Archive for the ‘Geriatrics’ Category

Telomeres have been a focus of anti-aging research for quite sometime. Unfortunately, no breakthroughs have yet revealed any glimmer of the fountain of youth. Telomeres are pieces of DNA that cap the ends of our chromosomes. Each time a cell divides (which is required for us to stay alive) telomeres get shorter and shorter until they reach a point where division is halted, thus putting bodily cells into a state where they can no longer renew themselves – thus is part of the aging process. However, new research focusing on Ashkenazi Jews has found that those who lived the longest had inherited a hyperactive version of an enzyme called telomerase that is able to rebuild telomeres. “In effect, centenarians tend to have a top-notch body mechanic at work 24/7 repairing the hardware that runs the body, versus a normal person whose body’s cellular control center is left to wear out with time.” Will this startling research lead to future advances in the pursuit of longevity? Only time will tell. [via Yahoo! News]

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The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden released the latest results from the Prospective Population Study of Women, which has been following the health status of 1,500 women since the 1960s. Blood analysis has shown that middle-aged women with high levels of the amino acid homocysteine are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease years later. As well, the risk of any type of dementia for these women was 70% higher than women with the lowest levels of homocysteine. It’s unclear whether the relationship between Alzheimer’s and homecysteine is direct or indirect. If, in fact, future studies support this claim homocysteine levels may be an easy way to determine those at risk even before the onset of symptoms. [via EmaxHealth]

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Research presented this week at the Neuroscience 2009 meeting in Chicago revealed an interesting side effect of internet use on older brains. Researchers from University of California, Los Angeles found that frequent internet use among the elderly – even those who only recently started using the web – increased brain functioning beyond their baseline. By comparing novice users to seasoned internet veterans the researchers found that even after just one week of using the internet, the novice users’ brains showed activity in areas important for working memory and decision making – activity that wasn’t apparent on brain scans prior to engagement with the web. [via Medical News Today]

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An article published in the British medical journal Lancet says that that the process of aging may be “modifiable.” Meaning that advances in science and medicine are allowing us to slow down the rates of aging. Researchers say that most children born in wealthy nations this century will likely live to become centenarians – not surprising given that life expectancy has been increasing rapidly in countries such as Japan, which has the world’s longest life expectancy, where more than half of the country’s 80 year-old women are expected to live to 90. The greying population will soon transform the face society, and retirement ages will likely be pushed back, said Richard Suzman, an expert on aging at the U.S. National Institute on Aging. “We are within five to 10 years of a watershed event where there will be more people on earth over 65 than there under five,” he said. “Those extra years need to be financed somehow and we need to start thinking about it now.” [via CBS News]

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You think by now scientist would have figured out why our hair goes gray as we age. However, only recently do we know that it’s not necessarily from attainment of wisdom. A team of European scientists just discovered that going gray is caused by a build up of hydrogen peroxide, which our hair follicles normally produce in small amounts. But as we age, wear and tear of our hair follicles renders them unable to properly process the hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide then winds up blocking the normal synthesis of melanin, the substance that gives hair its natural pigment.

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The commonly used pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines do not appear to be effective for preventing pneumonia, found a UK and Swiss study. In many countries, including the US, pneumococcal vaccines are given primarily to people over the age of 65 and those with certain chronic diseases. The current study reviewed 22 prior studies and found that when only high quality studies were included, there was no evidence that pneumococcal vaccines could prevent pneumonia. However, some critics are warning that further research is needed prior to changing current vaccine policies.  For now the study adds to the ongoing debate around effectiveness of the vaccine.

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Had a “senior moment” lately? You know, those sudden, momentary lapses when you just can’t seem to remember the most common things. For most of us, we will experience what physicians term normal cognitive aging. Now, Columbia University researchers say that elevated blood glucose levels that occur naturally when we age may contribute to age-related cognitive decline. “This is news even for people without diabetes since blood glucose levels tend to rise as we grow older. Whether through physical exercise, diet or drugs, our research suggests that improving glucose metabolism could help some of us avert the cognitive slide that occurs in many of us as we age,” reported the lead investigator. Although regularly checking your blood sugar level isn’t recommended for non-diabetics, daily exercise is recommended for everyone (especially diabetics) because it contributes to normalization of blood glucose.

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Edna Parker of Shelbyville, Indiana, who became the world’s oldest person more than a year ago, has died at the age of 115.  UCLA gerontologist Dr. Stephen Coles keeps a list of the world’s oldest people and said Parker was the 14th oldest supercentenarian in history. Maria de Jesus of Portugal, born Sept. 10, 1893, is now the world’s oldest living person. Research has shown that children of parents that live to be 100 or more also live longer and have less risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. However, good genes won’t necessarily get you past 100 on their own, but it certainly helps. Friends and family say Edna walked a lot and always stayed active, even after moving into a nursing home at age 100 where she, coincidentally, lived with 7-foot-7 Sandy Allen, who is recognized by Guinness as the world’s tallest woman until her death this past August.

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