Good hydration linked to healthy aging

Adults who stay well-hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who may not get sufficient fluids, according to a National Institutes of Health study published in eBioMedicine.     Using health data gathered from 11,255 adults over a 30-year period, researchers analyzed links between serum sodium levels—which go up when fluid intake goes down—and various indicators of health. They found that adults with serum sodium levels at the higher end of a normal range were more likely to develop chronic conditions and show signs of advanced biological aging than those with serum sodium levels in the medium ranges. Adults with higher levels were also more likely to die at a younger age. 

17 jan 2023--"The results suggest that proper hydration may slow down aging and prolong a disease-free life," said Natalia Dmitrieva, Ph.D., a study author and researcher in the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of NIH.  

The study expands on research the scientists published in March 2022, which found links between higher ranges of normal serum sodium levels and increased risks for heart failure. Both findings came from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, which includes sub-studies involving thousands of Black and white adults from throughout the United States. The first ARIC sub-study started in 1987 and has helped researchers better understand risk factors for heart disease, while shaping clinical guidelines for its treatment and prevention. 

  For this latest analysis, researchers assessed information study participants shared during five medical visits—the first two when they were in their 50s, and the last when they were between ages 70-90. To allow for a fair comparison between how hydration correlated with health outcomes, researchers excluded adults who had high levels of serum sodium at baseline check-ins or with underlying conditions, like obesity, that could affect serum sodium levels.   They then evaluated how serum sodium levels correlated with biological aging, which was assessed through 15 health markers. This included factors, such as systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, which provided insight about how well each person's cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, renal, and immune system was functioning. They also adjusted for factors, like age, race, biological sex, smoking status, and hypertension.

They found that adults with higher levels of normal serum sodium—with normal ranges falling between 135-146 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L)—were more likely to show signs of faster biological aging. This was based on indictors like metabolic and cardiovascular health, lung function, and inflammation. For example, adults with serum sodium levels above 142 mEq/L had a 10-15% associated increased odds of being biologically older than their chronological age compared to ranges between 137-142 mEq/L, while levels above 144 mEq/L correlated with a 50% increase. Likewise, levels of 144.5-146 mEq/L were associated with a 21% increased risk of premature death compared to ranges between 137-142 mEq/L.  Similarly, adults with serum sodium levels above 142 mEq/L had up to a 64% increased associated risk for developing chronic diseases like heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation and peripheral artery disease, as well as chronic lung disease, diabetes, and dementia. Conversely, adults with serum sodium levels between 138-140 mEq/L had the lowest risk of developing chronic disease.   The findings don't prove a causal effect, the researchers noted. Randomized, controlled trials are necessary to determine if optimal hydration can promote healthy aging, prevent disease, and lead to a longer life. However, the associations can still inform clinical practice and guide personal health behavior.  

"People whose serum sodium is 142 mEq/L or higher would benefit from evaluation of their fluid intake," Dmitrieva said. She noted that most people can safely increase their fluid intake to meet recommended levels, which can be done with water as well as other fluids, like juices, or vegetables and fruits with a high water content. The National Academies of Medicine, for example, suggest that most women consume around 6-9 cups (1.5-2.2 liters) of fluids daily and for men, 8-12 cups (2-3 liters). 

Others may need medical guidance due to underlying health conditions. "The goal is to ensure patients are taking in enough fluids, while assessing factors, like medications, that may lead to fluid loss," said Manfred Boehm, M.D., a study author and director of the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine. "Doctors may also need to defer to a patient's current treatment plan, such as limiting fluid intake for heart failure." The authors also cited research that finds about half of people worldwide don't meet recommendations for daily total water intake, which often starts at 6 cups (1.5 liters).  

"On the global level, this can have a big impact," Dmitrieva said. "Decreased body water content is the most common factor that increases serum sodium, which is why the results suggest that staying well hydrated may slow down the aging process and prevent or delay chronic disease."      This research was supported by the Division of Intramural Research at NHLBI. The ARIC study has been supported by research contracts from NHLBI, NIH, and the Department of Health and Human Services.          

More information: Natalia I. Dmitrieva et al, Middle-age high normal serum sodium as a risk factor for accelerated biological aging, chronic diseases, and premature mortality, eBioMedicine (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104404

 

Exercise and diet reaffirmed as key to healthy aging

While many people are aware humans typically lose strength and mobility as they age, fewer realize this is not inevitable and can largely be prevented by diet and appropriate exercise.

17 jan 2023--Geriatrician and current Ph.D. researcher Dr. Jesse Zanker from the University of Melbourne says this age-related loss of strength and mobility is known as sarcopenia in which, from about the age of 30, muscles begin losing their youthful bulk.

"In older age this can have serious impacts on a person's ability to remain independent and engage in meaningful activities," he says.

"With targeted action, however, loss of muscle and its negative outcomes can be delayed, prevented and even reversed."

Co-researcher Victoria University's Professor Alan Hayes from the Institute for Health and Sport said "there are many reasons that people can lose muscle, such as inactivity and hospitalization, which exacerbates losses seen with aging. Muscles can respond at any age, but waiting until there are difficulties with simple activities of daily living is too late."

