Aging, Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Heart Disease, JAMA / 07.09.2021

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Amanda Paluch, PhD Assistant Professor University of Massachusetts Amherst Department of Kinesiology Institute for Applied Life Sciences Life Science Laboratories Amherst, MA 01003 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: We wanted to understand the association of total steps per day with premature mortality among middle-aged, Black and White women and men.  This study included 2110 adults; age 38-50 years old at the start of this study.  These adults wore a step counting device for one week and then followed for death from any cause over the next 10 years. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Geriatrics, Hearing Loss, JAMA, USPSTF / 02.04.2021

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Chien-Wen Tseng, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.E.E. The Hawaii Medical Service Association Endowed Chair Health Services and Quality Research Professor, and Associate Research Director Department of Family Medicine and Community Health University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Age-related hearing loss cannot be reversed and can be a significant problem for older adults. Four out of 10 adults who are age 70 and older report hearing loss and it can worsen isolation, cognitive decline, and quality of life, as well as interfere with someone’s ability to live independently. There are simple screening tests to detect hearing loss, so the Task Force did an extensive review of whether there are health benefits to screening for hearing loss in people who do not have symptoms before they notice any hearing problems. The Task Force determined that there is not enough evidence to recommend for or against screening for hearing loss in adults who are age 50 and older and do not have signs or symptoms of hearing loss. This is an I statement. (more…)
Aging, Geriatrics / 29.01.2021

As you age and get older, you need to make sure your health is at the forefront of everything you do. You need to focus on keeping healthy, ensuring you have a balanced diet that includes your recommended daily allowance of nutrition, fat, and carbohydrates. Having a balanced and healthy diet can keep you in good health and keep illnesses at bay. Exercising too is good for you, even if it just a brisk daily walk. Here's more info on how to maintain health as a senior. seniors-walking-aging-geriatrics.jpegStay Active Keeping and staying active physically is important. Nobody is saying you have to run marathons (unless, of course, you want to) but undertaking even 15 minutes of exercise a day will leave you feeling good and re-energized. If mobility is an issue, there are plenty of beneficial and fun sit-down exercises you can try from the comfort of your chair. Be Mentally Active You don't just need to keep your body in shape; you also have to focus on your mental strength and ability. Doing puzzles, crosswords, or having a game of chess can keep your brain stimulated and exercised. There are lots of single-player games, as well as multi-player games online and offline that can train your brain and keep it working as well as it can. (more…)
Aging, Geriatrics / 29.01.2021

There are many types and levels of support available for senior citizens, ranging from wellness checks to full-time care. Start planning for your senior years and ensure you get the retirement you desire! Explore the possibilities and consider every option: test yourself with ‘what if?’ scenarios to help you make an informed and considerate choice.

Domiciliary care

Domiciliary care provides support with activities and hygiene regimes within your own home. Typically, domiciliary care provides a set number of hours of care per day; however, live-in domiciliary carers are also available to provide more intensive care. Choose a domiciliary care provider to support you in your senior years.

What are the benefits?

Domiciliary care promotes independent living and allows the service user to remain at home, which can be beneficial to wellbeing. The user also retains their independence with the ability to set their schedule (bathing, eating, and drinking) at a time that suits them. Implementing domiciliary care staff also has the advantage of both being a source of social interaction, as well as not interrupting your surrounding social life! In-home care is also very flexible, which means that your personalized plan can be adapted as needs change. (more…)
Aging, Geriatrics / 26.01.2021

elderly-aging-older-parentsOne of the most difficult conversations that you will need to have with your aging parents throughout their retirement is about the future. Though no matter how difficult this conversation may be, it is vital that you can plan for what might happen as a family to ensure that you are prepared for anything that comes your way. If you are struggling to do this, here are some top tips to help you comprehensively plan for your parent’s future, so they can have the most comfortable lives possible, and you do not have to worry for them. Here are some to do lists to help you get started:.

1.    Look at Assisted Living Facilities

Although you might believe that your parents will always be healthy enough to live at home, this is not always the case. There are many common health conditions such as dementia, which may leave your parents needing round-the-clock care, as well as general ill health and frailty as they start to show the signs of aging. To make sure that you know that your parents are well-looked after when the time comes, you should consider researching assisted living facilities now. This will allow you to relax in knowing that both you and your loved one are happy with the home you have chosen for them. For instance, if you are looking for assisted living Fort Lauderdale, Belmont Village can offer your parents a range of care options, and you can rest in the knowledge that they are being cared for.

2.    Sort Their Finances

Many adult children leave their parents to handle their finances for fear of taking over or looking greedy when it comes to their eventual passing. However, helping your parents sort their finances out now can ensure that they will be able to pay for all of the medical care they may need and ensure that they have enough money to live on until the end of their lives. Sorting these finances out early, such as looking at the pension schemes and organizing the assets they have to their name, will ensure that they do not come unstuck later and enable them to set a budget around their financial situation.

