Tag: ageing

Categories : COVIDTags :

Over 50s Have Greater Risk of Reduced Mobility after COVID

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Adults over 50 with mild or moderate COVID have increased risk of worsening mobility and physical function, even if hospitalisation is not required to treat the virus, new research has found.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, highlights the burden of COVID among middle-aged and older adults who are not hospitalised, and suggests that even those who experienced even mild COVID have lasting, troublesome symptoms.

Researchers surveyed more than 24 000 people over the age of 50 from across Canada during the initial phase of the lockdown in 2020 to determine the effect of a COVID diagnosis on their mobility. 

The team looked at mobility issues including difficulty getting up from sitting in a chair, ability to walk up and down stairs without assistance and walking two to three neighbourhood blocks, as well as changes in participants’ ability to move around the home, engage in housework and physical activity.

“We found that even those with mild and moderate illness due to COVID experienced adverse changes in mobility and physical function compared to individuals without COVID,” said co-author Professor Susan Kirkland.

“These findings are worth noting because they indicate that the negative effects of COVID are much broader and impact a wider range of older adults than those who are hospitalised for COVID.”

Participants with COVID had nearly double the odds of worsening mobility and physical function, although most had mild or moderate symptoms. Of the 2748 individuals with confirmed, probable or suspected COVID, 94% were not hospitalised.

Individuals with confirmed or probable COVID had double the odds of worsening ability to engage in household activities and participate in physical activity than those without COVID. Similar results were found for those with suspected COVID.

“Our results showed there was a higher risk for mobility problems in people who were older, had lower income, those with three or more chronic conditions, low physical activity and poorer nutrition,” said co-author, assistant professor Marla Beauchamp.

“However, those factors alone did not account for the mobility problems we observed among people with COVID. Rehabilitation strategies need to be developed for adults who avoid hospitalisation due to COVID but still need support to restore their mobility and physical function.”

The researchers concluded that there is a need to further understand the long-term impacts of COVID and consider “the development and implementation of effective intervention and management approaches to address any persistent deficits in mobility and functioning among those living in the community.”

Source: Dalhousie University

Categories : Environmental EffectsTags :

Ozone Linked to Cognitive Impairment with Age

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Photo by Kouji Tsuru on Unsplash

A robust link has been established between long-term ozone exposure and an increased risk of cognitive impairment in older adults, according to a large-scale study published in Environment International.

Air pollution has long been considered a major risk factor for an ageing society. Fine airborne particulate matter can lead to dementia and other cognitive disabilities. But beyond airborne particles, little is known about the way in which other pollutants can pose a similar danger.

The researchers chose to focus on ambient ozone, a highly reactive gas that exists in much of smog at ground level. They then observed health outcomes in nearly 10 000 older adults across China and analysed the extent to which long-term ozone exposure may have impacted their cognitive ability over time.

The results, they found, were startling. For every 10 microgram increase of yearly average ozone exposure, the risk for cognitive impairment grew by more than 10%. Through their analysis, the researchers also found that this association held even when they abstracted away individual risk factors such as smoking, drinking and education level. That is, older adults in China who were exposed to high levels of yearly ozone pollution were more likely to develop cognitive disabilities later in life, no matter what other activities they were involved in.

“Our findings suggest potential benefits in delaying the progression of cognitive decline among older adults if ozone levels are reduced below the new WHO Global Air Quality Guideline for ozone pollution,” said Kai Chen, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health and the study’s lead author.

The researchers acknowledged limitations such as observational data being unable to establish a causal link. More research is needed into ozone’s destructive mechanism. And since many older adults in China spend more time indoors, their ozone exposure may be different.

Nonetheless, the findings match what other researchers have found in areas across the globe: Over the past several years, studies have traced a similar link in adults in the United States and in Taiwan, and have also found an association between ozone exposure and other neurological diseases.

The study shows that ozone exposure needs to be curbed worldwide to prevent healthcare systems from being overwhelmed as populations age and pollution increases.

Study co-author Professor Robert Dubrow said what makes this issue more urgent is that “ozone pollution is projected to be worsening under climate change.” Reducing this threat could bring significant benefits to public health and improve quality of life.

Source: Yale University

Categories : AgeingTags :

Grip Strength is an Important Health Marker in Older Women

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Source: CDC

Researchers have found that greater grip strength in older women reduces mortality risk, regardless of weight change, suggesting that mobility and strength support should have more focus than weight loss in this group.

