The ZRT Laboratory Blog

There it is again! That distinct flutter in your chest that kicks up your heart rate and leaves you feeling a bit breathless. It might feel as though your heart just skipped a beat or flip-flopped in your chest and you’re left wondering, “Did my body just take me on a little roller coaster ride or was that a heart palpitation?”…

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Essential fats have been studied for several decades and entire books have been written on the subject, yet we are still learning about the role these fats play in regulating inflammation. Within the study of essential fats, some new players have emerged—the specialized pro-resolving mediators or SPMs. These are important metabolites of omega-3 fats and arachidonic acid that, as the name implies, specifically help to resolve inflammation. So how do they do that, where do they come from, and how can we get some?…

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We are nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic. Lives have been lost around the world and the virus continues to mutate with several strains of concern circulating globally. At the time of this writing the Delta variant is responsible for most of the infections in the US and elsewhere, while the Omicron variant is rapidly emerging.…

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If you have ever experienced a near-miss collision or other accident, you have likely felt the rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins almost instantly. In that moment, your heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate increased, your pupils dilated, and your brain felt immediately more alert.…

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The Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) is the predictable rise in cortisol within the first hour of awakening. There are two events that contribute to this dynamic rise in morning cortisol. The first is in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone output from the pituitary as a part of the normal circadian activities of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis with involvement from the sympathetic nervous system. The second occurs in response to exposure to daylight with the activation of the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus, which happens within 30-45 minutes after awakening and can increase cortisol by 50-60% from the waking value. These events take place in a timed and metered fashion, allowing for a rise and fall of cortisol over a one-hour period [1].…

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Anyone who has dealt with issues related to chronic fatigue has likely evaluated their hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis performance through a multi-point salivary test. Cortisol is readily measured in saliva when samples collected at predetermined intervals throughout a single day, revealing one’s physiological resilience and metabolic reserve in response to daily stressors.…

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In parts one and two of this series, we looked at the issues related to long COVID and its impact on the nervous and the immune systems. The effects of COVID-19 on the nervous system can present as localized effects such as loss of smell and taste to chronic fatigue, headaches, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and cognitive issues. The potential to trigger an autoimmune reaction is a very real possibility with any infection and is provoked? stimulated? by molecular mimicry, bystander activation, and viral persistence. The presence of a healthy and diverse gut and lung microbiome helps to regulate the immune system and supports a robust and balanced innate immune response.…

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In the first part of this series on post-COVID illness, I reviewed some of the issues of post-viral syndromes and their relationship to the current pandemic with a deeper look into the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the nervous system. Many of the symptoms associated with long COVID present as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) with some additional symptoms specifically associated with COVID-19. Post-viral syndromes are not new, but it is not completely clear as to why some patients experience lasting symptoms after a viral infection and some do not. We do know that immune system activation by a virus increases systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue damage. We also know that our genetics play a role, as evidenced by the tendency to develop autoimmune conditions for those with specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) phenotypes that can be triggered by certain infections.…

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SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating in the global population for over a year. According to Worldometer, at the time of this writing on March 2, 2021, 115 million people have been infected with the virus, 2.5 million have died, and 90 million have survived the infection to go on to have possible immunity. The immune response to the virus can range from asymptomatic to severe illness and death and has aroused fear and uncertainty around the world. For those who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and survived, some experience prolonged symptoms beyond recovery from the acute illness. Long COVID presents with ongoing symptoms of fatigue, post-exertional malaise (PEM), sleep issues, headaches, brain fog, cognitive issues, depression, anxiety, musculoskeletal pain, respiratory distress, and muscle weakness that extends far beyond initial recovery.…

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The fact that we produce vitamin D in our skin in the presence of sunlight signifies how necessary it is to our health. Even though it seems easy enough to get, according to recent data published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in 24% of Americans, 37% of Canadians and 40% of Europeans [1]. Data from 2012 indicate that 50% of the world’s population are vitamin D insufficient. A deeper look reveals that vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency vary by age, sex, ethnicity and geographic location, with reduced time spent outdoors and insufficient consumption of vitamin D-rich foods having the greatest impact on suboptimal levels [2]. The medical community is certainly testing more than it did in the past, naturally picking up on more deficiencies, and providing us with the opportunity to address this key biomarker of good health. This blog discusses sources of vitamin D, contributors to vitamin D deficiency, and its role in chronic and acute disease, especially its association with comorbidities that predict an increased risk of complications and poor outcomes to COVID-19.…

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