While establishing clear guidelines for diagnosing sarcopenia are important, it was pleasing to see that clinicians, researchers and consumers agreed that exercise and diet are the cornerstone of healthy aging.

But knowledge of Sarcopenia remains low among both public and health professionals alike.

There are numerous causes of sarcopenia, with age being the most common. Inflammation as we age, is thought to play a key role. Illness, such as COVID-19 or influenza infection, can also speed up muscle loss.

So what can we do about it?

Dr. Zanker, at the 2020 the annual meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research, recognized that sarcopenia knowledge and action remain poor.

Over two years, they sought opinions from people living with sarcopenia and their caregivers ("consumer experts"), and clinicians and researchers ("topic experts"), to develop comprehensive guidelines for sarcopenia prevention and management in Australia and New Zealand. These guidelines were published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle in November 2022.

"Experts unanimously agreed with the evidence that the key approach to sarcopenia is simple—exercise and diet. Despite progress in medical research and the particular focus of drug companies targeting chronic diseases of older age, a prescription of exercise remains the gold standard," Dr. Zanker says.

"But not just any exercise. While walking is the most common form of exercise and is good for our physical, emotional and social health, walking on its own doesn't reduce our risk of falls or reverse sarcopenia. The key to sarcopenia treatment is known as progressive resistance training (PRT), which involves a gradual, repeated, and targeted increase in weight or 'resistance' over time."

A healthy diet includes adequate protein and calorie intake; the building blocks and fuel to optimize the effects of PRT. With the support of a doctor and allied health professionals (such as exercise physiologists, physiotherapists and dietitians), publicly funded exercise and diet plans can be developed that match consumer preferences.

Dr. Zanker reports that in their study, consumer experts shared different opinions from topic experts on their preferred duration of an exercise consultation, where they'd like to undertake exercise, and what outcomes were most important them.

For example, the mental health impacts of sarcopenia were reported to be of greater concern than reduced ability to perform household tasks. This led topic experts to reflect on why sarcopenia remains largely unknown in the public sphere. The answer being that until now experts haven't been seeking the input of people living with it.

Dr. Zanker recommends anyone concerned about sarcopenia should speak with their health provider and get moving.

"It is never too late to start making positive changes and never too early to begin," he says.

More information: Jesse Zanker et al, Consensus guidelines for sarcopenia prevention, diagnosis and management in Australia and New Zealand, Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle (2022). DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.13115

Gerontologists tackle social isolation, increasingly a public health concern

Social connectivity and meaningful social engagement must be promoted as integral components of healthy aging, according to a new collection of articles in the latest issue of Public Policy & Aging Report (PP&AR) from The Gerontological Society of America (GSA). Several authors also detail a series of initiatives that, if replicated, hold promise for decreasing isolation among older adults.

17 mar 2018--More than 8 million people over age 50 are socially isolated. That means they may not have the support of a social network of friends, family, or community. The toll on their health can be devastating: social isolation has been linked to higher blood pressure, increased susceptibility to the flu and other infectious diseases, greater risk of heart disease, and earlier onset of dementia.
"As we age, social connections can be an important contributor to our well-being," said GSA Executive Director and CEO James Appleby, BSPharm, MPH. "Now through our Public Policy & Aging Report, I am proud that GSA is adding momentum to research in this topic area—ultimately leading to new evidence-based insights that can be translated into sound policy and practice."
Appleby sits on the Executive Council of Connect2Affect, an initiative led by AARP Foundation that is committed to helping end isolation and build the social connections that older adults need to thrive.
Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of AARP Foundation, contributed the first article to the PP&AR's lineup. In addition to describing the efforts of Connect2Affect, she reports on several new ventures underway at the Foundation.
One involves a collaboration with the USC Center for Body Computing, with generous support from UnitedHealthcare, to study whether providing free Lyft rides to medical and non-medical appointments can improve health and well-being in older adults. A second involves testing whether an interactive device with built-in speech recognition and the ability to provide voice responses will make it easy, fast, and fun for older adults to get reminders and community information, and to discover and deepen new relationships. The Foundation is also supporting a project that evaluates the effectiveness of phone-based outreach in reducing feelings of loneliness and the incidence of poor health among low-income older adults.
A subsequent article by Julianne Holt-Lunstand, PhD, of Brigham Young University, demonstrates the need for such innovations. She concludes that there is now substantial evidence that being socially connected significantly reduces the risk for premature mortality, and that lacking social connectedness significantly increases risk. Moreover, these risks exceed those associated with many risk factors that receive substantial public health resources: obesity, air pollution, smoking, and physical inactivity.
The new issue of PP&AR, which contains 10 articles and an opening editorial, is titled "Lack of Social Connectedness and Its Consequences" and can be accessed at academic.oup.com/ppar/issue/27/4
.

Provided by The Gerontological Society of America

Healthy lifestyle may help older adults preserve their independence

In a study of men with an average age of 71 years, lifestyle factors such as never smoking, maintaining a healthy diet, and not being obese were associated with survival and high functionality over the next 16 years.