Grip strength and short physical performance battery (SPPB) are measures of physical functioning. Grip strength assesses strength of grip alone, whereas SPPB is a cumulative score considering three components: balance test, timed walk, and chair stands. 

Previous studies have shown a link between increased grip strength and lower all-cause mortality. SPPB considers timed walk, balance test, and chair stands, and is associated with CVD risk in older women. However, studies of the effects of weight loss on grip strength which evaluated participants before and after weight loss interventions have shown inconsistent results.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers followed 5039 older women for an average of 5.4 years. They found that loss of 5% or more body weight was associated with a 66% higher risk of dying. However, there was no association of weight gain with mortality.

The researchers also found that higher grip strength and better lower extremity functioning were associated with lower risks of death during follow-up, regardless of weight change.

“Our findings support increasing efforts to improve mobility and muscle strength in older women and less focus on long-term weight loss in this population,” said lead author Lisa Underland, DO, of Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. 

Source: Wiley

Categories : Ageing General InterestTags :

Most Superheroes Will Age Healthily, Researchers Conclude

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Spider-Man has a healthy outlook, so long as he doesn’t binge drink or smoke like his mentor, Iron Man. Source: Pixabay

Australian researchers in the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal took a whimsical look at the ageing trajectories of Marvel superheroes based on their attributes and behaviours as seen in the films, finding them to be largely well-adjusted and likely to age healthily. 

Positive behaviours and health assets
Marvel superheroes are physically active, socially engaged, and optimistic, with high educational attainment and (with one notable exception) healthy weight, all of which have been associated with a positive ageing trajectory.

The review found that superheroes regularly engage in physical activity and exercise, both associated with healthy ageing. They often undertake high intensity interval training (HIIT), associated with improved health status in ageing men.

Even during discussions about how to stop aliens from enslaving humanity, superheroes stand regularly and pace, increasing their step count and further improving their healthy outlook.

In terms of social engagement, superheroes exhibit a high degree of social cohesion and connectedness, both linked to reduced dementia risk. People with strong social ties tend to live longer than isolated people, regardless of other risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity.

The superheroes show a positive or optimistic mindset on several occasions, as well as psychological resilience and a sense of purpose, all of which have been associated with healthy ageing.  Some have traumatic backgrounds, including Spider-Man who was orphaned, which increases his risk of substance abuse and mental health problems. However, his supportive social contacts, including positive male role models help mitigate this.

Most of the superheroes did not drink or smoke excessively, save for Iron Man and Thor, which is associated with longevity and healthy ageing. However, Thor is already thousands of years old and the researchers could not assume that modifiable personal traits would affect his life trajectory.

Negative behaviours and risk factors
Superheroes are exposed to loud noises, air pollution, and receive multiple head injuries precipitated by high risk physical activities.

Superheroes are repeatedly exposed to loud noises such as explosions, which is linked to hearing loss, which in turn is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. Some of the superheroes, such as Hulk and Thor, have booming voices, potentially indicative of early sensorineural hearing loss.

During their activities, superheroes sustain multiple major head injuries, increasing their dementia risk. Involvement in high risk activities, which could increase their likelihood for life changing physical injury and disability.

Of the individual cases presented, Black Panther has probably the best health outlook, as he is extremely wealthy and intelligent, health assets that he shares in common with Iron Man. However, unlike Iron Man, he does not drink or smoke excessively, and is a vegetarian, which has well-studied benefits in healthy ageing.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Hulk was noted to have serious health concerns. Bruce Banner transforms to the Hulk when he experiences tachycardia—specifically, a heart rate of 200 beats per minute. The frequency of this occurrence suggests a predisposition to cardiac arrhythmias, possibly indicating underlying cardiac disease.

Hulk’s body mass index (BMI) is about 120 (calculated from height 213cm–243cm and weight 471kg–635kg). Although being in the overweight category might be protective, obesity is associated with a higher death rate as well as dementia, and several chronic health conditions and frailty. Hulk’s BMI also raises pragmatic concerns around future access to appropriate healthcare. Hulk’s almost constant anger (“That’s my secret Captain. I’m always angry”) might lead to increased inflammation and comorbidity in advanced old age.

