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Diabetes can age the brain by up to four years, a new study based on MRI scans shows. There was one silver lining: Healthy lifestyle changes could help prevent that neurological aging, the Swedish researchers said. "Having an older-appearing brain for one's chronological age can indicate deviation from the normal aging process and may constitute an early warning sign for dementia," warned study lead author Abigail Dove. "On the positive side, it seems that people with diabetes may be able to influence their brain health through healthy living," added Dove, a graduate student of neurobiology at the Karolinska Institute in...

This is a long video about the discovery of and research into a newly discovered essential fatty acid, C15, aka pentadecanoic acid. Very quick synopsis (by me, so may have reflect misunderstanding, lack of attention, etc.): first noticed Navy dolphins having 1 type of health problem; studied hard; found low levels of C15. Research showed this causes weakening of cell linings (and a bunch of technical stuff about mitochondria and so on), end result: this weakening of cell walls causes premature aging due to death of cells. Notice: more and more and more children now have Type 2 diabetes, which...

People 60 and older with untreated high blood pressure may have an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease compared to both people who have been or are being treated for high blood pressure as well as people without the chronic condition. The new research, a meta-analysis, do not prove that untreated high blood pressure causes Alzheimer's disease, they only show an association. "High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke and cerebrovascular disease, and yet it can be controlled with medication, reducing a person's risk of these diseases," said Matthew J. Lennon, MD, Ph.D. "Taking blood pressure medications has also...

In a study, scientists found that decreasing folate intake can support healthier metabolisms in aging animal models, challenging the conventional belief that high folate consumption universally benefits health. Folate, a B vitamin essential for cell growth and development, is widely recognized for its role in preventing birth defects. It's found naturally in foods like leafy greens, and it is typically added to refined grains. By limiting folate in animal models, the researchers saw a decrease in processes related to growth and building new cells, but enhanced metabolic flexibility, which Polymenis said could lead to healthier aging. "Optimal folate intake may...

The human body doesn’t age steadily throughout middle age and instead goes through bursts of rapid aging typically at around age 44 and again at 60, according to a new study published Wednesday in the academic journal Nature Aging. Stanford University researchers tracked age-related changes in more than 135,000 types of molecules and microbes in samples collected every three to six months from more than 100 adults between the ages of 25 and 75 years old. Researchers gathered more than 5,400 blood, stool, skin nasal swab and oral swabs as part of the study, and as a result were able...

A new study suggests it doesn't take long for a diet free of animal products to slow biological aging rates, with the heart, liver, and hormonal and inflammatory systems all benefitting from the temporary change. Led by a team from the Stanford University School of Medicine, the study analyzed the rate of DNA methylation; a kind of reversible genetic modification which is often used as an indicator of how quickly the body is wearing out. Among a group of 21 pairs of identical twins, one of each pair adhered to a vegan diet over the course of eight weeks, while...

Increasingly, studies suggest we can therapeutically target aging. This means our cognitive function could remain robust throughout our lifespan. And it means in future presidential debates, we may watch the sharpest-ever candidates in history, since they’d benefit from both wisdom and mental acuity.

Cells are signaled to have nutrients in excess, and this leads to malfunction and inflammation in organs such as the pancreas, the liver and the kidneys. The finding suggests that an intervention on the inflammation alone can relieve symptoms and increase survival. The research has been conducted on animal models, but comparing their molecular processes with blood samples from people in their 70s indicates that results can be extrapolated to human aging. …The mTOR protein complex is known to be involved in many processes, as a key agent in multiple functions of the body and especially in metabolism. The paper...

Regular aerobic exercise later in life prevents genomic instability characterized by DNA damage and telomere dysfunction, according to a study. "These new findings will greatly impact our understanding of the mechanisms of how aerobic exercise improves vascular health at the level of genomic stability," says Jisok Lim, Ph.D. Late-life exercise used to be thought of as ineffective. However, existing studies indicate aerobic exercise later in life lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality. Yet, specific factors contributing to this effect have not been completely understood. Researchers examined whether regular exercise with aging may prevent DNA damage and telomere dysfunction. Telomeres...

Accelerated aging — when someone’s biological age is greater than their chronological age — could increase the risk of cancer tumors. That’s according to new research presented this week at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in San Diego, California. “Historically, both cancer and aging have been viewed primarily as concerns for older populations,” Ruiyi Tian, MPH, a graduate student at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and one of the study researchers, told Fox News Digital. “The realization that cancer, and now aging, are becoming significant issues for younger demographics over the past decades...

