Poor vascular health in midlife can move dementia risk earlier while also making it less likely that people survive to the ages when it is most common. Researchers accounted for this competing mortality to examine how vascular risk factors shape dementia-free survival. In a long-running US cohort, 12,409 middle-aged adults were grouped by how many of three risks they had: diabetes, hypertension, and current smoking. Researchers then tracked dementia and death for more than two decades and used both outcomes to estimate dementia-free survival from ages 55 to 95. Dementia-free years fell from 30... alzheimer's blood pressure cardiovascular cognition dementia diabetes inflammation metabolism oxidative stress stroke tobacco
Read moreA medical procedure used to remove harmful antibodies and lipids from the blood may have an unexpected additional target: persistent environmental pollutants. A new study asked whether apheresis could lower circulating microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called "forever chemicals." Adults already scheduled for medically indicated apheresis provided blood samples immediately before and after treatment. In 14 people, researchers measured four PFAS. A second laboratory measured a wider PFAS panel in four people. Micro- and nanoplastic-associated signals were asses... Microplastics PFAS pollution
Read morePeriodontitis (a gum disease that can destroy the tissues that support the teeth) affects a large share of older adults and has been tied to conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. In a new study, researchers examined whether low intake of the carotenoid lycopene, a red pigment found in fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, is linked to severe periodontitis in older adults. Researchers used data from a large US health survey called the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). They analyzed 1,227 adults aged 65 to 79 who had both complete oral exams and two days of d... antioxidant carotenoids
Read moreVascular and metabolic risk factors are well known to increase dementia risk, but they influence the brain through different pathological routes. To address this, researchers asked whether common risk factors could predict different types of early brain changes linked to dementia. The study followed 494 cognitively unimpaired adults for an average of nearly four years. Participants underwent repeated brain scans using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). MRI was used to measure white matter hyperintensities (WMH), bright spots on brain images that usually re... alzheimer's dementia
Read moreThe global dietary supplement market currently exceeds $150 billion and is expected to grow in the coming years. However, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), many dietary supplements – particularly sports, bodybuilding, and sexual enhancement products – contain hidden active ingredients that may elicit harmful effects. A recent study found that 12 percent of sports supplements contained illegal additives, and 40 percent didn't contain the substances identified on the label. Researchers purchased sports supplement products containing any one of five plant-based compounds ... supplements performance drug policy
Read moreStress ages the immune system. Psychosocial stress, such as that experienced with discrimination or trauma, has profound effects on the human body. For example, evidence suggests that stress alters the immune system, driving inflammatory processes and impairing antiviral responses (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21928900/). Findings from a recent study demonstrate that stress accelerates immune aging. Immune function wanes as the body ages, a phenomenon referred to as immunosenescence. This gradual deterioration of the immune system is widely considered the primary driver of the increased r... aging immune system stress
Read moreEating polyphenol-rich cranberries improves memory and neural functioning in older adults. As many as 55 million people worldwide have dementia, a figure expected to triple in the next three decades (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(21)00249-8/fulltext). Evidence suggests that dietary patterns and components may reduce the risk of developing dementia (https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13195-022-00957-1). Findings from a recent study suggest that eating cranberries improves memory and neural functioning in older adults. Cranberries, like many ot... memory dementia polyphenol
Read more[toc position='left'] Aerobic exercise can be defined as physical activity that increases aerobic metabolism, meaning energy-generating processes that require oxygen. Common examples of aerobic exercises are walking, running, swimming, dancing, and other activities that increase heart rate and breathing. Exercise elicits a wide range of physiological changes in the body that improve cardiovascular, neurological, and metabolic health. Current physical activity guidelines from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/phys... depression exercise brain aging heart disease aerobic bdnf interesting blood pressure cardiovascular
Read moreInflammation, a critical element of the body’s immune response, occurs when the body is exposed to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. As a person ages, their immune system becomes more pro-inflammatory, leading to unresolved or chronic inflammation and driving many age-related diseases (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3616233/) and cognitive decline (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2018.00236/full). Authors of a new report suggest that eating a pro-inflammatory diet may further contribute to the inflammatory state associated with ag... diet inflammation dementia
Read more[toc position='left'] > Epigenetic clocks are a subset of the broader subject of biological aging clocks, which you can read a full write-up on here (/topics/biological-age-clocks). Epigenetic clocks are predictors of biological age based on alterations in an individual's DNA methylation profile. Methylations – biochemical processes that modify the activity of a DNA segment without changing its sequence – occur naturally and regulate gene expression to control normal growth and development. With age, the methylation state of various genes may change. These changes are quantifiable and gauge... aging interesting epigenetics dna damage
Read more