07 july 2017--The study included 1104 men who completed a questionnaire. High functionality was defined as preserved ability in personal activities of daily living and cognitive function.
Additional studies are needed to investigate whether lifestyle changes after the age of 70 years may also lead to preserved independence.
The findings are published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

More information: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2017). DOI: 10.1111/jgs.14971


Provided by Wiley

Scientific reasons for keeping your New Year's resolutions

Credit: University of California, San Francisco

More than half of Americans make a New Year's resolution each year, and though most people set out with the best of intentions, just a small percentage are successful in following through on their resolutions.

28 dec 2016--To give you a bit of scientific motivation, UC San Francisco gathered some of the latest research behind the most popular health-related New Year's resolutions that attest to why it really is good for your body to see them through.
Eat Healthier
Tired of counting calories? A more effective way to boost your health through diet may be simply to cut down on added sugars. The average American consumes 66 pounds of added sugar per year, and increasing evidence shows all that excess sugar isn't just making us fat; it's making us sick.
Recent studies by UCSF researchers found that putting obese children on a sugar-restricted diet for just 10 days, while allowing them to consume the same total calories, led to a sharp decline in factors associated with heart disease in adulthood, including triglycerides, the protein ApoC-III, and LDL-cholesterol.
"Everyone thinks sugar are 'empty' calories. But the data show that sugar's detriment is unrelated to its calories. It damages the liver by overwhelming mitochondria, and driving liver fat, which drives chronic disease," explained Robert Lustig, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist and an author on the studies.

Credit: University of California, San Francisco

Sugar overconsumption is a well-documented cause of heart disease and diabetes, yet many people are unaware of the risks – and that's no accident. Earlier this year, UCSF researchers uncovered documents showing that the sugar industry colluded with nutrition scientists in the 1960s to single out fat and cholesterol as contributors to coronary heart disease while downplaying the role of sugar. The media and health policy are beginning to catchup to the truth, and emerging research now suggests too much sugar is also a factor in cancer, Alzheimer's disease and aging.
Sleep More
Getting a good night's sleep affects more than just how you feel the next day. Increasing evidence links poor sleep to serious and chronic health problems like hypertension, diabetes, cancer and obesity.
For the vast majority of the population, the need for eight to eight-and-half hours of sleep is genetically determined. Though people may take pride in sleeping less and getting more work done, those missed hours take their toll, according to Aric Prather, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry.
Prather's research shows that sleep is essential for the immune system. In one study, people who slept less than six hours a night were four times more likely to succumb when exposed to the cold virus. In another, short sleepers were more than 11 times more likely to fail to develop adequate immunity after receiving a hepatitis B vaccination.

Credit: University of California, San Francisco

Drink Less Alcohol
The common assumption that moderate alcohol use is "heart healthy" is being questioned through new research from the lab of Gregory Marcus, MD, the Endowed Professorship of Atrial Fibrillation Research.
Although some research shows that moderate alcohol use can reduce the risk of heart attacks, the issue is much more complex. The same amount of alcohol can also change the structure of the heart in ways that increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, which in turn increases the risk of stroke.
Alcohol's abilities to protect and harm the heart likely operate through different mechanisms and vary from person to person, said Marcus. A nightly glass of red wine might do you more harm than good, but most people don't think beyond heart attacks when thinking about heart health.
Regardless, one clear pattern has emerged from research: people who believe alcohol is good for the heart tend to drink more.

Credit: University of California, San Francisco

Reduce Stress
Stress has long been linked to cardiovascular disease and weakened immune function, and UCSF researchers are now uncovering how this happens on a cellular level.
They've found that women under chronic stress have lower levels of klotho, a hormone that regulates aging and enhances cognition. In animal studies, when klotho is disrupted, the animals don't live as long and suffer from hardening of arteries, and loss of muscle and bone.
Chronic psychological stress also shortens the length of telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that forestall DNA degradation. Telomeres naturally shorten as we age, but stress can speed up this cellular aging.
A recent study by Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, Nobel laureate and Morris Herzstein Endowed Chair of Biology and Physiology, and Elissa Epel, PhD, professor of psychiatry, found that healthy older women who experienced stressful life events, such as the death of a loved one or unemployment, had significantly shortened telomeres after just one year.
But relax, there's good news: The same study found that those with a healthier daily lifestyle, including physical activity, healthy diet and good sleep quality, appeared to be protected against the cellular effects of stress. And earlier research found that men who made improvements in diet, exercise, social support and stress management (such as regular meditation) could even increase their telomere length. Blackburn and Epel describe more research-based strategies to reduce stress in their new book.

Credit: University of California, San Francisco

Get in Shape
Besides helping to shed those extra holiday pounds, exercise has profound health benefits that don't show up on the scales. In fact, exercise may be one of the best ways to counter the cellular damage caused by stress and trauma.
In one study of women who were primary caregivers for a family member with dementia, those who had regular physical activity were protected against stress-related telomere shortening. (Shorter telomeres are associated with increased incidence of disease and shorter lifespan.)
Exercise can also help prevent diseases ranging from dementia to cancer. A study last year found that in men ages 40 to 75, those who engaged in regular intense exercise and had other healthy lifestyle factors had a 69 percent lower risk of lethal prostate cancer.
"Exercise has the capacity to help us keep stress at bay and can limit the impact of stress on our minds and bodies," said Eli Puterman, PhD, former assistant professor of psychiatry at UCSF and now at the University of British Columbia. "This is really one more great reason to develop a healthy relationship with exercise and try to incorporate more movement into our daily lives."

