New in Gerontology

Atlas of changes in mitochondrial metabolism during aging

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created a "road atlas" describing more than 1,500 landmarks that will help decipher the relationships between the mechanisms triggered in mitochondria by aging and a low-calorie diet.

Why do old people become victims of fraudsters more often?

Excessive credulity, characteristic of the elderly, may be associated with an age–related decrease in the function of one of the lobes of the brain - the insula.

The state of the methylome is a marker of biological age

The study of the personal methylome – the profile of DNA methylation in the genome – will not only determine the real biological age, but also predict the risks of developing diseases and the effectiveness of their treatment methods.

Problems with reading in old age

It is easier for young people to read clearer and more contrasting text, and for older people it is more blurred and vague, but old people adapt to these changes by changing the reading technique.

Aging and sexuality

Age-related decline in sexual activity is characteristic of a person, but it very much depends on the socio-cultural context in which elderly people manifest their sexuality.

Telomere length is closely related to mortality

Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center and the University of California at San Francisco have identified a pronounced relationship between mortality and the length of telomeres - the end sections of chromosomes.

Less vitamin D – longer life?

Hereditary longevity is associated with low levels of vitamin D in the body. In addition, the descendants of centenarians were less likely to have a variation in the CYP2R1 gene associated with a predisposition to the accumulation of vitamin D.

Will existing drugs help with Alzheimer's disease?

Drugs used to treat such common pathologies as diabetes, hypertension and skin diseases may find use in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease over the next 10 years.

Stem cell dysfunction, aging and cancer

Scientists from the Barcelona Center for Genomic Regulation have managed to discover new processes that control the aging of skin stem cells and link the aging process with diseases such as cancer.

How do grandfathers differ from grandmothers?

Differences between men and women in the later stages of life: biological, psychological and social aspects of gerontology.

Positive results of progeria treatment were obtained for the first time

Lonafarnib is a drug for the treatment of cancer, improved the condition of children with progeria. The study of its and other farnesyltransferase inhibitors will help to better understand the causes of diseases of the cardiovascular system and the mechanisms of normal aging.

A healthy lifestyle is also useful in old age

It is a well–known truth that being overweight, smoking, low physical activity, loneliness and alcohol abuse shorten life. However, until now it was unclear whether this pattern applies to those over 75.

Age and wisdom: ethnic features

Of course, it's nice to think that old age benefits at least the mind, if not the body. However, do we really become wiser with age?

A low-calorie diet can't prolong a person's life?

The results of a 25-year study on rhesus monkeys refute the assumption that a well-balanced low-calorie diet can increase life expectancy.

Obesity accelerates senile decline of thinking abilities

In combination with high blood pressure and other metabolic abnormalities, obesity in adulthood increases the decline of cognitive abilities, such as the ability to think and memory, as we age.

Aging, neurodegeneration and Parkinson's disease: references

Aging, neurodegeneration and Parkinson's disease

The pathogenesis and symptoms of Parkinson's disease are the result of complex interactions between aging processes and other predisposition factors, which makes this disease one of the most obvious examples of age–related pathology.

The key mechanism of skeletal muscle atrophy

Gadd45a protein alters the expression of approximately 600 genes associated with muscle atrophy, increasing the number of matrix RNAs that destroy muscle cell proteins or inhibit their synthesis.

Alzheimer's disease: two good news

Replacing one nucleotide in the ARP gene reduces the likelihood of Alzheimer's disease by 7.5 times. And the first signs of beta-amyloid accumulation are found in the cerebrospinal fluid 25 years before the onset of the disease. Perhaps the failures with the development of anti-Alzheimer's drugs are explained by the belated start of their trials.

Telomeroreductophobia

Women with phobias are noticeably older than their peers who are not afraid of spiders, mice, etc., according to such an indicator as telomere length. We hope that this publication will not lead to the appearance of another phobia – the fear of shortening telomeres :)