Optimal Being

Summary :  Researchers discovered a link between educational attainment and biological aging, using data from the Framingham Heart Study. Their findings, utilizing the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock on genomic data, reveal that higher levels of education are associated with a slower pace of aging and a reduced risk of mortality. This landmark study highlights the potential of educational interventions to promote healthy longevity, underscoring education as not just a socio-economic benefit but a key factor in biological resilience and lifespan extension. By focusing on upward educational mobility and sibling comparisons, the study offers robust evidence that the benefits of education extend deeply into our biological makeup, influencing our health trajectories and mortality risks. Key Facts: Link Between Education and Aging : Two additional years of schooling were found to correlate with a 2-3% slower pace of aging, as measured by the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock. Educational Mobilit...

Cold activates a cellular cleansing mechanism that breaks down harmful protein aggregations responsible for various diseases associated with aging. In recent years, studies on different model organisms have already shown that life expectancy increases significantly when body temperature is lowered. However, precisely how this works has still been unclear in many areas. A research team at the University of Cologne's CECAD Cluster of Excellence in Aging Research has now unlocked one responsible mechanism. The study appears in  Nature Aging . Professor Dr. David Vilchez and his working group used a non-vertebrate model organism, the  nematode  Caenorhabditis elegans, and cultivated human cells. Both carried the genes for two  neurodegenerative diseases  that typically occur in old age: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington's disease. Both diseases are characterized by accumulations of harmful and damaging protein deposits—so-called pathological protein...

It sounds fixed but it's not, say researchers who studied three triggers of severe physiological stress: pregnancy, COVID, surgery. In preclinical models and in humans, stress from surgery, pregnancy, and severe COVID-19 increased signs of biological age, which were reversed following recovery. “Traditionally, biological age has been thought to just go up and up, but we hypothesized that it’s actually much more dynamic,” said lead author  Jesse Poganik  of the Brigham’s  Division of Genetics . “Severe stress can trigger biological age to increase, but if that stress is short-lived, the signs of biological aging can be reversed.” For  the study , Poganik and colleagues gathered data from several situations that are likely to cause severe physiological stress. In one experiment, they examined blood samples from elderly patients undergoing emergency surgery, looking at samples collected immediately before surgery, a few days after surgery, and before discharge from the ...

  Doctors call physical exercise a “polypill,” because it can prevent and treat many of the chronic diseases that are associated with aging. A new study of muscle fibers from mice and humans shows how exercise affects gene expression. The exercise-induced changes “reprogram” the epigenetic expression of the fibers to a more youthful state. The findings could provide leads for the development of drugs to mimic these benefits in people who are unable to exercise. Research shows that people who exercise regularly not only strengthen their muscles but also improve their overall health, regardless of how late in life they start. For example, recent studies have found that exercise reduces the risk of  cardiovascular disease , as well as  Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s  in older people. Conversely, reductions in muscle mass and strength are associated with lower quality of life and  higher mortality from all causes . As a result of its proven ability to prevent and treat...

Summary:  Researchers uncover a link between acylspermidines, a family of metabolites, and sirtuins, enzymes critical in aging and disease. Recent studies indicate sirtuins’ role in age-related diseases, making them promising therapeutic targets for longevity and health span. The discovery of sirtuin-linked acylspermidines in C. elegans and mammals opens new avenues for understanding and potentially manipulating these pathways. This breakthrough in biochemistry brings us closer to uncovering the roles of acylspermidines in lifespan and cell proliferation. Key Facts: Acylspermidines, newly discovered metabolites, reveal an unexpected connection between sirtuins and cellular metabolism. Sirtuins are enzymes implicated in age-related diseases and are potential targets for extending health span and longevity. This study highlights the importance of uncovering hidden biochemical pathways in understanding aging and disease processes. Source:  Boyce Thompson Institute In a significan...

Stop us if you've heard this sci-fi concept before: a cocktail of specialized chemicals that rejuvenates your whole body, from your eyes to your brain, returning everything to a more youthful state. If that sounds like the  stuff of literal myth  — or a  grossly misfired directorial attempt  by the Wachowskis — you're right to be skeptical. Quacks have a lot to gain from convincing consumers to buy miracle cures, nevermind convincing billionaires to  underwrite research into them ; the reality, though, is that effective life-extension treatments have  remained elusive . That's why we were struck to see a team of scientists that includes researchers from the name-brand Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology sounding off about what they say are promising new leads, published this month  in the journal  Aging . "We identify six chemical cocktails, which, in less than a week and without compromising cellular identity, restore...

What is inflammaging? The aging processes are accompanied by a chronic, smoldering background of inflammation that researchers call “inflammaging”. This backdrop of low-grade inflammation contributes significantly to mortality risk in the elderly and has a number of sources. The chronic inflammation that accompanies the aging process is believed to be a significant risk factor for a myriad of age-related diseases, such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, hypertension, and cancer [1-3]. The immune system relies on acute inflammation during the immune response to fight invading pathogens and to facilitate wound healing. This triggers cell turnover and tissue repair and is, in general, a desirable reason for inflammation. However, in direct contrast to this, inflammaging produces a chronic, low-grade, persistent background of inflammation that leads to poor tissue repair and degeneration [4]. This chronic inflammation also contributes to the development of age-related diseases and is instrumen...