Aging, Author Interviews, Cancer, Cancer Research / 10.05.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Corinne Leach, MPH, MS, PHD Strategic Director, Cancer and Aging Research American Cancer Society, Inc. Atlanta, GA 30303 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Leach: Using linked data from cancer registries and the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey, we prospectively examined the short-term impact of cancer on the functioning, development of and worsening of age-related health conditions among 921 older adults who developed cancer compared to 4,605 propensity score matched controls. We found that cancer groups demonstrated greater declines in activities of daily living and physical functioning compared to controls with the greatest change for lung cancer patients. Having a cancer diagnosis increased risk for depression but did not increase the odds of developing arthritis in the hand/hip, incontinence (except for prostate cancer), or vision/hearing problems. Having a cancer diagnosis also did not exacerbate the severity of arthritis or foot neuropathy. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Heart Disease / 02.03.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dafna Merom, PhD School of Science and Health University of Western Sydney Penrith New South Wales Australia Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Merom: It is well established that moderate-intensity physical activity can reduced the risk of having cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet we know very little about the CVD benefits  that is associated with specific activity type. Considering that different types of physical activity challenge muscular-skeletal, neurological and cardio-respiratory systems differently, and that they involves different levels of psychosocial or cognitive demands, one may expect that different types of PA/sport may have differential relationships with health. Previous research found that frequent dancing protected against dementia, to a larger extent than walking. Since  cardiovascular disease and dementia share similar risk factors we hypothesised that dancing will also protect against CVD, even more than walking given the multi-dimensional nature of dance; Dance integrate physical, cognitive, emotional and social elements in its execution. We found that light-intensity dancing as well as light-intensity walking were not protective against  cardiovascular disease mortality. However, dancers who were at least slightly out of breath or sweaty had 46% lower risk of Cardiovascular death. Compared to fast walkers, dancing further reduced the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 21%.” (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Gender Differences / 19.02.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: John Tower, PhD Professor, Molecular and Computational Biology Program Department of Biological Sciences USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910 Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Tower: Possible interventions in aging that are currently being studied include alterations to the diet and also drugs that target the p53 and TOR pathways.  Our results show that these manipulations sometimes have opposite effects on survival in males versus females. In addition, our results show that the same “low-vitality” individuals in the population are susceptible to death caused by disease and to death caused by aging.  This is called the “Strehler-Mildvan” relationship, and these “low-vitality” individuals could be related to human frailty. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Columbia, Depression, Geriatrics / 27.01.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Stanford Chihuri MPH Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention Department of Anesthesiology Columbia University Medical Center New York City, New York  Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: For many older adults, driving is instrumental to their daily living and is a strong indicator of self-control, personal freedom and independence. This study assesses and synthesizes evidence in the research literature on the impact of driving cessation on subsequent health and well-being of older adults. The main findings are that driving cessation in older adults appears to contribute to a variety of health problems, particularly depression. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Disability Research, Lancet / 09.12.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Carol Jagger AXA Professor of Epidemiology of Ageing and Deputy Director of the Newcastle University Institute for Ageing (NUIA) Institute of Health & Society Campus for Ageing and Vitality Newcastle upon Tyne  Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Prof. Jagger: Although we know that life expectancy at older ages is increasing, there is still uncertainty about whether the extra years are healthy ones. Our results are based on data from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFASI and II), two cohorts of people aged 65 years and over in three centres in England (Cambridgeshire, Newcastle and Nottingham) who were interviewed in 1991 and 2011. The participants, over 7000 people in each study, were recruited from general practices in the area and included those living in care homes to ensure our results reflect the total older population. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Prof. Jagger: We used three health measures to calculate the health expectancies at age 65: cognitive impairment, self-perceived health and disability (mild and moderate/severe). Over the 20 year period women’s life expectancy at age 65 increased by 3.6 years whilst they gained 4.4 years free of cognitive impairment, 3.1 years in good self-perceived health but only 0.5 years free of disability. Men on the other hand lived an extra 4.5 years in total with gains of 4.2 years free of disability, 3.8 years in good self-perceived health and 2.6 years free of disability. So all the extra years of life were free of cognitive impairment for women but most were spent with disability, although the gains were in mild rather than more severe disability. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Depression, Geriatrics / 13.11.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Helena Chui, Ph.D. CPsychol Lecturer Division of Psychology University of Bradford Bradford England  Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Chui: It is debatable whether psychological well-being improves or declines with age. Findings of the age-related changes in psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms, are not unequivocal. Some studies have found that people stay pretty stable in terms psychological well-being until late life. Other studies have found otherwise. My recent publication reports the findings using a 15-year longitudinal study from Australia. Results showed that as people get older, depressive symptoms increase. Both men and women reported increasingly more depressive symptoms as they aged, with women initially starting with more depressive symptoms than men. However, men showed a faster rate of increase in symptoms so that the difference in the genders was reversed at around the age of 80. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Smoking, UCLA / 11.09.2015

