The key to a longer life could be the way a person perceives their aging experience, according to a new study led by Rachel Pruchno, Ph.D., professor of medicine at the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. Recently published by the scientific journal, The Gerontologist, the study found a significant association between the subjective successful aging (SSA) of adults ages 50-74 and their risk for mortality within nine years.

Pruchno and her team analyzed data collected between 2006 and 2008 from 5,483 people aged 50-74 living in New Jersey. In addition to demographic, health and lifestyle variables, they measured SSA using a valid, reliable measure.

The team found that SSA had a significant association with mortality within nine years, accounting for known mortality risk factors. Each one-point rise in SSA decreased the risk of mortality by 3 percent. People with low SSA scores (between zero and five), had a 45 percent chance of dying within nine years, while those with high scores (between 25 and 30) had less than a 10 percent chance of dying.

These findings are important because they show that, after accounting for known risk factors for mortality, perceptions are powerful predictors. This research highlights the value of measuring how people feel about their aging experience, because it can be used as a tool to identify people who would benefit from interventions.

My research provides a new and helpful way to understand the link between how people feel about their aging experience and mortality, said Pruchno. The next important question my team is tackling is learning what changes people can make in their lives to ensure that they will age successfully.

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Positive views about aging linked to longevity, research shows - Rowan Today

VANCOUVER, BC and TORONTO , Dec. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) (OTCQX: WHTCF) (" WELL " or the " Company "), a digital health company focused on positively impacting health outcomes by leveraging technology to empower healthcare providers and their patients globally, and Canucks Sports & Entertainment are pleased to announce that the Vancouver Canucks have selected WELL as the Official Medical Services Provider to the team.

WELL Health Medical & Longevity Centre, a part of the WELL Health Clinic Network, is one of over 150 outpatient medical clinics owned and operated by WELL. It is a premier, diagnostics focused medical clinic specializing in advanced diagnostic imaging and molecular biomarker testing. With cutting-edge technology and a team of expert physicians and radiologists, the Centre is dedicated to providing top-tier health assessments and treatments. Its focus is on delivering comprehensive care that supports not just the treatment of illness but the promotion of overall long-term health and wellness.

The partnership between WELL Health Medical & Longevity Centres and the Vancouver Canucks heralds a new era in healthcare for elite athletes. As the Official Medical Services Provider of the Vancouver Canucks, WELL is now an integrated part of the Canucks medical team providing leading-edge diagnostic imaging, sports cardiology and pain management services designed to enhance the overall heath and performance of the players.

WELL Health Medical & Longevity Centre is also honoured to provide the WELL Longevity+ program to the Vancouver Canucks and Canucks Sports & Entertainment coaches, players and management. The WELL Longevity+ Program goes beyond traditional medical services delivering the most advanced preventative care available to the Canucks organization, enhancing an existing culture of sustained wellness, and peak athletic performance, which leads to on-ice success.

WELL Longevity+ starts with precision diagnostic testing, including but not limited to comprehensive total body scans using MRI and CT diagnostic capabilities, and additional screens that analyze various aspects of an individual's health including heart, metabolic, and gut microbiome health to neurocognitive function and cancer prevention. Patients can also choose to engage in the Longevity+ Annual Healthcare Program which offers an opportunity for patients to collaborate with expert physicians and radiologists who specialize in age management, precision medicine, health span, and longevity.

"We are honoured to be an extension of the Vancouver Canucks medical team and to support the health and performance of the players, coaches and management," stated Vince Danielsen , Senior Director of Preventative Health at WELL. "It is a privilege to team up with the Canucks and be aligned with an organization that gives so much to the health of our community."

Recently, Canucks Sports & Entertainment announced the creation of a new and exclusive event level space situated between the home and visiting dressing rooms. The intimate club features an a la carte food and beverage line-up inspired by TopTable and Michelin-rated Elisa Restaurant in Vancouver's Yaletown District. Dedicated parking with a direct entrance to the exclusive space and access to the best seats in the house for every hockey game and concert at Rogers Arena will ensure this is something guests will find great value accessing.

WELL will be extending its health optimization efforts to WELL Health President's Club, Premium Suite, and Club Seat Members, providing Canucks Premium Members with exclusive healthcare offers including WELL Longevity+. These benefits will focus on proactive health management, giving fans access to sophisticated screenings and the information they need to maintain and improve their health. By prioritizing preventive care, WELL aims to enhance the long-term well-being and quality of life for fans, ensuring they have the resources to stay healthy and informed.

"We are so excited to announce that WELL will be our Official Medical Services Provider and the title sponsor of our new President's Club," stated Michael Doyle , President, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, Business Operations. "With an absolute focus on creating a premium hosting experience, the WELL Health President's Club will be the most exclusive and unique hosting space in the city."

Via the partnership, WELL healthcare providers, who are the backbone of the company's healthcare ecosystem, will have the opportunity to enjoy games and concerts. "We have chosen to concentrate our B.C. physician benefits around live entertainment at Rogers Arena," commented Vince Danielsen . "Care providers will now experience elite hockey and world class musical entertainment as a part of their WELL experience."

The partnership between WELL and the Canucks illustrates the powerful connection between elite sports and advanced healthcare. It ensures that the players receive personalized medical care, while also granting fans and the community unparalleled access to preventative health services. This collaborative effort marks a significant step on the path to optimal health and well-being for both the team and its supporters.

For additional information on the WELL Health Medical & Longevity Centre and its innovative services, please visit https://welllongevity.ca .

WELL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES CORP.

Per: "Hamed Shahbazi"

Hamed Shahbazi

Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director

About WELL Health Technologies Corp.

WELL's mission is to tech-enable healthcare providers. We do this by developing the best technologies, services, and support available, which ensures healthcare providers are empowered to positively impact patient outcomes. WELL's comprehensive healthcare and digital platform includes extensive front and back-office management software applications that help physicians run and secure their practices. WELL's solutions enable more than 33,000 healthcare providers between the US and Canada and power the largest owned and operated healthcare ecosystem in Canada with more than 150 clinics supporting primary care, specialized care, and diagnostic services. In the United States WELL's solutions are focused on specialized markets such as the gastrointestinal market, women's health, primary care, mental health, revenue cycle management, and practitioner recruiting. WELL is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WELL" and on the OTC Exchange under the symbol "WHTCF". To learn more about the Company, please visit: http://www.well.company.

About Canucks Sports & Entertainment.

Canucks Sports & Entertainment is Western Canada's sports & entertainment leader providing world class entertainment in multiple venues in British Columbia .

CSE owns and operates the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League, the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League, the Vancouver Warriors of the National Lacrosse League, the Vancouver Titans of the Overwatch League, the Seattle Surge of the Call of Duty League and Rogers Arena.

From watching one's first NHL game to singing along with a favourite artist, Canucks Sports & Entertainment strives to create unforgettable moments that inspire, excite and unite us all. Regardless of the score, the event or the night, our goal is to provide a world class experience for you and your guests from the moment you arrive, to the end of the event.

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/well-health-selected-by-the-vancouver-canucks-as-official-medical-services-provider-302008876.html

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WELL Health Selected by the Vancouver Canucks as Official Medical Services Provider - InvestorsObserver

Longevity is the achievement of a long life. We may hope for longevity so that we can experience many years of quality time with loved ones or have time to explore the world. But living to a ripe old age doesnt necessarily mean healthy or happy longevity if it is burdened by disability or disease. The population of people over age 65 has grown more quickly than other age groups due to longer life spans and declining birth rates, and yet people are living more years in poor health. [1] Therefore, we will explore not just ones lifespan but healthspan, which promotes more healthy years of life.

What you do today can transform your healthspan or how you age in the future. Although starting early is ideal, its never too late to reap benefits.

Researchers from Harvard University looked at factors that might increase the chances of a longer life. [2] Using data collected from men and women from the Nurses Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study who were followed for up to 34 years, researchers identified five low-risk lifestyle factors: healthy diet, regular exercise (at least 30 minutes daily of moderate to vigorous activity), healthy weight (as defined by a body mass index of 18.5-24.9), no smoking, and moderate alcohol intake (up to 1 drink daily for women, and up to 2 daily for men). Compared with those who did not incorporate any of these lifestyle factors, those with all five factors lived up to 14 years longer.

In a follow-up study, the researchers found that those factors might contribute to not just a longer but also a healthier life. [2] They saw that women at age 50 who practiced four or five of the healthy habits listed above lived about 34 more years free of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, compared with 24 more disease-free years in women who practiced none of these healthy habits. Men practicing four or five healthy habits at age 50 lived about 31 years free of chronic disease, compared with 24 years among men who practiced none. Men who were current heavy smokers, and men and women with obesity, had the lowest disease-free life expectancy.

Beyond the five core lifestyle habits mentioned above, a growing body of research is identifying additional factors that may be key to increasing our healthspans:

These senses can decline over time for various reasons: normal aging, which causes a gradual decrease in taste and smell; prescription drugs that reduce taste sensitivity and promote dry mouth or lack of saliva; deficiencies in micronutrients such as zinc that reduce taste; and poor dentition with tooth loss or dentures leading to chewing problems. [19] Up to 60% of adults 70 years and older may lose their sense of taste. [20] With this loss may come heavier seasoning of food with sugar and salt. [21] They may prefer softer lower-fiber foods that dont require much chewing. Poor taste and smell in the elderly is associated with lower dietary quality and poorer appetite. [22]

Food aromas are important as they trigger the release of saliva, stomach acid, and enzymes in preparation for digestion. [23] The scent of food can trigger the release of dopamine and serotonin, causing a feeling of wellbeing to encourage eating. An impaired sense of smell in older adults is also associated with less variety in food choices and poorer nutrition, but can also lead to increased food intake and weight gain in some individuals. [23]

Seasoning food more liberally with sodium-free herbs, spices, and vinegars may help to compensate for sensory deficiencies. Using foods with a savory umami quality like mushrooms, tomatoes, some cheeses, and yeast can boost richness and flavor. Another sensory aspect of food called kokumi describes a full and rich mouthfeelsuch as that experienced from a minestrone soup, an aged cheese, or a seafood stew simmering for many hours. If poor appetite from sensory loss is a problem, providing variety through different textures, smells, and colors in the meal may stimulate an increased desire to eat. [21]

Eating and food preparation are also important activities offering socialization and mental stimulation such as when learning new cooking skills. Preparing meals helps to reduce sedentariness as there are several action steps involved: selecting and purchasing, washing and chopping, and cooking the ingredients.

Japanese women and men currently live five to six years longer than Americans, so their practices are of great interest. In Japanese families, elders are highly revered and households are intergenerational. Japanese elders are generally healthier than Western elders, but is this the chicken or the egg? Does better health from good lifestyle habits allow them to stay physically active and involved in society so they remain a valuable asset and reap psychosocial benefits, or is it the culture that reveres elders so they have better mental health, less loneliness, and better healthcare so that they stay healthier longer? Japan has also largely avoided the epidemic of obesity that the U.S. is experiencing; for example, the prevalence of obesity among U.S. women is about 37% but among Japanese women is less than 5%. [24] This difference is certainly an important contributor to differences in life expectancy, but raises questions about how the Japanese have been able to control their weight. In recent years, diets in Japan have become more similar to those in the U.S. but they still eat smaller portions, more fermented foods, less sweets, and less red meat.

Identifying additional factors that improve and extend our healthspans is an active area of scientific inquiry. In the meantime, current research findings are encouraging, and underscore the importance of following healthy lifestyle habits throughout ones life course. That said, sticking to these behaviors is easier said than done, and public policies must support and promote these habits by improving the food and physical environments that surround us.

Last reviewed December 2022

The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products.

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Healthy Longevity The Nutrition Source - Harvard University

A review published in the Journal of Internal Medicine summarized current knowledge on the impact of dietary factors on chronic diseases and longevity [1].

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The choice of what someone eats obviously has a profound impact on that persons health, but the amount is also important. Caloric restriction, the practice of reducing caloric intake without causing malnutrition, has been shown in many laboratory organisms to increase lifespan and delay the onset of age-related diseases [2]. However, studying caloric restriction in humans is challenging.

In the longest caloric restriction trial, non-obese participants achieved 12% calorie reduction over 2 years. Researchers observed improvements in several biomarkers: blood lipids, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and pro-inflammatory cytokines [3]. However, due to the short duration of the study and the small sample, long-term chronic disease and mortality risk cannot be reliably assessed.

Studies assessing body weight and shape trajectories are used as a marker and substitute for detailed calorie intakes. Such studies show the health benefits of maintaining a stable-lean body shape, which include decreased risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases [4, 5, 6]. Results also show an association between an elevated risk of several diseases and weight gain, even in 5 kg (11 lb) increments, during young and middle adulthood [6].

Research spanning several decades provides a wealth of evidence supporting the idea that different types of fat are linked to different effects on health. Some studies have associated higher intake of unsaturated fats with lower mortality rates [7]. On the other hand, consumption of trans fats and saturated fats has been documented to have the opposite effect, and it is associated with increased mortality.

The food source of fat is also important, with plant sources, but not animal sources, lowering the risk of coronary artery disease [8]. Protein restriction, specifically restricting particular amino acids, such as methionine and tryptophan, extends the lifespan of laboratory model organisms [9, 10].

In humans, associations between protein intake and mortality are still being researched. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) demonstrates that, for individuals between 50-65 years old, high animal protein, but not high plant protein, was associated with a 75% increase in overall mortality during 18 years of follow-up. However, for individuals over 65, higher protein intake was associated with lower mortality [11].

This hasnt been observed in other cohort studies, where age was not a modifying factor. In those studies, higher animal protein intake was associated with cardiovascular mortality, and higher plant protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality [12].

Carbohydrate intake is also intensely studied. Animal studies on low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diets suggest that they can enhance longevity and healthspan [13]. Short-term randomized clinical trials show that restricting the consumption of carbohydrates can improve several biomarkers, such as by lowering blood glucose or improving insulin sensitivity [14].

However, adherence to a low-carb diet is challenging and can result in inadequate intake of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Current research suggests that the health impact of a low-carb diet depends on the type of fat and protein consumed [15]. An animal-based low-carb diet is associated with higher mortality. In comparison, a low-carb diet in which vegetables are mostly the sources of protein and fat is associated with lower mortality, especially mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases. Generally, studies agree that carbohydrate quality, more than quantity, plays a more important role in the development of chronic disease.

Polyphenols are a group of natural compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties. They are found in many plant-based foods. Consumption of polyphenols is linked to cardiometabolic benefits, improved cognitive function, decreased neurodegenerative disease risk [16], and maintenance of healthy gut microbiota [17]. Some research has found that polyphenols have aging properties, and they influence many hallmarks of aging [18].

