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Control of aging-associated neurodegeneration via hypothalamic extracellular vesicles containing parathymosin

Jung, Yu, Choi et al. reveal a critical neuroprotective role of PTMS, while loss of this protein causes severe neurodegeneration. Hypothalamic neural stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles carrying PTMS protect neurons by preventing DNA damage and offer therapeutic benefits against aging-related neurodegenerative and Alzheimer’s-like conditions in animal models.

Cardiovascular risk score identifies risk for ocular disease

The Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) cardiovascular risk score stratifies risk for multiple ocular diseases, according to a study published online in Ophthalmology.

Deyu Sun, Ph.D., from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a historical prospective cohort study using electronic health record data from the “All of Us” Research Program to examine whether the PCE cardiovascular risk score is associated with future age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy (DR), retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and hypertensive retinopathy (HTR).

A total of 35,909 adults aged 40 to 79 years with complete variables for PCE calculation within a six-month period were included in the study. Individual-level PCE score was classified into four risk categories.

Scientists Uncover How Aging Brains Turn a Vital Amino Acid Toxic

Scientists have uncovered how aging alters tryptophan metabolism in the brain, linking a longevity protein to neurodegeneration. Tryptophan is often associated with sleep, but its role in the body extends far beyond that reputation. This essential amino acid serves as a foundational building bloc

High risk of sleep apnea linked to poorer mental health in adults over 45

Researchers at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and University of Ottawa found that high risk of obstructive sleep apnea was associated with approximately 40% higher odds of a composite poor mental health outcome at baseline and follow-up among adults aged 45–85 years in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Identifying factors associated with mental health outcomes is an important goal on several fronts. Mental health conditions rank among the leading contributors to global disease burden, with anxiety and depressive disorders described as most common. Individuals living with mental health conditions face higher risks of cardiometabolic diseases, unemployment, homelessness, disability, and hospitalizations. Economically, mental disorders carry an estimated $1 trillion annual global cost in lost productivity.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) involves repeated upper airway narrowing during sleep. Disturbed breathing can break up sleep (sleep fragmentation), trigger a stress response in the nervous system (sympathetic activation), and cause episodes of low oxygen in the blood (intermittent hypoxemia).

The Brain’s Best Defense Against Aging Could Be Your New Favorite Hobby

Getting older means losing things. Some are fine, like any f**ks you have left to give or your tolerance for cheap tequila. Others, like the ability to follow a conversation in a loud room, hit harder.

But scientists now think there’s a way to fight back. And it might start at a piano bench.

Researchers publishing in PLOS Biology found that older adults who have played music for decades have brains that function more like those of someone half their age, at least when it comes to understanding speech in loud environments. In brain scans, they showed cleaner, more focused activity while listening to spoken syllables buried in background noise. Their brains weren’t scrambling. They already knew what to do.

Integrating Vascular Aging and Genetic Risk: The Combined Impact of Estimated Pulse Wave Velocity and Genetic Predisposition on Coronary Artery Disease

Vascular aging and genetic risk jointly shape coronary artery disease susceptibility across races and sexes.


BackgroundEstimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV), a noninvasive marker of arterial stiffness, reflects vascular aging and has been associated with increased coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. However, the interplay between ePWV and genetic factors, including polygenic risk score (PRS) and apolipoprotein E genotypes, in determining CAD susceptibility remains unclear.

Scientists Think We Could ‘Recharge’ Our Cells—And Rewind the Aging Clock

Think of cells as the biological answer to battery-powered electronics. Mitochondria are the batteries that supply them with enough energy to keep going. Unfortunately, just like the two standard AAs in your remote control, they eventually run out of power and die—but (much like actual batteries) they can also be recharged and replaced.

Breakdown of mitochondria causes cells to glitch. Wear and tear can happen with age, usually from years of exposure to free radicals that cause oxidative stress and inflammation, but can also be caused by injury from degenerative diseases or mitochondrial toxicity from certain drugs and other harmful substances. When there is damage to the cell, mitochondria begin to lose their capacity to generate energy. Losing mitochondria is detrimental to cell function. This is why biomedical engineer Akhilesh Gaharwar and his research team at Texas A&M University have come up with a way to regenerate them.

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