Dr. Morgan Elyse Levine PhD Postdoctoral Fellow Department of Human Genetics University of California, Los Angeles MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Morgan Elyse Levine PhD Postdoctoral Fellow Department of Human Genetics University of California, Los Angeles Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Levine: Studies using mice, worms, and flies have suggested that longevity may be linked to stress resistance. All of us are constantly encountering things that damage our cells and tissue and disrupt physiological functioning. Therefore, people who are genetically predisposed to better prevent or repair this damage may age slower. Smoking is one of the most damaging things someone can do to their health, yet some smokers are able to survive to extreme ages. This study looked at long-lived smokers to see if we could identify a "genetic signature". We generated a genetic risk score that was found to be associated with longevity both in smokers and non-smokers, and also appeared to be associated with cancer risk. (more…)
Author Interviews, Geriatrics, JAMA, Statins / 24.08.2015

Michael Johansen MD MS Assistant Professor - Clinical Dept of Family Medicine The Ohio State UniversityMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Michael Johansen MD MS Assistant Professor - Clinical Dept of Family Medicine The Ohio State University Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Johansen: -Over the last 15 years there has been increasing emphasis placed on the use of statins to decrease people's risk of heart attacks and strokes. Individuals with known heart disease are recommended to be on statins. However, there is no convincing evidence that elderly individuals (>79 years of age) without heart disease benefit from statins. Therefore, we investigated how use patterns of statins has changed over the last ~14 years. We identified a dramatic increase in statin use in the very elderly during the time of the study. As of 2012, around 1/3 of very elderly individuals without heart disease took a statin during that year. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, Electronic Records, Geriatrics / 27.07.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Nisha C. Hazra MSc Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, King's College London, London, UK Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Our study was motivated by limited evidence about the health status of very old people, the fastest growing group of the UK population with significant implications for future NHS health-care costs. Our findings indicated an increasing number of people reaching the age of 100 years, with the increase being higher among women comparing to men (a ratio of 4 to 1). Another interesting finding was that men reaching 100 years tended to be healthier than their female counterparts. In particular, women were more likely to present multiple chronic diseases compared to men and tended to be more frail, experiencing more falls, fractures, incontinence and hearing/visual impairments. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews / 20.07.2015

