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an hour ago by 1e-9

Perhaps this is why physical exercise appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimerā€™s disease[1]. Our lymphatic system relies on muscle contractions to move lymph. So, increasing exercise results in increased lymph flow, which might then clear more amyloid-beta from our brain.

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7113559/

4 minutes ago by plutonorm

I was actually wondering today if hot/cold cycling the head could increase lymphatic drainage and increase cerebrospinal fluid cycling.

Cold shower, hot shower, cold shower etc on the head... Will I become mega mind?

an hour ago by voisin

Fascinating! As someone not familiar with how the lymph system operates, do you care to explain how muscle contractions outside the brain cause the lymph system in the brain to expel waste? I understood the blood-brain barrier sort of insulated the brain from a lot of this kind of thing.

7 minutes ago by throwaway5752

Lymph is fascinating. It is your other circulatory system.

Capillaries are are so narrow they can only allow a single erythrocyte through at the same time. The pressure from your heart causes fluid leakage from the thin vessels. Lymph ducts/nodes help get this fluid back into your blood. Since the heart doesn't pump lymph, that helps move it through your body is actually your musculoskeletal system. That is to a certain degree true from your venous / return flow in your "normal" circulatory system, too. It's why your feet can swell if you're sitting down too much. I'd speculate that lymphatic flow efficiency has local and systemic elements that contribute to it (and so your leg muscles moving lymph help your overall lymphatic system health).

5 minutes ago by plutonorm

This didn't answer the question, like at all!

an hour ago by Zababa

In mice. Still, it's nice that it's working (in mice).

13 minutes ago by jonplackett

I think I'm gonna get a pet mouse.

We really have a lot of excellent therapies to keep mice healthy.

an hour ago by api

This is fascinating... could Alzheimers be a result of a lymphatic analogue of arteriosclerosis or artery blockage?

If so then maybe similar treatments might work.

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