Latest news with #Neurology
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Health
- Washington Post
Genetic variant tied to doubled dementia risk for older men
A common genetic variant is linked to a doubled dementia risk for older men, a recent analysis in Neurology suggests. The study used data from Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE), which followed elderly patients in the United States and Australia with no history of cardiovascular disease, dementia or cognitive decline between 2010 and 2017.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Accelerated biological aging may increase risk of dementia, stroke
A hallmark of accelerated aging appears to be linked to an increased risk of dementia and stroke, a new study says. Shorter telomere length in a person's white blood cells is associated with the two brain diseases, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Neurology. However, the link was not found in people with healthy lifestyle habits, researchers added. "Our findings support the potential benefits of working to improve your risk factors such as maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol and getting enough sleep and exercise in reducing the risk of age-related brain disease even in people who are already showing signs of damaging biological aging," senior researcher Dr. Christopher Anderson, an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, said in a news release. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. Often compared to the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces, telomeres serve a similar function -- preventing chromosomes from unravelling. Telomeres shorten every time cells divide, making them useful in estimating a person's biological age, researchers said. Biological age reflects wear-and-tear from the stresses the body endures over time, and can differ greatly from the chronological age reflected by a person's birthday. For this study, researchers analyzed genetic data for more than 356,000 people participating in UK Biobank, a large-scale health study in England, Scotland and Wales. Researchers divided the participants into three groups based on whether telomeres in their white blood cells (leukocytes) were short, medium or long. The team then compared telomere length to each person's lifestyle habits, as well as whether they'd developed dementia, stroke or depression. During an average seven years of follow-up, nearly 26,000 people developed at least one of these three age-related brain diseases. People with the shortest telomeres had 5.8 cases of the three brain diseases per 1,000 person-years, compared to 3.9 cases per 1,000 for those with the longest telomeres. Person-years reflect both the number of people in a study and the amount of time each person spends in a study. Overall, people with short telomeres were 11% more likely to develop one of the brain diseases, after accounting for other risk factors, results show. They specifically had an 8% increased risk of stroke, 19% increased risk of dementia, and 14% increased risk of late-life dementia, the study says. However, people with short telomeres didn't have an increased risk if they made healthier lifestyle choices, like eating a good diet and exercising regularly, researchers found. "These results suggest that healthy lifestyle behaviors could delay the aging of our cells and reduce the frequency of these diseases, especially in people who are greater risk," Anderson said. Researchers noted that the study can't show a direct cause-and-effect link between telomere length and brain health, only an association between the two. More information The University of Utah has more about telomeres and biological aging. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
UPI
12-06-2025
- Health
- UPI
Accelerated biological aging may increase risk of dementia, stroke
A hallmark of accelerated aging appears to be linked to an increased risk of dementia and stroke, a new study says. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News A hallmark of accelerated aging appears to be linked to an increased risk of dementia and stroke, a new study says. Shorter telomere length in a person's white blood cells is associated with the two brain diseases, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Neurology. However, the link was not found in people with healthy lifestyle habits, researchers added. "Our findings support the potential benefits of working to improve your risk factors such as maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol and getting enough sleep and exercise in reducing the risk of age-related brain disease even in people who are already showing signs of damaging biological aging," senior researcher Dr. Christopher Anderson, an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, said in a news release. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. Often compared to the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces, telomeres serve a similar function -- preventing chromosomes from unravelling. Telomeres shorten every time cells divide, making them useful in estimating a person's biological age, researchers said. Biological age reflects wear-and-tear from the stresses the body endures over time, and can differ greatly from the chronological age reflected by a person's birthday. For this study, researchers analyzed genetic data for more than 356,000 people participating in UK Biobank, a large-scale health study in England, Scotland and Wales. Researchers divided the participants into three groups based on whether telomeres in their white blood cells (leukocytes) were short, medium or long. The team then compared telomere length to each person's lifestyle habits, as well as whether they'd developed dementia, stroke or depression. During an average seven years of follow-up, nearly 26,000 people developed at least one of these three age-related brain diseases. People with the shortest telomeres had 5.8 cases of the three brain diseases per 1,000 person-years, compared to 3.9 cases per 1,000 for those with the longest telomeres. Person-years reflect both the number of people in a study and the amount of