Jessica Finlay M.A. Department of Geography, Environment and Society University of Minnesota MNMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jessica Finlay M.A. Department of Geography, Environment and Society University of Minnesota MN Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Natural environments are known to promote physical, mental, and spiritual healing. People can attain health benefits by spending time outside, often in remote places to "get away from it all." Now research conducted by a University of Minnesota graduate student with a team in Vancouver, B.C., shows that green and "blue" spaces (environments with running or still water) are especially beneficial for healthy aging in seniors. The research team interviewed older adults aged 65 - 86 years who lived in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. All study participants were low-income, represented 8 different self-identified racial and ethnic groups, and experienced a range of chronic conditions and health status. Published in the journal Health and Place, the study - "Therapeutic landscapes and wellbeing in later life: Impacts of blue and green spaces for older adults" - demonstrates that by incorporating smaller features, such as a koi pond or a bench with a view of flowers, public health and urban development strategies can optimize nature as a health resource for older adults. Throughout the research, green and blue spaces promoted feelings of renewal, restoration, and spiritual connectedness. They also provided places for multi-generational social interactions and engagement, including planned activities with friends and families, and impromptu gatherings with neighbors.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Diabetes, Endocrinology, JAMA / 21.06.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Francis de Zegher, MD, PhD Department of Development and Regeneration, University of Leuven Leuven, Belgium & Lourdes Ibáñez, MD, PhD Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona Barcelona, Spain Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Response: Hyperinsulinemic androgen excess is the most frequent hormonal disorder of adolescent girls. It seems to be mainly driven by an excessive and/or inappropriate storage of fat due to a chronically positive energy balance. The traditional approach (not approved by FDA or EMA) is to silence the ovaries by giving an oral contraceptive. An alternative approach is to change the storage of fat by giving an insulin-sensitizing combination of generics in low dose. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews / 19.06.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Arlene Ash Ph.D., Professor David Hoaglin Ph.D., Professor and Aimee R. Kroll-Desrosiers, MS Department of Quantitative Health Sciences University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, MA Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The Long Life Family Study (LLFS) is an international collaborative investigation of the genetics and familial components of exceptional survival, longevity, and healthy aging. It has enrolled members of long-lived sibships, their offspring, and spouses of either group.  Medicare claims data is a unique, nationally representative source of data on all treated diseases for most Americans over the age of 65. Our main question was: Does membership in a long-lived family protect against disease? For each American LLFS participant who was at least age 65 in 2008 and alive in 2009, we selected four persons from the general Medicare population who matched the participant on age, sex, and ZIP code of residence. We then used 2008–2010 Beneficiary Annual Summary Files from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to compare the prevalence of 17 conditions among 781 LLFS participants in Medicare with those of 3,227 non-LLFS matches.* Analyses accounted for nesting within LLFS families and adjusted for age, sex, race, and year. Among LLFS participants identified as members of a long-lived sibship, 7 of the 17 conditions were significantly less common than for similarly aged controls (Alzheimer’s, hip fracture, diabetes, depression, prostate cancer, heart failure and chronic kidney disease); in contrast, 4 (arthritis, cataract, osteoporosis and glaucoma) were significantly more common. Spouses, offspring and offspring spouses of these long-lived siblings share in significantly lower risk for Alzheimer’s, diabetes and heart failure. Several additional analyses found suggestive (although not statistically significant) evidence of lower disease prevalence in both genetically and maritally-related LLFS cohort members. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, BMJ, Disability Research, End of Life Care, Geriatrics, Yale / 21.05.2015

Thomas M. Gill, M.D Humana Foundation Professor of Medicine (Geriatrics) Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases) and of Investigative Medicine Director Yale Program on Aging and Yale Center for Disability and Disabling Disorders Director, Yale Training Program in Geriatric Clinical Epidemiology and Aging-Related ResearchMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Thomas M. Gill, M.D Humana Foundation Professor of Medicine (Geriatrics) Professor of Epidemiology  and of Investigative Medicine Director Yale Program on Aging and Yale Center for Disability and Disabling Disorders Director, Yale Training Program in Geriatric Clinical Epidemiology and Aging-Related Research Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?h Response: Understanding the disabling process at the end of life is essential for informed decision-making among older persons, their families, and their physicians. We know from prior research that the course of disability at the end of life does not follow a predictable pattern for most older persons.  This raises the question about what is driving the development and progression of disability at the end of life. We identified six distinct trajectories of disability in the last year of life, ranging from the least disabled to most disabled.  We found that the course of disability in the last year of life closely tracked the monthly prevalence of hospitalization for each of the six trajectories. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Nature / 03.05.2015

Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte PhD Professor, Gene Expression Laboratory Roger Guillemin Chair Salk Institute For Biological ScienceMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte PhD Professor, Gene Expression Laboratory Roger Guillemin Chair Salk Institute For Biological Science MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Werner protein (WRN) plays roles in DNA replication, transcription, repair as well as telomere maintenance. Mutations in WRN are associated with Werner syndrome. In the current study we discovered that WRN was interacting with proteins implicated in heterochromatin maintenance. We observed that mutations in the WRN protein led to alterations in heterochromatin and those alterations are drivers of the aging process. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Case Western, Nursing / 17.04.2015

kathy-wrightMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Kathy Wright, PhD, RN, GCNS-BC, PMHCNS-BC KL2 Postdoc, Clinical Instructor 2011-13 SAMHSA Scholar 2010-12 National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence Patricia G. Archbold Scholar Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? Dr. Wright: This study was a secondary analysis of baseline data from the After Discharge Care Management of Low Income Frail Elderly (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality grant #1 R01 HS014539-01A1). The participants were aged 65 and older enrolled during an acute care hospitalization. Each participant had at least one deficit in activities of daily living (e.g., bathing, dressing) or two deficits in instrumental activities of daily living (e.g., transportation, paying bills). The purpose of the study was to test House’s Conceptual Framework for Understanding Social Inequalities in Health and Aging in Medicare-Medicaid enrollees in a group of low-income older adults to determine the relationships between socio-demographic factors (i.e., race, education, age, gender, income, and neighborhood poverty), health behaviors, and physical function and emotional well-being. As a part of the health behavior component, participants were interviewed and asked questions regarding the amount of physical activity they engaged in during the week. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Heart Disease / 12.04.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Salah Altarabsheh, MD,MRCSI Cardiac Surgery Senior Specialist Queen Alia Heart Institute Amman, Jordan Coronary artery bypass grafting is the most common surgical procedure performed by cardiac surgeons worldwide. With the increased life expectancy for the general population, and the added comorbidities among elderly population, we are seeing a good number of elderly populations who are referred for coronary artery bypass surgery. There are few reports which compare off-pump versus on-pump methods of revascularization among this subset of elderly people. We choose octogenarians in our meta-analysis to see whether off-pump revascularization method could be of benefit since there is increased chance to have ascending aortic calcifications among these patients, and off-pump coronary artery bypass in which there is lesser chance for aortic manipulations, can be beneficial. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Genetic Research / 28.03.2015

