James Norton presented at the 99th Annual Maine Osteopathic Association Convention

James N. Norton, Ph.D., chair and professor, Department of Physiology, gave a presentation at the 99th Annual Maine Osteopathic Association Convention entitled "Evolutionary Medicine". 

The purpose of this presentation was to acquaint (or re-acquaint) practicing physicians with the idea that the circumstances of human evolution may be important in understanding the causes and manifestations of diseases seen today. For example, humans evolved in environments very different from those existing today, environments in which important dietary items such as salt and calories, etc., were in very short supply.  Humans became very well adapted and very efficient at preventing salt loss and storing away calories.  In our modern world, we are exposed to excess salt and excess calories in the form of sugars and fat.  Our bodies are not well-adapted to dealing with these excesses, and as a result we suffer from hypertension, obesity and diabetes.  He emphasized in his talk the "mismatch" between our current environment and the environment in which humans first evolved.

Since the audience was osteopathic physicians, Dr. Norton also talked about the evolutionary pressures that might have contributed to the upright, bipedal posture in humans, and the long-term adverse consequences of bipedalism such as low back pain, flat feet, bad knees, and varicose veins.  He ended his presentation by encouraging the audience to consider evolutionary medicine as a way to extend the "family history" millions of years into the past, instead of just a few generations.  Our human ancestors have much to teach us.