time each person spends in a study. Overall, people with short telomeres were 11% more likely to develop one of the brain diseases, after accounting for other risk factors, results show. They specifically had an 8% increased risk of stroke, 19% increased risk of dementia, and 14% increased risk of late-life dementia, the study says. However, people with short telomeres didn't have an increased risk if they made healthier lifestyle choices, like eating a good diet and exercising regularly, researchers found. "These results suggest that healthy lifestyle behaviors could delay the aging of our cells and reduce the frequency of these diseases, especially in people who are greater risk," Anderson said. Researchers noted that the study can't show a direct cause-and-effect link between telomere length and brain health, only an association between the two. More information The University of Utah has more about telomeres and biological aging. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Medscape
12-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Healthy Lifestyle May Curb Age-Related Brain Disease Risk
It's often emphasized that a healthier lifestyle can lead to a longer life, but a recent study of participants from the UK Biobank showed that healthy lifestyle behaviors may help reduce the risk for age-related brain diseases. Results of new research show participants with shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) were more likely to develop age-related brain diseases, including dementia, stroke, and late-life depression, than those who had longer LTL. However, engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors appeared to offset these risk factors. Although the study does not establish causality, the findings suggest that the association between shorter LTL and age-related brain diseases may be modifiable. 'Our findings support the potential benefits of working to improve your risk factors such as maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, and getting enough sleep and exercise in reducing the risk of age-related brain disease even in people who are already showing signs of damaging biological aging,' senior author Christopher D. Anderson, MD, MMSc, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, said in a press release. The results were published on June 11 in the journal Neurology . Unhealthy Lifestyle and Age-Related Brain Diseases Telomeres are often described as protective caps on the end of chromosomes, and shortened telomeres have been associated with age, race, sex, adverse environmental exposures, and genetic factors, as well as lifestyle factors such as physical activity, diet, alcohol, nutrition, sleep, stress, aerobic activity social interactions, and smoking using the Brain Care Score (BCS). A BCS of 15 or higher was associated with healthier lifestyle choices, while a BCS of 10 or lower signified less healthy lifestyle choices. What has been less clear up to this point is the degree to which LTL affects age-related brain diseases, and whether changing an individual's lifestyle habits could influence LTL, as opposed to LTL being a predictor of the risk for age-related brain disease. Researchers evaluated 356,173 participants from the UK Biobank with a median age of 56 years. Recruitment of participants occurred between 2006 and 2010, and there were four follow-up assessments in 2012-2013, 2014, 2019, and 2023. Participants were included if they had data on biomarkers such as LTL and DNA, as well as clinical data to identify potential risk factors for age-related brain disease using the BCS. The primary outcome was the association between LTL and the risks for stroke, dementia, and late-life depression, both as a composite outcome and as individual outcomes. LTL was categorized into three tertiles, ranging from shortest to longest, and risk factors were compared across these groups using the BCS. A BCS of 15 or higher indicated healthier lifestyle choices — such as a nutritious diet, a low cholesterol level, and controlled blood pressure — while a BCS of 10 or lower reflected less healthy behaviors. The results showed the shortest LTL tertile was associated with an increased risk for the age-related brain disease composite outcome (hazard ratio [HR], 1.11; 95% CI, 1.08-1.15), as well as increased risks for dementia (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.12-1.26), late-life depression (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.09-1.18), and stroke (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.15). When comparing participants with shorter LTL, those with a lower BCS were at a higher risk for the age-related brain disease composite outcome (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.07-1.16), as well as for dementia (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.08-1.28), late-life depression (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.07-1.19), and stroke alone (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02-1.19). Among participants with shorter LTL but a higher BCS, there were no significant increases in the risk for age-related brain disease as a composite or individual outcomes. Reversing Risk Limitations of the study included the evaluation of participants with only European ancestry, and measurement of LTL was conducted at baseline rather than over time. Future studies should include assessing the relationship between shortened LTL and age-related brain diseases in more diverse populations, as well as measuring LTL over time, the researchers said. However, the findings suggest 'healthy lifestyle behaviors could delay the aging of our cells and reduce the frequency of these diseases, especially in people who are greater risk,' said Anderson. 'Reducing risk factors like weight and alcohol consumption, as well as getting more sleep and exercise, can all help reverse the risk of age-related brain diseases, even for people who are already showing signs of biological aging,' lead author Tamara Kimball, MD, of the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, said in the press release. 'In short, it is never too late to start taking better care of your brain.'