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Thomas Perls, MD, MPH Professor Boston University School of MedicineMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Thomas Perls, MD, MPH Professor Boston University School of Medicine Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Dr. Perls:   For years now, Gerontology scholars continue to state that 25% of what they interchangeably call aging, longevity, life expectancy and life span is genetic and 75% is due to the environment and health-related behaviors. This assertion is based on Scandinavian twins reared apart, but the oldest participants in those studies lived to their 70s and 80s. Part of the problem here is the lack of consistency in what people mean by the terms Aging, Life Span and Longevity. In fact, the Seventh Day Adventists, who generally have a high prevalence of healthy behaviors (vegetarian, daily exercise, eat in moderation, abstain from tobacco and alcohol, and activities that help manage stress well) have an average live expectancy of approximately 88 years. Yet, 7th Day Adventists are ethnically and racially heterogeneous and thus it appears that those healthy behaviors explain the vast majority of the variation in how old these people live to be. This finding is consistent with the optimistic view of the twin studies, that much of living to one's 80's is in our hands. Living to only our 50s-70's is also in our hands (e.g. 75% behaviors) if we choose to smoke, eat red meat frequently, be obese, not exercise, be exposed to gun violence, have unsafe sex, do IV drugs, etc. So it is safe to say, in my opinion, that 75% of the variation in how old we live to be, is on average due to our behavior and exposure choices. The empowering and important point is that if we all lived like the Seventh Day Adventists, average life expectancy would increase almost 8 years and health costs would markedly decline because we would be getting to these older ages because we are healthier not because we are pouring more resources into more effectively treating diseases. The New England Centenarian Study, which I direct, and a number of other studies of nonagenarians (people in their 90s) have demonstrated via direct genetic studies as well as studies of family trees where at least some family members get to these very old ages, that with older and older ages of survival beyond age ~95 years, variations in genetic profiles explain a greater and greater proportion of the variation in how old people live to be at these ages. So much so that I believe the findings to date are consistent with the roles of genes and environment being reversed for survival to age 106+ years, that is, 75% genetics and 25% environment/behaviors. This supposition is based upon several observations: (1) as people reach the age of 105+ years, they become more and more alike in terms of what age-related diseases they get and when they get them. Consistent with Jim Fries; "Compression of Morbidity" hypothesis, people who survive to ages 110+ (called supercentenarians) and who therefore approximate the limit of human lifespan are on average disease and disability-free up until the last 5 or so years of their lives. This increasing homogeneity, especially compared to the increasing heterogeneity in the rates of aging and incidences of age-related diseases at younger percentiles or ages of survival, suggests underlying genetic similarities (similar genetic profiles) amongst groups of these supercentenarians; and (2) the New England Centenarian Study previously discovered genetic signatures (made up of longevity-associated variations of about 130 genes) that were associated with surviving to age 106+ years with 80% accuracy, but with only 60% accuracy for accurately picking out people living to ~100 years. This increasing accuracy with older and older ages also suggests a stronger and stronger genetic influence upon survival to these rarest percentiles of survival. With the above background, we set out in this study and subsequent paper, to (1) assess sibling relative risk using the largest-ever collection of validated pedigrees of centenarians, (2) to assess the risk of a sibling achieving the same age as their very old sibling (e.g. ages 95, 100, or 105+ years) relative to average people born around the same time, and (3) to look at how when a person was born (eg before or after 1890) made a difference in these relative risks. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Education, NYU, Surgical Research / 21.03.2015

Uzma Samadani, MD, PhD Chief of Neurosurgery, New York Harbor Health Care System Assistant Professor, Departments of Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiology Co-Director, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center NYU Langone Medical CenterMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Uzma Samadani, MD, PhD Chief of Neurosurgery, New York Harbor Health Care System Assistant Professor, Departments of Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiology Co-Director, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center NYU Langone Medical Center Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The purpose of this study was to determine the current and future incidence of chronic subdural hemorrhage in the United States civilian and Veterans' Administration populations.  It's main findings are that, as the population ages, the incidence of subdural hemorrhage is increasing. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews / 20.03.2015

Kamen Tsvetanov, PhD Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge, United KingdomMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Kamen Tsvetanov, PhD Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge, United Kingdom   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Tsvetanov: Older brains may be more similar to younger brains than previously thought! In our study we have shown that changes in the aging brain previously observed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) – one of the standard ways of measuring brain activity – may be due to changes in our blood vessels, rather than changes in the activity of our nerve cells, our neurons. Given the large number of fMRI studies used to assess the aging brain, this has important consequences for understanding how the brain changes with age and it challenges current theories of ageing. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Geriatrics, Social Issues / 01.03.2015