A study provides compelling evidence for clinical practice to direct efforts toward preventing white matter damage in individuals with hypertension in order to protect against cognitive decline and dementia. Gray matter is where the brain cells exist, whereas white matter constitutes the network of nerve fibers that provides the communication connection between different areas of gray matter. The study, led by Dr. Jing Du, found that compared with gray matter, white matter is more vulnerable to raised blood pressure. "Because gray matter has a greater amount of small blood vessels, and therefore a greater supply of blood compared to white...

·"The Fountain of Youth" 1546. By Lucas Cranach the Elder - Unknown source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30264218 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A biomedical sciences professor studying T-cells and their effect on cellular senescence believes she may have found a real-life fountain of youth hiding within our own bodies. Although still in the development stages, the professor’s pioneering method may indeed increase health and “reverse” aging for older patients while also preventing aging-related declines in younger patients. HUMANITY’S ENDURING QUEST FOR THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH The idea of a Fountain of Youth that could reverse aging and help people stay young indefinitely was made most...

A woman's fertility normally decreases by her late 30s with reproductive function eventually ceasing at menopause. It is known that a small molecule called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) plays a critical role in this decline, and scientists have revealed how this happens and have identified potential new approaches to enhance reproductive longevity. NAD+, which is present in all cells throughout the human body, begins to decline with age and maintaining optimal levels is vital for key cellular functions and healthy aging, said Perrone. Recently, it became clear that the same decline was occurring in the ovaries, contributing to the natural...

A team of reproductive biologists has found that spermidine, a polyamine metabolite, helps oocytes clear away damaged mitochondria in mice, thereby improving mitophagy during female reproductive aging. Prior research and anecdotal evidence have shown that many animals experience declining fertility as they grow older. In this new effort, the research team found a link between spermidine levels in aging mice and fertility issues. The researchers began by measuring spermidine levels in ovarian tissue samples of mice of different ages—they found that as the mice grew older, their levels of spermidine were reduced. They also noted that the quality of oocytes...

The pursuit of understanding the secrets behind exceptional longevity isn't easy. Now our recent study has unveiled some common biomarkers, including levels of cholesterol and glucose, in people who live past 90. Our research included data from 44,000 Swedes who underwent health assessments at ages 64-99. These participants were then followed through Swedish register data for up to 35 years. Twelve blood-based biomarkers related to inflammation, metabolism, liver and kidney function, as well as potential malnutrition and anemia, were included. All of these have been associated with aging or mortality in previous studies. We found that, on the whole, those...

A new review highlights the significant role of dietary lipids in preventing brain aging and cognitive decline. As the global burden of aging-related brain diseases, particularly dementia, continues to rise, this research offers promising insights into potential nutritional interventions that could improve brain function during aging. The review focuses on the intricate relationship between lipid homeostasis and brain aging, emphasizing the importance of maintaining synaptic plasticity to prevent cognitive impairment. By examining evidence from epidemiological and animal studies, the research team demonstrates the crucial functions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), specifically phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, and plasmalogen, in promoting...

The search for functional natural compounds that can improve age-related cognitive decline has recently emerged as an important research focus to promote healthy aging. Trigonelline (TG), a plant alkaloid found in coffee, as well as in fenugreek seed and radish, was anticipated to possess cognitive enhancement properties. In a study, researchers investigated the effects of TG on memory and spatial learning (acquiring, retaining, structuring, and applying information related to the surrounding physical environment) from both a cognitive and molecular biology perspective in an integrated manner using a senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) model. Following oral administration of TG to SAMP8...

Since the discovery of hallmark features of senescence such as cell cycle arrest, apoptosis resistance and development of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), efforts in understanding how senescent cells drive aging have grown exponentially. Targeting senescent cells with senolytics or senomorphics hold the potential to mitigate the vast majority of age-related disorders. However, the major challenge in developing novel senotherapies is the paucity of antiaging agents that have decent safety profiles. Prof. Sun Yu recently performed large scale screening of a natural medicinal agent library for senotherapeutic candidates and validated several agents, which showed their excellent potential to serve as...

Caring for an elderly or permanently disabled family member is a gut-wrenching experience for many families. Not only that, but it’s expensive, often exhausting personal savings and resources. The United States, like many other rich countries, is aging fast, and that means more Americans with diminishing cognitive function and physical disabilities as well as the loss of independence. Providing such care is intensive. In the case of nursing homes, where residents have the most severe needs, round-the-clock attention is especially expensive. Most fund these things through the Medicaid program, but this can come with an unreasonably steep cost. The private...

Britain’s ageing population poses a long-term threat to the economy and will affect interest rates for decades to come, Andrew Bailey has said. The Governor of the Bank of England identified changing demographics as one of two biggest problems facing the UK and similar countries in the years ahead, along with stagnant productivity since the financial crisis. He suggested that these challenges would have more of an impact in the long run than the war in Ukraine and the Covid crisis, which have combined to drive inflation to its highest level in decades. Setting out the challenge from these two...