Medical News Today
11-06-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Aging: Healthy habits could offset stroke, dementia, depression risk
New research finds certain diseases may be more common in people with a biomarker of aging but not in those with healthy lifestyles. Ivan Gener/Stocksy Age can increase a person's risk for several health conditions, including stroke, dementia, and late-life depression. A new study has identified an aging biomarker that is more common in people who develop stroke, dementia, and depression as they age. Researchers found that study participants who followed a healthy lifestyle appeared to offset the risks associated with this aging biomarker. 'Stroke and dementia are among the most prevalent age-related diseases, affecting millions worldwide and representing major health challenges for individuals, families, and healthcare systems,' Tamara N. Kimball, MD, a post-doctoral research fellow in the Brain Care Labs at Mass General Brigham told Medical News Today . 'With their impact expected to grow dramatically as populations age — and the number of people ages 60 and over projected to increase from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion by 2030 — developing effective prevention strategies has become urgent,' she said. Kimball is the lead author of a new study recently published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, that has identified an aging biomarker that is more common in people who develop stroke, dementia, and depression as they age. However, researchers found that following a healthy lifestyle offsets the risk of the diseases associated with this aging biomarker. For this study, researchers analyzed medical records for more than 356,000 adults with a median age of 56 living in the U.K. 'Imagine your shoelaces have plastic tips that protect them from fraying — telomeres work similarly for your DNA,' Kimball explained. 'Every time your cells divide, which happens constantly as your body repairs and maintains itself, these protective tips get a little shorter. As they become shorter over time, their ability to protect DNA diminishes, leading to cellular aging and an increased susceptibility risk of age-related diseases.' 'The length of telomeres in white blood cells (leukocytes) can serve as a marker of biological aging and is influenced by genetic factors, lifestyle choices, and environmental stressors,' she added. At the study's conclusion, researchers found that study participants with the shortest telomere length had 5.82 cases per 1,000 person-years (number of people in the study and amount of time each person spent in the study) of the brain diseases dementia, stroke, and late-life depression, compared to 3.92 cases for participants with the longest telomeres. 'This shows people with the shortest telomeres presented (with) these brain diseases about 1.5 times more than those with the longest telomeres, demonstrating how biological aging affects brain health,' Kimball said. Scientists also discovered that study participants with short telomeres who had brain disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking were 11% more likely to develop stroke, dementia, or depression than those with long telomeres. 'Our results demonstrate that individuals with low Brain Care Score — reflecting less favorable lifestyle factors like high blood pressure and smoking — consistently showed elevated risk for stroke, dementia, and depression when they also had shorter telomeres,' Kimball said. ' This suggests a compounded risk effect where biological aging and poor lifestyle choices increase disease susceptibility,' she said. Interestingly, Kimball and her team also found that participants with short telomeres, but who had high Brain Care Scores, did not have a higher risk of developing the studied brain diseases. 'In individuals with high Brain Care Score, the impact of leukocyte telomere length on disease risk was not significant,' Kimball explained. 'This may suggest that adopting healthier lifestyles and improving modifiable risk factors can mitigate the negative effects of having shorter telomeres.' 'Research shows that approximately 45% of dementia cases and up to 85% of strokes are linked to factors we can modify — like blood pressure, diet, and exercise,' she continued. 'Understanding the biological mechanisms by which lifestyle interventions influence cellular aging processes is essential for validating prevention strategies and developing more targeted, evidence-based interventions for brain health.' 'Our findings suggest that adopting healthier lifestyles and improving modifiable risk factors might mitigate some of the negative effects of shorter telomeres, which reflect adverse lifestyle choices in addition to social and environmental determinants of health earlier in life. In short, it is never too late to start taking better care of your brain.' — Tamara N. Kimball, MD MNT had the opportunity to speak with Clifford Segil, DO, an adult neurologist in private practice in Santa Monica, CA, who is also on staff at Providence St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, about this study. 'I am excited to see this research indicating a common cause of these three pathologies to develop into a possible treatment for telomere length protection or extension which could possibly decrease the occurrence of stroke, dementia, and depression in my elderly patients.' — Clifford Segil, DO Segil said that any time a common pathology is found between disparate neurological disease states, it is exciting as this research may stimulate a novel therapy. 'I often share with my patients that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment and studies like this support my desire to help my patients with common sense practical brain health preventative strategies,' he stated. For the next steps in this research, Segil said he would like to see this research group focus on specific lifestyle traits which cause patients to be able to maintain their 'large' telomere length and therefore decrease risk of stroke, dementia, and depression to figure out what to advise my patients to do for good brain health. 'I would then want them to do the reverse and figure out which habits or lifestyle choices specifically result in 'short' telomere lengths so I could advise my patients what to avoid in life,' he added. MNT also spoke with Jasdeep S. Hundal, PsyD, ABPP-CN, director of The Center for Memory & Healthy Aging at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at Hackensack Meridian Health School of Medicine in New Jersey, about this research who commented that findings are not entirely surprising, but do add value. 'Short leukocyte telomere length has long been viewed as a general marker of biological aging and this study seems to support this association, especially for people with unhealthy lifestyles.' — Jasdeep S. Hundal, PsyD, ABPP-CN 'This reinforces what we see clinically in that modifiable risk factors remain central, even in the context of genetic or biological vulnerability, to brain health as we age even if the findings are correlational. It is interesting to speculate that short telomeres aren't necessarily causing these brain diseases, but they are a warning sign, especially in the setting of poor lifestyle choices,' Hundal explained. 'The burden of age-related brain diseases is rapidly rising, and we still have no cure for the most serious dementias like Alzheimer's disease,' he continued. 'Most of the risk factors for these diseases are modifiable, so there is real potential for prevention or risk reduction, even in people who may already be showing signs of biological aging.' Hundal said that studies like this highlight that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not just 'good advice,' but can have genuine brain health consequences if someone is biologically vulnerable. 'We need more research identifying which interventions actually make a difference, for whom, and how to implement them in real-world settings,' he added. 'The focus should always be on translating findings like these into concrete strategies that help patients maintain brain health and independence for as long as possible.' Cholesterol Hypertension Stroke Alzheimer's / Dementia Seniors / Aging