The authors rightly notice that various healthy dietary components are not consumed in isolation but must be combined into a healthy dietary pattern. One of the diets, which is regarded as healthy, is the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is abundant in plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and olive oil.

Current research points out that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced risks of many conditions and diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, heart failure, neurodegenerative diseases, and mortality [19].

The Nordic diet has some similarities to the Mediterranean diet. It focuses on plant-based and locally sourced foods, with a major difference of using mainly rapeseed oil instead of olive oil. Available data, although scarce, suggests that following a Nordic diet lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. However, no long-term studies have been conducted so far [20].

This paper also discusses the Okinawan diet. Okinawa Island is one of the Blue Zones, a place with a high number of centenarians. Diet is one of the components believed to be responsible for the increased lifespan of Okinawas residents. It puts emphasis on root vegetables (mainly purple sweet potatoes), green and yellow vegetables, soybean-based foods, seaweeds and algae, tea, and a variety of medicinal plants (e.g. bitter melon) and spices such as turmeric with limited meat consumption. Additionally, Okinawans practice Hara Hachi Bu, that is, eating until they are 80% full, which resembles caloric restriction.

The authors also discuss vegetarian diets. Small randomized clinical trials have shown improvements in different biomarkers for participants following a vegetarian diet, e.g., reduced blood pressure, total and LDL cholesterol levels, body weight, and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Additionally, large cohort studies of vegetarians suggest they have a reduced risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and lower rates of cancer than nonvegetarians [21].

The study authors conclude that while dietary patterns have a profound impact on health, other lifestyle factors are important to increase healthspan and lifespan.

We defined five low-risk lifestyle factors as fulfilling either: never smoking, maintaining normal weight (BMI 18.524.9 kg/m2), 30+ minutes/day moderate to vigorous physical activity, moderate alcohol intake (no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two for men), and a high-quality diet.

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A review published in the Journal of Internal Medicine summarized current knowledge on the impact of dietary factors on chronic...

A new review summarizes what we know about the Mediterranean, keto, and plant-based diets and their effects on cancer risk...

In a recent review published in Frontiers in Nutrition, the researchers reviewed studies linking olive oil consumption to cognitive performance...

A new study suggests that high protein intake leads to fat gain and worse metabolic outcomes, but some of these...

[1] Hu F. B. (2023). Diet strategies for promoting healthy aging and longevity: An epidemiological perspective. Journal of internal medicine, 10.1111/joim.13728. Advance online publication.

[2] Fontana, L., & Partridge, L. (2015). Promoting health and longevity through diet: from model organisms to humans. Cell, 161(1), 106118.

[3] Kraus, W. E., Bhapkar, M., Huffman, K. M., Pieper, C. F., Krupa Das, S., Redman, L. M., Villareal, D. T., Rochon, J., Roberts, S. B., Ravussin, E., Holloszy, J. O., Fontana, L., & CALERIE Investigators (2019). 2 years of calorie restriction and cardiometabolic risk (CALERIE): exploratory outcomes of a multicentre, phase 2, randomised controlled trial. The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology, 7(9), 673683.

[4] Song, M., Hu, F. B., Wu, K., Must, A., Chan, A. T., Willett, W. C., & Giovannucci, E. L. (2016). Trajectory of body shape in early and middle life and all cause and cause specific mortality: results from two prospective US cohort studies. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 353, i2195.

[5] Zheng, Y., Song, M., Manson, J. E., Giovannucci, E. L., & Hu, F. B. (2017). Group-Based Trajectory of Body Shape From Ages 5 to 55 Years and Cardiometabolic Disease Risk in 2 US Cohorts. American journal of epidemiology, 186(11), 12461255.

[6] Zheng, Y., Manson, J. E., Yuan, C., Liang, M. H., Grodstein, F., Stampfer, M. J., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2017). Associations of Weight Gain From Early to Middle Adulthood With Major Health Outcomes Later in Life. JAMA, 318(3), 255269.

[7] Marklund, M., Wu, J. H. Y., Imamura, F., Del Gobbo, L. C., Fretts, A., de Goede, J., Shi, P., Tintle, N., Wennberg, M., Aslibekyan, S., Chen, T. A., de Oliveira Otto, M. C., Hirakawa, Y., Eriksen, H. H., Krger, J., Laguzzi, F., Lankinen, M., Murphy, R. A., Prem, K., Samieri, C., Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Fatty Acids and Outcomes Research Consortium (FORCE) (2019). Biomarkers of Dietary Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality. Circulation, 139(21), 24222436.

[8] Zong, G., Li, Y., Sampson, L., Dougherty, L. W., Willett, W. C., Wanders, A. J., Alssema, M., Zock, P. L., Hu, F. B., & Sun, Q. (2018). Monounsaturated fats from plant and animal sources in relation to risk of coronary heart disease among US men and women. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 107(3), 445453.

[9] Solon-Biet, S. M., McMahon, A. C., Ballard, J. W., Ruohonen, K., Wu, L. E., Cogger, V. C., Warren, A., Huang, X., Pichaud, N., Melvin, R. G., Gokarn, R., Khalil, M., Turner, N., Cooney, G. J., Sinclair, D. A., Raubenheimer, D., Le Couteur, D. G., & Simpson, S. J. (2014). The ratio of macronutrients, not caloric intake, dictates cardiometabolic health, aging, and longevity in ad libitum-fed mice. Cell metabolism, 19(3), 418430.

[10] Miller, R. A., Buehner, G., Chang, Y., Harper, J. M., Sigler, R., & Smith-Wheelock, M. (2005). Methionine-deficient diet extends mouse lifespan, slows immune and lens aging, alters glucose, T4, IGF-I and insulin levels, and increases hepatocyte MIF levels and stress resistance. Aging cell, 4(3), 119125.

[11] Levine, M. E., Suarez, J. A., Brandhorst, S., Balasubramanian, P., Cheng, C. W., Madia, F., Fontana, L., Mirisola, M. G., Guevara-Aguirre, J., Wan, J., Passarino, G., Kennedy, B. K., Wei, M., Cohen, P., Crimmins, E. M., & Longo, V. D. (2014). Low protein intake is associated with a major reduction in IGF-1, cancer, and overall mortality in the 65 and younger but not older population. Cell metabolism, 19(3), 407417.

[12] Song, M., Fung, T. T., Hu, F. B., Willett, W. C., Longo, V. D., Chan, A. T., & Giovannucci, E. L. (2016). Association of Animal and Plant Protein Intake With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality. JAMA internal medicine, 176(10), 14531463.

[13] Roberts, M. N., Wallace, M. A., Tomilov, A. A., Zhou, Z., Marcotte, G. R., Tran, D., Perez, G., Gutierrez-Casado, E., Koike, S., Knotts, T. A., Imai, D. M., Griffey, S. M., Kim, K., Hagopian, K., McMackin, M. Z., Haj, F. G., Baar, K., Cortopassi, G. A., Ramsey, J. J., & Lopez-Dominguez, J. A. (2017). A Ketogenic Diet Extends Longevity and Healthspan in Adult Mice. Cell metabolism, 26(3), 539546.e5.

[14] Ludwig, D. S., Hu, F. B., Tappy, L., & Brand-Miller, J. (2018). Dietary carbohydrates: role of quality and quantity in chronic disease. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 361, k2340.

[15] Fung, T. T., van Dam, R. M., Hankinson, S. E., Stampfer, M., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2010). Low-carbohydrate diets and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: two cohort studies. Annals of internal medicine, 153(5), 289298.

[16] Ammar, A., Trabelsi, K., Boukhris, O., Bouaziz, B., Mller, P., M Glenn, J., Bott, N. T., Mller, N., Chtourou, H., Driss, T., & Hkelmann, A. (2020). Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Interventions on Cognition and Brain Health in Healthy Young and Middle-Aged Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of clinical medicine, 9(5), 1598.

[17] Rana, A., Samtiya, M., Dhewa, T., Mishra, V., & Aluko, R. E. (2022). Health benefits of polyphenols: A concise review. Journal of food biochemistry, 46(10), e14264.

[18] Leri, M., Scuto, M., Ontario, M. L., Calabrese, V., Calabrese, E. J., Bucciantini, M., & Stefani, M. (2020). Healthy Effects of Plant Polyphenols: Molecular Mechanisms. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(4), 1250.

[19] Guasch-Ferr, M., & Willett, W. C. (2021). The Mediterranean diet and health: a comprehensive overview. Journal of internal medicine, 290(3), 549566.

[20] Massara, P., Zurbau, A., Glenn, A. J., Chiavaroli, L., Khan, T. A., Viguiliouk, E., Mejia, S. B., Comelli, E. M., Chen, V., Schwab, U., Risrus, U., Uusitupa, M., Aas, A. M., Hermansen, K., Thorsdottir, I., Rahelic, D., Kahleov, H., Salas-Salvad, J., Kendall, C. W. C., & Sievenpiper, J. L. (2022). Nordic dietary patterns and cardiometabolic outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and randomised controlled trials. Diabetologia, 65(12), 20112031.

[21] Wang, T., Masedunskas, A., Willett, W. C., & Fontana, L. (2023). Vegetarian and vegan diets: benefits and drawbacks. European heart journal, 44(36), 34233439.

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What's the latest science on brain health? How can I lose fat after 40? Why am I not seeing results from my workouts? I'm fortunate to have built my career around working with leading health and wellness brands, athletes and experts in the field. Last year, I shared 8 of the best health and wellness podcasts to help us eat better, exercise smarter, and live more optimally.

Below, I share 8 of the newer, most reputable and leading books in health and wellness, all of which made the New York Times Best Sellers list. They aim to educate, inspire and offer "actionable tips" to level up your health and mental wellness and help you feel, as Dr. Gabrielle Lyon says, Forever Strong.

Peter Attia asks us, "Why should we seek longevity?" Despite being a rigorous yet thorough read, Attia challenges some conventional medical thinking on aging to illustrate a new approach to preventing chronic disease and extending long-term health. Attia shares how he "rethinks" mainstream medicine, which, for all of its successes, has fallen short of making progress against the diseases of aging that kill most people: heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Attia explains how we must replace this outdated framework with a personalized, proactive strategy for longevity.

This is not "biohacking," but rather science, and this book offers tools to best personalize our health needs. While Attia has his own podcast, I valued learning more about his daily lifestyle, workout routines and nutrition habits (including a glass of wine or tequila here and there) on this episode of The Him and Her Podcast.

Related: 5 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read Before Starting a Business

Dr. Lyon has worked with everyone from the military to geriatrics to the strongest athletes in the world and has become my go-to for all things protein and muscle. Since meeting her, I have tried to include 40+ grams of protein in my meals. The results? I am stronger, have fewer sports injuries and have more mental clarity. In Forever Strong, Dr. Lyon teaches us how to reboot our metabolism, build strength, and extend our lives with an actionable guidebook demonstrating muscle's importance for health and longevity.

As the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine founder, Dr. Lyon changes the conversation about fat loss and longevity by stating that "the fat story is about restriction, and the muscle story is about strength." Lyon explains that 73% of adults are overweight or obese, and outside of smoking, obesity is the leading cause of death. She asserts, "We are not making progress because these issues are a muscle problem, not a fat problem. We are not overfat, we are under-muscled." Dr. Lyon focuses on skeletal muscle as the most important organ for longevity, fitness and health.

Related: 7 Books Every CEO Should Read

Our world is overloaded with everything we're built to crave and overconsume. Easter starts his book with research on why many of us have a scarcity mindset, left over from our ancient ancestors, who had to constantly seek and consume to survive because vital survival tools like food, material goods, information, and power were scarce. He explains how our caveman wiring can push us to want more than we need and then repeat specifically with bad choices.

He uses examples like gambling, drinking, binge-watching TV and overeating unhealthy food. Easter then reveals that the solution isn't to aim for less mindlessly but rather to understand why we crave more in the first place, drop our worst habits and make more effective use of what we already have. With a well-organized format, he explains the scarcity loop theory. Then, he empowers us with relatable, direct and useful examples that can lead us to self-discovery and utilizing tools to live a healthier, more satisfying, and fulfilling life. Easter's book is the answer for anyone looking to stop mindless scrolling, constant cravings, and always wanting to overconsume. You can find a thorough episode about Scarcity Brain on The Joe Rogan Show.

Known as one of the leading Functional Medicine practitioners and teachers, Dr. Mark Hyman focuses his 11th book on the trending topic of longevity. As we've noticed from these New York Times Best Selling books on wellness, doctors and functional medicine experts are finding new ways to modify aging and extend good health. In this book, Dr. Hyman challenges us to reimagine our biology, health, and aging process. He explores the biological hallmarks of aging, their causes, and their consequencesthen shows us how to overcome them with simple dietary, lifestyle, and emerging longevity strategies. From reducing inflammation to fortifying immunity, this book offers specifics on supplements that may be best for you, insights on where research on aging is headed and using your food as medicine.

Related: 50 Books That Transformed My Business and My Life

Greenfield is a long-time friend, and I've adopted many of his health and wellness hacks, which, similar to his recipes, can be wild and "out there." Biohacking meets molecular gastronomy in this all-new cookbook that includes 48 inspired recipes for longevity, health and great eating. Greenfield brings his "mad scientist chef" approach right into our kitchens and teaches us unconventional kitchen tools and tactics, ingredients both familiar and fringe (such as organ meats and colostrum), and detailed guidance for making food that boosts brain and body health, doesn't taste like cardboard, and is incredibly fun to create.

Within these pages, you'll find a fresh take on "blue zones," principles for clean eating, recipes for plants, meats, fermented foods, drinks and desserts from Carrot Cake Blender Waffles to Crispy Fish Collars to Ben's Biohacked and Boundless Beef Stew. Including cooking techniques across roasting, sous vide and air-frying, this gorgeously illustrated book is free of diet dogmas. It will change your perception of what healthy eating can be absolutely enjoyable and delicious!

Related: When Will We Finally Put Our Money Where Our Food Grows?

I first listened to Dr. Wilson on The Big Silence podcast here. Dr. Wilson has focused on stress reduction for years, and in this book, she explains how stress is not one size fits all. It is different for every individual. To recover from stress and burnout, we must first understand how stress impacts us, then utilize her step-by-step guide to help us address the health issues caused by stress and improve our longevity. I respect Dr. Wilson's philosophy that it's impossible to be "stress-free," yet we can learn to give ourselves and our bodies what we need to be healthy even while stressed.

