Check out the latest in aging advances, research, and events happening at NIA:
- Mental illnesses in early life linked to faster aging and worse health in later years — Two new studies, supported in part by NIA, examined the connection between poor mental health in early life and the likelihood of developing age-related diseases as people get older. Together, the findings suggest that treating mental disorders in young people not only improves their well-being but may also prevent the onset of health problems later on.
- Lack of sleep in middle age may increase dementia risk — Researchers, funded in part by NIA, examined how sleep patterns earlier in life may affect the onset of dementia decades later. Data suggests that a lack of sleep during midlife could increase a person’s chance of developing dementia later in life.
- Hearing loss linked to worse cognitive function in Hispanic/Latino American adults — Researchers from the NIA-supported Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center found that both hearing loss and high glucose levels were linked to lower scores on learning and memory tests among Hispanic/Latino Americans between the ages of 45 and 74. The results suggest that treating hearing loss using hearing aids and other hearing assistive technology may reduce the risk of worsening cognitive function.
- Tailored, earlier cardiac rehab program shows physical, emotional benefits for heart failure patients — An NIH-funded cardiac rehabilitation intervention tailored to the individual improved physical function, quality of life, and depression, compared to traditional rehabilitation programs. The clinical trial focused on providing hospitalized participants with earlier, customized approaches to heart failure rehabilitation.
- New paper estimates AT(N) framework impact on effectiveness of Alzheimer’s research — A recent published paper highlights considerations surrounding current biomarkers and how the AT(N) research framework remains an effective approach for understanding the sequence of events that leads to cognitive impairment and dementia.
- Researchers study effectiveness of tau biomarkers in Alzheimer’s blood test among diverse participants — A new NIA-funded study looked for trends in Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers and found that a form of the tau protein, ptau217, rather than beta-amyloid, was the more accurate marker of Alzheimer’s disease in a diverse group of participants.
- Unique gut microbiome patterns linked to healthy aging, increased longevity — Biological changes in the gut microbiome as we age may be connected to overall healthy aging and increased survival rates, according to new NIA-supported research. Analysis showed that people whose gut microbiomes had grown more unique with age tended to have better mobility and lived longer and healthier lives.
- Brain’s waste removal system may offer path to better outcomes in Alzheimer’s therapy — A new NIA-funded study in mice found that enhancing the brain’s lymphatic system when administering immunotherapies may lead to better clinical outcomes for Alzheimer’s disease patients.
Read more of the latest NIA research news in the NIA newsroom.
