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Last April, scientists from Harvard published a year study of 79, American adults in the journal Circulation that found that never smoking, a body mass index of Scientists have now shown repeatedly that reducing caloric intake can slow aging and reduce risks for age-related disease.
The internet opens up a whole range of opportunity for older people, depending on how much you wish to do. And then there's the added time it takes to learn a complicated new routine — spreadsheet software, for example. While the first strategy was not possible due to practical considerations in the data collection phase, the second comes with several potential errors Aguinis, and was not suitable for our analyses. Our sample is almost equally distributed by gender, with a marginal surplus of men. Illustrations by Mark Wang. All of the technology mentioned can help older people to improve their physical and mental well-being, as well as their social lives. Journal of Business Research 59 9 , —
But now it seems you can fast and eat your cake, too. Last year, researchers found that timing meals to mimic fasting without reducing total caloric intake can have similar anti-aging effects, improving the incidence and severity of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia. Healthy Minds: We know that mental disorders including substance abuse take a toll on our health, but it turns out they can also accelerate aging.
A population-based study published in August examined over 62, brain scans of individuals from the ages of 9 months to years of age. The team of researchers, which included scientists from Google, Johns Hopkins, and UCLA among others, found that schizophrenia was associated with an average of 4 years of premature aging, cannabis abuse 2. Depression was not associated with accelerated aging.
Good Genes: Famed Harvard geneticist George Church has said he would like to make it possible for humans aged to have the physical and mental hardware of a year-old. He is currently working on a gene therapy to reverse aging in dogs via his startup Rejuvenate Bio. Humans come next. Rejuvenate Bio will first attempt to stop fatal heart ailments common to spaniels and Doberman pinschers, and then gather evidence that the same concept can work in humans, according to comments he and some of his colleagues made to the media and at conferences last year. Transgenes: Over the past few years, researchers have made great progress treating and preventing numerous diseases of aging by removing senescent cells, or cells that have stopped dividing but have not died off yet.
These experiments have been conducted in mice using trans genes, a form of genetic engineering. Last year, for the first time, two separate groups of researchers were able to use transgenes to stave off neurodegeneration.
That therapy, likewise, prevented the onset of neural degeneration. Wrinkle-Free: We tend to worry about the wrinkles in our skin as we age, but we should probably be more concerned about the wrinkles in our cells. In May of this year, researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine found that many effects of aging, such as fatty liver disease, could be the result of cell nuclei wrinkling, which prevents DNA from functioning normally.
According to their research , viruses can be modified to carry and deliver lamin to cells, a protein that can smooth out the nuclear membranes.
Young Blood: In an experiment worthy of a vampire flick, researchers published a study in Cell Reports last February that showed pumping the blood of young mice into older mice stimulated neuron and stem cell production in the older mouse brain and reversed the effects of aging on their cognition. No study results have been published. Stem Cells for New Tissues: Stem cells are remarkably flexible. Researchers can manipulate a given set of stem cells under a controlled setting and stimulate them to differentiate into the desired cells they want.
These stem cells could then be used to regenerate cells or tissues that have lost function due to aging. Organ Printing: In June, a company called Prellis Biologics announced it could print human tissue with viable capillaries, which is a step forward in the printing of tissues and organs that could be used for transplants.
These new organs could replace any that may have lost function as a person aged or succumbed to age-related disease. Today, there is a global shortage of organs available for lifesaving transplants, with some estimating this shortage is one of the leading causes of death in the U. Senolytics: Researchers are busy hunting for compounds that can eliminate senescent cells in different human tissues, mimicking the effects of transgenes in mice. According to a study published in Nature Medicine in July, researchers found that treating naturally aged mice with a combination of two existing drugs, leukemia drug dasatinib and flavanol quercetin, cleared the senescent cells from tissues and extended both life span and health span.
Another compound called fisetin, present in many fruits and vegetables, was found to eliminate senescent cells and to extend lifespan and healthspan in aged mice, according to papers published last year in Nature Medicine and eBioMedicine. Researchers found further that targeting mitochondria in blood vessel cells with hydrogen sulfide reduced the number of senescent cells by up to 50 percent. Meanwhile, Unity Biotechnology, the company co-founded by Judith Campisi of the Buck Institute, last year launched the first human clinical trials to test out senolytic therapies.
The Unity trial aims to treat moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee, a disease that has been shown in animal models to be heavily associated with cellular senescence in the joints. Metformin : In a study published in Aging Cell in April of , Chinese researchers showed that the diabetes drug metformin, derived from a plant called French lilac, can extend the lifespan of human cells in vitro. Until now it had only been studied in rodents and nematodes.
They are currently recruiting 3, adults aged 65 to Rapamyacin : A clinical trial testing the health benefits of an experimental drug called rapamycin, a bacterium found on Easter Island, in a new combination has shown promising results. The double-blind, randomized study put volunteers aged 65 and over on a six-week course of two drugs designed to block a protein called the mammalian target of rapamycin, or mTOR, safely reducing infections in elderly volunteers around 40 percent by reversing the effects of aging on the immune system.
Rapamycin is already used in organ transplant medicines and as an immunosuppressant. These effects were enhanced when NMN was used in combination with hydrogen sulfide. The paper appeared in paper Cell in March. Minocycline: An antibiotic called minocycline could prevent protein buildup characteristic of neurodegenerative disease, according to research from Scripps and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging published in November in the journal eLife.
Epigenetic Clock: Steve Horvath, a bioinformatics expert, has long worked to develop a reliable signature for biological age. The biomarker was developed using data from whole blood, but correlates strongly with age in every tissue and cell tested. Technology has helped advance and improve many aspects of daily life for everyone in recent years, but one demographic in particular has benefitted from improved technology. Aging populations now have access to improved quality of life and an extended life expectancy due to technological advancements recently, allowing the elderly to live longer and healthier lives.
Aging, unsurprisingly, comes with an increased number of likely health concerns.
As the body ages, certain conditions, become more common, causing more issues as life goes on. For the elderly, this can often mean discomfort in daily activities that they used to enjoy or even just basic daily survival needs.
For example, arthritis and joint diseases affect million people around the world, and in many cases, they develop as a natural result of aging. However, certain modern technologies have been shown to be helpful in addressing these concerns; the World Assn. Technological advancements can address more than just physical problems and pain. Researchers have now discovered that using certain electrical impulses and devices can stimulate brain activity, helping those with age-related memory loss to maintain their memory.
While the technology is still being developed, this advancement could help aging patients maintain their psychological function for longer, improving quality of life. Current estimates place the number of people with NTM lung disease in the United States as high as ,, and that number is increasing 8. While this might sometimes be difficult to diagnose, access to the internet is helping aging populations properly assess their symptoms and seek out the medical care they need, sometimes without even needing to leave their home to do so.