15 years ago, I was honored to help Dr. Sims launch and promote a hydration product inspired by her TEDx talk entitled, "Women Are Not Small Men," explaining how sports nutrition studies were conducted on men and the results were assumed to be the same for women. Dr. Sims was resolute about how this presumption was incorrect. She went on to research physiology and how women responded differently from men to all things nutrition, exercise, supplements and naturally, hormones. Amongst other books and published studies around women's physiology and performance, Dr. Sims' latest book revolves around Menopause, where most women battle new symptoms, from gaining weight, losing endurance and strength, and taking longer to bounce back from workouts than before. Once you understand your physiology, you can work with itnot against itto optimize your performance.

In Next Level, Sims shares science-backed advice about training, nutrition, sleep and recovery and supplements, sample exercise routines, meal plans, macronutrient planning charts, and case studies from real women she has coached through the transition. I have seen benefits in my own workouts, having applied her research about how women over 40 need more strength than cardio.

One of the country's leading functional medicine experts and integrative medicine doctors, Dr. Will Cole started one of the world's first functional medicine telehealth centers. In his third New York Times Best Selling book, Dr. Cole explains the relationship between our physical and emotional health, providing a framework for us to understand the gut-brain connection and influence that connection for the better. He illustrates how stress and shame can cause gut inflammation and sabotage your health in a process called Shameflammation, which can be the reason for chronic health conditions such as autoimmune disorders, leaky gut, IBS and other GI disorders.

From recipes to mindfulness and better sleep techniques, Dr. Cole offers holistic tools to help you re-evaluate your relationship with food and your body, getting you back in touch with your gut feelings. His specific 21-Day Gut Feeling plan helps you bridge the gap between your emotions and your health.

Longevity is the current common thread woven amongst these books and other titles I'd add to the list, including The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner, Glucose Revolution by Jessie Ichausp, How To Help Your Child Clean Up The Mental Mess by Dr. Caroline Leaf and Genius Kitchen by Max Lugavere. I enjoy keeping on top of the science and welcome continuing to experiment with my own health and wellness routines.

I hope you seek to become the best version of yourself and, through education and experimentation, find what works best for you. Every body is different, and nutrition, fitness and mental health routines are not one size fits all. I encourage you to find what tools help you be your absolute best in your career, your family and most importantly, yourself!

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8 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read to Improve Their Health - Entrepreneur

One of the most challenging aspects of growing older is dealing with changes in your body. After hitting 30, testosterone starts to decline in both men and women. This can result in muscle loss and speed up a "disorder of carbohydrate metabolism," which affects almost everyone, explains Florence Comite, MD, an innovator in precision medicine with multiple specialties in endocrinology and the founder of the Comite Center for Precision Medicine & Health. These changes make you more susceptible to age-related diseases such as stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancer. To continue to lead an independent, healthy existence, we found out the best exercises for stronger muscles from a longevity expert.

"As a physician-scientist specializing in optimizing healthspan, I know that exercise, specifically resistance exercise, to maintain muscle mass is a key factor in prolonging a healthy lifefrom metabolic function to reversing aging disorders," Dr. Comite explains. "Typically, I recommend our clients include two sessions of strength training workouts in addition to cardiovascular exercises, like walking, running, cycling, swimming (especially ideal with joint pain or difficulty walking), or playing a favorite aerobic sport. Add HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, at least two times, as described later."

Below, you'll find some of the best exercises for stronger muscles a longevity expert swears by. Gear up to sculpt and maintain your muscles, along with strengthening your heart in the process. But before starting any new workout, it's always recommended to check in with your physician to see if it's the right fit for you. If it is, start slow and work your way up to some of the more vigorous exercises on Dr. Comite's list.

Lacing up your shoes and heading out for a brisk steady-state walk is a stellar form of low-impact cardiovascular exercise and endurance training. "Specifically, focusing on Zone 2 heart rate training (65% to 75% of your max heart rate) can help improve aerobic capacity, enhance fat utilization as an energy source, and increase blood flow that aids exercise recovery," Dr. Comite tells us. "A steady-state walk that maintains your heart rate in this zone can help joint health, mental health, longevity, and even pain management." She suggests walking for 45 to 90 minutes.

RELATED: People Swear by the '12-3-30' Workout for Weight Loss: 'I Lost 30 Pounds in 10 Weeks'

Amid the busy world we live in, how many times a day are you truly mindful of your breathing? Dr. Comite informs us that the main reason why you experience muscular discomfort through tightness is because you're not breathing correctly during the day and in your workouts.

"We 'chest-breathe' when we should be 'belly-breathing,'" she says. "To practice diaphragmatic breathing, place a hand on your belly and take a deep breath, concentrating on allowing your belly to rise before your chest does. Once you get the hang of deep belly or diaphragmatic breathing, try two breathing exercises, 90/90 and Quadruped breathing These moves help prime the nervous system for activity, reset our bodies from prolonged seated positions, and help ease lower back and neck pain through proper alignment." Your goal should be to complete three sets of eight to 10 breaths each every day.

RELATED: 9 Best Chair Yoga Exercises for Belly Fat

Performing plans and side plans is an excellent way to boost your core muscles and enhance your isometric strength. "A strong core is essential for stability, balance, and proper posture, and [it] transfers directly to correct exercise techniques," Dr. Comite explains. "These are also low-impact exercises, making them suitable for individuals of various fitness levels and ages. Strong core muscles are essential to preventing injury both during exercise and everyday activities." 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Whether you perform pull-ups or inverted rows, you're putting your body weight to work, using it as a "load" for these upper-body exercises. "They both are fantastic exercises for improving posture, mobilizing your shoulders, and strengthening your upper-back muscles," says Dr. Comite. "They also improve grip strength, which is an important metric for longevity and contributes to slowing the process of immune defense loss associated with aging. Exercises that leverage your own body weight are great ways to gain familiarity with your muscles and build proper form before progressing to more intense activities."

RELATED: The #1 Daily Walking Workout To Slim Down

Next up, Dr. Comite recommends goblet squats, which involve squatting as you hold a dumbbell or kettlebell like a goblet. "Squats are a crucial exercise for adding strength to our quads, knee joints, and connective tissue in our knees and hips," Dr. Comite explains. "Goblet squats are effective because they require your core, upper body, and lower body strength to work in conjunction to move the load, enhancing muscular proprioception and coordination. By increasing the weight used over time, you will build and strengthen muscles across your entire body."

RELATED: 10 Best Resistance Band Exercises for a Slimmer Stomach

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a key part of any efficient fitness routine. This form of training will cause heart rate variability and ensure that you achieve 80% to 90% of your max heart rate, Dr. Comite says. "Using an Airbike, treadmill, rower, elliptical, or Starimaster to work at an intensity that you can hold steady for the course of the two minutes, followed by a two-minute rest for several rounds, can achieve the benefits of this exercise," she adds. "HIIT workouts are helpful as they burn many calories, lose fat, and build muscle. Your metabolic rate is also higher for longer following a HIIT workout, which can help reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar."

This list of the best exercises for stronger muscles wraps up with the trap bar deadlift, where you perform deadlifts using a trap bar. The act of deadlifting is a key strength training exercise that boosts your longevity and promotes better pain management, according to Dr. Comite. "Trap bar deadlifting reduces shear force on the lumbar spine, is easier on your joints and shoulders, and is more versatile than a conventional deadlift," she says. "This exercise is crucial as it engages your entire posterior chain muscles (glutes, hamstrings, calves, erector spinae, lats, and rear shoulder muscles), which helps with functional tasks and chores in your daily life, as well as promoting balance and coordination. Additionally, it will help with long-term muscle preservation, mitigating the effects of osteoporosis and bone mineral loss." Dr. Comite suggests starting with five sets of five reps, using the correct form.

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7 Exercises for Stronger Muscles, From a Longevity Expert - Eat This, Not That

As an emergency medicine physician, I've seen the pitfalls of advance directives (ADs) firsthand. While ADs promise patient autonomy, they often fall short in the chaotic landscape of medicine. Dr. Dan Morhaim's recentpiecechampions ADs as a safeguard against wrongful prolongation of life lawsuits and a means to ensure personalized end-of-life care, but there is a starkly different narrative unfolding within emergency rooms, hospitals and post acute facilities across the nation.

My clinical experience and TRIAD Patient Safety Research suggests that ADs, in their current form, are far from foolproof and at times harmful. In fact some ADs, while crafted with the intention to respect patient autonomy, often lead to complex legal and medical challenges that can, paradoxically, incite litigation rather than prevent it. Its time they evolve to protect patients.

The fundamental issue with ADs is their presumed clarity and enforceability. In reality, these documents are frequently neither accessible in critical moments nor adaptable to the unpredictable nature of medical emergencies. They are static documents attempting to address dynamic situations. As such, the legal system sees an increasing number of cases where ADs are implemented yet families still resort to litigation, alleging that doctors wrongfully prolonged a loved ones life. These cases demonstrate that ADs are catalysts for dispute when they should be solutions for consensus.

Moreover, the very concept of ADs relies on the assumption that there is a clear delineation between treating and not treating a terminal condition or end stage medical condition. But the question remains: when is a condition truly terminal? If an untreated urinary tract infection can lead to death, should an AD dictate natural death in such a treatable scenario? This simplistic view fails to recognize the nuances of medical care, where the line between allowing nature to take its course and actively managing a condition is often blurred.

Thus, while ADs are intended to serve as definitive guides to a patient's end-of-life wishes, they instead become mere guesses when a patient is unable to voice their preference. The solution lies not in the widespread adoption of ADs in their current state but to make them evolve further. The evolutionary step needed is to know what the patient actually wants and when. The TRIAD of fostering a more robust ongoing dialogue (between patients, healthcare providers, and families), combined with required documents such as ADs and Patient safety tools such as patient to clinician video, can be the patient safety tool and evolutionary step needed to make the AD safe for patients who are either critically ill and desiring treatment vs when at end of life and wanting to allow the natural dying process.

To truly honor patient autonomy, we must ensure that ADs are not just checkboxes but living documents, revisited and revised regularly. It's troubling that only 22% of Americans have documented their end-of-life care wishes, with about 25% of White Americans, 22% of African Americans, 21% of Hispanics, and only a mere 7% of Asians having done so. This discrepancy highlights a systemic issue, particularly within minority communities, where there is a clear need for better engagement and trust in the healthcare system.

Dr. Morhaim rightly points out the potential for ADs to alleviate financial burdens by aligning end-of-life care with patient wishes, potentially curbing the substantial expenses incurred in the final months of life. However, this economic efficiency must not eclipse the individual's medical needs and personal values. ADs, while possibly cost-effective, run the risk of fostering a one-size-fits-all approach to end-of-life decisions. Our ultimate objective must remain to deliver compassionate, personalized care that honors each patient's unique life journey and respects their dignity in their final days.

It's time to evolve our understanding and implementation of ADs. We must ensure they are tools for clarity rather than confusion, and that they serve the best interests of patients across all backgrounds and circumstances.In order to avoid the inadvertent harm that ADs cause, we must also shift our focus from documenting preferences to engaging in meaningful conversations combined with safeguards (patient safety tools). Only through this active engagement can we ensure that the care provided aligns with the patient's values and the complex realities of modern medicine.

Ferdinando Mirarchi, D.O., is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of USACS MIDEO, LLC.

Excerpt from:
Redefining advance directives: Beyond paper to patient-centered care - Medical Economics

Today, most people make it to their late seventies before dying of old age. If you were born in 1880 in the U.S., though, youd be lucky to see your 40th birthday when you were born. Over the years, our lifespan nearly doubled thanks to science and medicine. But why should we stop thereand what happens if we dont? For many, thats a billion-dollar questionliterally.

Investment in longevity startups surged to $5.2 billion in 2022, with the market projected to hit $44.2 billion by 2030. Billionaires like Sam Altman and Jeff Besos have been supporting ventures targeting longevity research such as cellular rejuvenation, gene editing, and AI drug discovery.

Take, for example, 46-year-old tech millionaire Bryan Johnson who has recently been making headlines with his extreme anti-aging regimen. He rises at 4:30 a.m., eats all his meals before 11 a.m., and goes to bed at 8:30 p.m., without fail. He told The Daily Beast he subsists on a strict diet of 2,250 calories, where every calorie has had to fight for his life, and takes more than 100 supplement pills every day. Johnson claims that this process has allowed him to become the most measured person in human history.

I want to be the personal embodiment of this idea of Dont die and to build an algorithm that takes better care of me that I can myself, he said.

Experimental technologies involving genomics, regenerative medicine, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence are making their way from the fringes to the mainstream with longevity researchers and Silicon Valley types like Johnson pushing for a life extended by at least a couple of decades. In doing so, the wealthy and powerful have offered themselvesand their walletsup as guinea pigs, with the idea being that the fountain of youth will eventually trickle down to the point where it is available to all as has ostensibly been the pattern with other technologies.

My endeavor is to basically figure out how to not die, Johnson, who thinks of himself as a professional rejuvenation athlete, explained. People hear this and they jump to all these conclusions. None of its accurate, Im just playing the same game everyones playing: Dont die.

Bryan Johnson on stage of the Web Summit in Lisbon on November 7, 2017. Johnson is known for his numerous unorthodox treatments and practices that he claims is making him younger including a strict diet and sleep schedule, penis injections, and swapping blood with his son.

It may sound obvious that most causes of death are age-related. In order to live longer, it is simply a matter of treating or preventing these age-related diseases. One option, as Johnson is attempting, is to simply not age.

At the moment, when you were born a long time ago, you have no way to escape going downhill, both mentally and physically, biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Grey told The Daily Beast. No one looks forward to this mental and physical decline, so this is where researchers like de Grey step in.

Common sense says if you live a healthy lifestyle you stand a stronger chance of living longer. For de Grey, life extension is the next logical step after living such a lifestyle. Its simply about developing new medicines that can achieve this goal to a larger degree than what we can do with todays technology, whether that be lifestyle, diet, or exercise.

In the same way that medicines, treatments, and the simple concepts of hygiene and sanitation have doubled our life expectancy from 40 to 80 or more, de Grey explains. Science is now beginning to address the next thing thats killing people who are no longer dying of that first thing.

A lot of people will persuade themselves that aging is just not like other medical problems. That it's kind of woven into the fabric of the universe and it's inevitable, universal and natural... That's also nonsense.

Aubrey de Grey

Faced with the idea that someday soon we will have the option to slow down or reverse aging, one question continually crops up: Do we even want this? It only takes a look at the headlines and research generated over the past few decades to deduce that the field of life extension has been complicated and controversial. On top of an already aging population, some question if longer lives could threaten our social and economic systems. Others wonder if the quality of life is more important than the quantity.

