Aging & Longevity

Sleep entails profound changes in the brain and body, marked by altered states of consciousness and reduced somatic and autonomic motor activity. Regarding "how" sleep is regulated, whole-brain screening revealed large sleep-control networks spanning the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. We unify diverse experimental evidence under a "motor theory," in which the sleep-control mechanism is integral to somatic and autonomic motor circuits. Regarding the "why" question, sleep deprivation impairs...

CONCLUSIONS: The BCW-based health promotion intervention effectively enhanced the well-being of migrant older adults by addressing their unique needs. The findings highlight the potential of tailored, multidimensional interventions to support this vulnerable population. Future research should explore long-term effects and cost effectiveness for broader implementation.

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Despite extensive research, significant uncertainty remains regarding the associations between various risk factors and ischemic stroke (IS). This study aimed to systematically identify and validate a broad range of potential modifiable risk factors for IS. Utilizing genetic and phenotypic data from the UK Biobank (UKB; N = 418,236), we conducted a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) and Cox regression analysis to identify modifiable factors across sociodemographics, physical measures,...

GLP-1-based therapy is highly effective in combating aging-associated metabolic diseases. However, the metabolic effects of frequent withdrawal from this therapy in aged, obese mice have not been previously studied. In this study, aged obese UM-HET3 mice were assigned to three groups: Group 1 received no liraglutide treatment (Lira OFF); Group 2 underwent 3 cycles of treatment followed by withdrawal (Lira ON/OFF); and Group 3 remained on continuous treatment (Lira ON). As expected, mice in Group...

Considerable amounts of branched chain fatty acids (BCFAs) are present in the human diet from beef and dairy products. BCFAs can also be produced by the human gut microbiota and synthesized from branched chain amino acids. However, the physiological impact of a BCFA-rich diet on lipid metabolism and organismal health is unclear. In this study, by screening a collection of dietary bacteria, we find that the BCFA-rich Microbacterium diet causes the formation of supersized LDs and delays...

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is critical for maintaining cerebral homeostasis, and its deterioration with age is an important pathogenic factor in the etiology of vascular dementia. Extracellular matrix-integrin interactions play a central role in regulating vascular stability. The αvβ3 integrin is not expressed by brain endothelial cells under stable conditions but is strongly induced by hypoxia. However, it is currently unclear whether αvβ3 integrin exerts a destructive or protective...

Thrombopoietin (TPO), predominantly produced by the liver, is the key regulator for platelet production and the hematopoietic stem cell niche. Our earlier report demonstrated that platelet GPIbα is required for hepatocellular TPO generation, which is the major resource of TPO in the blood circulation. However, how hepatocytes physically contact circulating sinusoidal platelets across the liver endothelium for this process is unknown. Kupffer cells reside in contact with both sinusoidal blood and...

Lactate, historically considered a metabolic byproduct, has emerged as a key regulator of muscle physiology and metabolism. This study explores its potential as an exercise mimetic to counteract disuse muscle atrophy (DMA) in aging skeletal muscle using a hindlimb suspension model in senescence-accelerated prone 8 (SAMP8) mice. The mice were divided into four groups: Control, lactate-treated control, hindlimb suspension, and hindlimb suspension with lactate intervention. Lactate administration...

Background: Aging leads to physiological and psychological changes that compromise both mental and physical autonomy, as well as cognitive functions, thereby increasing the risk of anxiety and depression. The sedentary lifestyle typical of older individuals results in a deterioration of the overall quality of life and well-being. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Hatha yoga in improving cognitive health among older adults. We will specifically examine the impact of this...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders, characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive function. Increasing evidence indicates that alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG), a key metabolite in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, can extend lifespan and healthspan across various animal models, raising interest in its potential neuroprotective effects in age-related disorders such as AD. Our previous research found that dietary supplementation with calcium...

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) regulates hippocampal-dependent functions and is targeted by physiological aging and neurodegenerative conditions. Patients with neuropsychiatric disorders show hippocampal abnormalities that might be related to changes in AHN. Here, we sought to determine whether major depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder threaten the integrity of human AHN and the homeostasis of the dentate gyrus (DG) neurogenic niche-a specialized microenvironment in which new...

Older adults often experience deterioration in oral health and oral-related abilities, with tooth loss, impaired masticatory performance, alterations to salivary flow and composition all being common. Additionally, other ageing-related physiological changes happen, including delayed gastric emptying and higher postprandial glycemic responses. The interaction between oral-related factors and metabolic responses has been researched in younger adults, but not in older age groups. This study aimed...

The microbiota has a fundamental role in regulating homeostasis and inflammation across the barrier surfaces of the body. The gut is a unique bioreactor where the high concentration of microorganisms, microbial and dietary metabolites, microbial-derived molecular structures, immune cells, stroma and neurons form a complex, highly interactive and precisely regulated system. The mucosal immune system in the gut has profound local and systemic effects, influencing both health and disease. A...

Naked mole-rats (NMR, Heterocephalus glaber) defy Gompertzian rules of mortality and age-dependent senescence to lead healthy lives well into their fourth decade. The NMR immune system likely contributes to this phenotype by protecting against infections, regulating tissue repair, and eradicating neoplastic cells. In keeping with their many other paedomorphic traits, adult NMRs retain functional thymic tissue in the submandibular triangle. Despite this additional thymic tissue, perinatal NMR...

Neurodegenerative diseases present one of the most significant global health challenges. These disorders are defined by the accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates that impair synaptic function and cause progressive neuronal degeneration. Therefore, stimulating protein clearance mechanisms may be neuro-protective. Variants in FBXO7/PARK15 cause Parkinsonian Pyramidal Syndrome, an early-onset parkinsonian neurodegenerative disorder in humans, and inactivation of this gene in mice...

Pulmonary fibrosis is a lethal disease associated with damaging insults to the lung and with organismal aging. The presence of short and dysfunctional telomeres has been placed at the origin of this disease in a percentage of both familial and sporadic cases. Recently, a mutation in the telomere-binding protein protection of telomeres 1 in humans (hPOT1), the hPOT1 L259S mutation, was found in families with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we generated a Pot1a ^(L261S) knock-in mouse...

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Age and sex are primary risk factors for shoulder pain, yet the underlying neuromuscular adaptations in scapular control are poorly understood, partly due to methodological inconsistencies in prior research, particularly in load standardization. This study aimed to define age- and sex-related differences in scapular muscle excitation during a shoulder flexion task with a standardized relative load. Fifty-two healthy younger (18-39y) and older (60-74y) males and females performed shoulder flexion...

Initially anode-free sodium metal batteries offer a high energy density at lower costs than lithium-ion batteries, making them a promising alternative for portable electronics, transportation, and power grids. However, side reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface hinder their practical applications. Our study reveals that negative electrode stability is primarily influenced by the solvents in the cation's first solvation shell, whereas positive electrode stability is dictated by weakly...