Aging & Longevity

Low back pain (LBP), primarily driven by intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), has become a core challenge in public health. DDX1, an RNA-binding protein, plays key roles in RNA metabolism but its function in IVDD remains unclear. We identify DDX1 as a substrate of methyltransferase EZH2, which methylates DDX1 at lysine 234 (K234), promoting IVDD in vitro and in vivo. EZH2 inhibition restores matrix homeostasis in nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and slows IVDD progression. Methylation at DDX1...

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a pivotal role in regulating organ functions through descending brain-to-body signalling. The pathways involved are broadly categorized into two major branches: the sympathetic nervous system, which mediates 'fight or flight' responses, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which governs 'rest and digest' functions. Historically, the ANS was considered to mediate simple motor functions with limited neurochemical diversity. However, recent advances in...

CONCLUSION: The results indicate that clean energy use among older adults in China is regionally unbalanced and affected by various internal and external factors. Strategies to improve clean energy utilization among elderly adults in China should focus on rural areas with low socioeconomic levels and poorer health and living conditions.

CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged sitting time is significantly associated with accelerated aging, systemic immune-inflammation index and creatinine levels play important mediating roles in this process.

No abstract

B-1a cells, a self-renewing B cell subset essential for innate immunity, produce natural IgM antibodies that defend against pathogens, yet mechanisms sustaining their maintenance during aging remain unclear. We report that aging B-1a cells exhibit hallmarks of decline, including DNA damage, apoptosis, and reduced proliferation, with striking sex-specific disparities: aged females retain higher B-1a cell numbers than males, correlating with enhanced glycolysis and chromatin accessibility. Motif...

CONCLUSION: Cognitive status influences physical function in older adults. Identifying physical indicators linked to cognitive decline may improve screening efforts in clinical trials.

Aging is a prominent risk factor for heart disease, driving pathological cardiac changes such as hypertrophy, fibrosis, and cellular senescence. While BubR1 has been linked to systemic aging in mammalian models, its specific role in regulating cardiac aging remains unclear. Here, we investigated how BubR1 regulates heart aging and its potential contribution to the pathogenesis of cardiac disease, including heart failure. BubR1 insufficiency in mice resulted in marked cardiac hypertrophy,...

We examined the socioeconomic and health characteristics of centenarians (100 years or above) and near-centenarians (90-99 years) in India. Utilizing data from the Wave-1 of the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI), we compared the distribution of centenarians and near-centenarians with those aged 60-89 years across socioeconomic, health, and subjective well-being indicators. Our findings revealed that most of the sample centenarians and near-centenarians were female, educated, and widowed....

From fertilization onwards, the cells of the human body acquire variations in their DNA sequence, known as somatic mutations. These postzygotic mutations arise from intrinsic errors in DNA replication and repair, as well as from exposure to mutagens. Somatic mutations have been implicated in some diseases, but a fundamental understanding of the frequency, type and patterns of mutations across healthy human tissues has been limited. This is primarily due to the small proportion of cells...

Acute inflammation is an essential response that our bodies use to combat infections¹. However, in the absence of infections, chronic inflammation can have a pivotal role in the onset and progression of chronic diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, autoimmune disorders, metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and most ageing-associated pathologies^(2,3). The underlying mechanisms that distinguish chronic inflammation from its acute counterpart remain unclear, posing challenges to...

CONCLUSIONS: This study combines the Kano Model with the self-designed needs questionnaire to systematically classify and rank the health information needs of older patients with chronic diseases by priority. The results provide a novel analytical framework for related research. By clarifying the satisfaction paths of different types of needs, the study can serve as a valuable guide for optimising service supply and promoting the efficient allocation of health information resources. In...

CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the role of public health services in shaping the health lifestyles of older adults, so as to promote healthy aging. The study also has limitations in the comprehensive assessment of health lifestyles, causal inference, and the acquisition of recent data.

CONCLUSIONS: This research provides critical insights for global policymakers facing similar demographic challenges, advocating for a resilient, holistic, and inclusive aged care system.

CONCLUSIONS: This study offers a practical and interpretable predictive model for sarcopenia, highlighting key modifiable risk factors such as BMI and sleep duration. The findings underscore the critical need for evidence-based, individualized prevention strategies and a multidisciplinary approach to mitigate sarcopenia in aging populations.

CONCLUSIONS: Wearable devices, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, provide real-time feedback and enable tailored exercise recommendations, offering a practical and personalized strategy for mitigating sarcopenia. This study confirms that wearable-assisted walking programs effectively improve muscle health and functional performance in older adults, reinforcing their potential for promoting healthy aging.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that smoothie drinks, particularly WS (51-350 centipoise), may offer a viable alternative to commercial formula (1-50 centipoise) for older adults with dysphagia, potentially reducing premature spillage. The findings provide useful preliminary insights into the potential of these formulas to support safer swallowing. Further research, including longer-term studies, would help to more fully explore their nutritional benefits, safety, and applicability across...

CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that both psychological and physical factors are associated with experiencing loneliness, in addition to increased susceptibility upon village entry. Identification of these factors permits co-design and implementation of targeted initiatives to support residents' social wellbeing.

CONCLUSION: The overall level of health service utilization among older adults is low, so policies and decision-makers can consider improving the development of targeted measures for different service types to increase the utilization rate of medical care services for the elderly and promote the health equity of vulnerable groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Greater social support and sleep quality lower the obesity risk associated with SES in older adults. Therefore, targeted prevention, control, and intervention measures, such as increasing social support and improving sleep quality, can be applied based on the characteristics of older adults of different socioeconomic statuses to minimize the socioeconomic status-associated obesity risks and thus achieve the goal of reducing obesity.