For de Grey, the answer to the first question is obvious: Yes. The people who ask that question are just as keen to go to the hospital when they get cancer as anyone else, he explained. They dont have to have a reason; they just dont want to get sick any more than anybody else does.

Aging is bad for our health, but up until now we havent been able to do much about it. As a result, people have found ways to cope psychologically, de Grey explained. One way is to somehow trick yourself into thinking that its some kind of blessing in disguise so that then if we didnt have aging, wed have even worse problems.

Some argue that aging is a natural part of life and something we should embrace rather than run from. A lot of people will persuade themselves that aging is just not like other medical problems, de Grey said. That it's kind of woven into the fabric of the universe and its inevitable, universal, and natural.

He added, Thats also nonsense.

What is natural is not fixed. Instead, it is determined by our environments, John K. Davis, a philosophy professor and bioethicist at California State University, told The Daily Beast. We evolved so that we dont maintain ourselves any longer than our environment lets us, he added. Were now living in a human-made environment, so what was natural when we were essentially smart primates is not natural now.

So, as technology advances and we have the means to live a few extra decades, why wouldnt we?

Of course, theres the question of who gets to live longer. Inequality underpins human society, where some people live longer than others simply because they have the means or access to better health care. Some say these inequalities would only get more entrenched if there is a miraculous life-extending medicine or treatment on the market.

If some people dont get access to it, lifes gonna be much tougher for them, Davis said. Itd be much harder for them to accept death. Theres a kind of harm involved there.

For example, Johnson reportedly spends $2 million a year on his team of 30 doctors and cutting-edge technologies. Meanwhile, the likes of Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman are also pouring their billions into longevity research, while also having access to higher standards of medical care than the rest of us. It seems unfair for billionaires in Silicon Valley to celebrate their 150th birthdays while the majority typically reach 70 or 80 before biting the dust.

However, longevity proponents argue that its not morally right to deny access for some just because there cant be access for all. Health and wellness isnt a zero-sum game. We dont deny people heart transplants because there arent enough hearts to go around, Davis said. Its not a general principle of justice that we achieve equality by leveling down.

Then theres the question of should we be spending money solving aging in a world where many people lack access to basic health care. To that, Davis asks, How confident would you be that, by inhibiting life extension, those other needs would in fact be met?

No one comes to death as the solution for these problems, Johnson explained. We try to figure out other ways to solve problems because we value life and so these other things are just tangents to the real questions.

However, one common concern that doesnt have such a simple answer is overpopulationwhich can be exacerbated if people have more time to have babies, and when people stick around longer. Its something that Davis admits is a big challenge when it comes to a potential reality where people live much longer. Its really tough to solve that problem, because its simple arithmetic, Davis explained. Theres no drug that's going to fix that.

Of course, all technologies have their upsides and downsides. When dealing with the negatives, time is on our side. Despite the challenges that life extension presents, history suggests that society would adjust. From the genes of our paleolithic ancestors mutating over time to protect from hazards, to public health advances contributing to the doubling of life expectancy between the 19th and 20th century, humans are quick to adjust. Then there are the potentially positive social consequences to consider when adding an extra few decades onto our lifespans.

The main impact would be, we wouldnt be spending trillions of dollars a year keeping people alive because they wouldnt be getting sick in the first place, de Grey said. Preventing age-related diseases would lead to a more comfortable old age, making retirement-management simpler due to prolonged work. Moreover, it might end up benefiting younger generations too, outside of helping them live longer.

I think as people get older, they do become wiser, Davis added. We might be more inclined to take an interest in future generations because we think were going to be there.

Living a long and healthy life is not a controversial idea. When it comes down to it, whats a few decades tacked on to the end? At the moment, our lives and careers are structured around a beginning, a middle, and an end. With longevity research gaining steam, we might see that structure stretch out quite a bit more into something newand transformative.

If youre living indefinitely, maybe itll be a different structure, Davis said. More like a TV series than a movie.

Continued here:
Why Bryan Johnson and Jeff Bezos Are Betting Big on Immortality - The Daily Beast

40 0 Posted on Nov 16, 2023, 2 p.m.

Physical fitness since childhood is associated with cerebellar grey matter volume in adolescents. Those who were stronger, faster, and more agile were found to have better neuromuscular fitness since childhood, and had larger Crus I grey matter volume in adolescence according to recent research conducted at the University of Jyvskyl and the University of Eastern Finland published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.

This study was designed to examine the associations between physical fitness and grey matter volume of cerebellar lobules related to cognition in adolescents, and whether these associations differed between males and females. The analysis was based on the FitBrain Study involving 40 participants with a mean age of 17.9 years old with 8-year follow-up examinations from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study (PANIC).

Cerebellar volumes were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging technology. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed with a maximal ramp test on a cycle ergometer, and muscular strength was assessed with standing long jump. Speed agility was assessed with the 10 x 5 shuttle run test, and coordination was assessed with the Box and Block Test. Finally, neuromuscular fitness was assessed as the sum of the standing long jump, Box and Block Test, and shuttle test z-scores.

The researchers report that adolescents with better neuromuscular fitness since childhood had larger Crus I grey matter volume, but those with better cardiorespiratory fitness had smaller total cerebellar grey matter volume. Additionally, males with better neuromuscular fitness since childhood had smaller Crus II grey matter volume.

"Our study highlights the importance of physical activity through childhood and adolescence, leading to better physical fitness, as it might be relevant to cerebellar volumes related to cognition and learning. However, the associations we observed are in part contradictory," says Doctoral Researcher Petri Jalanko from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyvskyl.

"The study sheds light on the associations between physical fitness and the cerebellum. Future randomised controlled trials utilising direct cardiorespiratory fitness measurements and novel brain imaging to assess a larger population and both sexes separately are needed to better understand the associations and causality between physical fitness and cerebellar volumes in adolescents," Jalanko says.

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Fitness Since Childhood Associated With Cerebellar Grey Matter ... - Anti Aging News

Ketch Secor is the frontman of the Americana band Old Crow Medicine Show, as well as an author and a teacher based in Nashville; Valerie June is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and author from Memphis. Earlier last month, the two old friends got on a Zoom call to catch up about Valeries new guided workbook, the origin story of their friendship, Nashville, and much more. Annie Fell, Editor-in-chief, Talkhouse Music

Ketch Secor: Where are you?

Valerie June: Im headed down to Texas this week Im in New York right now and then to Tennessee.

Ketch: Back home again.

Valerie: Yeah. What about you?

Ketch: Im here in Nashville. I just got in off the road. Tell me about your trip to Africa!

Valerie: Oh, my goodness, it was so amazing. It was the trip of a lifetime. The first thing that I experienced was being on this tiny, tiny plane and landing on a dirt landing strip in Lamu, [Kenya] which is right on the beach. And then the way you get around in Lamu is by either boat, donkey, or walking. [Laughs.] So that was new for me. I performed, I read poetry, and I got to collaborate with artists from different parts of Africa. There were some musicians from South Africa, some from Kenya, some from Tanzania, Uganda. It was a small gig its called Littlegig and it was really, really cool just to hear other peoples work. There were painters and fashion designers, and writers, and you would just go to their show and listen to their talk or their speech or whatever. And from there I went to the safari. Have you been on a safari, Ketch?

Ketch: I have not. But the first part youre describing sounds so inspiring. I love the thought about the fellowship of trans-continental artistry and finding like minds from different cultures. Ive taken such a deep dive on African folk music styles, particularly equatorial Africa so music from Tanzania to Zimbabwe and Zambia and Congo, I know so much more about it than I ever did at any other time in my life. So I want to get this gig!

Valerie: Well, the thing about it too is, you and I were talking at Edmonton Folk Festival, and I was telling you that I was going and you were like, Oh, they have a huge country music scene in Kenya. And so when I returned from the safari and went to Nairobi, I went to a record shop in this market. It was full of all these vinyl records and 78s and all kinds of things, and this older gentleman owned it. I was looking through the records, and there was a lot from the Congo and a lot from many different parts of Africa, but the biggest section in the record shop was country music. You wouldnt believe it. And so I said to the gentleman, Do a lot of people here listen to country music? He was like, Are you kidding? Tons of people! And he was like, I dont really like it, but I sell a lot of it [Laughs.]

Ketch: Thats great. I feel like Nashville has a lot of work to do in its creating the relationships with the far flung places that have been impacted by country music, and I think that Africa is certainly a principal among them. But I also think that there are other regions of the country that Nashville just doesnt really consider as part of its story. One place I always wanted to go theres two places on Earth that are on my bucket list, and one is Equatorial Africa, and the other is the Arctic of Canada another place where people love country music, where you can play country songs up there and people just go wild for it. Its entered the consciousness.

Valerie: Wow. Every time I talk to you, its like speaking with an encyclopedia. I love it.

Ketch: Lets let em know how we first met, because I think our story is a pretty interesting one.

Valerie: Well, I was in Memphis and I got invited to open for Old Crow at Rhodes College, and thats what I remember. I was such a fan. I was very, very excited to get that invitation. It was like, Oh, my goodness, I cant believe it! And the students of Rhodes College were the ones who put my name in the hat, and thats how I got so lucky.

Ketch: Well, I dont remember it that way at all, because all I remember was walking into a room and seeing you play and being instantly fascinated, a fan interested, wanting to know more, loving what you were doing, and knowing that I was seeing somebody who was doing something that that I loved already in a different way than anybody Id ever seen do it before. And thats a pretty, thats a jaw-dropping experience, because by that time Id been in Old Crow for about 15 years or something Id been around the block and yet you were just such a captivating performer. I think you were doing a Carter family tune, or just a really old song, and doing it with such a unique voice that I was stopped in my tracks. You were playing on a different floor of this sort of student conference center, and it was pouring down rain outside. I just knew right then and there I needed to learn everything I could about you, and I remember walking up to you, and I think I boldly asked if I could get your number. And I think I called you the next day. [Laughs.]

Valerie: I was so shocked at your warmth because, I mean, everybody knows Wagon Wheel I knew every lyric. Sometimes, you know, you meet people that you respect and admire, and theyre big stars, and youre like, Oh, my god, they werent very sweet. And you just beam, in every way, and the band as well. You were like, Hey, if you ever want to record some music, let me know, because Im just in Nashville and if you come our way, well make it happen. So yall invited me up, I said, Sure, Im going to do it. And we went to was it Whites Creek?

Ketch: Yeah. You came over, it was wintertime because I remember it was really cold and I feel like it might have been around maybe 2011 or 10 or 12 or 09. I get mixed up on the dates, but you had already done some work in Nashville. You knew some people. And of course, your sister was at MTSU, so you had that family connection. I was impressed with how far along you already were, and I was just trying to be a collaborator. But we made some music together and recorded it, and Gill [Landry] and me and Bo Stapleton, I think, was pretty influential on it, too, and this guy Larry, who had that studio up in Whites Creek. Thats all no more. I think theres, like, 17 tall, skinny houses where that all was.

Valerie: Wow. Well, it did feel like we were driving far out into the country. Even though its very close to the city, its rural out there, so it reminded me a lot of where I grew up Humboldt, Tennessee and just being in the middle of the country. And you mentioned that I knew people in Nashville my lawyer at the time, Coy Martin, introduced me to all these people. We would meet people, and those connections were grounding for me in my career, but the doors just werent opening. The doors opened after working with you, and just the warmth yall created a home and a space for me in that in Nashville. Because I certainly didnt feel very embraced at first, when I hit the ground there. So it was great to meet yall and see a different side of it. And then we did a performance over at I cant remember the name of it, but it was a family restaurant type place.

Ketch: You and me played at a family restaurant?

Valerie: Yeah! In Nashville. It was like a restaurant, but they had music. And so we got to do some of the songs in front of an audience after recording them. I cant remember what the name of that place was, but that was so cool.

Ketch: I just remember getting ready for the showcase gig. Because, I mean, I always wanted to do more than just be a singer-songwriter guy. I wanted to be a producer guy. And I also had management type instincts. I always was really interested in the business of music just as much as I was in the performance of it, or the conjuring of it. And so I was 30 or something when we met, and you were somebody who made me think, Oh, maybe Im supposed to get into another side of this work. Maybe Id be like a talent scout, you know? Because I always thought that a woman like you belonged in country music and in Nashville, and yet it didnt seem like Nashville thought that at all. And I wanted to stand up to that, because I felt like Davey and that looked like Goliath to me, and I wanted to hit him in the eye with a rock and wake him up out of its slumber to say, This is a woman from an hour outside of Nutbush, Tennessee this is what Tennessee music sounds like! Nashville, especially 10, 12 years ago, was a lot more old guard. Its a tough word, but the country music business has had a bit of an apartheid-like stance for about 100 years, and its been an edifice that needs to be cracked really deliberately. Its a wall that needs to come down brick-by-brick, and its still coming down. And yet as it comes down, its still being erected, so we really gotta hustle to take it apart. I just feel like thats what I was called to do.

Valerie: Deep breath on my end there. [Laughs.] In all these years, I see the growth and Im so grateful for it, and the way you just said that Im emotional today anyway, but definitely it brings a few tears to the sides of my eyes. Because being from Tennessee and that being my home Joyce Cobb is a Memphis jazz musician and years ago she said, You sound amazing. If you ever want to make it, you need to leave here. I was like, OK. [Laughs.] Shes an older woman and she is very successful she teaches at Memphis University and it just really hurt me. I dont want to hear that. But she was very wise to say that.

And its still like that to me, because I feel that in Tennessee, we embrace things outside ourselves, but we dont really embrace what is there what was born drinking that muddy water from the Forked Deer River or walking those fields where the cotton was grown. Well embrace all the other states and well embrace anything but what came from our own. And so the way you just said that, I couldnt have said it any better. But to be embraced at all and be of color is worth something. Ill say that. So were getting somewhere.

Ketch: Well, its about damn time, Ill say that.

Valerie: [Laughs.] Yes, Lord. Its a little wild. But you know, as you said, as soon as we were [taking down] this one side, then this other side is being built at the same time. But thats why I like to work in spirit ways, and I like to work small, because I think the work of just laying one brick at a time, were doing this for the future. We might not see the end result be what we want it to be in our lifetime because for you, you said [its been] 15 years youve been doing your own music with Old Crow before you even met me, and you and I have known each other for a decade now! So this work is long. It takes a lot of longevity.