Angela L. Curl PhD MSW School of Social Work University of Missouri Columbia, MOMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Angela L. Curl PhD MSW School of Social Work University of Missouri Columbia, MO MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Curl: Often people think of stopping driving as just effecting one person: the person who stops driving. In reality, for married couples driving cessation affects both spouses. Using longitudinal data (1998-2010) from 1,457 married couples participating in the Health and Retirement Study, we found that husbands and wives who are no longer able to drive are less likely to work, and less likely to engage in formal volunteering (for charitable organizations) and informal volunteering (helping friends and neighbors not-for-pay). Having a spouse in the household who is still able to drive does reduce these negative consequences a little, but not entirely. Furthermore, the spouse who continues to drive is also less likely to continue working or volunteering following the driving cessation of their partner, presumably because he/she is providing transportation or social support to the non-driver. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Nutrition, Weight Research / 28.02.2015

William Mair, Ph.D Assistant Professor Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases Harvard T. H Chan School of Public Health Boston, MA 02115MedicalResearch.com Interview with: William Mair, Ph.D Assistant Professor Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases Harvard T. H Chan School of Public Health Boston, MA 02115 MedicalResearch: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Mair: Dietary restriction, the reduction of food intake without malnutrition has been known for 80 years to prolong lifespan in organisms ranging from single celled yeast to non human primates, and early signs suggest improvement of metabolic parameters in patients undergoing clinical trials. However, negative side effects associated with low calorie intake remain, and compliance and lifestyle factors make it an unappealing therapeutic. Since calorie restriction (CR) can have remarkable protective effects against multiple age onset diseases in mouse models - ranging from cancer to neurodegeneration to metabolic disease - finding molecular mechanisms though which calorie restriction functions might provide novel therapeutic targets that promote healthy aging. Using a model system, the nematode worm C. elegans, we show that perception of energy intake in the nervous system may be as critical for the effects of low energy on aging as actual calorie intake itself. Animals expressing an active form of a protein called AMPK, which is a cellular energy sensor, were long lived despite eating normally but this longevity could be turned off or on by changes to a neurotransmitter in just a few neurons. This suggests that therapeutic targets that modulate the perception of energy status in the nervous system might provide novel ways to gain the benefit of calorie restriction and promote healthy aging. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Inflammation / 15.02.2015

Dr. Jeremy Van Raamsdonk Laboratory of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease (LAND), Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Department of Translational Science and Molecular Medicine, Department of Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Jeremy Van Raamsdon PhD Laboratory of Aging and Neurodk egenerative Disease (LAND), Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Deptment of Translational Science and Molecular Medicine, Department of Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan,Dep. of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Van Raamsdonk : The free radical theory of aging is one of the most widely accepted theories of aging. This theory suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are also known as free radicals, cause a type of damage, called oxidative damage, that accumulates over time to cause the functional decline associated with aging. ROS have also been proposed to play a role in many diseases including neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. However, recent work has demonstrated that ROS are not necessarily detrimental. ROS perform functional roles in the body and thus it is possible to have too little ROS. We previously showed that increasing ROS by decreasing the levels of an antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD) does not decrease lifespan even when all of the SOD genes are removed. We also showed that in some cases treatment with an antioxidant, such as Vitamin C, can lead to decreased lifespan. This finding is consistent with human clinical trials in which it has not been possible to show a beneficial effect of antioxidants on longevity. In this paper we further examine the relationship between ROS and aging. We use a simple genetic model organism, the worm Caenorhabditis elegans, which has been used extensively in aging research, to determine how location impacts the effect of ROS on lifespan. We used a genetic approach to increase the levels of ROS in different parts of a cell and found that location is crucial in determining the effect of ROS on lifespan. Mildly increasing the levels of ROS in the mitochondria increases lifespan, while increasing ROS in the cytoplasm has the opposite effect of decreasing lifespan. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Memory, Nature, Nutrition / 09.02.2015

