In 2012, Zhongcong Xie, M.D., Ph.D. of Massachusetts General Hospital published a study on the safety of two common anesthetics, isoflurane and desflurane. He found that while desflurane is safe in elderly patients, isoflurane could induce cell death and increase levels of amyloid beta – both prominent in Alzheimer’s pathology. Xie’s research provided valuable insight to health care providers and broadened our understanding of the risk factors involved with General Anesthesia and Alzheimer’s disease.