All articles tagged with #ageing
A study links gut bacteria to muscle strength, with higher Roseburia inulinivorans levels associated with stronger grip and larger Type II muscle fibers in mice, suggesting the microbiome may influence energy use in muscles. Older adults had lower levels than younger ones, hinting at a potential route to preserve muscle function in ageing via probiotics or high-fiber diets, though human data are small and causality isn’t yet proven.
Researchers from the University of Nairobi's Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis presented at the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, outlining evidence gaps and potential paths to safely simplify HIV treatment for ageing populations, determine next steps when resistance to HIV medicines arises, and strengthen protections for mothers and children.
A review of 350 studies suggests reducing protein intake can alter energy use, enhance cellular cleanup, and lower ageing cell buildup in animals, which is linked to longer life; human evidence is limited and short-term, so it’s not clear if cutting protein extends lifespan in people. Higher-protein diets can help preserve muscle in older adults, especially with exercise. Longevity also depends on diet quality and lifestyle factors beyond protein, such as the Mediterranean pattern and overall healthy habits, so current protein guidelines remain sensible.
Ageing is identified as the leading cancer risk, reflecting a global and Canadian shift toward older populations. The piece argues for routine geriatric assessments before cancer treatment and for more specialized geriatric oncology services, noting that Canada currently has few clinics and that such care can save costs. Barriers include funding, workforce shortages, inertia in oncology care models, and ageism. The authors—Kristen Haase and Shabbir Alibhai—call for targeted, nurse-led or geriatric approaches to expand access and improve quality of life for older adults with cancer (republished from The Conversation).
A study of around 2,000 adults aged 50 and over found that regular engagement with arts and culture—visiting museums, galleries, cinema and theatre—slows physiological ageing and improves health markers, with effects comparable to frequent exercise.
A massive UK Biobank analysis of about 500,000 people, published in Nature, finds that both short and long sleep are associated with signs of accelerated biological ageing across multiple organs and molecular systems, underscoring sleep quality and duration as important factors for long-term health.
Gabby Logan’s go-to morning meal—Greek yogurt with nuts, seeds and berries—is highlighted as a quick, protein-rich breakfast that supports aging health by preserving muscle and bone, aiding the gut microbiome, and potentially safeguarding cognitive function; the piece notes breakfast’s broader cognitive benefits in older adults and cites flavonoids in berries as linked to reduced frailty and better health outcomes.
Current evidence suggests NMN/NR can raise NAD+ markers in blood and may aid metabolic health in some small studies, but there's no convincing proof they slow ageing or preserve muscle or cognition in older adults; resveratrol has shown effects in lab studies but poor bioavailability and mixed human results limit its anti-ageing claims. The biology is plausible, but real long-term benefits are unproven, and the best proven ways to support healthy ageing are regular exercise, good sleep, a balanced diet, and managing chronic conditions.
A large UK Biobank analysis of about 500,000 adults links six-to-eight hours of nightly sleep with slower biological ageing and lower risk of early death and disease, across 23 ageing clocks in 17 organs; sleeping more or less than this window associates with faster ageing, though the study does not prove causation and individual optimum sleep may vary.
A study highlighted in PNAS links chronic stress from a difficult social contact (a “hassler” in your circle) to about nine months of extra biological ageing, with faster cellular ageing. Additional common habits associated with ageing include irregular sleep schedules, poor gut health, doom-scrolling short videos, overly routine daily life, prolonged sitting, and negative self-talk—each impacting sleep, inflammation, and brain function. Experts suggest fostering supportive relationships, maintaining a regular sleep pattern, improving gut diversity through fiber and fermented foods, challenging the brain with new tasks, breaking up long sitting periods, and reframing negative thoughts to protect against age-related decline.
COSMOS trial analyses suggest a daily multivitamin may slow biological ageing in older adults, with DNA methylation markers showing participants on vitamins were about three months biologically younger than placebo after two years; earlier results also noted cognitive benefits from addressing subtle micronutrient gaps. The author, Professor Rob Galloway, now takes a multivitamin and argues the cheap, low‑risk option is reasonable, though the findings apply to older adults (men 60+, women 65+) and may not extend to younger people. The piece underscores nutrition as a potentially major determinant of long‑term health, while acknowledging more research is needed; it also touches on meningitis B vaccination policy for teens in light of evolving risk.
Health experts say some language changes are normal with ageing (slower speech, occasional word-finding pauses), but dementia more typically causes loss of words and meanings, vaguer wording, and reduced coherence years before symptoms. There is no single diagnostic test yet; however, advances in language-analysis tools and apps may help flag risk earlier to enable timely intervention.
A woman who couldn’t hold a plank at 59 transforms her fitness with guidance from her strength-training son, proving gradual, structured strength work can counter age-related decline and even enable pull-ups at 76.
Scientists tracked 81 African turquoise killifish from adolescence to death with 24/7 video and a machine-learning model, finding that more active, faster-moving fish tended to live longer and those that slept mainly at night also reached older ages, while daytime napping correlated with shorter lifespans. The study suggests early-life behaviour can forecast ageing long before disease signs emerge.
A two-year, randomized COSMOS trial found that taking a daily multivitamin slowed certain epigenetic clocks of ageing in people around 70, reducing biological age by about four months versus non-users; the effect was more pronounced in individuals with accelerated ageing and was observed in two of five DNA methylation clocks linked to mortality risk. While promising, the authors emphasize the effects are small and do not yet imply improved clinical outcomes.