How much does aging affect mental acuity? It’s debatable

Three keys to protecting an aging brain are physical activity, intellectual stimulation and annual screenings for dementia.

Donald Jurivich, Chair of Geriatrics, University of North Dakota • conversation
Sept. 5, 2024 • ~9 min

Drinking alcohol before conceiving a child could accelerate their aging – new research in mice

Researchers are uncovering the ways by which dad, mom or both parents drinking can result in fetal alcohol syndrome and other lifelong effects on children.

Michael Golding, Professor of Physiology, Texas A&M University • conversation
Aug. 28, 2024 • ~6 min

What links aging and disease? A growing body of research says it’s a faulty metabolism

Targeting the key players that help your body regulate metabolism could reverse disease progression, including cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Melanie R. McReynolds, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Penn State • conversation
Aug. 22, 2024 • ~7 min

Why don’t more politicians retire? A medical anthropologist explains how the US could benefit from a mandatory retirement age

Many Americans seem to prefer to keep working well past retirement age, but it’s not clear whether the choice is motivated by the need to keep earning money or the desire to continue being productive.

Matthew J. Wolf-Meyer, Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • conversation
Aug. 19, 2024 • ~8 min

Dementia risk factors identified in new global report are all preventable – addressing them could reduce dementia rates by 45%

Worldwide, the number of people with dementia is set to dramatically rise in the next 25 years. But a new report shows it doesn’t have to happen.

Laura Gitlin, Dean Emerita and Distinguished Professor of Nursing and Health, Drexel University • conversation
Aug. 12, 2024 • ~6 min

Racism and discrimination lead to faster aging through brain network changes, new study finds

Black women who are more frequently exposed to racism showed stronger connections in areas of the brain involved in rumination and heightened vigilance, both of which lead to faster biological aging.

Nathaniel Harnett, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard University • conversation
Aug. 5, 2024 • ~6 min

Menopause increases your risk of STIs due to how aging changes your body

Older adults are at risk for contracting STDs – not only because of stigma and infrequent condom use, but also because of physical changes due to aging.

Thomas L. Cherpes, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, The Ohio State University • conversation
Aug. 1, 2024 • ~5 min

Heat waves can be deadly for older adults: An aging global population and rising temperatures mean millions are at risk, as India is experiencing

Older adults face greater health risks from extreme heat for several reasons, including their medications..

Ian Sue Wing, Professor of Earth and Environment, Boston University • conversation
May 22, 2024 • ~11 min

Heat waves can be deadly for older adults: An aging global population and rising temperatures mean millions are at risk, as Asia is experiencing

Older adults face greater health risks from extreme heat for several reasons, including their medications..

Ian Sue Wing, Professor of Earth and Environment, Boston University • conversation
May 22, 2024 • ~11 min

Heat waves can be deadly for older adults: An aging global population and rising temperatures mean millions are at risk

Older adults face greater health risks from extreme heat for several reasons. Communities can save lives by starting to make changes now.

Ian Sue Wing, Professor of Earth and Environment, Boston University • conversation
May 22, 2024 • ~10 min

/

8