Ketch: Well, Ive loved seeing where youve taken things since I first crossed paths with you, and did my best to try and impart wisdom and fellowship for you in those early days. You just took to flight. So its been pretty cool to see the ways that that youve grown, adapted, and expressed yourself, going on to New York and making some really powerful, critically acclaimed records and becoming a mainstay on the circuit. I didnt see you there because you were working so hard for about five years after we first met, and then we caught up in Australia in about 2016 or 17. And thats when I got to finally touch down with you and learn about some of some of the things that you were feeling and thinking. Since then, I only got to spend a little bit of time with you this summer I guess I thought when I first met you that I was going to see a whole lot more of you in my life. Im glad that this conversation has brought us back together, and that show we did up in Alberta. And your book, which you just sent to me tell me a little bit about that. Im an author, too, and Im curious how its been for you since your book came out.

Valerie: Well, its been a month, and I was in Africa when it came out. Its been really sweet since, because I went on tour right after I got back, and we did something before the performances that was like a mini workshop. We didnt allow any more than 30 people to come to the venue before the performance, and we did some of the exercises from the book together. It was so wonderful to just have that one-on-one contact with people, and then afterwards, them be able to ask me questions about sharing light and beauty in this dark world.

What I found with this book is that it opens the door for conversations to be had, and for me to learn from my listeners and from people that are inspired by my work. Im learning so much there. Its a guide book, a guided journal so its like, I dont feel like I have any answer for what this world could be, but I think collectively we all have a lot of questions, and if we start asking them of each other and having conversations and holding space, then we start writing new stories. And thats kind of whats been happening in small spaces for me.

Ketch: I just love the concept behind the guided journal, that theres a collectivism to us telling our personal stories. I cant think of a better contribution and really a more Valerie June way of putting herself out there. Its so you. I remember when your first record came out and you had a moniker for it that was so original I think it had the word moonshine in it, and it might have had organic in it too.

Valerie: [Laughs.] Organic moonshine roots music.

Ketch: [Laughs.] Thats right, thats what you called it! I think youve always had a unique way of expressing yourself that is so true to you. And that truth is just so refreshing, because theres a lot of different ways to be a musician. One of them is to try and get famous doing it, and I think thats a motivator for a lot of people. I always saw you as a more process-oriented type of artist who was just looking to make peaceful her corner of the world.

I feel myself more of a duality. I feel resigned to folk music. You know, I probably wanted to rock I probably wanted to be an actor or a tap dancer or a movie star but through the twists and turns of my coming of age, I gravitated towards the banjo and the fiddle, and that became my soapbox. But it also became my ceiling, because I think Ive taken it as far as you can take a fiddle and a banjo. But I always wanted to take it further. I think that for me is one of the reasons why Ive sought out artists like you and others, and have sought to work with them in the capacity of development so that I can help expand it, make the ceiling higher. You know, if I can make the ceiling higher for you, then Im making it higher for me too.

Valerie: And you are such an excellent mentor for me and so many of us coming up. Watching you even in being an author and knowing, Oh, well, thats possible too, the door is open there, too. I dont have to just choose one form of using my creativity. Whats it like for you? Do you feel divided when youre writing a book? Do you feel like youre not focusing on your music? Or do they go side by side?

Ketch: Well, I wrote this book its a childrens book and its called Lorraine: The Girl Who Sang the Storm Away, and it is a book that I first started thinking about when I was a kid myself, about 18. I had been up in East Tennessee, where behind me there was a tobacco field. I was squatting in this old ladys house, didnt have any running water it was sort of like some intentional hillbilly boot camp kind of lifestyle thing that Old Crow was doing back in the late 90s. And so this elderly woman had given me her house to stay in as long as I fixed it up. West Tennessee is really different from East Tennessee, particularly when it comes to topography you know, East Tennessee has really high and rugged mountains, and West Tennessee is rolling hills. But what West Tennessee has a lot of is ramshackle, fallen down houses, and thats what I was living in up on the east side of the state.

Anyway, I met this woman of Cherokee descent named Lorraine, and she told me a story about her pet crow and I started thinking, Thatd be a good story for kids. So I spun out this book, but I couldnt find anybody to illustrate it. The publisher was sending all these cheesy, sort of computer generated looking graphics, and finally I was on the website of the art college here in Nashville, and I met this woman, Barbara Higgins Bond. Now, Barbara, who went to Memphis State and is from Little Rock, was the first African-American woman to design a US postage stamp. She hadnt illustrated a book in 20 years shes in her early 70s now. Well, I brought her out of retirement, and she created this character based on her granddaughter, and its just been such a powerful combination of her artwork and my words to be able to tell the story. Ive read this book to more than 10,000 children, and I just know that the change that we want to see in the world begins with sitting down with kids and exemplifying peace and love and and opportunity.

We live in a tough state. You know, theres a high infant mortality rate in our state, one of the highest in the country. There is a low graduation rate, one of the lowest in the country. Tennessee is a problematic place for children to come of age, so its just ever so important that artists like you and I take a stand for our kids, because the continuum continues and we really gotta raise them up. Right?

Valerie: Its true. Ive visited several schools around the kids book, Somebody to Love, and so many of the schools, in a musical state, dont have much of a music program anymore. So the kids were really excited to have music coming in. And I was just coming in to play and and read the story. But I think about it and the literacy rates and just ways we can get kids excited about learning and growing in that way and music, I think, is a big way to do that. I think its a good way to open the door for kids, because most kids love sound. They love just playing with sounds and seeing where it goes, you know? So if you can somehow connect that to science and math and reading, then youre getting ahead on something. Hows your school?

Ketch: Oh, pretty good. Were in our eighth year. We got a permanent building now. We got 150 kids when I started it, there were 16. So its really coming along. Its not without its problems, because its so hard to raise money, but, you know, both my children go to this school, and 153 other kids. About half of them are on scholarship, and we have a really great, diverse community. I think a lot about the concept that others and, of course, Dr. King came up with called the Beloved Community and Valerie, I feel like you and me are in the Beloved Community together. And I think that our work together and as individuals expands the Beloved Community to include others. So youre over there in Tanzania, and youre inviting people into your Beloved Community that we all share, and Im inviting people in and I want people of all stripes in my Beloved Community, because thats what makes it so beloved.

We got a short time here and theres a lot of work to be done. I know Im feeling really heavy hearted about the affairs of the world, and I was curious how youre feeling when you turn on the news.

Valerie: Definitely super emotional. I have days where, you know, I just cry. But I also have never felt more moved to create spaces of beauty and to highlight beauty, and to use beauty as a political force. Because what we really want to see, us in the Beloved Community, is more expansion of beauty. And so I think where we focus our energy is what we create. So while I think we need to know whats going on in the news and we need to be aware of whats happening in the world, we also have to take that and be alchemists with that energy. We cannot stay in the place of the heaviness and the darkness. We have to use that as motivation for creating and expanding the Beloved Community. Because every single second that we spend spiraling and spinning and feeling helpless is a second that we could be spending in the opposite direction.

So, I dont know. I feel that sometimes when I talk about beauty or I think about beauty, or I speak about small things or what a single person is able to do with one breath or one thought, it just seems like speaking to the side of a brick wall or something. Because people really, really want to hear something thats going to make them jump up and feel some kind of rage or whatever. But I think theres something to be said for creating a space of something beautiful and something tiny in just your home, your heart, your community and how that expands out across the world.

Ketch: Im glad youre not getting too down to continue that work. I agree with you. And yet, sometimes it feels like Im watching the children of Gaza flee or the children of Israel run from bullets and I think, Wait, Im supposed to write songs? Im supposed to make sure that my kids go to the orthodontist? What are my responsibilities in comparison to, you know, the moms and dads of Crimea or the east of Ukraine? So I feel a little bit paralyzed sometimes when I take scope of my artist life and the privileges of having a life in which the expansion of beauty seems like thats what Im here to do.All you can do in the wake of tragedy, if youre a person like you or me, is sing and build community and offer music as restorative, as hope, as optimism, as healing, as mourning, as lamentation. But were dealing with notes and sounds, and it just feels like when the perpetrator is dealing in bullets or in crimes or in injustice or in environmental catastrophe going back to little Davey and big old Goliath, its just like hurling stones at a missile thrower, hurling rocks at a rocket ship. It just seems like you have to make an awful lot of beauty in the world if youre going to counteract all the evil, all the ugliness.

Valerie: As I think about that, I think about my ancestors and what they went through as enslaved people, and what the mindset of being like Harriet Tubman had to be to pull out of conditions that were war zones. And even for our kids living in Memphis which is such a violent town, and theyre not even able to go out on the street and play I think about, Well, what does the mindset have to be in order to truly embody Dr. Kings Beloved Community? What do I need to think today as I watch these kids run in fear in war zones? What do I need to do? What can I do? What is my space and where is my power? Because every day were making small choices that add up to justify certain things that are happening in the world. And I think it starts first with the mind. So having our minds in a certain space to open up a way for growth to happen, for energies to shift. So thats what I think in terms of beauty that if my ancestors were to hold on to the pain and the trauma only, then I would probably not be sitting here free today. They had to shift their energy and focus and call forth something new in order for that to even start to be a possibility, they had to begin to see it. And so if all we can see is the pain and the heaviness, then it makes it very difficult for us to really, really start to put our boots on the ground and move toward what we want it to be like.

Ketch: Right on. I think its a thorny branch, and you are the flower.

Valerie: Uh, not alone. [Laughs.] Not without you, dont put me out there like that!

Ketch: [Laughs.] Yeah, well, were gonna keep rippling this pond together. Were going to keep throwing the big rocks and making them splash and making waves and were going to ride them waves, and the new generations coming up that is going to ride those waves. Im really glad you reminded me of Memphis theres so much work that musicians can do to help be inspirations, to shine a light in the dark places, in Memphis, Tennessee. We need it in Nashville too. And we need each other. And Im so, so grateful that the Great Spirit brought us together.

Valerie: Me too, me too.

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Valerie June and Old Crow Medicine Show Are Rippling the Pond ... - Talkhouse

When Dr. Paul D. Thompson, stepped down from his position at Hartford Hospital, those who know him understood that his retirement didnt mean taking it easy.

At 76, Thompson, now chief of cardiology emeritus with Hartford Hospital, shares the wealth of knowledge from his 50-plus years in medicine. He teaches resident physicians and fellows, and is cataloging his thoughts and observations through snippets of wisdom intended to help other heart doctors.

Thompson calls his catalog of tips his 500 Rules of Cardiology although he admits to not having that many. Im working towards it, he said.

Self-described as a very hard worker, Thompson appears to not take himself too seriously in the larger scheme of life. His sense of humor is obvious and his positive attitude is infectious, those who know his say.

He considers his Pollyannaish optimism a key contributor to his good health.

Living a long, healthful life is heavily influenced by picking the right parents, Thompson quips, but for people without the perfect genes for optimal heart health, he adds, you have to work with the genetic material you have.

If you dont keep a reasonable body weight, that puts stress on your joints, which means that you cant be as active, and that means you dont have as good muscle tone and muscle development. Exercise helps with your heart, blood pressure and glucose. People should stand more and sit less, Thompson said.

Thompson got into medicine as a runner, inspired as a child by watching the 1960 Olympics on TV, he said.

He said he became fascinated by human performance and pushing it to its limits. Starting out as a young doctor, he ran to work just about every day about 6 miles and then back at the end of the day, which sometimes turned out to be 11 at night.

I wanted to try to qualify for the Olympic marathon trials. I knew I wasnt good enough to go to the Olympics, but I wanted to be invited to the trials, he said. Just for fun.

He qualified in 1972.

Later, Thompson, a past president of the American College of Sports Medicine, was doing studies on sudden death in athletes. For instance, someone who dies in the middle of the Boston Marathon. One of his articles showed up in the New York Times and created a snowball effect.

Having run the Boston Marathon himself, I think its been 27 times, Thompson was called to serve as a television medical commentator for two Boston and five New York City marathons. He became NBCs sports medicine analyst at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea and served similarly for ABCs coverage of the 1991 Pan American Games in Cuba, and hes been a guest on Good Morning America nine times.

The media work was fun, but Thompson said it was also a distraction from his real work. He co-edited a three-volume set of books called Exercise and Sports Cardiology, and authored literally hundreds of scientific articles, many of which were focused on athletes and heart health.

Writing, for me, is education because when you put your work on paper, and you have to write words for other people to look at and criticize, you have to learn it better yourself. I find it intellectually interesting. And I think I have the gift, and therefore the responsibility, to do it, Thompson said.

Thompsons 500 Rules of Cardiology can be found as a free subscription on the mobile app and blogging platform Substack. Its very clinical in nature; he calls them helpful principles. His audience is mainly comprised of other cardiologists and new physicians.

I believe I can improve medical care by being a good educator, he explains.

Lifelong learning is an important aspect of Thompsons approach to healthy aging, he said.

Thompson and his wife of 50 years recently returned from a six-week trip to Seville where they completed an immersive Spanish language educational program. During that trip, he made time for some hiking, and presented a lecture via Zoom to a group of doctors in South Africa. Yeah, I do that, he said, matter of factly.

Now hes back home in Simsbury and cataloging his 500 Rules of Cardiology.

One rule stems from the first time he inadvertently discovered a melanoma skin cancer on a patients back during an exam, now encouraging other cardiologists to look at a patients back when appropriate.

Ive found 11 melanomas in the last 20 years. People cant see whats on their back, so why not take a look? he said.

Thompson said he continues to work because it gives him a sense of purpose.

I feel like Im doing something useful. Im making other peoples lives a little better, which makes my life a little better, he said.

Longevity, he said, is not just about living a long time, but living happily. Happiness, purpose and social support are incredibly important, but even happy people go through tough times. Its being resilient to deal with those tough times, and having hope, he said.

Its about finding the good in people and being optimistic, Thompson said.

Marcia Simon is a Connecticut-based writer interested in health, wellness, environment and travel. Her email is marcia@mseusa.com.

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How a CT cardiologist makes his own rules for health and longevity. And he shares them with everyone - Hartford Courant

"ACLM is delighted to honor the 2023 award winners for the dedication, expertise and passion they have contributed to the rapidly growing field of lifestyle medicine."

Among the awards presented were the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Trailblazer Award, the President's Award and the Special Recognition Awards.

"ACLM is delighted to honor the 2023 award winners for the dedication, expertise and passion they have contributed to the rapidly growing field of lifestyle medicine," ACLM President Beth Frates, MD, FACLM, DipABLM, said. "Thanks to these leaders' remarkable achievements, more health professionals are using evidence-based therapeutic lifestyle medicine to treat and sometimes reverse chronic disease, individuals worldwide are embracing healthier lifestyle habits, and more health systems and policymakers are recognizing lifestyle medicine as a solution to the epidemic of lifestyle-related chronic disease. ACLM is grateful for their service."