3.    Create a Will

Although it is easy to dismiss probate as something that you do not want to think about or discuss with your parents, helping them create a will and knowing what is inside of it is important if they pass away suddenly and unexpectedly, then you can help them to make a will by contacting a solicitor or encouraging them to complete a DIY will-making kit. You should always make sure that DIY wills are legally valid, though. Knowing what is inside of the will can be important so that you can make sure that their wishes are carried out on their death and that no forgery or other issues occur. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Pulmonary Disease / 12.01.2021

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Maria A. Blasco, PhD Director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre Head of the Telomeres and Telomerase Group – CNIO  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In my group we have previously described that telomere dysfunction in alveolar type II (ATII) cells in the lung is sufficient to induce pulmonary fibrosis in mice, thus demonstrating that these cells, which have a role in lung regeneration, are at the origin of the disease (Povedano et al., Cell Reports, 2015). Indeed, we further demonstrated that telomere elongation in these cells by using a gene therapy strategy based on telomerase activation, was sufficient to stop the progression of pulmonary fibrosis induced by short telomeres in mice (Povedano, eLife, 2018). (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues / 03.12.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Susanna Rosi, Ph.D.  Lewis and Ruth Cozen Chair II Professor, Brain and Spinal Injury Center Weill Institute for Neuroscience Kavli Institute of Fundamental Neuroscience Departments of Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science, Neurological Surgery University of California San Francisco MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Everybody has experienced a “senior moment” forgetting where the car keys are, or where you put your glasses. These forgetful moments are not always indicative of a disease, but rather can be a consequence of normal aging. Normal aging is associated with decline of cognitive abilities, such as memory, spatial orientation, problem solving and executive functioning. Investigating what changes happen in the brain with age, can help us to understand why these ‘senior moments’ occur. When we understand what causes these moments, we can design therapeutics with the hopes of preventing or reversing them.  With increased life expectancy age-associatedmemory decline becomes a growing concern. We wanted to investigate (i) What causes memory decline with age? (ii) Are there ways to reverse it?  (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Genetic Research, McGill / 22.11.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Richard C. Austin, PhD Professor and Career Investigator of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario Amgen Canada Research Chair in Nephrology McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Ontario, Canada MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: A previous study published in 2011 by my collaborator, Dr. Michel Chretien at the IRCM, identified a rare mutation in the PCSK9, termed Q152H. Individuals harboring this mutation demonstrated dramatic reductions in their LDL cholesterol levels and had a significantly lower risk of CVD. Furthermore, individuals harboring the Q152H mutation showed increases in longevity with no evidence of other diseases such as liver disease, cancer and chronic kidney disease. This Q152H mutation was unique with only 4 families in Quebec shown to harbor this genetic variant. In terms of its effect on PCSK9 expression/activity, the mutation at Q152H was precisely at the cleavage site in PCSK9 necessary for its activation. As a result, the Q152H mutation fails to be cleaved and activated, thereby blocking its secretion into the circulation. This is why the Q152H mutation is considered a loss-of-function PCSK9 mutant. Given our lab's interest in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ER storage diseases, we began to collaborate with Drs. Chretien and Seidah at the IRCM to investigate whether this Q152H mutant, when overexpressed in liver cells, would cause ER stress and liver cell injury. This was based on the findings that the Q152H mutant does not undergo autocatalytic cleavage and its subsequent secretion from liver cells. It is well known in the literature that the accumulation of misfolded or inactive proteins in the ER gives rise to ER stress and cell injury/dysfunction. As a result, we initially showed to our surprise that overexpression of the Q152H mutant in liver cells failed to cause ER stress BUT increased the protein levels of several important ER chaperones, GRP78 and GRP94, known to PROTECT against liver cell injury/dysfunction. As part of our JCI study, we furthered these studies to examine the effect of the Q152H mutant when overexpressed in the livers of mice. This is where we demonstrated that the Q152H mutation showed protection against ER stress-induced liver injury/dysfunction. