studies that we and other people have done, we're be able to detect something going on in otherwise healthy-looking older people that says that maybe all is not right. For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.