Provided by University of California, San Francisco

Healthy ageing—longer healthspan with spermidine

Spermidine cleans the cells and could potentially prolong lifespan. Research is ongoing and some of it is presented by Professor Frank Madeo at the Healthy Ageing conference tomorrow.
Seven questions for Frank Madeo, Professor at the Institute of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Graz, and one of the speaker on the second day of the Healthy Ageing Seminar days.

What will you talk about at Healthy Ageing?

02 sept 2016--I will talk about our finding that you can, instead of fasting, have the benefits of fasting by administer the caloric restriction mimetic spermidine.

Tell us more about this?

In 2009, we discovered that spermidine induces autophagy, a cellular self cleaning process. In autophagy, damaged material that is accumulating during ageing is digested to replenish the energy need of the cell in times of starvation. Thereby also toxic junk is removed, and this explains the age-protective effect. We found that spermidine induces longevity and autophagy in different species, such as flies, worms and yeasts. It also protects against ageassociated diseases like dementia or cancer in model organisms.

That's amazing. What did your research results lead to?

Our finding has led to a "boom" in research. Many other labs are now working to defeat age-associated disease with spermidine administration. This applies to divergent fields, for instance muscle degeneration, age-induced immune dysfunction and stem cell pluripotency during aging.

Where can this take us – are we all to use spermidine in the future? And will we then live "forever"?

Who knows the future? But what is pretty clear to me is that we will not live forever, for sure. The damage that accumulates in the body is too random and too unpredictable. And in addition: Do we really want to prolong live beyond agony? Wouldn't it be better – and this is a realistic goal – to prolong healthsspan? I am quite sure that fasting regimes, or fasting mimicking diets, or fasting mimicking supplements like spermidine, may prolong healthsspan in the future. Healthy ageing is probably more dependent on lifestyle than on genes: So – it is possible that we will use these techniques to keep healthy longer.

What are the side effects?

Currently, we do not know any side effects. You can probably overdo it, like with everything. But the moderate supplementation that is used in mice by many research groups in order to defeat age-associated diseases reportedly has no side effects.

Has spermidine reached patients – is it used by humans today?

The first clinical trial, in which we administer a spermidine rich extract from wheat germs to elderly people, is currently ongoing. This is a collaboration between my lab and the Charite/Berlin. Our question is: Will age-associated decline in cognitive function be prevented by spermidine supplementation? The next clinical trial is currently being planned in Padova. They want to study if spermidine can prevent age or disease associated muscle loss.

Can I do something myself? Can I eat things that is rich in spermidine to perhaps reach some effects?

Definitely. It has been reported that consumption of spermidine rich food leads to enhancement of the polyamine – spermidine or spermine – concentration in the blood after three month. So, a change in diet towards spermidine rich food might be effective. High concentrations of spermidine are for example available in wheat germs, mushrooms, strongly fermented cheese, meat, green salad, and pears.


Provided by Chalmers University of Technology

Ageing well in the real world

Credit: Heriot-Watt University

Heriot-Watt psychologists are to carry out a new study to look across the board at what sort of 'real-world' activities might best protect thinking and memory skills into old age.
The three year study, supported by Velux Stiftung, a Swiss charitable foundation that supports research on healthy ageing, will look at how increasing mental, physical or social engagement might improve cognitive skills in older people.

11 aug 2016--Study leader Dr Alan Gow said that while a range of lifestyle factors might be beneficial, a large part of the research developing these findings into interventions remains lab-based. The aim of the new study is to provide evidence about the sorts of activities which are already widely available in the community and which might offer people the best opportunities for a mentally active old age.
"Keeping intellectually, socially or physically engaged have all been proposed as potentially protective. Many laboratory studies have also been undertaken, but can be difficult for people to relate these to their own lives and what is available to them.
"What we want to look at is the sort of activities which are available to people in the real world, options like language classes, dancing or social groups, and within a single study look at the effects of such mental, physical and social stimulation, individually or in combination.
"We will then be in a position to offer the sort of evidence-based advice that people can choose to act on within their own communities."

Keeping engaged

Dr Gow added, "As we age, we may experience general declines in our thinking, memory and reasoning skills, what we call cognitive ageing. There is, however, large variation in the degree of decline experienced.
"Cognitive ageing is one of the most feared aspects of growing older, and is related to lower quality of life and loss of independence. Keeping intellectually, socially or physically engaged have all been proposed as potentially protective, but we still need to better understand the relative importance of these different factors to provide advice and support for older adults.
"Given international trends towards increased longevity, ensuring the health and wellbeing of an older population will remain a priority. This project's community-based setting has been designed to reduce barriers for people to apply the findings to their own lives for real-world benefit."
The study, by the Aging Lab team at Heriot-Watt, will involve 300 people aged between 65 and 75, and will work closely with local government, older people's organisations and charities, in addition to an internationally-recognised advisory panel of leading experts in psychology, gerontology, public health and cognitive interventions.