Source: The British Medical Journal

Categories : Ageing GenderTags :

Urinary Incontinence Worsens as Women Age

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Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

A new study published in Menopause suggests postmenopausal women aged 45 to 54 years are more likely to have overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome. Additionally, obesity and multiple births put a woman at greater risk for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). 

Urinary incontinence symptoms are common in women and typically worsen as women age. In the United States, the prevalence of urinary incontinence is 17.1% in women aged 20 years or older and 38% in women aged 60 years and older.

There are two main types of urinary incontinence: urinary urge incontinence (UUI) and SUI. Urinary urge incontinence is defined as the involuntary loss of urine associated with the urge to urinate. Stress urinary incontinence, which women are more likely to be diagnosed with, is the involuntary loss of urine because of effort or physical exertion, including sporting activities, sneezing, and coughing. Overactive bladder syndrome is characterised by urinary urgency and is usually accompanied by increased daytime frequency and/or nocturia, with urinary incontinence.

This is the largest known study, with data from more than 12 000 women. Its goal was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with urinary symptoms.

While the study showed a significant association of OAB in women aged 45 to 54 years and postmenopausal status, it also demonstrated that SUI symptoms may likely become less frequent after menopause. However, high body mass index and the number of times a woman has given birth were shown to increase SUI symptoms.
Other factors studied included smoking status, history of diabetes, hysterectomy, and the use of hormone therapy. The researchers suggest that additional studies should be conducted to consider the association between time since menopause and OAB symptoms in the perimenopause period.

“This study underscores how common urinary incontinence is in women, with nearly one in five Japanese women reporting urinary incontinence related to OAB or SUI in the last month. Midlife women were particularly affected by SUI (18.2% in women aged 50 to 54 years). Given the significant negative effect on quality of life and the presence of effective strategies for management of these burdensome symptoms, clinicians should routinely ask women about urinary incontinence,” said Dr Stephanie Faubion, The North American Menopause Society medical director.

Source: EurekAlert!

Categories : Ageing ExerciseTags :

A ‘Sweet Spot’ for Exercise to Reverse Cognitive Decline

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Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

Researchers at the University of Queensland have identified an exercise ‘sweet spot’ that reverses the cognitive decline in ageing mice, paving the way for human studies.

After more than a decade of research, the team led by Professor Perry Bartlett and Dr Dan Blackmore, the team found 35 days of voluntary physical exercise improved learning and memory. The findings were published in iScience.

“We tested the cognitive ability of elderly mice following defined periods of exercise and found an optimal period or ‘sweet spot’ that greatly improved their spatial learning,” Dr Blackmore said.

Additionally, the researchers also discovered how exercise improved learning – down to growth hormones.

“We found that growth hormone (GH) levels peaked during this time, and we’ve been able to demonstrate that artificially raising GH in sedentary mice also was also effective in improving their cognitive skills,” Dr Blackmore said

“We discovered GH stimulates the production of new neurons in the hippocampus – the region of the brain critically important to learning and memory.

“This is an important discovery for the thousands of Australians diagnosed with dementia every year.”

Dementia is the second leading cause of death of all Australians, and with no medical breakthrough the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to around 1.1 million by 2058.

Professor Bartlett said the findings add to the body of evidence showing that loss of cognitive function in old age is directly related to the diminished production of new neurons.

“It underlines the importance of being able to activate the neurogenic stem cells in the brain that we first identified 20 years ago,” Professor Bartlett said.

The team were able to explore how the production of new neurons changed the circuitry in the brain using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

“Using MRI, we were able to study the brain following exercise, and for the first time identify the critical changes in the structure and functional circuitry of the hippocampus required for improved spatial learning,” Dr. Blackmore said.

Source: University of Queensland

Categories : AgeingTags :

The Secret of ‘Rejuvenating’ Blood Transfusions Between Mice

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Photo by Kanasi on Unsplash

Researchers have identified an important mediator of youthfulness in mouse muscle, which explains the ‘rejuvenating’ blood transfusions effect between young and old mice. The discovery could also lead to new therapies for age-related muscle loss.

Published in Nature Aging, the study showed that circulating shuttles called extracellular vesicles, or EVs, deliver genetic instructions for the longevity protein known as Klotho to muscle cells. Reduced muscle function and repair in old mice may be driven by aged EVs, which carry fewer instructions than those in young animals.

The findings help further as to understanding why muscle regeneration capacity diminishes with age.