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Geriatrics, Heart Disease, Lancet, Lipids / 11.11.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Børge G. Nordestgaard, MD, DMSc Professor, University of Copenhagen Chief Physician, Dept. Clinical Biochemistry Herlev and Gentofte Hospital Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Denmark  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Previous studies have yielded mixed results regarding the association between elevated cholesterol levels and increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in individuals above age 70 years; with some studies showing no association and others only minimal association. However, these previous studies were based on cohorts recruiting individuals decades ago where life-expectancy were shorter and where treatment of comorbidities were very different from today (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, BMJ, Exercise - Fitness / 08.10.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ulrik Wisløff Professor and Head of CERG and K.G. Jebsen Centre for Exercise in Medicine of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences NTNU-Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim, Norway MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The Generation 100 study followed more than 1500 women and men in their 70s for five years. The aim was to find out if exercise gives older adults a longer and healthier life, and we also compare the effect of moderate and high-intensity exercise. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? Response: Overall survival was high in all three groups, compared to what’s expected in this age group. There was a clear trend towards greater survival in the high-intensity compared to the moderate intensity exercise group. High-intensity interval training also had the greatest effect on cardiorespiratory fitness and health-related quality of life. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Dermatology / 02.10.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ryan R. Driskell Ph.D. Assistant Professor School of Molecular Biosciences Center for Reproductive Biology Washington State University Pullman, WA. 99164  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Scars a serious health concern when they cover large areas of the body. Understanding how to functionally regenerate skin can improve the quality of life for individuals with large scars. Importantly, our study is proof of concept, in that we identified a genetic factor that allows adult skin to repair itself like the skin of a newborn babe. The discovery has implications for better skin wound treatment as well as preventing some of the aging process in skin. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews / 11.07.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: John Gerard Tower Professor of biological sciences University of Southern California MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Mifepristone is a synthetic steroid drug that is used in humans for birth control and as a treatment for Cushing’s disease, and is currently in clinical trials as an anti-cancer treatment. We have previously shown that mifepristone dramatically increases the life span of mated female Drosophila flies. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Genetic Research / 24.06.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Andrea Bodnar, Ph.D., Science Director Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (GMGI) MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? How does gene expression differ in the red sea urchin from humans?  Why is this animal not susceptible to age-related deterioration? Response: The red sea urchin is one of the earth’s longest-lived animals, living for more than 100 years without showing signs of aging. These animals grow and reproduce throughout their lives and show no increase in mortality rate or incidence of disease with age. This includes no reported cases of neoplastic disease, like cancer. To begin to understand the cellular mechanisms underpinning this extraordinary life history this study investigated gene expression patterns in the tissues of young and old red sea urchins. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Mental Health Research / 08.04.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Leeann Mahlo Registered Psychologist PhD (Clinical Psychology) Candidate College of Education, Psychology and Social Work Flinders University MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Mindfulness can be instrumental in reducing stress and promoting positive psychological outcomes. However, few studies have considered the positive effects of mindfulness on psychological functioning from a lifespan perspective. Our research aimed to examine the role of age in the relationships between specific aspects of mindfulness and psychological flexibility and well-being. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews / 11.03.2020