Provided by Heriot-Watt University

Social Internet-based activities important for healthy ageing

A steadily increasing amount of everyday activities require access to the Internet, and to achieve increased participation in society, we need to pay attention to an increased inclusion of seniors according to study at Umeå University. Credit: Mostphotos

11 feb 2016--Meaningful and Internet-based activities promote experiences of participation in society and are important for healthy ageing. In a new dissertation at Umeå University in Sweden, occupational therapists are shown to promote participation, reduce experiences of loneliness and strengthen seniors' social network using an Internet-based intervention programme.
"Digitalisation is increasing the risk of excluding seniors who often can have limited experiences of Internet-based activities," says Ellinor Larsson, doctoral student at the Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation.
"A steadily increasing amount of everyday activities require access to the Internet, and to achieve increased participation in society, we need to pay attention to an increased inclusion of seniors. The senior citizen can also experience social change at the loss of loved ones, which makes the loneliness more evident. A joint effort focusing on how the well-being of the elderly can be promoted through meaningful Internet-based activities, is becoming more important in order to support the ageing population of today's society."
In her dissertation, which covers interviews and an evaluation of an Internet-based intervention programme, Ellinor Larsson describes how health-promoting efforts aimed at the seniors can be developed. To enable Internet-based social interventions for seniors, a collaboration between several parties in society is needed.
One of the studies showed that seniors who performed daily activities online also sensed a satisfying participation in society. According to the study, the participation in Internet-based activities can be promoted through support and encouragement from people in the person's surroundings, through greater access to technology and by identifying what online activities that are meaningful and important in the senior's everyday life.
The dissertation also shows how an individual and Internet-based occupational therapy intervention was drawn up to support the seniors in the introduction to social Internet-based activities. In an evaluation of the intervention, the participants showed a significant reduction in loneliness. A follow-up study shows that the online social activities constituted a compliment to other social activities and contacts both online and offline.

Provided by Umea University

Altering perception of feeding state may promote healthy aging

Targeting mechanisms in the central nervous system that sense energy generated by nutrients might yield the beneficial effects of low-calorie diets on healthy aging without the need to alter food intake, suggests new research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

01 mar 2015--The study appears online February 26, 2015 in the journal Cell. Senior author was William Mair, assistant professor of genetics and complex diseases; lead author was Kristopher Burkewitz, a researcher in Mair's lab.

The researchers wanted to learn more about energy sensing processes in organisms—in this case using the model organism C. elegans—because previous studies in species ranging from nematode worms like C. elegans to primates have shown that limiting food intake, known as caloric restriction, can improve metabolic dysfunction and promote healthy aging.

The new study shows that there may be therapeutic alternatives to caloric restriction that produce similar benefits while avoiding some of the negative side effects, which in humans can include decreased fertility and immunity.

The study focused on a molecule called "AMP-activated protein kinase," or AMPK, which acts as a molecular fuel gauge to detect energy levels. It's been known that AMPK plays important roles in all cell types, but researchers didn't understand which of these activities were most critical to regulating longevity.

The researchers found that AMPK inhibited the activity of a protein called CRTC-1 in neurons. This process, in turn, controlled the behavior of mitochondria—the primary energy-producing organelles in cells—throughout the organism, by altering production of a neurotransmitter. The researchers were struck by the fact that altering the AMPK pathway in just a limited set of neurons was sufficient to override its effects on metabolism and longevity in other tissues. Aging was influenced more by what the animals perceived they were eating than what they actually ate.

The study suggests that manipulating this energy-sensing pathway can cause organisms to perceive their cells to be in a low-energy state, even if they are eating normally and energy levels are high. Drugs targeting the cells' energy-sensors in this way could potentially address age-related diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration, and may offer an alternative to caloric restriction.

The new finding could have significant public health implications, given that aging is the central risk factor for the majority of complex diseases, and the disease burden of the elderly is one of the key challenges to public health in the 21st century.

More information: Cell, online February 26, 2015, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.004

Provided by Harvard School of Public Health

Journal supplement examines innovative strategies for healthy aging

The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) proudly announces the publication of a Health Education & Behavior (HE&B) supplement devoted to the latest research and practice to promote healthy aging. The October 2014 supplement, "Fostering Engagement and Independence: Opportunities and Challenges for an Aging Society," contains a dozen peer-reviewed articles on innovative behavioral and psycho-social approaches to improve the health of the nation's fastest growing cohort - older adults.

02 oct 2014--Together the articles describe promising advances in research directed at the health and well-being of community-dwelling older adults. The articles address strategies for promoting mobility and physical activity, highlights of a workforce certificate program, community-based efforts and models, uses of technology, and analyses to better understand health disparities in minority populations.

