Aging & Longevity
Prevalence and influencing factors of dementia in the elderly iranian population: a cross-sectional study
CONCLUSIONS: This large-scale study reveals a substantial burden of dementia in the studied Iranian provinces. The identified risk factors, including female sex, advanced age, widowhood, and low education, highlight vulnerable subgroups and underscore the urgent need for targeted public health strategies focused on early detection, risk reduction, and support systems for the elderly in Iran.
Band pattern formation of erythrocytes in density gradients is due to competing aggregation and net buoyancy
Centrifugation of biological matter in density gradient solutions is a standard method for separating cell types or components. It is also used to separate red blood cells (RBCs) by age, as they lose water and become denser over their lifespan. When the density gradient is prepared with Percoll, discrete bands of RBCs are systematically observed along the gradient, despite the continuous density distribution of RBCs. Early studies suggested that cell aggregation might influence spatial...
Aging-related peroxisomal dysregulation disrupts intestinal stem cell differentiation through alterations of very long-chain fatty acid oxidation
Aging disrupts intestinal stem cell (ISC) lineage fidelity, impairing epithelial barrier function and then promoting systemic health decline. In this study, we identify peroxisomal dysfunction as a critical driver of age-associated ISC mis-differentiation. Using Drosophila and mouse colonic organoids, we demonstrate that reduced PEX5 expression in aged ISCs impairs peroxisomal matrix protein import, leading to very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) accumulation. In addition, we found that...
Topoisomerase III-beta protects from immune dysregulation and tumorigenesis
Topoisomerase III-beta (Top3b) reduces nucleic acid torsional stress and intertwining generated during RNA and DNA metabolism while protecting the genome from pathological R-loops, which otherwise result in DNA breakage and genome instability. By studying Top3b knockout mice (Top3b-KO), we find that the loss of Top3b accelerates the development of spontaneous atypical lymphoid hyperplasia and lymphomas arising in spleens and lymph nodes, organs with prominent Top3b expression. Aging Top3b-KO...
Early detection of mild cognitive impairment utilizing ocular biomarker-based risk scoring nomogram
CONCLUSION: This study developed and internally validated a dynamic, nomogram-based scoring tool for early detection of MCI that integrates non-invasive retinal and visual biomarkers. The model demonstrated high discriminative power and substantial clinical net benefit. Further evaluation of the model's prognostic value in predicting further cognitive decline may support its clinical utility.
Immune cell-associated DNA methylation responses to exercise in women: A bioinformatics analysis comparing pre- and postmenopausal stages
CONCLUSION: Postmenopausal women showed distinct epigenetic patterns in response to exercise, although these differences must be interpreted cautiously given the small premenopausal sample size. These results suggest potential immune cell-associated DNA methylation markers to inform personalized exercise strategies supporting healthy aging in women.
Breaking boundaries: Dopamine's role in prediction error, salient novelty, and memory reconsolidation
For memories to remain relevant and adaptive over the lifespan, modifications under specific conditions are required. Memory reconsolidation theory suggests that when a memory is reactivated, it can become labile, a state known as destabilization. This process is regulated by complex and dynamic neurobiological changes representing biological boundary conditions, which likely protect important memories from undergoing unnecessary or potentially maladaptive modifications. External cues, such as...
Diapause and Aging: Two opposing yet intertwined biological phenomena
Diapause is an evolutionarily conserved strategy that enables many organisms to survive prolonged exposure to harsh environmental stressors. During this state, organisms drastically reduce their metabolic rate, halt development, and enhance stress tolerance in an energy-efficient manner. Remarkably, many diapausing organisms appear to substantially slow or suspend aging as a result of profound metabolic depression and developmental arrest. Consequently, diapause and aging appear to be programmed...
Heme drives cardiac endothelial senescence in sepsis via STING activation
Sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction is a major contributor to sepsis-related mortality, and many patients continue to experience long-term cardiac complications after recovery. Here, we demonstrate that cardiac senescence is a key feature of sepsis-associated cardiac dysfunction, with endothelial cells identified as the predominant senescent population in septic cardiac tissue. However, the pathogenic drivers of endothelial senescence in sepsis remain poorly characterized. Among potential...