Specialist Healthcare BusinessHealthcare is now the fastest-growing industry in the US, and currently employs over 18 million people. With an increasing number of patients with chronic and mental health conditions, and a steady rise in the number of elderly patients, specialized healthcare businesses could help to take care of growing needs. Depending on your professional field, setting up your own healthcare business could involve developing apps to help manage common chronic conditions, offering counseling to alleviate the stress of bereavement, or assisting a rapidly aging population. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, JAMA / 27.02.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Konstantin G. Arbeev, PhD Associate Research Professor Biodemography of Aging Research Unit (BARU) Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) Duke University Dr. Abraham Aviv, MD Department Pediatrics Director, The Center of Human Development and Aging Rutgers New Jersey Medical School MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: A body of research has shown that having comparatively short leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with increased risk of death in adults.    (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Cannabis, Geriatrics, JAMA, NYU / 24.02.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Benjamin H. Han, MD MPH Assistant Professor Division of Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care New York University School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In the past, the prevalence of cannabis use (both for recreational and for medicinal purposes) was very low among adults age 65 and older. As a reference, the national prevalence rate of past-year cannabis use among adults age 65 and older in 2006-2007 was 0.4%, it has increased dramatically since then. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, JAMA, University of Michigan / 10.02.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Renuka Tipirneni, MD, MSc, FACP Assistant Professor Holder of the Grace H. Elta MD Department of Internal Medicine Early Career Endowment Award 2019-2024 University of Michigan Department of Internal Medicine Divisions of General Medicine and Hospital Medicine and Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation Ann Arbor, MI 48109 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: While U.S. adults age 50-64 previously had more limited options for health insurance before Medicare at age 65, the Affordable Care Act expanded the number of options, including Marketplace plans (e.g., through HealthCare.gov) and Medicaid. This expanded set of options may complicate decisions about health insurance near retirement. In addition, several policy challenges to the Affordable Care Act may add uncertainty to the decision-making process. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Heart Disease, JACC / 08.01.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Charlotte Manisty PhD MRCP Senior Lecturer Consultant Cardiologist Barts Heart Centre and University College University College Hospitals, London MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The normal ageing process results in vascular stiffening which in turn contributes to adverse cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes.  We know that trained athletes have more compliant blood vessels than their peers, and previous small studies of supervised exercise training have shown that such interventions can reduce blood pressure. We aimed to assess the impact of unsupervised exercise training on cardiovascular physiology in novice runners preparing for a first-time marathon using advanced noninvasive imaging in order to better understand whether it is possible to ‘reverse’ vascular ageing. (more…)
Aging, Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, MRI, Technology / 23.12.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Weidong Luo Principal Scientist CorTechs Labs  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: We were interested in whether or not we can predict the age of the brain accurately from T1 weighted MRI and/or fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET scans using the brain volumetric and the relative metabolic activity. The uptake of FDG is a clinical marker used to measure the uptake of glucose and therefore metabolism. Also, we were interested in the patterns of the predicted ages for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and minor cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects when using their brain measurements for age prediction in the normal brain age model.   (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, JAMA, Opiods / 27.11.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Yong-Fang Kuo, PhD Professor and Director, Office of Biostatistics Don W. and Frances Powell Professor in Aging Research Mukaila Raji, MD, MS, FACP Professor & Director Edgar Gnitzinger Distinguished Professorship in Aging Preventive Medicine and Population Health UTMB Health MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Medicare beneficiaries who qualified because of disability constitute a growing population of patients hospitalized for opioid/heroin overdose. Although the CDC regularly generates reports of opioid overdose deaths by demographics and states, studies on policy actionable predictors of overdose mortality (e.g., clusters of medical and psychiatric conditions, types of disabling conditions) are lacking in this population.  (more…)
Aging, Dermatology, JAMA / 26.11.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Christian Sell, PhD Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Drexel University College of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In terms of background, the drug rapamycin targets a pathway that scientists know is critical for growth and development but is also a key regulator of lifespan in many model organisms such as worms, flies, and mice. This pathway is known as the mTOR pathway. Rapamycin is already in use clinically, it is given to people who have received organ transplants to prevent rejection and is also in trials to treat some forms of cancer, at very high doses. Many studies in mice have shown that rapamycin delays aging and prevents age-related disorders such as the decline in heart function and cognitive function. Based on this work, there is a strong expectation that these results will translate into humans, but no studies have been done due to concerns regarding potential side effects of rapamycin when the drug is given orally to prevent rejection. Our previous studies have shown that a very low dose of rapamcyin can reduce the aging of human cells and improve cell growth, while the high does used for organ transplant patients actually block cell growth.  We decided to test the impact of low dose rapamycin on aging in the skin because we could treat people safely. Previous studies have shown that the drug does not get into the blood stream when high doses were given topically to people with a rare genetic disorder, so we knew that the low doses used in our study would not get into the bloodstream and would be safe for the patients. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Genetic Research / 28.09.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Lara Puhlmann, PhD student International Max Planck Research School NeuroCom Research Group Social Stress and Family Health MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Studies are increasingly investigating ways to influence the length of telomeres (i.e., protective chromosomal caps), with the aim of improving a person’s health and aging trajectory. There is evidence that telomere length can change faster than previously thought, possibly taking just one to six months of mental or physical training to elongate. However, the broader biological implications of such short-term change in telomere length remain unclear.  (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews / 27.07.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jay Olshansky, Ph.D. Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics School of Public Health University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, Illinois MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: In 2011 I published the first scientific evaluation of the observed longevity of all of the U.S. presidents. Since then, I've been contacted by the media every four years to comment on the ages of the presidential candidates. This is relevant because the number of older candidates is on the rise, and their ages are getting higher. A reporter from the Washington Examiner contacted me this time around to comment once again, and wanted to know whether I was planning on doing another analysis. When I looked at the list of candidates that were much older this time around, I thought it would be a good idea to see what science had to say about the health and longevity prospects of all of the candidates. This way we could at least offer a scientific explanation of whether age should be relevant at all when choosing a presidential candidate. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues, Gender Differences, Hormone Therapy, JAMA, Menopause, Weight Research / 05.07.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rachel Zsido PhD student Department of Neurology International Max Planck MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: We integrated measures of brain network structure, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), serum estradiol levels, and cognitive performance from 974 participants in order to shed light on potential mechanisms underlying cognitive health. We believe it is imperative to assess sex-specific risk trajectories in brain aging and cognitive decline, especially given the known sex differences in both VAT accumulation patterns and estradiol fluctuations across the lifespan. Thus, we aimed to answer three questions in men and in women: 1) Does visceral adipose tissue exacerbate the association between age and brain network structure, 2) Does estradiol mitigate the negative association between VAT and brain network structure, and 3) What does this imply for healthy cognitive aging in men and women?  (more…)