"It is our hope that the articles encourage readers to take on innovative roles and pursue opportunities to influence the health, functioning and well-being of the growing population of older adults," says co-guest editor Lynda Anderson, PhD, Healthy Aging Program Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Several papers describe the importance of social engagement among older adults as well as the valuable role of community collaboratives and intergenerational efforts such as aging services networks, community colleges, Experience Corps and elementary schools. These collaboratives allow the expansion of program delivery in partnership with the public health system. The Villages movement, a grassroots strategy by which organizations provide services to help older adults remain in their homes, also is spreading across communities as means to enhance social engagement, independence, and well-being of older adults.

Another article in the supplement provides new insights into the importance and value of civic service by older adults. Thomas R. Prohaska, PhD, co-guest editor and dean of the College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University notes, "Although the benefits of volunteering in older adults in terms of improvements in physical and mental health have been previously documented, there is now research that shows benefits of volunteerism in enhancing seniors' social and civic activity."

The co-guest editors summarize that further research on healthy aging is needed, especially studies that simultaneously address multiple factors, such as chronic disease self-management and uses of technology.

More information: heb.sagepub.com/content/41/1_suppl

Provided by SAGE Publications

Study examines aging in a super-diverse society

Cultural sensitivity should be a vital component in all future services for older people, experts at the University of Birmingham, will say today.

11 feb 2014--As the Care Bill 2013/14 reaches its final stages in the House of Lords, a Birmingham Policy Commission report urges policy makers to "recognise and accommodate super-diversity" when planning services for an ageing population.Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector of General Practice for the Care Quality Commission, headed the Commission entitled Healthy Ageing in the 21st Century: The best is yet to come.

He said: "This is the first time we have looked at ageing in a super diverse society. Birmingham is a multicultural city. Its 'super-diverse' population provided an ideal opportunity to explore the implications of ageing for ethnically diverse people from across the world."

The report, being launched today in the House of Commons, found that some communities and faith groups drew on the huge contribution older people make to society and that "sharing this good practice presents a real opportunity for communities of all kinds".

It also noted that the Equalities Act 2010 could prove more influential in safeguarding the rights of older people than the Human Rights Act 1998.

Among its recommendations, the report calls for:

• A new statutory post of Commissioner for Older People in England
• The Human Rights of older people to be at the heart of health and social care policy
• Research Councils to gain a better understanding of ageing in a super-diverse society
• More effort to give older people a louder voice when planning any kind of service for an ageing population, not just those related to health and social care

The report also found that health inequalities in younger life must be evened out if the poor are to age as well as the better off.

More information: A copy of the full report can be found here: www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/policy-commissions/healthy-ageing/index.aspx

Provided by University of Birmingham

The best New Year's resolutions are those you can keep

Taking small steps may help you reach goals by keeping you from getting discouraged, expert says.

02 jan 2014—You'll be more likely to stick to your New Year's resolutions if you establish realistic and achievable goals, an expert suggests.

Too many people try to do too much too fast and set unattainable goals, which simply sets them up for failure, according to Luis Manzo, executive director of student wellness and assessment at St. John's University in New York.

"There is no sense in making a resolution to wake up every morning at 5 a.m. and run five miles if you know you are not a morning person and you have never run more than a mile in your life. Such a goal will just demoralize you when you are unable to stick to it," he said in a university news release.

"Rather, play to your strengths, select goals that you can do and that work for you," Manzo suggested. "Maybe a more realistic goal is running after work for 20 minutes two days during the week and once on the weekend for 25 minutes. Start small, build your confidence and your motivation will skyrocket."

He offered a number of other suggestions to help you stick with your resolutions, including:

• Set aside time each day to work on your goals. For example, if you want to exercise, put it in your calendar. Be sure to factor in the time you need to get to the gym, shower and get dressed.
• Make your resolution part of your routine. The more you do this, the easier it will be to achieve your goal. For example, if you want to connect more with family and friends, make it a habit to call them on a certain night of the week.
• Write your goals down and make them public. This will make you more accountable.
• Surround yourself with people who are supportive of your goals. Or you can set goals with a friend so that you can encourage each other. For example, if you plan to write a book, find a friend who has the same goal and agree to share your progress and give each other feedback once a week.

More information: The U.S. General Services Administration offers tips for sticking with popular New Year's resolutions.

Two questions may reveal seniors' impending decline, study says

Inability to climb steps seen as one red flag.

19 sept 2013—Mobility is a key indicator of healthy aging, and doctors should screen older patients for signs of physical decline, say the authors of a new review.

For the study, published Sept. 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the researchers analyzed studies published between 1985 and 2012 that examined mobility and aging.

"The review confirmed that increased physical activity and exercise are extremely important for healthy aging," Dr. Cynthia Brown, of the division of gerontology, geriatrics and palliative care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said in a university news release.

Mobility problems are often an early sign of impending functional decline in seniors, which can affect their ability to live independently, Brown said.

She recommended that primary care doctors ask all senior patients two questions:

• For health or physical reasons, do you have difficulty climbing up 10 steps or walking a quarter of a mile?
• Because of underlying health or physical reasons, have you modified the way you climb 10 steps or walk a quarter of a mile?

"Any modification of a task such as climbing 10 steps raises a red flag," Brown said. "Asking the right questions can tell a clinician a great deal about the level of mobility in their older patients."

