Cutting calories may slow the pace of aging in healthy adults dschwartz December 26, 2023 Research Highlights NIA Main December 28, 2023Aging Biology Geroscience Longevity Behavioral & Social Research Biomarkers Dietary Restriction Long-term calorie restriction may slow the pace of biological aging in healthy adults, according to an NIA-funded study. Specifically, cutting caloric intake by 12% for two years in lean or slightly overweight adults slowed the pace of aging by 2-3%. Although the effect is small, it adds up over time; earlier research suggests that a similar slowdown may reduce ..read more

Daily low-dose aspirin found to have no effect on healthy lifespan in older people cireb@mail.nih.gov September 14, 2018 News Releases Large NIH-funded study examined outcomes in United States and Australia September 16, 2018Chronic Conditions Gerontology Longevity Barbara Cire | (301) 496-1752 | nianews3@mail.nih.gov In a large clinical trial to determine the risks and benefits of daily low-dose aspirin in healthy older adults without previous cardiovascular events, aspirin did not prolong healthy, independent living (life free of dementia or persistent physical disability). Risk of dyin ..read more

Compound in green tomatoes extends lifespan, healthspan in animal models, human cells rosecl@nih.gov November 03, 2017 Research Highlights November 03, 2017Aging Biology Longevity Nutrition Good news for tomato lovers: a naturally occurring compound found in green tomatoes could hold a key to healthier aging, according to a recent study conducted in animal models and human cells. The work is the result of an extensive collaboration among three laboratories of the National Institute on Aging’s Intramural Research Program: the Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology, the Laboratory of Genetics & ..read more

Diabetes drug increases lifespan of male mice, shows smaller effect in females Anonymous November 15, 2013 Research Highlights November 15, 2013Aging Biology Chronic Conditions Longevity Translational Research Researchers leading the National Institute on Aging’s Intervention Testing Program (ITP) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, and the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio have found that acarbose, a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, increases median lifespan of male mice by 22 percent. The drug’s effects ..read more

Social factors may predict mortality risk for older adults dschwartz October 03, 2023 Research Highlights NIA Main October 05, 2023Longevity Social Isolation and Loneliness Frailty Behavioral & Social Research A new risk prediction tool based on social characteristics may forecast four-year mortality risk for older adults. The 10-question survey, called the Social Frailty Index, improves upon existing risk models. Findings from the NIA-funded study were published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Social factors have been shown to predict age-related health outcomes ..read more

Study of fruit flies finds hunger causes brain changes that slow aging dschwartz July 18, 2023 Research Highlights NIA Main July 20, 2023Aging Biology Longevity Genetics Diet affects lifespan but hunger itself also can increase longevity. In Drosophila melanogaster — fruit flies — feeling hungry can increase lifespan because of changes in the brain, according to a new NIA-funded study published in Science. For this study, researchers from the University of Michigan promoted hunger in Drosophila in two different ways. First, they fed the flies food low in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), wh ..read more

Immune system profiles of extremely long-lived people pmorrison May 02, 2023 Research Highlights NIA Main May 03, 2023Aging Biology Longevity Genetics Centenarians From NIH Research Matters The mix of various immune cells in the body changes with age. These changes may contribute to various age-related diseases. Many centenarians — people who live to at least 100 years — tend to have delayed onset of age-related diseases such as cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. This suggests that their immune systems remain healthier for longer compared with other people. A previous study in Japan ..read more

Aging linked to RNA-length imbalance pmorrison April 10, 2023 Research Highlights NIA Main April 13, 2023Aging Biology Geroscience Longevity Genetics Aging is associated with a greater abundance of shorter RNA molecules across different cell types and organisms, according to NIA-funded scientists. For their study, published in Nature Aging, the researchers found that as humans, mice, rats, and killifish get older, the length of their RNA transcripts tends to shorten, creating an imbalance with longer transcripts. Shorter transcripts are linked to processes common in aging, such as inflammation ..read more

Personality and mortality linked to number of mitochondrial DNA in blood pmorrison February 20, 2023 Research Highlights NIA Main February 23, 2023Aging Biology Mental & Emotional Health Longevity Biomarkers Certain personality traits correspond with the number of mitochondrial DNA molecules in a person’s blood, and both factors are good predictors of mortality. A team led by NIA researchers found that having a higher number of mitochondrial DNA molecules was associated with a lower incidence of neuroticism and depression and a longer lifespan. The research, published in eLife, provides so ..read more

Fetal exposure to Great Depression economic hardship linked to accelerated aging pmorrison February 06, 2023 Research Highlights NIA Main February 09, 2023Aging Biology Longevity Economics People who were exposed in utero to poor economic conditions during the Great Depression may experience accelerated aging in later life, according to an NIA-funded study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The results suggest that the fetal environment plays a critical role in longevity and healthy aging. As people age, their cells accumulate changes that may lead to increased vuln ..read more