Cholesterol Levels Linked to Depression in Elderly

School of Montpellier analysts show us how depression is linked to cholesterol and gender

Did you know the Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) and University of Montpellier financed professionals indicated that regulating ‘good’ and ‘bad’ levels of cholesterol can help stop mental problems among seniors?

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Older adults experience ‘destination amnesia’

…and over-confidence with false beliefs

Toronto, Canada – I’m sure I told you that already!

Older adults are more likely to have destination memory failures – forgetting who they’ve shared or not shared information with, according to a new study led by Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute.

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Eating berries may activate the brain’s natural housekeeper for healthy aging

BOSTON, Aug. 23, 2010 — Scientists today reported the first evidence that eating blueberries,

strawberries, and acai berries may help the aging brain stay healthy in a crucial but previously unrecognized way. Their study, presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), concluded that berries, and possibly walnuts, activate the brain’s natural “housekeeper” mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline.

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Male menopause affects more than 5 million men

Low testosterone levels to blame for low libido, fatigue and weight gain

CHICAGO – While most frequently associated with women’s health, age-related hormone changes, often dubbed menopause, can occur in men as well, causing symptoms of fatigue, mood swings, decreased desire for sex, hair loss, lack of concentration and weight gain. Experts estimate that more than 5 million men are affected, yet worry the number may be considerably higher since symptoms are frequently ignored.

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Experiments show blood pressure drugs could help fight frailty

Dilation of blood vessels restores muscle synthesis in elderly

GALVESTON, Texas — University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers believe they’ve found a way to use widely available blood pressure drugs to fight the muscular weakness that normally accompanies aging.

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Discovery may aid search for anti-aging drugs

Gene’s action may help explain why restricting diet lengthens life in animals

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A team of University of Michigan scientists has found that suppressing a newly discovered gene lengthens the lifespan of roundworms. Scientists who study aging have long known that significantly restricting food intake makes animals live longer. But the goal is to find less drastic ways to achieve the same effect in humans someday. The U-M results offer promising early evidence that scientists may succeed at finding targets for drugs that someday could allow people to live longer, healthier lives.

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Neurodegeneration ‘clumping proteins’ common in aging process

Many proteins that form insoluble clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases are also found in healthy individuals and clump together as a normal part of aging. According to a surprising new finding by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, the discovery in the C. elegans roundworm refutes a widespread belief that these clumps are unique to degenerative disease and created by proteins specific to those diseases. The team also found that gene manipulations that extend the lifespan of C. elegans prevent the formation of these insoluble aggregates. These findings will appear next week in the online, open-access journal PLoS Biology.

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Hebrew University researchers identify gene related to chronic pain

Jerusalem, August 4, 2010 – Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere have succeeded in identifying for the first time a gene associated with susceptibility to chronic pain caused by nerve injury in humans, signaling a significant step toward better understanding and treating of the condition.

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Research breakthrough on the question of life expectancy

Why do we grow old and what can we do to stop it? This is the question asked by many, but it appears that we are now closer to an answer thanks to new research published by Monash University researcher Dr Damian Dowling.

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Aging and longevity tied to specific brain region in mice

Researchers watched two groups of mice, both nearing the end of a two-day fast. One group was quietly huddled together, but the other group was active and alert. The difference? The second set of mice had been engineered so their brains produced more SIRT1, a protein known to play a role in aging and longevity.

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