If patients' answers suggest that they have mobility problems, doctors should take appropriate measures, such as referring patients to physical therapy or prescribing appropriate mobility assistance devices, Brown advised.

"Mobility is one of the cornerstones of healthy aging," she said. "With an increasing older population in the United States, it is incumbent on us to find ways to help older Americans continue to live well and independently. The major barriers—lack of physical activity, obesity and smoking—are all risk factors that can be successfully overcome with appropriate treatment and assistance."

More information: The American Academy of Family Physicians outlines good health habits at age 60 and beyond.

Green cities mean healthier people

18 april 2013—Australians will be happier, safer and healthier if they look after the nature spots in their cities, according to new research led by The University of Queensland.

The research was led by Dr Richard Fuller from UQ's School of Biological Sciences and the National Environmental Research Program's (NERP) Environmental Decisions Hub, an Australian Government research hub hosted by UQ.

Dr Fuller said the research showed that having nature nearby can boost people's health, improve their ability to think, and help lower violence and aggression in the community.

"Conserving nature in cities, such as restoring habitats or setting up reserves can be expensive relative to conservation actions outside cities," Dr Fuller said.

"This often raises the question of whether we should invest in keeping biodiversity within our urban areas.

"The answer is yes, as scientific studies around the world now show that experiences of nature provide important benefits to many aspects of our lives, including our mental and physical health, social relationships and even our spiritual wellbeing."

One study that compared the effects of exercising in a green space and an urban environment revealed that stress was reduced after exercise in forest or parks but not in built-up areas. Another study showed that children who participated in gardening or who visited parks had improved self-esteem and mental wellbeing.

Spending time in nature can also help sick people recover faster, Dr Fuller said.

"Patients in rooms with a view of trees spend less time in hospitals, require fewer strong painkillers and have fewer postsurgical complications than those whose rooms overlook a brick wall.

"Nature can also lower death rates. Various studies in the UK and Netherlands show that people living near green spaces have lower disease loads and mortality rates."

As well as physical and mental health benefits, the restorative properties of nature can improve a person's ability to tackle mentally challenging tasks, the studies showed.

"We constantly direct our attention towards avoiding hazards and coping with noise and sights in busy urban environments," Dr Fuller said.

"This requires sustained effort and can lead to mental fatigue, resulting in reduced ability to concentrate.

"A study shows that when asked to repeat a sequence of numbers in reverse order, students who previously walked through a busy city street performed poorly compared to those who had walked through a tree-lined arboretum."

Another study that tested people's ability to proofread reveals that those who spent their vacation in the wilderness made few mistakes, whereas the performance of those who spent their holidays elsewhere was poorer.

The benefits of living close to nature also extend to wider society. In Chicago, violence and aggression were significantly lower in buildings with more surrounding vegetation, Dr Fuller said.

In addition, having shared green spaces in urban areas encouraged social interaction and fostered empowerment. People who participated in community conservation projects often benefited from the social support they encounter there, he said.

"While we aren't sure which aspects of nature deliver these benefits – whether it's particular types of garden, trees or animals – there is mounting evidence that having green spaces close to us has a positive impact on our lives," Dr Fuller said.

"This is a win-win situation for conservation and society - so we should hold on to our green spaces instead of clearing them for development."

Dr Fuller says Australians could plant more trees and shrubs in their backyards to encourage biodiversity.

"It's important to have lots of vegetation where possible, including denser thickets, tall trees, low-growing shrubs and scraggly grass where birds and insects abound," he said.

"In the meantime, spend more time outdoors, especially with your children. A nationwide survey in US shows that growing up in natural environments has a strong influence on positive environmental attitudes in adult life, and they are more likely to appreciate and support conservation in adulthood."

More information: Keniger, L. et al. What are the benefits of interacting with nature? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. www.mdpi.com/1660-… 10/3/913/pdf

Provided by University of Queensland

Changing old attitudes to aging and making aging well a global priority

This year's WHO World Health Day will be on healthy ageing, with the official launch on April 4 ahead of the actual World Health Day on April 7. Correspondence published Online First by The Lancet shows that not only must old attitudes to ageing be transformed, but attention must be shifted to dealing with non-communicable diseases in the elderly, which represent by far the largest burden of disease in this age group. The letter is by Dr Peter Lloyd-Sherlock, School of International Development, University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich, UK, and colleagues.

04 april 2012--The authors say: "Depictions of older people remain stereotyped and generalised, distorting public opinion and skewing policy debates. For example, the use of economic dependency ratios, one of the commonest measures of ageing, assumes that anyone aged 65 years or older is unproductive. Similarly, the use of disability-adjusted life years to capture the health of a population explicitly views older people as a social and economic burden. Yet many older people continue to make substantial social, economic, and cultural contributions, which can be enhanced by measures that improve their health and functional status." Furthermore, they point out that health spending and health-service use are more closely associated with how close one is to death than with chronological age. They add: "Indeed, it is often the case that less is spent on older people than on younger people with similar conditions."