Lifetime Achievement

ACLM awarded its Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously to Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, FACN. Dr. Diehl, a visionary in the field of lifestyle medicine who dedicated his career to helping people live healthier and longer, died Aug. 2. His wife, Lily Pan Diehl, along with his children and grandchildren, accepted the award on his behalf.

This award recognizes a lifetime of achievement in the field and is the highest honor ACLM bestows. It recognizes a significant body of work over a significant span of time that has advanced the field of lifestyle medicine, and, in the process, paved the way for others to follow.

Dr. Diehl, founder of the Lifestyle Medicine Institute and the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP), was a clinical professor of preventive medicine at Loma Linda University and a founding member of ACLM and its Board of Advisors. He was also the first research and education director at the Pritikin Longevity Center, where he aspired to make better health accessible to the masses. The over 85,000 participants and clinical results published in 45 peer-reviewed scientific journals are a testament to Dr. Diehl's passion and legacy.

Trailblazer Award

The 2023 Trailblazer Award recipient is James Rippe, MD, founder and director of Rippe Lifestyle Medicine, a professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and founder and editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

The Trailblazer Award recognizes an individual who is currently providing leadership in the field of lifestyle medicine, helping strengthen the foundation laid by others, while advancing it through innovation.

In the past 25 years, Dr. Rippe has established and operated the largest research organization in the world exploring how daily habits and actions impact short- and long-term health and quality of life. That organization, Rippe Lifestyle Institute (RLI), has published hundreds of papers that form the scientific basis for the fields of lifestyle medicine and high-performance health.

President's Award

Dr. Frates presented the 2023 President's Award to Sami Bg, MD, MPA, MPH, FACLM, an ACLM member since 2008 who founded digitalLM as a one-stop, turn-key digital health agency that helps lifestyle medicine clinicians succeed online with professional website development, SEO and more.

The President's Award is given in recognition of exceptional dedication to ACLM as an organization in advancing its vision and mission as well as service to the field of lifestyle medicine through exemplary contributions to ACLM.

Dr. Bg was elected to ACLM's Board of Directors in 2012, when he also served as founding chair of ACLM's Business Development Committee. He chaired the ACLM Awards Committee from 2015 to 2022 and helped Dr. Frates establish the Donald A. Pegg Student Leadership Award in support of Lifestyle Medicine Interest Groups (LMIGS) and student leaders. He also served for many years on the ACLM Fellow Review Panel.

Special Recognition Awards

ACLM awarded Special Recognition Awards in four categories:

Health Systems Koushik Reddy, MD, DipABLM, FACC, FACLM, Certified Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist, is a foremost champion of lifestyle medicine at the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (VA) in Tampa, Fla., where he serves as an interventional cardiologist. He has tirelessly promoted ACLM's complimentary 5.5-hour CME/CE accreditedLifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials courselocally and throughout the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Graduate and Undergraduate Education Michelle Tollefson, MD, DipABLM, FACOG, FACLM, a professor in the Health Professions Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver, created and oversees the nation's very first bachelor in lifestyle medicine program, enabling students to "major" in the field of lifestyle medicine.

Clinics/Business and Innovation Cliff Morris, MD, DipABLM, and his team at the Morris Cardiovascular and Risk Reduction Institute in Chester, Va., have enthusiastically integrated lifestyle medicine into their cardiology practice, embracing various initiatives such as facilitating group medical appointments, prescribing dietary recommendations, and allocating office space for an on-site gym where patients can exercise under the guidance of a medical fitness specialist.

Health Policy and Government Affairs The United States Air Force Lifestyle and Performance Medicine (L&PM) Working Group was chartered in 2019 with 20 core members. From this working group, the Lifestyle and Performance Coalition of the Interested (COI) was created as a grassroots effort to reach Department of Defense-affiliated healthcare professionals with a mission to infuse L&PM into every aspect of the Military Health System.

The award was accepted by: Air Force Colonel Mary Anne Kiel, MD, FAAP, FACLM, DipABLM; Retired Army Major Kati Monti, DMSc, PA-C, DipABLM; Air Force Major Jeff Smith, DSW, LCSW, BCD; Air Force Captain Matt Diotte, PA-C, DipACLM; Air Force Second Lieutenant Kevin Puri, OMS-4; and Former Air Force Flight Surgeon Regan Stiegmann, DO, MPH, DipABLM, FACLM.

ABOUT ACLM The American College of Lifestyle Medicine is the nation's medical professional society advancing lifestyle medicine as the foundation for a redesigned, value-based and equitable healthcare delivery system, leading to whole-person health. ACLM educates, equips, empowers and supports its members through quality, evidence-based education, certification and research to identify and eradicate the root cause of chronic disease, with a clinical outcome goal of health restoration as opposed to disease management.

Media Contact

Alexander Branch, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, 19719835383, [emailprotected], American College of Lifestyle Medicine

SOURCE American College of Lifestyle Medicine

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American College of Lifestyle Medicine announces 2023 award ... - PR Web

When confronted with ads selling products that promote health and longevity, it's always important to remember that the wellness industrys primary goal is to make money.

Take ashwagandha, an herb whose use in Ayurvedic medicine dates back for millennia but is currently being marketed as a silver bullet for stress. Market research shows that the global market for this extract was valued at $864.3 million in 2021 and is projected to hit $2.5 billion by 2031. In 2021, spending on ashwagandha increased more than 225 percent compared to 2020.

But ashwagandhas role as a solution for all the stress in our lives is still not completely understood, despite its ever-increasing popularity.

Rashmi Mullur, an integrative endocrinologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the VA in Los Angeles, helps Inverse break down the facts and fables of the plant.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an herb found in India, Africa, and the Middle East thats classified as an adaptogen, an all-encompassing term given to a plant or mushroom that purportedly helps lower stress in the body. It also contains a group of bioactive compounds known as withanolides, which are associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Ashwagandha extract is typically sold in the form of a supplement.

The term adaptogen, Mullur says, isnt used in medical literature. Rather, its a descriptor of any extract or food that mitigates stress in the body. While it doesnt have a formal medical definition, it can be a convenient layperson label. Still, Mullur says it doesnt shed any light on the biological mechanisms at work.

Mullur says that we believe ashwagandha helps relieve stress by binding to the same receptors as the stress hormone cortisol, though researchers are still not sure of all the mechanisms at play.

When studying various types of stress, researchers often designate cortisol as a proxy for stress levels. But Mullur says it's not a linear relationship. The hormone is indeed a key player in the bodys stress response, but its mere presence doesnt indicate stressful conditions. She says human cortisol levels exhibit a diurnal pattern, meaning they ebb and flow over the course of a day. For the average unstressed person, Mullur says, cortisol peaks in the morning, drops, peaks mid-afternoon, and drops again. On the other hand, those living with chronic stress lose that pattern of cortisol secretion and simply flatline, consistently producing the hormone all day.

Clinical trials for ashwagandha are also all over the place, Mullur says. They vary in size, dose, and disorders treated. There are no absolute levels. This means studies of it arent standardized, and results can be misleading. Since all these studies vary, even promising ones cant provide useful, applicable information for Mullur. I cant take that data and generalize it to an average person experiencing stress, she says.

Moreover, supplements arent regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, which means they may be full of adulterating factors and compounds you didnt plan on ingesting or may contain varying amounts of the actual extract.

Mullur cautions against buying supplements from self-proclaimed holistic vendors and influencers. When it comes to the supplement industry, I think it's all bad, she says. Rather, using ashwagandha under the supervision of an integrative or traditional provider may potentially help with stress, though again, the studies are not yet established.

She says ashwagandha and other similar herbal supplements are safest and most effective in small doses for short periods of time. In fact, Mullur says that there have been a few cases of jaundice-induced liver failure from taking too much ashwagandha for too long.

If youre interested in exploring this herb, Mullur advises that you stay away from social media and stick to integrative and traditional medical practitioners.

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Does Ashwagandha Help Relieve Stress? Here's What the ... - Inverse

THURSDAY, Nov. 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Shrinkage of one of the brain's key memory centers appears to herald thinking declines, a new study finds.

The region in question is the hippocampus, a two-sided structure located roughly above each ear and embedded deep within the brain's temporal lobe. It's long been known to play a crucial role in the storage and transference of short- and long-term memory.

The new research was published Nov. 15 in the journal Neurology. It focused on brain scan data collected from 128 people averaging 72 years of age.

A team led by Dr. Bernard Hanseeuw, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, used the scans to track changes in brain levels of amyloid plaques or tau tangles. Both are linked to the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

The team also used the scans, which were taken annually, to chart any changes in the size of an individual's hippocampus over the course of seven years.

People who showed the most significant shrinkage in their hippocampus were also most likely to display thinking declines over the study period, Hanseeuw's group reported.

This seemed to occur independently of changes in levels of either amyloid or tau, they noted. They estimated that hippocampus shrinkage might account for 10% of thinking declines.

These results suggest that neurodegenerative diseases other than Alzheimers are contributing to this decline, and measuring the hippocampus volume may help us evaluate these causes that are currently difficult to measure, Hanseeuw said in a news release from the American Academy of Neurology.

This could help us better predict who would respond to these new drugs as well as peoples trajectories of cognitive decline," he reasoned.

More information:

Find out more about the brain and the hippocampus at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Excerpt from:
One Part of Your Brain Could Point to Mind's Decline - HealthDay

Total mosquito activity at untreated and treated nets

A total of 3725 mosquitoes were assessed over 745 WHO cone tests using strains of KS, NG, BF and VK7 exposed to P2, OS, P3, IG2 and UT nets. Mosquitoes exposed to UT nets had a propensity to crawl along the net surface (Fig.2a). The mean total movement events observed during cone tests on UT nets was 4175 (SD 2154) in KS, 4671 (SD 1655) in NG, 3636 (SD 1619) in BF and 1975 (SD 1769) in VK7 (Fig.3). Susceptible strains typically had higher total activity than resistant strains. During exposure to treated nets, mosquito activity became dispersed throughout the cone and crawling on the net surface was reduced (Fig.2b). The mean total movement events (Fig.3) during ITN tests by strain was 4905 (SD 1120) in KS, 5326 (SD 904) in NG, 4022 (SD 1470) in BF, and 2737 (SD 1582) in VK7. Significant differences between the total movement comparing UT nets and ITNs by strain are indicated in Additional file 2: Table S1.

Composite outputs from individual ViCTA analyses demonstrate behavioural differences between untreated and insecticide-treated bednets. a composite summary image using the Kisumu strain of An. gambiae (KS) on an untreated net constructed by sampling video every 0.1s and merging darkest components of each frame, b Composite summary output of KS on net treated with Interceptor G2 (IG2), c composite image of Ngousso strain of An. coluzzii (NG) on untreated net, d Composite summary output of NG exposed to PermaNet 3

Total mosquito movement activity for all net treatments grouped by strain. Baseline behaviour on UT net is at the left side of each panel; 95% CI are indicated by error bars

The regional occupancy of mosquitoes in cones revealed variation in the responses of Anopheles spp. to different ITNs in terms of absolute (Fig.4a) and relative (Fig.4b) occupancy. During exposure to P2, mosquitoes were 1.482.11 times more active in the upper half of the cone (UHC) than in the UT net (Table 1, P2 vs UT upper region: KS OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.64, 2.7; P0.0010; NG OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.39, 2.27; P0.0010; BF OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.14, 1.92; P0.0010; VK7 OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.29, 2.15, P0.0010). Although activity was increased, there were no significant differences in the proportion of time spent in the upper and lower parts of the cone compared to the UT net (borderline result for KS Table 2 P2 vs UT: KS OR 0.51; 95% CI 0.25, 1.02; P=0.0582).

Regional activity in ViCTA analysis. a Mean absolute regional activity in LHC (bottom) vs UHC (top) regions for all strains and treatments. b Mean proportional regional activity. Baseline behaviour on UT net is shown in the top rows. 95% CI are indicated by error bars

In OS tests, all strains spent 1.552.67 times more time in the UHC than in the UT net, and the proportional LHC occupancy was 6675% lower (Table 1, OS vs UT upper region: KS OR 2.67; 95% CI 2.1, 3.41; P0.0010; NG OR 2.54; 95% CI 2.01, 3.2; P0.0010; BF OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.31, 2.34; P0.0010; VK7 OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.21, 1.98, P0.0010; Table 2 OS vs UT KS OR 0.34; 95% CI 0.25, 1.02; P=0.0582; NG OR 0.59; 95% CI 0.29, 1.18; P=0.1922; BF OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.26, 1.22; P=0.2117; VK7 OR 0.72; 95% CI 0.36, 1.42, P=0.5579); in P3 tests, mosquitoes spent 1.483.6 times more time in the UHC and were 65% less likely to move in the LHC (Table 1, P3 vs UT upper region: KS OR 2.79; 95% CI 2.16, 3.60; P0.0010; NG OR 3.38; 95% CI 2.67, 4.27; P0.0010; BF OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.13, 1.94; P=0.0015; VK7 OR 2.43; 95% CI 1.91, 3.08, P0.0010; Table 2, P3 vs UT: KS OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.18, 0.71; P0.0010; NG OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.11, 0.46; P0.0010; BF OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.25, 1.21; P=0.1930; VK7 OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.11, 0.45, P0.0010). Insecticide-susceptible and insecticide-resistant strains exhibited different behaviours during exposure to IG2: in the susceptible strains, between 50 and 74% less activity was observed in the LHC during IG2 tests compared to the UT net (Table 2 IG2 vs UT: KS OR 0.50; 95% CI 0.25, 0.99; P=0.0470; NG OR 0.26; 95% CI 0.13, 0.52; P0.0010), which was not observed in the two resistant strains (Table 2 IG2 vs UT: BF OR 1.74; 95% CI 0.8, 3.75; P=0.2372; VK7 OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.28, 1.08; P=0.1025).

Although mosquito resting could be indirectly inferred as the reciprocal of mosquito movement activity counts per frame (5n, where n is the number of moving mosquitoes detected per frame), a stricter measure was used. A resting frame was defined as a video frame where none of the five mosquitoes moved, compared to the previous frame. The total number of resting frames was calculated for each assay. Resting behaviour showed stark differences between susceptible and resistant strains (Fig.5) with VK7 mosquitoes found to be resting for a large proportion of the cone assays.

