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If you want to know your chronological age, simply count the candles on your next birthday cake. Calculating your biological age, though, is a little more complicated. Chronological age is the number of years between your birth and now; it's purely time-based. Biological age, on the other hand, describes the progressive breakdown of an individual's physiological and molecular systems over time; it's a measure of how "aged" the body is. The calculation aims to answer the question of how well your systems, organs and cells are working compared to an average, healthy baseline. "Biological age is notoriously hard to define...

St.Jude researchers revealed that midkine blocks amyloid beta from forming harmful clumps linked to Alzheimer’s. Without it, the damaging assemblies accelerate, but with it, growth halts. The finding could inspire new drugs that harness midkine’s protective power.

Scientists at UCSF have uncovered a surprising culprit behind brain aging: a protein called FTL1. In mice, too much FTL1 caused memory loss, weaker brain connections, and sluggish cells. But when researchers blocked it, the animals regained youthful brain function and sharp memory. The discovery suggests that one protein could be the master switch for aging in the brain — and targeting it may one day allow us to actually reverse cognitive decline, not just slow it down.

A mosaic uncovered at the site of Hippos near the Sea of Galilee contains a message indicating that the city's ancient residents took extra special care of their senior citizens, according to Israel National News. Hippos belonged to the Decapolis, a group of 10 Hellenistic cities in the southern Levant, but became a major Christian center during the Byzantine period, serving as the bishop's seat and boasting at least seven churches. Archaeologists discovered the colorful mosaic near the entrance to a late fourth- or early fifth-century a.d. building near the ancient forum. It is decorated with images of Egyptian geese,...

Researchers have identified a promising nonpharmaceutical treatment that rejuvenates aging brain cells and clears away the buildup of harmful proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. In a paper, the team reports that a combination of naturally occurring compounds—nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3) and epigallocatechin gallate (a green tea antioxidant)—can reinstate levels of guanosine triphosphate, an essential energy molecule in brain cells. In tests on neurons in a dish, the treatment reversed age-related cellular deficits and improved the brain cells' ability to clear damaging amyloid protein aggregates, an Alzheimer's hallmark. "As people age, their brains show a decline in neuronal energy...

Lab-dish study using brain cells from elderly mice yields promising results for a potential anti-aging recipe, but more research is necessary. In A Nutshell * Aging brain cells in mice restored youthful energy balance (GTP levels) within 16 hours using vitamin B3 and green tea extract * The treatment cleared toxic protein buildup and improved survival by 22% in Alzheimer’s-model neurons * It also restored waste-clearing vesicle function by reducing the buildup of Rab7- and Arl8b-tagged vesicles * Findings are based on in vitro studies and will require confirmation in living animals and humans ================================================================================= IRVINE, Calif. — Can brain...

A new study reveals that fragmented sleep causes cellular damage to the brain's blood vessels, providing further evidence to suggest that sleep disruption predisposes the brain to dementia. The research is the first to offer cellular and molecular evidence that sleep disruption directly causes damage to brain blood vessels and blood flow. "We found that individuals who had more fragmented sleep, such as sleeping restlessly and waking up a lot at night, had a change in their balance of pericytes—a brain blood vessel cell that plays an important role in regulating brain blood flow and the entry and exit of...

Eight essential nutrients make up the suite of B vitamins also known as the B complex. Research has revealed that these B vitamins influence a vast spectrum of human health and disease. "It's hard to study the B vitamins in isolation," says gastroenterologist Joel Mason. "Four of these B-vitamins cooperate as co-factors in many critical activities in cells in what we call 'one carbon metabolism.'" One of the most active areas for B vitamin research is cognitive health. By the age of 75–80, 40% of people have a diminished ability to absorb food-bound B12, says Mason. This deficiency leads to...

At 62, Phyllis Jones felt trapped in darkness. She was traumatized by her mother’s recent death, ongoing pandemic stress and an increasingly toxic work environment. A sudden panic attack led to a medical leave. Her depression worsened until the day her 33-year-old son sadly told her, “Mom, I didn’t think I would have to be your caregiver at this stage in your life.” “For me, that was the wake-up call,” Jones, now 66, told CNN. “That’s when I found the POINTER study and my life changed. What I accomplished during the study was phenomenal — I’m a new person.” The...

Chronic inflammation, already tied to heart disease and cancer, may also worsen the emotional toll of poor sleep. A new study found that older adults with insomnia who experience inflammatory exposure face triple the risk of developing depressive symptoms compared to sound sleepers. As humans age, we experience an increasing risk of chronic inflammation as our cells and immune system break down. Inflammation and insomnia have each been linked to depression risk, whether causally or biologically, but no study to date has examined whether older adults with insomnia are more vulnerable to depressive symptoms when experiencing elevated inflammation. The randomized...

