alt Hacker NewsThe brain may be about to have its Ozempic moment
Comments
I feel like I'd want the opposite of this - something that mimics the cleaning process of sleep that you could use in the afternoon for a nap or etc.
The article is about modulating orexins in the brain. Orexin receptor agonism was thought to be a mechanism of modafinil/armodafinil but this isn't mentioned anywhere in the article. Modafinil is mentioned as a mere stimulant. It sort of makes me want to dismiss the article as manufactured hype for a new class of modafinil successors.
Not to take away from the broader point, but modafinil is lumped in with methylphenidate as a stimulant that "increase[s] the activity of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine". Modafinil does also stimulate the orexin system and is part of why it's so effective for wakefulness and not as a stimulant in the medium/long-term.
Consider: Beggars in Spain. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68333.Beggars_in_Spain
> Orexins are made by a small number of neurons in the hypothalamus, a brain region tucked behind the eyes.
It sounds to me like something that's quite dangerious. Maybe it helps people with narcolepsy but maybe it will be another thing people abuse like amphetamines?
As an aside, are there any habitual modafinil takers here? I had a period in college where I took it very rarely when I had to cram. Worked pretty well.
Modafinil has been a lifesaver for me for over a decade, but always great to have more options for medium ADHD.
Isn't the problem with lack of sleep (and what causes death with enough deprivation) oxydation that happens in the gut and spreads to the organs?
If I'm not mistaken there was an experiment using fruit flies where they fed them antioxidants and that made them not die from lack of sleep.
Previous post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49206165
Title implies people will flock to a pill that makes them shed gray matter
Sleep is Lindy... obesity and constant wakefulness are not.
The sad fact is that people will be pressured into taking this.
E: Lindy was probably the wrong term. But still, it's like Chesterton's fence. We are far from fully understanding human biology... and deleting sleep will lead to unknown effects. All power to those who try, I guess.
What has anything in this article to do with Ozempic? Is mentioned in the title once and never again. Engagement bait?
I think the real question with Ozempic is.....why are so many people's bodies not producing enough natural GLP-1 in the first place?
Ozempic is for sure a miracle for some who really need it but for many I think they would be better off by solving that problem at the source (likely gut bacteria based and consuming a better mix of prebiotic fibers). Increase your natural levels of GLP-1
https://archive.is/WoHuY