Mean mosquito resting period by strain and treatment. Seconds count based on number of measured frames where none of the five mosquitoes moved compared to the previous frame, out of a total of 1800 frames over the 3min of the cone test. Numbers adjacent to each bar indicate mean number of seconds resting

Over 92% of mosquitoes successfully blood-fed after tests with UT nets, with most mosquitoes feeding at 1h [KS 91.7% (176/192); NG 96% (192/200); BF 95.88% (93/97) and VK7 93.43% (199/213)]. After ITN tests, none of the mosquitoes exposed to P3, or the susceptible strains exposed to P2 and OS, survived long enough to feed. Of the few KS and NG mosquitoes that lived long enough to take a blood meal after IG2 tests, approximately half fed at 1h PE (PE) [KS 53.85% (7/13), NG 53.33% (16/30)]. In the resistant strains, compared to UT nets, BF mosquitoes were at least 90% less likely to feed at 1h PE when exposed to ITNs (Additional file 2: Table S2 BF: IG2 OR 0.10; 95% CI 0.00, 2.56; P=0.2325; OS OR 0.01; 95% CI 0.00, 0.25; P=0.0028; P2 OR 0.00; 95% CI 0.00, 0.02; P0.0010). P2 had the largest immediate inhibitory effect [blood-feeding success=9.8% (9/92)], followed by OS [48.57% (17/35)] and IG2 [61.86% (73/118)]. At 24h PE, approximately one third of BF mosquitoes (31.11%, 14/45) that were unfed at 1h after IG2 exposure, and all mosquitoes that were unfed at 1h after exposure to P2 and OS tests, blood-fed (P2 n=83; OS n=18).

ITN exposure did not have a significant effect on the blood-feeding behaviour of VK7 mosquitoes at either 1h or 24h PE. Most mosquitoes successfully fed at 1h [P2: 93.90% (77/82); OS: 87.50% (42/48); IG2 62.07% (18/29)].

The mean total weight of blood meals taken after tests with UT netting was 12.47g (SD=7.64). BMW per strain on UT netting was as follows: KS 12.26g (SD=7.89), NG 11.74g (SD=6.13), BF 10.48g (SD=6.42) and VK7 13.10g (SD=8.93). After ITN exposure, blood meal weights decreased (range 6.86g to 12.20g Fig.6 and Additional file 2: Table S3), significantly so in NG and VK7 strains (NG 2=5.47; df=1; P=0.0193; VK7 2=13.94; df=3; P=0.0030), where, compared to UT, at least 4.0g less blood was ingested (Additional file 2: Table S3 NG IG2=4.44g; 95% CI 8.23, 0.65; P=0.0225, VK7: OS=4.06g; 95% CI 6.84, 1.27; P=0.0045 and P2=4.19g; 95% CI 7.12, 1.36; P=0.0042). Activity in the LHC during tests was significantly associated with smaller blood meal weights in VK7 mosquitoes, and blood meals became 9.3 times smaller as activity increased (estimate=9.35g; 95% CI 17.76, 0.93; P=0.0298) regardless of treatment.

Mean haematin concentration of blood-fed mosquitoes which took a blood meal at 1h and 24h. Error bars at 95% CI are included only for cases where n>2. Numbers adjacent to each bar indicate sample size

In VK7 mosquitoes that could not feed at 1h PE but which recovered to feed at 24h PE, blood meal weights were 1.45 times smaller blood meals compared to those that fed at 1h PE (estimate=1.45g; 95% CI 2.93, 0.03; P=0.0551). The sizes of individual mosquitoes had a significant effect on blood meal weights in the NG, BF and VK7 strains (NG 2=5.94; df=1; P=0.0148; BF 2=17.55; df=1; P<0.0001; and VK7 2=11.18; df=1; P=0.0008) and as size increased, so did the size of the blood meal (NG estimate=5.49; 95% CI 0.91, 10.03; P=0.0201, BF estimate=8.28; 95% CI 4.09, 12.47; P0.0010 and VK7 estimate=4.19; 95% CI 1.73, 6.65; P0.0010).

After UT net tests, the 24-h mortality was 0.485.45% and the median longevity was 1214days (Additional file 2: Table S4, Additional file 2: S5). For all ITNs, 24-h mortality for KS and NG was 85.37100% and 3.4620.83% for resistant BF and VK7 (Additional file 2: Table S4). No mosquitoes survived P3 exposure and no susceptible mosquitoes survived P2. The median longevity for resistant strains after ITN tests was 914days (Additional file 2: Table S5). KS and NG mosquitoes were at least 47.55 times more likely to die when exposed to IG2 or OS compared to a UT net (Additional file 2: Table S4).

The longevity of KS mosquitoes was influenced by activity during tests and mosquitoes were 11.93 times more likely to die as the LHC activity increased regardless of treatment (including UT). In VK7 mosquitoes, observed longevity also was influenced by the activity in the cone during tests (treatment*activity interaction: 2=9.11; df=3; P=0.0278) and as the proportion of activity in the LHC increased, the likelihood of dying increased for UT and P2 (Additional file 2: Fig. S3a). In IG2 tests, mosquitoes were more likely to die when greater activity was recorded in the UHC, and, compared with UT, mosquitoes were significantly more likely to die when the proportion of activity close to the net was less than 50% (Additional file 2: Fig. S3b).

Mosquitoes that did not blood-feed at 1h PE were at least 17 times more likely to die at 24h PE (Additional file 2: Table S4 KS 2=0.00; df=1; P=0.9987, NG 2=25.80; df=1; P<0.0001, BF 2=19.40; df=1; P<0.0001 and VK7 2=24.54; df=1; P<0.0001). The amount of blood ingested had a slight impact on longevity: BF and VK7 mosquitoes were 7% and 2% less likely to die as the BMW increased, respectively (Additional file 2: Table S5 BF HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.90, 0.93; P<0.0001 and VK7 HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97, 0.99; P=0.0012). The effect of treatment on longevity varied with wing length for all strains, for example, smaller mosquitoes lived longer PE to UT netting (all strains) and were more likely to die if they were exposed to IG2 for all the strains except BF (Additional file 2: Fig. S2 a, b).

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Video augmentation of the WHO cone assay to quantify mosquito ... - Parasites & Vectors

Stem cells taking out the trash. This illustration is from Emma Vidal of DrawImpacts. Credit: Emma Vidal

Scientists at UC San Diego have discovered that stem cells unique method of discarding misfolded proteins could hold the key to preserving long-term health and avoiding illness.

As humans continue their search for the fountain of youth, stem cells keep emerging as a key player in the quest for longevity. Studies increasingly suggest that preserving the fitness of stem cells leads to a longer healthspan, and new research highlights the importance of keeping stem cells clean and tidy.

According to a study recently published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine discovered that blood stem cells employ a surprising technique to eliminate their misfolded proteins. The researchers found that this process decreases with age and believe that boosting this specialized garbage disposal system could help fend off age-related illnesses.

The study focused on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the cells in our bone marrow that produce new blood and immune cells throughout our lives. When their function is weakened or lost, this can lead to blood and immune disorders, such as anemia, blood clotting, and cancer.

UC San Diego researcher Robert Signer, Ph.D., describes how stem cells contribute to aging and age-related diseases. Credit: UC San Diego Health Sciences

Stem cells are in it for the long haul, said senior study author Robert Signer, Ph.D., associate professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Their need for longevity requires them to be wired differently than all the short-lived cells in the body.

A key to keeping stem cells happy is maintaining protein homeostasis. Previous work showed that stem cells, including HSCs, synthesize proteins much slower than other cell types, prioritizing quality over quantity. This helps them make fewer mistakes in the process, as misfolded proteins can become toxic to cells if allowed to build up.

Still, some mistakes or protein damage are inevitable, so the researchers set out to understand how stem cells ensure these proteins are properly discarded.

In most cells, damaged or misfolded proteins get individually tagged for disposal. A mobile protein destroyer called the proteasome then finds the labeled proteins and breaks them down into their original amino acid components. But in the new study, the researchers found proteasome activity was especially low in HSCs. This left the team puzzled: if getting rid of damaged proteins is so important to stem cells, why is the proteasome less active?

UC San Diego scientists found misfolded proteins were aggregated and caged into a single area (green) within stem cells before being disposed of. Credit: UC San Diego Health Sciences

Through a series of subsequent experiments, the team discovered that HSCs use a different system entirely. Here, damaged and misfolded proteins are collected and trafficked into clusters called aggresomes. Once corralled into a single location, they can be collectively destroyed by the lysosome (a cell organelle containing digestive enzymes) in a process called aggrephagy.

Whats very unusual here is this pathway was thought to only be triggered as an extreme stress response, but its actually the normal physiological pathway thats used by stem cells, said Signer. This emphasizes how critical it is for stem cells to prevent stress so they can preserve their health and longevity.

So why this different system? A main advantage of the proteasome method is that it breaks proteins down immediately, producing amino acids that the cell can reuse to build new proteins. But stem cells are less interested in building new proteins. Thus the authors suggest that by storing a collection of damaged proteins in one place, stem cells may be creating their own cache of resources that can be used at a later time when they are actually needed, such as after an injury or when it is time to regenerate.

The body really cant risk losing its stem cells, so having this stockpile of raw materials makes them more protected against rainy days, said Signer. Stem cells are marathon runners, but they also need to be world-class sprinters when the circumstances call for it.

When the researchers genetically disabled the aggrephagy pathway, the stem cells started to accumulate aggregated protein, which impaired their fitness, longevity and regenerative activity.

The team then discovered that while almost all young stem cells had aggresomes, at a certain point in aging, they were almost completely gone. The authors suggest that stem cells inability to efficiently destroy misfolded proteins during aging is likely a key contributing factor to their declining function and the resulting age-related disorders.

Our hope is that if we can improve stem cells ability to maintain the aggrephagy pathway, we will preserve better stem cell fitness during aging and mitigate blood and immune disorders, said Signer.

The authors suspect that other types of stem cells and long-lived cells like neurons have a similar requirement for strict regulation of protein homeostasis, suggesting therapeutics to boost this pathway may be beneficial across multiple organs and pathologies.

Enter your journal: Reference: Hematopoietic stem cells preferentially traffic misfolded proteins to aggresomes and depend on aggrephagy to maintain protein homeostasis by Bernadette A. Chua, Connor J. Lennan, Mary Jean Sunshine, Daniela Dreifke, Ashu Chawla, Eric J. Bennett and Robert A.J. Signer, 21 March 2023, Cell Stem Cell.DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.02.010

Co-authors of this study include: Bernadette A. Chua, Connor J. Lennan, Mary Jean Sunshine, Daniela Dreifke and Eric J. Bennett at UC San Diego and Ashu Chawla at La Jolla Institute for Immunology.

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Clearing Out the Trash Stem Cells' Battle Against Aging - SciTechDaily

A 102-year-old doctor who still works has shared her tips for living a long and fulfilling life as she continues to focus on the future with her 10-year plan.

Dr. Gladys McGarey, from Scottsdale, Arizona, is known as the mother of holistic medicine, a form of healing that takes the patient's mind, body, and spirit into account during treatment.

She co-founded the American Board of Holistic Medicine and had a family practice for more than 60 years. The mother of six continues to work as a consulting doctor and writer.

McGarey was 100when she started penning her new book,The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year-Old Doctors Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age, which was published last week.

She makes an effort to move daily, including reaching her daily step count and riding her tricycle. In her free time, she knits, listens to audiobooks, and talks with friends.

As she lifts the lid on her keys to longevity while promoting her latest book,FEMAIL has highlighted her best advice below.

Discover your life's purpose

McGarey believes that one of the most important things you can do to live life to the fullest is to find your 'juice' your purpose for living.

In her book, she wrote about how she discovered she was meant to be a doctor when she was just eight years old.

She grew up in India with her parents, who were medical missionaries, and spent years thinking she was 'stupid' because she struggled with dyslexia.

McGareyrecalled how her father took her older brothers hunting one fateful day, leaving her and her younger siblings to help their mother in the medical tent.

A young man brought over a wounded elephant for treatment. Even though her mother wasn't a veterinarian, she removed a splinter of bamboo from the animal's foot and irrigated the infection.

Assisting her mother that day made her realize that she was meant to be a doctor.

'Each of us is here to connect with your unique gifts, this is what activates our desire to be alive,' she wrote. 'Achieving this connection isn't necessarily the point. The search counts for far more. The process of "finding our juice" keeps us vital.'

McGarey is also an advocate for having a 10-year plan and looking to the future.

She told Insider that her current plan involves creating a village for 'living medicine' where people of all ages can care for each other and practice wellness.

'A 10-year plan makes space for everything,' she explained in her book. 'It's a far enough reach that it keeps our life force activated. Yet it's close enough that we can achieve it, dust ourselves off, and plan anew.'

Know there is a lesson in everything

McGarey has had her fair share of struggles over the years, including surviving cancer and grieving the death of her daughter.

She was almost 70 when her husband of 46 years and clinic partner, William McGarey, left her for another woman.

The authortold Today that the painful experience was 'a huge teacher' that helped her find her own voice and led her to start anew holistic medical practice with her daughter.

'Up to that point, I had depended on [his] support in the things that I was saying. After that, I had to believe that what I was saying had strength and was important,' she explained.

'Once I could actually find my own voice, I wrote him a letter and thanked him for giving me my freedom. Because up until that time, I did not feel that my voice was strong enough.'

McGarey also takes cues from her dreams because she believes they are the key to the unconscious and advises others to do the same.

In her interview with Today, she explained that when she is wrestling with a decision, she asks for a dream before going to bed. She immediately writes down the dream after waking up and searches for messages from her unconscious.

Let go of anything that doesn't serve you

McGarey combats unnecessary stress in her life by letting go of things or experiences that no longer serve her.

She explained in an interview with CNBC Make Itthat the happiest and healthiest people she knows understand the importance of releasing whatever isn't working in their lives.

'My mom taught me an easy way to release things that dont matter. She would raise her hand gently in front of us, fingers held loosely, palm up. Then swoop it down and back and say, "It doesnt matter,"' she told the outlet.

McGarey adopted the same practice and has grown to understand the significance of the symbolic gesture.

'I realize that theres great empowerment in knowing that whenever I notice something coming toward me, I can choose whether to take it in,' she said. 'And if its something I dont want, I consciously give the energy back to wherever it came from.'

Keep moving

McGarey makes sure she keeps moving, both literally and figuratively.

She is consistent with her daily fitness goals, which include walking 3,800 steps a day with the help of her walker.

The doctor also rides an adult tricycle around her yard and neighborhood. She recently shared footage of herself riding the bike on her Instagram page.

'I do things that I can do, that I want to do,' she told Fortune.

When it comes to moving through life, she follows her mother's motto: make do.

'Look for what you can do, not what you cant do,' she said. 'Our bodies are our teachers if we pay attention to it, we learn lessons.'

Find what works for you

McGarey follows a daily routine, but she doesn't believe there is a one-size-fits-all approach to living.