People who are older than 80 should be considered for osteoporosis treatment after a fracture to avoid further risk, according to a study. "The burden of osteoporosis is rising as the global population ages rapidly," said Gianina Flocco, M.D. "Our study supports the initiation of osteoporosis treatment after a fracture in people older than 80 years, as it has been shown to decrease both hospitalization and mortality." Flocco and colleagues used the TriNextX health research database to study 88,676 patients aged 80 and older who suffered a fracture due to bone deterioration or weakness caused by osteoporosis. The patients were...

A study found that a diet rich in turmeric, garlic, green tea, and similar foods reduced biological age by an average of two years, with some losing up to nine. The eight-week plan included exercise, sleep, and meditation, and excluded alcohol, grains, legumes, and dairy to support gut health and methylation. Researchers believe the diet works by enhancing DNA methylation, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and possibly preserving telomeres. New research suggests that certain foods not only have the power to help you live healthier years, but they could also help turn back your body's internal clock. In April, researchers...

The skin acts as the body's defense against external threats. However, as we age, the epidermis—the outermost layer of skin—gradually becomes thinner and loses its protective strength. To combat aging's impact on skin, numerous studies have emphasized the benefits of vitamin C (VC). Now, researchers have discovered VC helps thicken skin by directly activating genes that control skin cell growth and development. Their findings suggest that VC may restore skin function by reactivating genes essential for epidermal renewal. To investigate how VC affects skin regeneration, the team used human epidermal equivalents and applied VC at 1.0 and 0.1 mM—concentrations comparable...

If you’re on a mission to live longer (and stronger!), you probably know that regular exercise plays an undeniable role in longevity. Walking and strength training in particular have a ton of benefits that can help keep you movin’ and groovin’ for years to come—but is one of them better at adding healthy years to your lifespan? And how should you balance walking and strength training to create a holistic routine?Those questions were recently raised by Blue Zones, an organization committed to researching worldwide longevity. Via the Instagram account, the org posted about how if you want to live to...

Caffeine sparks an ancient enzyme that helps cells survive stress and repair damage, revealing a new link between your coffee and long-term health. Credit: Shutterstock Scientists have discovered that caffeine doesn’t just perk up your brain—it energizes your cells in a way that could slow aging. By flipping on an ancient fuel-sensing enzyme called AMPK, caffeine indirectly taps into a powerful longevity pathway that helps cells manage stress, repair damage, and live longer. Caffeine’s Cellular Anti-Aging Mystery Uncovered A new study from the Cellular Ageing and Senescence laboratory at Queen Mary University of London’s Center for Molecular Cell Biology reveals...

A straightforward nightly activity may act as a memory-boosting tool, a new study has revealed. Writing down just five events from the day significantly improved memory performance in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and healthy older adults the following day. This intervention, which involves recalling and documenting daily experiences, offers a cost-free and easily implementable approach to enhancing memory function. The RESTED-AD Study (Remote Evaluation of Sleep To Enhance Understanding in Early Dementia) investigated the effects of autobiographical recall on memory performance utilizing 26 participants in two groups—with and without early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia or mild cognitive impairment. They...

Getting older might seem like a slow, gradual process – but that's not always the case, research suggests. In fact, if you wake up one morning, look in the mirror, and wonder if your aging somehow accelerated, you might not be imagining things. According to a recent study into the molecular changes associated with aging, humans experience two drastic lurches forward, one at the average age of 44, and the other at the average age of 60. "We're not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes," geneticist Michael Snyder of Stanford University explained in August 2024...

Every morning, millions of people take a vitamin D supplement, thinking mostly about stronger bones and a healthier immune system. However, quietly, at the cellular level, something else may be happening—something that could change how we think about aging.FotoHelin/ShutterstockA long-running study recently found that people who took daily vitamin D supplements for four years had slightly less shortening of their telomeres—a marker linked to cellular aging—than those who didn’t.While experts caution that the real-world health benefits remain unclear, the findings could shed light on the protective effects of vitamin D on specific aging-related diseases, the study authors noted.A Small but...

Most people slow down with age, trading suits and deadlines for slippers and daytime TV. Not Dr. Howard Tucker. The Cleveland-born neurologist treated patients for nearly eight decades, earning the Guinness World Record title for oldest practicing doctor just before his 99th birthday. Now 102, Tucker may have hung up his white coat, but he hasn’t hit the brakes. He spends his days lecturing future doctors at Case Western Reserve University and consulting on medical-legal cases — thanks to the law degree he picked up at the age of 67. Oh, and he’s gone viral on TikTok while promoting What’s...

As we age, our balance, stability and coordination can decline. One way to counteract this is to build strength with functional workouts. Functional exercises mimic everyday actions and strengthen the muscles we use regularly, which can help us move well for longer. And when we keep our bodies strong and agile, we are less prone to injury and chronic health conditions. But this doesn’t mean spending hours in the gym or doing complicated workouts.