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COPYRIGHT 2006 Copyright by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved
"What a piece of work is a man."
As usual, Shakespeare got it right. At their best, humans appear to have a limitless ability to imagine and create, to innovate and build, to aspire and achieve. As man's dreams in the 20th century became realities, he established a way of life that is beyond the wildest imagination of his grandparents. Yet for all its advantages, life in the information age presents potential perils as well as unparalleled opportunities. Unfortunately, some of those perils contribute to diseases that were rare a few generations ago but approach epidemic proportions today.
A scientist speculates
Writing in the August 2004 American Journal of Medicine, Dr. George P. Chrousos of the National Institutes of Health explains the potential hazards of a mismatch between human genetics and human behavior. At the core is the body's stress response. It involves the brain, especially the hypothalamus, the pituitary (or "master") gland, the sympathetic nervous system, and the adrenal glands. In response to stress, this intricate network pours out several hormones such as cortisol and other glucocorticoids, adrenaline and other sympathomimetic amines, vasopressin, and interleukin 6 and other cytokines that mediate inflammation and immunity.
You don't have to be a scientist to know how the stress reaction feels and looks. Your heart beats faster and harder, and your blood pressure soars. Your breathing gets faster and deeper, and your pupils widen. Your muscles tense up, and your hair may bristle a bit. Your skin becomes cool and clammy, your mouth gets dry, and your stomach may churn with tension. You feel alert and awake but tense and nervous.
The changes that go on inside your body are just as impressive. Stress activates your clotting mechanisms and turns up the immune system. Blood sugar levels rise, white blood cells pour into...
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