Ashok K. Shetty, Ph.D. Professor and Director of Neurosciences Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX
Research Career Scientist, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS), Temple, TXMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ashok K. Shetty, Ph.D. Professor and Director of Neurosciences Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine
Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX
Research Career Scientist, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS), Temple, TX Medical Research: What is the background for this study? Prof. Shetty: Hippocampus is a region in the brain important for maintaining functions such as learning, memory and mood. However, this region is highly vulnerable to aging and brain insults. Previous research has shown that diminished function in the dentate gyrus region of the hippocampus is one of the key reasons for memory impairments seen in old age. Dentate gyrus is also one of the few regions in the brain where neural stem cells generate new neurons on a daily basis, also referred to as "adult neurogenesis". Studies have suggested that a significant fraction of newly born neurons mature, get incorporated into the existing hippocampus circuitry and contribute to learning, formation of new memories, and normal mood. However, with aging, the dentate gyrus shows decreased function with some conspicuous structural changes, which include reduced production of new neurons, diminished microvasculature implying reduced blood flow, and occurrence of hypertrophy of astrocytes and activated microglia, signs of chronic low-level inflammation. Because alterations such as reduced neurogenesis, decreased blood flow and brain inflammation can contribute to memory and mood impairments, the idea that drugs that are efficacious for mitigating these changes may preserve memory and mood function in old age has emerged. Such drugs may be prescribed to the aging population if they are efficacious for maintaining normal cognitive and mood function in old age with no or minimal side effects. Medical Research: What is the rationale for choosing resveratrol for preventing age-related memory dysfunction in this study? Prof. Shetty:  Administration of resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol found in the skin of red grapes, red wine, peanuts and some berries, appeared suitable for counteracting age-related detrimental changes in the hippocampus. This is because, previous studies have shown that resveratrol has ability to promote the formation of new capillaries (through pro-angiogenic effects) and to suppress oxidative stress and inflammation (via antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects) with no adverse side effects. Other studies have also reported that resveratrol can mediate extension of the life span and delayed onset of age related diseases. More importantly, a recent human study suggested that a reasonably lower dose of resveratrol intake for 26 weeks is good enough to improve memory performance as well as hippocampus functional connectivity in 23 healthy overweight older individuals (Witte et al., J. Neurosci., 34: 7862-7870, 2014). (more…)
Accidents & Violence, Author Interviews, CDC, Cost of Health Care / 04.02.2015

Judy A. Stevens PhD National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta GA 30341MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Judy Stevens PhD National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Stevens: Falls among people aged 65 and older are a serious, costly, and growing public health problem. As our population ages, falls will continue to increase unless we implement effective prevention strategies that are also cost-effective. This study found that three evidence-based fall prevention programs, the Otago Exercise Program, Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance, and Stepping On, were not only practical and effective but also provided a positive return on investment (ROI) or net benefit.  An ROI of 150% means for each $1 spent on implementing the program, you can expect a net benefit of $1.50. The analysis found that the cost of implementing each of these fall prevention programs was considerably less than the potential medical costs needed to care for someone injured from a fall. These research findings can help community organizations and policymakers identify and use programs that can both save lives and reduce costs. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Heart Disease, JAMA, Salt-Sodium / 19.01.2015

Andreas Kalogeropoulos, MD MPH PhD Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) Emory University School of Medicine Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute Atlanta GA 30322MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Andreas Kalogeropoulos, MD MPH PhD Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) Emory University School of Medicine Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute Atlanta GA 30322 Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Kalogeropoulos: There is ongoing debate on how low should we go when it comes to dietary sodium (salt) restriction recommendations. In this study, we examined the association between self-reported dietary sodium intake and 10-year risk for death, cardiovascular disease, and heart failure in approximately 2,600 adults 71-80 years old. The subjects (women: 51.2%; white: 61.7%; black: 38.3%) were participants of the community-based Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study, which is sponsored by NIH and focuses on aging processes, i.e. was not specifically designed to address the issue of dietary salt intake. Also, it is important to note that salt intake was self-reported (not objectively measured) using a food frequency questionnaire, which underestimates salt intake. Keeping these limitations in mind, we did not observe a significant association between self-reported sodium intake and 10-year mortality, cardiovascular disease, and heart failure. Ten-year mortality was lower in the group reporting 1500–2300 mg daily sodium intake (30.7%) compared to those reporting daily intake less than 1500 mg (33.8%) or over 2300 mg (35.2%); however, this difference was not statistically significant. The 10-year event rates for cardiovascular disease (28.5%, 28.2%, and 29.7%) and heart failure (15.7%, 14.3%, and 15.5%) were also comparable across the <1500-mg, 1500-2300-mg, and >2300-mg dietary sodium intake groups. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, JAMA, Lifestyle & Health / 19.01.2015