H2AK119ub dynamics control hair follicle stem cell quiescence
Adult stem cells (SCs) transition between quiescent and active states to maintain tissue integrity, and dysregulation of this balance can lead to tissue degeneration, cancer, or premature aging. Both intrinsic factors and extrinsic niche signals influence these states; however, the molecular mechanisms that integrate extrinsic cues with intrinsic programs remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the conserved repressive histone mark, H2AK119ub, serves as a molecular switch linking inhibitory...
Cognitive aging clock based on Explainable artificial intelligence
Biological clocks aim to estimate the physiological state of an organism, or of specific organs or systems, from the perspective of aging. The inferred individual age acceleration is presumably linked to increased mortality and morbidity risks. Here, we introduce a cognitive aging clock based on a battery of five tests (sensomotor arithmetic, sensomotor mirror letter, 1-back, campimetry and the Stroop), capturing sensory and verbal perception, working memory, and decision-making in the context...
Contrasting pathways to tree longevity in gymnosperms and angiosperms
Tree longevity is thought to increase in growth-limiting, adverse environments, but a quantitative assessment of drivers of global variation in tree longevity is lacking. We assemble a global database of maximum longevity for 739 tree species and analyse associations between longevity and climate, soil, and species' functional traits. Our results show two primary pathways towards long lifespans. The first is slow growth in resource-limited environments, consistent with the "adversity begets...
Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the biobehavioural pain and movement questionnaire (BioPMovQ) in elderly CMP patients
CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of BioPMovQ has good reliability and validity, and can be used to measure the relationship between pain and various factors related to exercise behavior in elderly patients with CMP from a biological behavioral perspective.
Exploring the concept of a "friendly relationship to death" in geriatric patients
CONCLUSION: Among geriatric patients, a FRD appears to prevail, extending beyond a neutral acceptance of death's inevitability and existing independently of suicidality, depression, frailty, or disease burden. Understanding a FRD may help contextualize older individuals' acceptance of aging and could impact geriatric treatment outcomes.
End-of-life healthcare utilization and costs according to cause of death: a retrospective study
CONCLUSION: This study highlights distinct EoL healthcare and social services utilization and related costs among older adults, depending on the cause of death, age, and sex. These findings underscore the need for tailored care strategies that reflect different EoL trajectories.
Agricultural or gardening physical activity may slow neurovascular aging and prevent stroke and dementia: an experimental and cross-sectional study
CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that regular AGPA is associated with markers of slower neurovascular aging in older individuals. AGPA induces a combination of general physical activity-related and specific AGPA-related effects; moreover, it may offer similar or even greater benefits than physical activity alone. Therefore, habitual AGPA may serve as an effective preventive strategy for neurovascular aging.
Network-based transcranial direct current stimulation may improve gait and cognitive function in older adults: a randomized controlled crossover study
CONCLUSION: In healthy older adults, a single session of tDCS designed to modulate DAN and DN excitability concurrently improved gait speed in both single and dual-task walking, as well as working memory. These preliminary findings suggest that gait and working memory may be modifiable through neuromodulation approaches involving DAN and DN. Further studies are warranted to explore the relationship between gait, working memory, and these two brain networks using neuroimaging means.
Excess iron may accelerate amyloid beta accumulation in the brains of older mice
Aging is a natural physiological process that may be accompanied by pathological changes, particularly in the brain. Iron is an essential trace element supporting various physiological functions and maintaining cellular homeostasis. However, iron levels tend to increase in certain brain regions of older adults and are associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite this association, the causal relationship between aging, iron accumulation, and neurodegenerative diseases...
Association of female reproductive traits with altered aging trajectories: Insights from genetic and observational analyses
Women's reproductive health plays a pivotal role in both longevity and the aging process. We conduct Mendelian randomization (MR) and observational analyses to investigate these relationships. Univariate MR analyses reveal that older age at first birth, later menarche, higher estradiol, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) increase longevity, while pre-eclampsia liability decreases longevity. Older ages at first birth and at first sexual intercourse are associated with lower DNAmGrimAgeAccel,...
A Systematic Review of Multivariate Studies in Cognitive Aging: Introducing the Concept of Cognitive Organization
Despite ample research on cognitive aging, it is still largely unknown whether cognition is organized in a distinct manner, with different cognitive domains and subcomponents interrelating with each other. It is also unknown whether this cognitive organization is stable or changes with increasing age. Following the PRISMA guidelines statement, we conducted a systematic review of multivariate studies of cognitive aging with the aim to identify a potential cognitive organization in healthy aging....
Aging and Longevity: Latest results from PubMed
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