She told Insider that on most days she wakes up and does a morning prayer before heading downstairs and starting her day.

McGareylikes to havea bowl of Raisin Bran and a glass of prune juice for breakfast, while lunch is typically a salad and soup.

However, she explained in her interview with Today that she eats whatever she wants to eat, including the occasional hamburger.

She doesn't smoke or drink alcohol, but she isn't opposed to the latter.

'I think wine for some people is a lovely thing. Its what works for you,' she said.

'The individual person has to live their own individual life, so as you find what works for you, bless it and use it and work with it.'

Excerpt from:
102-year-old doctor shares her secrets to longevity as she looks to the future with her 10-year plan - Daily Mail

Aging happens. While the rate may vary from species to species and even person to person, targeting aging may extend the average life expectancy more than prevention or treatment of diseases, according to Northeastern experts.

Researchers and pharmaceutical companies continue to search for treatments for chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. But while medicine has helped reduce mortality, it doesnt look at the larger picture of aging.

Aging plays a crucial role in the onset of many diseases that affect the bodys organs.

Preventative measures to treat aging at the molecular level may provide more benefits than reactive therapeutic approaches that target a single disease or organwhich do not extend lifespans, says Ramkumar Hariharan, a senior scientist at the Institute for Experimental AI at Northeastern University.

Hariharan focuses on human longevity, advanced statistical data analyses, data visualization, and machine learning. He also has experience in building AI applications, with research directed at using large and genomic datasets in biomedicine.

I think aging is the emperor of all maladies, Hariharan says.

Even if scientists cure cancer, the most it would add to the average life expectancy would be two to three years, Hariharan says. Why? Because, like in the movies, if cancer doesnt get you, something else willsuch as a car crash, heart disease or Alzheimers.

The reason is that aging is the single biggest risk factor for developing any one of these diseases, Hariharan says. If you can slow down aging, you get a life-expectancy increase of 30 to 35 years.

So, what exactly is aging other than another day closer to your next birthday? Hariharan defines it as things falling apart at the molecular level, at the cellular level, and the organismal level.

The chances of getting diseases increase as one ages and other functionalities decrease, such as the bodys immune systemmeaning the older you are, the more likely you are to get infectious diseases.

A scientific hypothesis states, Aging is one of the biggest risk factors for developing any of this plethora of diseases, Hariharan says. By slowing down aging or by halting aging, or in the ideal case reversing aging, you must be able to prevent or stave off the initiation of these diseases.

Hariharan is interested in extending the health or cell span, which refers to the years of life that one spends not taking pills to stave off disease.

There may be a finite age in humans from 120 or 130 years old. After all, Jeanne Calment lived to be 122 years old and is considered to have lived the longest life. But what will it take to get there? Unfortunately, the answer is still unclear.

Thats where artificial intelligence can help.

With the help of Pramod Nagare, a senior data engineer working at Northeasterns Institute for Experiential AIs Solutions Hub, Hariharan explained that they are creating a toolbox for biologists studying longevity to input their data and receive meaningful insight.

Called the Artificial Intelligence Longevity Toolbox, or AI-LOT for short, Nagare explained that the AI-assisted program will make it easier for biologists to understand their data.

A prototype of the toolbox will be available to the public in about six months and the team is hoping to build out AI-LOT within three years.

Biologists dont have to look into the technical aspect of whats going on behind the scenes, Nagare says. However, at the same time, theyre getting a feel about knowing their data in much more detail through exploratory data analysis.

There are three main tools Nagare and Hariharan are developing. The first uses data in predictive analytics, allowing researchers to see what will happen next in a pattern of data. The second is a hub of research on longevity medicine, allowing users to summarize key studies and ask questions on what medicines are the most effective.

The third use is to develop new drugs. For example, a researcher can narrow down a list of the best molecule candidates for a potential drug from a list of millions with the help of AI. The tool will also be able to suggest molecules that will work.

Instead of completing a sentence, it can complete the structure of a molecule, Hariharan says.

Measuring aging, such as using a thermometer for fever or a sphygmomanometer for blood pressure, is still being developed for biological age. The goal is to use data at the molecular level.

Beth Treffeisen is a Northeastern Global News reporter. Email her at b.treffeisen@northeastern.edu. Follow her on Twitter @beth_treffeisen.

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Can AI Help Scientists Slow the Aging Process? - Northeastern University

About lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are the most common type of battery used in todays portable devices. These batteries charge quickly, discharge deeply at a steady rate, and have high energy density that allows for small cell sizes. This makes them ideal for Surface devices where we design for the longest possible battery life in the smallest possible form factor.

Surface devices are engineered to maximize battery life and longevity. By understanding a little about lithium-ion batteries youll be able to help maximize the life and longevity of the battery in your Surface device:

It is common for the capacity of lithium-ion cells to diminish after a certain number of charge/discharge cycles. This will result in shorter intervals between charging and lower battery capacity.

When using your device, make sure the battery drains below 50 percent regularly. This will help minimize aging of the battery cells.

Surface devices have features to reduce battery aging. Keeping your device current with the latest driver and firmware updates is the best way to help preserve battery reliability and longevity.

Like all batteries, lithium-ion cells are consumables that age and lose capacity over time and with usage. The best way to extend battery life and performance on devices that don't support smart charging is to drain the battery below 50 percent several times a week before recharging rather than discharging it on frequent short and shallow discharge cycles.

As you use your battery, there are some conditions you should avoid as they can lead to faster aging:

Avoid using or charging at extreme high temperatures: Devices that are charged or operated at high temperatures will cause accelerated aging of the lithium-ion battery and permanent loss of battery charging capacity. Surface devices are designed to work between 32F and 95F (0C-35C) so keep your Surface out of the sun and dont leave it in a hot car.

Keeping or storing at a high state of charge: Batteries maintained at a high charge state will lose capacity faster. You can help prevent this accelerated process by not leaving your device connected to AC power for extended periods. Rather, try to ensure the device is regularly discharged below 50% before charging again. If you have a scenario where you need to keep the device plugged in continuously, we recommend using the Battery Limit Modeto limit the battery state of charge. If you need to store your device for a long period of time, its best to reduce the charge level to 50% before storing and to regularly check the battery to ensure it has not drained to very low levels.

When batteries experience excessive aging, you may see severe battery life reductions or advanced expansion of the lithium-ion cells. Under normal conditions, Surface devices are designed with a mechanical enclosure to contain battery expansion. Under extreme conditions the battery may expand beyond the mechanical limits of the device and result in deformation.

Advanced battery expansion caused by excessive agingdoes not present a safety concern and is most often caused by the formation of non-flammable carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. If you have a device where the battery has expanded visibly beyond the mechanical enclosure, we recommend you stop using the device. You should handle the device with caution to prevent putting pressure on or risk puncturing the battery cell.If you need assistance, please complete the Surface replacement request form to work with a Surface Support Advocate.

Surface is continually working to help get you the most from the battery in your device and regularly releases fixes designed to improve battery reliability and longevity. The following features are already available on select device models (see table below) to help deliver optimal battery performance and slow down battery aging:

Battery Smart Charging Battery Smart Charging is a feature that helps protect your battery from the effects of charging patterns and high temperatures that may accelerate battery aging or lead to expansion. Battery Smart Charging is always active and turns on automatically to limit battery charging to 80% when it detects your device is plugged in for prolonged periods and/or used at elevated temperatures. The 80% charging limitautomatically turns off when the battery has been discharged below 20%.What you see when Battery Smart Charging turns on depends on your Surface device model. For specific details, see Feature availability below.

Battery Limit Mode - Battery Limit Mode is a feature available for users who need to keep devices plugged in for extended periods of time. Plugging in the device for extended periods of time can cause batteries to prematurely age. When enabled this feature limits battery charging capacity to 50%, which slows the aging process and prolongs battery longevity.

More details on Battery Limit Mode, including instructions to enable and disable the feature, can be found on our Battery Limit Modesupport page.

Battery Lifespan Saver - Battery Lifespan Saver is a feature designed to help protect your battery from the cumulative negative effects of consistent and recurrent use at high temperatures or high states of charge. This feature complements Battery Smart Charging by monitoring battery conditions continuously. If these adverse conditions are detected, Battery Lifespan Saver implements a limited number of permanent reductions in charging voltage. Although this will result in a smallincremental and permanent loss to battery capacity, it will maximize the total lifespan of your battery byaddressing conditions that would otherwise accelerate battery aging, significantly reduce battery capacity, or lead to battery expansion.

To get the most from these features, it's important to keep your device current with the latest driver and firmware updates.

If you normally connect to Windows Update and use the default out of the box settings to receive automatic updates, youll always have the latest drivers and firmware.

To make sure you have the latest updates, open Windows Update in Settings on your Surface, then select Check for updates. For more info, see Get the latest Windows update.

Check for updates

If your Surface device is managed by your organization, your IT group will typically deploy updates internally.

Device

Battery Smart Charging

Battery Limit Mode

Battery Lifespan Saver

Surface 3

No

Yes

No

Surface Pro 3

Yes

Yes

No

Surface Pro 4

Yes

Yes

No

Surface Pro (2017)

Yes

Yes

No

Surface Pro 6

Yes

Yes

No

Surface Pro 7

Yes

Yes

Yes

Surface Pro 7+

Yes

Yes

Yes

Surface Pro 8

Yes*

Yes

Yes

Surface Pro 9 (all models)

Yes*

Yes

Yes

Surface Pro X

Yes

Yes

Yes

Surface Pro X (Wi-Fi)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Surface Book

Yes

Yes

No

Surface Book 2

Yes

Yes

No

Surface Book 3

Yes

Yes

Yes

Surface Laptop

Yes

Yes

No

Surface Laptop 2

Yes

Yes

No

Surface Laptop 3

Yes

Yes

Yes

Surface Laptop 4

Yes

Yes

Yes

Surface Laptop 5

Yes*

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The SuperAgers Family Study demonstrates effectiveness of multi-modal participant enrollment, data collection, and engagement in reaching aging populations

FAIRFAX, Va., May 09, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, just one in every thousand people in the United States reaches the age of 95 or older. While lifestyle may be a factor, researchers believe there could be genetic drivers that influence whether an individual lives an exceptionally long life.

This is the hypothesis behind the SuperAgers Family Study, launched by researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in collaboration with the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) and Boston University School of Medicine, and supported by AFARs multi-year SuperAgers Initiative. The study recently exceeded its initial recruitment milestone, demonstrating early success in reaching this unique population.

The SuperAgers Family Study aims to collect data from 10,000 people, primarily individuals 95 and older, but also including their children and childrens spouses. This target enrollment number makes SuperAgers the most ambitious research program studying the biology behind exceptional longevity to date.

Historically, reaching aging populations for health research has been difficult. Many researchers still rely on face-to-face and clinical interactions and resist the use of digital methods for enrollment and data collection. By exceeding their first recruitment milestone, the SuperAgers study demonstrates that digital approaches can engage aging populations.

"Weve seen that, contrary to popular belief, there is some comfort with technology among this population, although it varies," said Sofiya Milman, MD, MS, who is the director of Human Longevity Studies at Einsteins Institute for Aging Research and the principal investigator of the study. "For those with less comfort, our recruitment of superager offspring in the study helps to foster compliance in superagers using digital methods. When needed, we can also leverage traditional and hybrid methods to perform eConsent and data collection."

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To meet, engage, and study superagers, the research team chose to collaborate with Vibrent Health, a digital technology company known for its innovation in precision medicine research solutions. Vibrent specializes in providing research teams with multi-modal approaches to eConsent, participant engagement, and data collection the latter of which comprises electronic medical records, genomics, wearables, surveys, and more.

"Studies exploring the contributing factors of healthy aging will be more effective if we can achieve larger numbers of participants in the research. We already see that technology can succeed in reaching aging populations," said Nir Barzilai, MD, Scientific Director at AFAR. "Our collaboration with Vibrent will help amass a data set whose magnitude will significantly move forward the identification of genetic, biological and behavioral factors that affect aging and its related diseases, delivering immediate and significant benefits to the legion of scientists and clinicians dedicated to healthy aging."

The SuperAgers Family Study uses Vibrents Participant Experience Manager to support the eConsent process and complete data collection in a way that meets them where they are, using a mix of digital methods, computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), and paper forms. Study staff also use Vibrents powerful researcher tools to manage communication and appointments with participants. Vibrents platform provides the team with a way to manage, visualize, and better understand the data they collect throughout the study. In the future, the study also plans to provide genomics return of results to the participants and their family members.

"The important research the SuperAgers team is doing demands a participant-centric approach at every step, because the study population is so unique," said Vibrent Health CEO Praduman "PJ" Jain. "The novel discoveries that this research team makes will no doubt set new precedents for research, and for family-based studies. As health research becomes increasingly digital, family-based datasets represent a robust, promising area of precision health research."

Those who wish to be a part of the SuperAgers Study can find study qualifications by visiting superagersstudy.org.

About Vibrent Health

Vibrent Health develops digital health technology and research tools for health organizations, researchers and research participants. Powering the next generation of precision medicine, Vibrents scalable technology platform for individual and population health provides actionable insights to help accelerate medical discoveries. Vibrent Health is proud to serve, since 2017, as the Participant Technology Systems Center for the National Institutes of Healths All of Us Research Program, which aims to collect health data from 1 million or more people to support a wide variety of research studies. Since 2020, Vibrent has also collaborated with numerous organizations to conduct a variety of research initiatives spanning several topics, including precision medicine, cancer, COVID, substance abuse, aging, and fertility, among others. To learn more, visit vibrenthealth.com.

About AFAR - The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is a national non-profit organization that supports and advances pioneering biomedical research that is revolutionizing how we live healthier and longer. For more than four decades, AFAR has served as the fields talent incubator, providing more than $193 million to nearly 4,350 investigators at premier research institutions to dateand growing. In 2022, AFAR awarded over $11,000,000 to more than 60 investigators. A trusted leader and strategist, AFAR also works with public and private funders to steer high quality grant programs and interdisciplinary research networks. AFAR-funded researchers are finding that modifying basic cellular processes can delayor even preventmany chronic diseases, often at the same time. They are discovering that it is never too lateor too earlyto improve health. This groundbreaking science is paving the way for innovative new therapies that promise to improve and extend our quality of lifeat any age. Learn more at afar.org or follow AFARorg on Facebook and American Federation for Aging Research on LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230509005157/en/

Contacts

Molly Bryantmbryant@vibrenthealth.com

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SuperAgers Family Study Reaches First National Recruitment Milestone Using Digital Methods Powered by Vibrent Healths Research Software - Yahoo...