Jane Wardle University College London MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jane Wardle University College London Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Wardle: Previous studies have shown that couples tend to have similar health behaviours to one another, but no studies had compared having a partner who takes up a healthy behaviour (e.g. quits smoking) with having one whose behaviour is consistently healthy (e.g. never smoked). Nor have there been other studies in the older age group – our participants were over 60 on average.  We used data from 3722 couples participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) to explore this issue for three behaviours: smoking, physical activity, and weight loss. For each behaviour, we found that when one partner changed their behaviour, the other partner was more likely to make a positive change, and the effect was stronger than having a partner whose behaviour was consistently healthy (i.e. never smoked/always exercised). (more…)
Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Geriatrics, Memory / 29.12.2014

Scott M. Hayes, Ph.D. Associate Director Neuroimaging Research for Veterans Center Memory Disorders Research Center VA Boston Healthcare System Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Boston University School of MedicineMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Scott M. Hayes, Ph.D. Associate Director Neuroimaging Research for Veterans Center Memory Disorders Research Center VA Boston Healthcare System Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Boston University School of Medicine Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Hayes:   Studies with rodents have demonstrated that physical activity positively impacts memory, whereas human studies have tended to emphasize a relationship with executive function—which refers to one’s ability to plan, organize, and manipulate information in one’s mind.  To clarify the relationship between fitness, cognition, and aging, we directly assessed cardiorespiratory fitness (heart and lung function) using the gold standard in the field, a graded treadmill test, and assessed both memory and executive functions in young and older adults.  Our results showed that cardiorespiratory fitness was positively associated with memory and executive functions in older adults, but not young adults.  In fact, on tests of executive functions, older adults with higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness performed as well as younger adults. The impact of cardiorespiratory fitness may be age-dependent.  Young adults, who are at their peak in terms of memory performance, may exhibit minimal associations with cardiorespiratory fitness.  In contrast, cardiorespiratory fitness likely has a larger impact in older adults by attenuating age-related decline in memory. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, FASEB / 11.12.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jane Tarry-Adkins BSc Biochemistry Research Assistant University of Cambridge · Institute of Metabolic Science

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: From epidemiological and animal studies, it has been known for several years that a suboptimal in utero environment that causes low birth weight combined with accelerated postnatal growth is strongly linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However underlying molecular mechanisms for this phenomenon, known as ‘developmental programming’ are still unknown. In this study, we used a rat model where animals are born small because their mother ate a low protein diet during pregnancy but grow quickly during lactation when they are suckled by a control diet fed mum. These ‘recuperated’ rats displayed indices of accelerated aortic cellular aging and damage which was associated with a deficit in coenzyme Q (CoQ); (the most abundant endogenous antioxidant in the body), compared to offspring of a normal birth-weight. When these ‘recuperated’ offspring were supplemented with a clinically relevant dose of coenzyme Q, this corrected these markers of aortic cellular aging and aortic damage. Importantly, measurement of CoQ in white blood cells (WBCs) a clinically accessible tissue demonstrated a coenzyme Q deficit in these ‘recuperated’ offspring. Importantly, this strongly correlated with aortic CoQ levels. Furthermore, we also showed a highly significant relationship between CoQ levels and aortic telomere length in WBCs, suggesting that low WBC CoQ levels can predict short aortic telomeres, and therefore susceptibility to aortic disease. (more…)