From Mediterranean diets to probiotics, scientists reveal how reshaping the gut microbiome could help protect brain function, while highlighting why timing may be critical for slowing cognitive decline. Study: The association between gut microbiota and cognitive decline: A systematic review of the literature. Image credit: Toa55/Shutterstock.com The gut-brain axis is gaining importance as a modulator … Read more
Multiple sclerosis (MS) has more than doubled in recorded prevalence in England from 2000 to 2020, increasing by 6% per year, largely due to improved diagnosis and longer life expectancy, finds a new study by University College London (UCL) and Imperial College London researchers. The team found that survival of people with MS improved significantly … Read more
A new review suggests the menopause transition may mark a critical window for Alzheimer’s prevention in women, shifting focus toward earlier detection, sex-specific risk factors, and more personalized care. Expert Review: Women’s midlife: the front line of Alzheimer prevention. Image Credit: izzuanroslan / Shutterstock In a recent review published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, author … Read more
Sildenafil – an active ingredient also marketed under the name of Viagra – improves symptoms in patients with Leigh syndrome. This has now been reported in the Cell journal by researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, together with teams from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD), and the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine … Read more
A sweeping cohort-based analysis of four decades of mortality data reveals how cardiovascular deaths, external causes, and generational health patterns are reshaping longevity in the United States. Study: Insights into US life expectancy stagnation from birth cohort mortality dynamics. Image Credit: tomertu / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy … Read more
The protein “neurofilament light chain” (NfL) – studied in humans in the context of neurodegenerative diseases and aging – is also detectable in the blood of numerous animals, and NfL levels increase with age in mice, cats, dogs, and horses. Experts from the DZNE and the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH) at the … Read more
Immunotherapy – which activates the body’s own immune system to kill cancer cells – has not worked well against a rare and fatal liver cancer, but a new Cornell University study finds an existing FDA-approved drug may allow the immunotherapy to fight the cancer as intended, opening the door to a potential treatment. Fibrolamellar carcinoma … Read more
A major cohort study suggests that consistent adherence to established healthy eating patterns may add years to life, even after accounting for genetic predisposition. Study: Healthy dietary patterns, longevity genes, and life expectancy: A prospective cohort study. Image Credit: Pacorpi / Shutterstock In a recent study published in Science Advances, researchers investigated the impact of … Read more
Studies have reported on survival probabilities of people born with open spina bifida, a condition where the spinal cord and nerves are exposed through an opening in the back. Research published in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology now provides life expectancies, with results reported by age, sex, and different levels of impairment. In the study … Read more
Researchers have found that prescribing guideline-directed medical treatment (GDMT), regardless of the number of medications, can improve survival rates in patients 90 years of age and older following their first heart attack, with the greatest benefit observed in patients who received all four recommended post-acute myocardial infarction (AMI) therapies. These include beta-blockers, antiplatelets, lipid-lowering drugs, … Read more