“We’re really excited about this research for a couple of reasons,” said senior author Dr Fabrisia Ambrosio. “In one way, it helps us understand the basic biology of how muscle regeneration works and how it fails to work as we age. Then, taking that information to the next step, we can think about using extracellular vesicles as therapeutics to counteract these age-related defects.”

Decades of research have shown that when old mice are given blood from young mice, youthful features are restored to many cells and tissues. But until now, it was unclear which components of young blood confer these rejuvenating effects.

“Amrita Sahu releaseWe wondered if extracellular vesicles might contribute to muscle regeneration because these couriers travel between cells via the blood and other bodily fluids,” said lead author Dr Amrita Sahu. “Like a message in a bottle, EVs deliver information to target cells.”

Ambrosio and her team collected serum from young mice and injected it into aged mice with injured muscle. Mice that received young serum showed enhanced muscle regeneration and functional recovery compared to those that received a placebo treatment, but the serum’s restorative properties were lost when EVs were removed, indicating that it is these vesicles which deliver the beneficial effects of young blood.

The researchers then found that EVs deliver genetic instructions, or mRNA, encoding the anti-ageing protein Klotho to muscle progenitor cells, important stem cells for muscle regeneration. EVs collected from old mice carried fewer copies of Klotho instructions than those from young mice, causing muscle progenitor cells to produce less of this protein.

With advancing age, muscle doesn’t recover from damage as well because scar tissue is laid down. In earlier work, Ambrosio and her team showed that Klotho is an important regulator of regenerative capacity in muscle progenitor cells and that this protein declines with age.

The new study shows for the first time that age-related shifts in EV cargo contribute to depleted Klotho in aged stem cells, suggesting that EVs could be developed into novel therapies for healing damaged muscle tissue.

“EVs may be beneficial for boosting regenerative capacity of muscle in older individuals and improving functional recovery after an injury,” said Ambrosio. “One of the ideas we’re really excited about is engineering EVs with specific cargoes, so that we can dictate the responses of target cells.”

Beyond muscles, EVs also could help reverse other effects of ageing. Previous work has demonstrated that young blood can boost cognitive performance of aged mice.


Source: University of Pittsburgh

Categories : Ageing Skeletal SystemTags :

Prunes Also Protect Bone Health in Men

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Photo by Nino Liverani on Unsplash

New research published in the Journal of Food and Medicine reports that daily prunes consumption protects bone health in men over 50. This study is the first of its kind to examine the beneficial prune effect on bones in men. 

Some 2 million men are estimated to be battling osteoporosis and another 16.1 million men have osteopenia, or low bone mass. Despite these numbers, bone disease in men is often overlooked.

“We’ve already seen significant evidence that prunes have a positive effect on bone health in women, so it’s particularly exciting to find that prunes can also play a beneficial role in men’s bone health. We look forward to continuing to study the ‘prune effect’ on bone and other health outcomes in men,” said lead researcher Professor Shirin Hooshmand at San Diego State University.

In this study, 57 healthy men aged 50-79 years old were randomised to either consume 100 grams of prunes every day or no prunes for twelve months. After a year, the prune consumers showed significant decreases in biomarkers of bone breakdown, while no changes were observed in the control group. The study authors also reported the men who ate prunes showed improvements in bone geometry indicating greater bone strength.

Historically, research has focused on osteoporosis and bone health in women, already indicating a favorable bone response to prunes specifically among postmenopausal women. Several studies have suggested that eating 50 to 100 grams of prunes everyday could lead to increased bone mass and decreased bone breakdown. Moreover, a recent case study earlier this year reported that total bone mineral density increased in a postmenopausal woman with osteopenia after she consumed 50 grams of prunes daily for 16 months.

“Bone health is not just a concern for women. Men need to think about how to protect their bones as well,” said Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN and consultant with the California Prune Board. “Prunes are a shelf-stable and nutrient-packed food that provide a preventive, proactive, palatable option for men to optimize their bone health.”

While San Diego State University’s newest research is an exciting addition to existing prune-focused literature, more work on the effect of prunes on human bone health is currently underway. An upcoming study from Pennsylvania State University examines how consuming different amounts of prunes affects health outcomes in postmenopausal women over a one-year period. The study not only explores the impact of prunes on bone health, but it will also look at the prune-effect on inflammation and gut health.