Noting the variations in functional status of older people both between and within countries, the authors say substantial improvements in status can be achieved with relatively cheap and simple interventions such as the effective management of hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles, in particular regular physical activity. The authors say: "Yet in most countries these interventions are not available to large sections of adult populations. The failure of national governments and international agencies to prioritise these cheap and effective treatments represents a missed opportunity to reduce mortality, illness, and disability on an unprecedented scale. Although the non-communicable disease (NCD) agenda has gathered some momentum in recent years, international health spending in low-income and middle-income countries remains heavily focused on infectious diseases and mother and child health."

They conclude: "If we do not challenge existing policy paradigms and the social attitudes that underpin them, population ageing might indeed lead to a crisis in the provision of health and welfare services. Instead, we should see it as a welcome opportunity to challenge outdated public perceptions, political priorities, and policy models."

A linked Lancet Editorial says that 5 years from now, for the first time in history, the number of people aged 65 years and older will outnumber children younger than 5 years.

The Editorial concludes: "This World Health Day, WHO is championing a life-course approach to healthy and active ageing, which includes: promoting good health for all ages to prevent the development of chronic disease; early detection of chronic diseases to minimise their impact; creating physical and social environments that foster the health and participation of older people; and changing social attitudes to ageing. Later this year, The Lancet will publish a Series on ageing. We hope that this Series, together with WHO's renewed commitments, will help create a new movement for healthy ageing for all."

More information: http://www.thelanc … 0140-6736(12)60519-4/abstract

Provided by Lancet

Survey shows people have little time for healthy habits

Heart association finds Americans struggle to eat right, exercise and brush their teeth regularly.

12 march 2012-- Lack of time seems to be the key reason why only 12 percent of American adults regularly practice such healthy habits as eating right, exercising, and brushing and flossing their teeth, according to an American Heart Association (AHA) survey.

The survey found that 80 percent of respondents said they struggled to eat at least nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and about 60 percent said it was difficult to get the recommended levels of exercise -- at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity such as brisk walking.

The survey also found that 25 percent of respondents don't brush and rinse twice a day or floss at least once a day, as recommended.

On the positive side, however, the survey showed that 90 percent of respondents said they did want to improve their health.

"Whether it is simply adding a 30-minute brisk walk to your day, eating a few more fruits and vegetables with your meals, balancing your calories and physical activity to achieve a healthy body weight or creating routine oral-care habits -- it all contributes to an overall healthier lifestyle," AHA spokesperson Dr. Tracy Stevens, a professor of medicine and cardiologist with Saint Luke's Cardiovascular Consultants in Kansas City, Mo., said in an AHA news release.

The AHA has a healthy-living initiative called "My Heart, My Life," which provides simple ideas for improving nutrition, physical activity and children's health.

New study to assess 3 simple, cost-effective strategies to promote healthy aging

In Europe, the number of seniors aged 70 and over will increase by 40% in the next 20 years, while those aged 80 and over will more than double. Health authorities and the medical community expect a corresponding increase in the number of people suffering costly and debilitating age-related chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis, heart and lung diseases and dementia. The significant increase in the numbers of people suffering age-related chronic diseases is expected to have serious social and health-economic repercussions across Europe – unless effective prevention strategies are put in place.

06 feb 2012--A new international study announced today by the University of Zurich hopes to provide definitive evidence that three effective, affordable and safe measures can be taken to significantly reduce the burden of chronic diseases in the elderly. The DO-HEALTH study (VitaminD3-Omega3-Home Exercise-Healthy Ageing and Longevity Trial) will be Europe's largest healthy ageing study. It expects to provide solid evidence for the efficacy and safety of three simple preventive interventions: vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and a simple home exercise programme.

Professor Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, Director of the Centre on Aging and Mobility of Zurich University and DO-HEALTH Principal Investigator said "Various studies have shown that vitamin D and simple targeted exercise programmes can significantly improve functional mobility and reduce falls and fractures in seniors, even by up to 30%. As well Omega 3 provides significant health benefits to seniors. DO-HEALTH hopes to provide definitive evidence that the three interventions, alone or combined, are able to reduce the number of fractures, the functional and cognitive decline, the risk of hypertension and the risk of infections in the senior population".

Additionally, the study will measure several other important parameters, such as the severity of knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis, the ability to carry out daily life activities and the participants' general quality of life.

DO-HEALTH will start recruiting seniors in five European countries as of May 2012 and will observe more than 2,000 healthy-at-start community-dwelling seniors, aged 70 and older, for three years. Participants' follow-up will be in-person and in quarterly intervals, including yearly clinical visits. Participants will be recruited at the University of Zurich, Basel, Geneva, Toulouse, Innsbruck, Nuremberg, Coimbra and the Charité in Berlin.

Professor René Rizzoli, Board Member of the International Osteoporosis Foundation and Head of the Division of Bone Diseases, Department of Medical Specialties, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, stated, "The findings of this important new study may provide the critical evidence that will result in the implementation of simple, cost-effective strategies and medical recommendations to help tackle the growing burden of chronic diseases in Europe's senior population. Health authorities must do all they can to ensure that senior citizens remain physically independent and active members of the community".

More information: http://europa.eu/r … iLanguage=en

Provided by International Osteoporosis Foundation