Source: PR Newswire

Categories : AgeingTags :

Timely Interventions Could Counteract Sarcopenia

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Photo by Bennett Tobias on Unsplash

A new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden suggests that the early stages of sarcopenia, where muscles weaken with age faster than expected, could be counteracted with timely interventions designed to preserve physical and cognitive function and manage chronic conditions. The study’s findings are published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.

Muscle mass and function is lost with ageing. When this decline is more extensive or rapid than expected, it is categorised as sarcopenia, a common condition in the elderly that often lowers quality of life and increases fall and fracture risks.

Researchers examined how different factors such as sex, age, educational level, living arrangement, lifestyle and chronic conditions affected the development of sarcopenia in people aged 60 and above across a 12-year period.

When the study began, almost 10% of the nearly 3200 participants had sarcopenia, 27% had probable sarcopenia and just over 63% no sarcopenia. Measurements such as grip strength, walking speed, speed of rising from a chair five times and calf circumference were used to assess muscle strength and mass and physical performance.

“Perhaps the most interesting result was that after five years, a roughly equal proportion (just over 10 percent) of the individuals with probable sarcopenia had either improved or deteriorated. This suggests that sarcopenia is a dynamic condition that is modifiable especially in the initial stages, which is a hopeful message,” said corresponding author Caterina Trevisan, affiliated researcher at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet.

Physical activity and higher results on cognitive tests improved odds of improvement and lowered mortality risk, while a higher number of chronic conditions, male sex and older age had the opposite correlation. For individuals initially diagnosed with severe sarcopenia, there was little chance of improvement, and many of them (almost 71%) died during the follow-up period.

“Our results support the need of early interventions to preserve physical and cognitive functions and manage chronic conditions in older individuals,” says the study’s last author Anna-Karin Welmer, senior lecturer at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet. “With these tools, we could probably counteract muscle deterioration and the impairment in quality of life this entails. We now need intervention studies to find ways to use these tools to counteract sarcopenia.”

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : Ageing GenderTags :

Older Women Struggle More with Daily Activities

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Older women are more likely to struggle with both regular daily tasks and mobility activities, according to new analysis of longitudinal cohort studies.

However, the researchers say disparities in ability to perform daily tasks have been steadily decreasing as the socioeconomic gap between the sexes has decreased.  

The international study, published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, uses data from more than 27 000 men and 34 000 women aged 50 to 100, born between 1895 and 1960, to examine sex differences in daily activity and mobility limitations. Researchers at UCL and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in France drew on four large longitudinal studies, covering 14 countries*.

Women were more found to be more likely than men to be limited in their ‘functional capacity’ (both tasks and mobility) as they get older. From age 75, women were also more likely to have three or more mobility issues (such as going up a flight of stairs) or limitations with more complex daily tasks (eg managing money) compared to men who were more likely to have just one or two. At age 85 years, the prevalence of three or more mobility limitations was 10% higher in women than in men.

Lead author, Mikaela Bloomberg, UCL PhD candidate, explained: “Our study of over 60,000 participants born between 1895 and 1960 provides new insights on functional limitations and sex differences.

“We found that women are more likely to be limited than men in carrying out daily tasks from age 70, while we observed women were more likely to be limited in mobility activities from age 50 onward.

“This is an important observation because mobility limitations can precede other more severe limitations and targeting these gaps at middle age could be one way to reduce sex differences in limitations at older ages.”

Historical socioeconomic differences between men and women in areas such as education and entrance to the labour force may partly explain these differences, as women are disproportionately exposed to associated health risks that can lead to disability.

“It appears that gender inequalities in the ability to carry out daily tasks at older age are decreasing over time and this could be explained by the fact that women have better access to education and are more likely to enter the paid labour force in recent generations,” said Bloomberg.

“And although reductions in socioeconomic inequalities may be associated with smaller disparities in simple daily tasks, we did not see the same reductions in sex disparities for mobility after accounting for socioeconomic factors. This might be partly due to sex differences in body composition such as body mass and skeletal muscle index but more research is needed to identify other factors.”

Co-author Dr Séverine Sabia added: “Developing targeted prevention policies to preserve independent living and quality of life for older adults requires an understanding of drivers of sex differences in functional limitations.

“Our study indicates improvements in socioeconomic conditions for women could play an important role in reducing these sex differences. Findings also highlight the importance of early prevention to tackle sex differences in mobility that may trigger sex differences in disability at older age.”

Source: University College London