https://medicalxpress.com/healthy-aging-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Healthy Aging Researchers have found that consuming lower amounts of protein-rich foods may negatively affect physical functioning as people grow older, underscoring the vital function protein plays in preserving mobility and muscle strength in adulthood. In a large aging cohort study published in the journal Nutrients, the researchers report that regular dietary habits, particularly the consumption of protein-rich foods, can influence how well individuals move and perform daily activities later in life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-protein-rich-foods-physical-function.html Sat, 30 May 2026 09:30:01 EDT news699200734 Many people living with dementia never receive an accurate diagnosis, in part because Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and related conditions are notoriously difficult to tell apart and often occur together. Now, a new tool based on artificial intelligence and a simple blood draw may provide clarity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-blood-ai-dementia-brain-diseases.html Sat, 30 May 2026 08:00:03 EDT news699018268 Healthy lifestyles can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other complications in childhood cancer survivors. These are the findings of two new international studies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-lifestyle-childhood-cancer-survivors.html Fri, 29 May 2026 13:40:06 EDT news699279661 A new study highlights a critical gap: most clinical research studies that use imaging techniques such as amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans do not account for the radiation participants have already received from prior medical procedures. As brain imaging technology becomes more widely used in medical research—especially following recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals of new Alzheimer's treatments—questions are emerging about how much radiation research participants are accumulating over a lifetime of medical scans. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-cumulative-exposure-poses-hidden-older.html Fri, 29 May 2026 12:20:05 EDT news699275162 Scientists at Université de Montréal have figured out how metformin—a common drug that's used to treat type-2 diabetes and that may cut the risk of developing cancer and even help humans and other mammals live longer—actually works. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-metformin-diabetes-reshape-aging-cancer.html Fri, 29 May 2026 09:20:08 EDT news699263013 For the first time, researchers found blood biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease that correlated with minor cognitive differences in midlife adults who did not have dementia. The study, led by UC San Francisco, also found that the biomarkers, which measure tau and amyloid plaque, were associated with a greater chance of cognitive decline in these participants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-blood-biomarkers-reveal-subtle-midlife.html Thu, 28 May 2026 18:30:05 EDT news699205741 A new study by researchers at Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center predicts rising temperatures driven by climate change will dramatically increase heat-related heart disease in the United States. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-triple-heart-disease-burden.html Thu, 28 May 2026 15:40:06 EDT news699199261 In a new study published recently in the journal Nature, researchers at Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt Health have created the first growth charts for white matter in the brain over a human lifetime. The work brings together nearly two decades of Vanderbilt research collaborations, the university's extensive MRI data collections, and an advanced AI-enabled computing platform. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-brain-reveal-lifetime-white-growth.html Thu, 28 May 2026 13:20:02 EDT news699191039 Molecular clocks that can provide accurate estimates of both molecular age and lifespan across multiple mammalian species and tissue types are presented in an article published in Nature this week. An analysis of more than 11,000 human, rodent, and primate samples reveals conserved signatures of aging. This framework may aid the development of targeted interventions to improve longevity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-gene-clocks-lifespan-species-epigenetic.html Thu, 28 May 2026 12:20:01 EDT news699187143 A new study from Flinders University researchers describes the perspectives of aged care staff on when and how they communicate with families to plan end-of-life care—and identifies that increased training and resources are needed to properly equip aged care staff for appropriate engagement with families. The work is published in the Australasian Journal on Ageing. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-aged-staff-life-conversations.html Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:15 EDT news699185161 A large multisite study of older people with cognitive impairment finds that Black and Hispanic people, while known to be far more apt to have dementia, are significantly less apt than other racial and ethnic groups to show Alzheimer's pathology on brain scans. The study, reported in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, was led by researchers at Vanderbilt Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-brain-imaging-highlights-ethnoracial-differences.html Thu, 28 May 2026 07:00:02 EDT news699163621 Trillions of microorganisms live in the human gut, collectively forming the gut microbiome. They support important bodily functions, including digestion, metabolism, and the immune system. While this microbial community remains stable for many years, it often becomes unbalanced with age: diversity declines, certain microorganisms gain the upper hand, and the risk of inflammation increases. Why the gut microbiome loses its balance with age is one of the central unanswered questions in aging research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-aging-immune-gut-microbiome.html Wed, 27 May 2026 17:20:04 EDT news699114602 Why do some people remain mentally sharp into old age, while others experience cognitive impairments earlier in life? Two recent studies involving Forschungszentrum Jülich provide new answers to this question. They show that brain health does not depend on a single factor, but on the interaction of many influences throughout our entire lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-brain-health-interaction-lifestyle-environment.html Wed, 27 May 2026 16:40:04 EDT news699113581 People with good physical fitness in their 30s and 50s have more elastic arteries later in life. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Scientific Reports, titled "Aerobic capacity at age 34 predicts arterial stiffness in age 63, independent of classical and advanced lipid-related cardiovascular risk factors: a longitudinal cohort study." The association remains regardless of cholesterol levels and other risk factors. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-good-30s-artery-health-decades.html Wed, 27 May 2026 14:20:03 EDT news699101281 Adopting low-insulinemic and planetary health diets during menopause is associated with optimized weight management, according to a study published online May 20 in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-insulinemic-planetary-health-diets-optimize.html Wed, 27 May 2026 13:40:07 EDT news699106090 Navigating Vancouver's streets on foot can feel somewhat perilous. Cars, cyclists and e-scooters come at you from all directions. Construction shuts off walkways leading to diversions. Sidewalks are often uneven and in need of repair. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-urges-inclusive-urban-dementia.html Wed, 27 May 2026 13:00:06 EDT news699104761 Alzheimer's disease (AD) often begins long before it is clinically recognized, with subtle brain changes emerging years before noticeable memory loss or cognitive decline. Among the earliest regions affected are the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, areas essential for spatial navigation. This has led researchers to look beyond memory and explore navigation ability as a potential early indicator of the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-virtual-reality-pathfinding-errors-flag.html Wed, 27 May 2026 13:00:05 EDT news699100082 Type 2 diabetes is often associated with excessive sugar intake, but lifestyle factors including body weight, exercise, and smoking habits can also influence risk. A new study published in Diabetology has found that greater adherence to eight habits for cardiovascular health is associated with lower rates of diabetes for postmenopausal women. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-links-heart-healthy-habits-diabetes.html Wed, 27 May 2026 10:40:04 EDT news699093302 Enough time had passed since the patient's previous colonoscopy that she met the criteria to undergo another, said Dr. Steven Itzkowitz, a gastroenterologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-medical-routines-older-people.html Tue, 26 May 2026 21:20:01 EDT news699010553 Obtaining home care for older adults with Medicaid can be a complex, multi-step process marked by delays and uncertainty, often resulting in long wait times, according to a new Weill Cornell Medicine study. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that millions of Americans with limited income and resources depend on for free or low-cost health coverage, including the help needed to age at home. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-york-families-maze-medicaid-funded.html Tue, 26 May 2026 14:20:03 EDT news699021421 As women navigate hot flashes, sleep issues and changing waistlines, there's another quieter change that can often occur during perimenopause and post-menopause that deserves just as much attention: heart health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-hot-menopause-heart.html Tue, 26 May 2026 09:20:01 EDT news699005281 Dementia is now the leading cause of death in Australia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-purling-puzzles-hobbies-dementia.html Tue, 26 May 2026 07:20:02 EDT news698993282 A largely overlooked space between cells in women's brains may hold the key to understanding memory loss tied to estrogen decline after menopause, reports a new preclinical Northwestern Medicine study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-memory-decline-menopause-linked-loss.html Tue, 26 May 2026 05:30:01 EDT news698919841 Frequent changes in blood pressure could affect cognitive health and contribute to brain changes associated with dementia risk, according to new research from Monash University. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-blood-pressure-hours-poorer-brain.html Mon, 25 May 2026 14:00:01 EDT news698933221 Growing old is a fact of life. But thanks to improved health care and innovative technology, more of us are living longer and healthier lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-puzzles-clubs-age.html Mon, 25 May 2026 11:00:03 EDT news698920081 Some of the most powerful interventions to slow or improve frailty are also the most ordinary: regular movement, adequate nutrition, and meaningful social connection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-aging-purpose-science-frailty-reversal.html Mon, 25 May 2026 09:40:03 EDT news698919182 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be screened for a common heart rhythm condition at least 10 years earlier than current national guidelines recommend, say UNSW researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-indigenous-australians.html Mon, 25 May 2026 07:20:01 EDT news698908921 Alzheimer's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions worldwide, has a long preclinical stage. It potentially begins decades before clinical symptoms become apparent. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-blood-biomarkers-earliest-alzheimer-disease.html Sun, 24 May 2026 10:30:03 EDT news698582826 Genes undergo extensive editing through a process called alternative splicing, which greatly increases the size of the functional genome—the working portion of our DNA that helps make each person unique. Put simply, a single gene can be edited in different ways to produce multiple sets of instructions. This helps explain why humans differ so significantly from fruit flies and mice, despite having a similar number of genes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-nitric-oxide-rewires-gene-brain.html Fri, 22 May 2026 11:40:04 EDT news698666821 Younger generations appear to be experiencing poorer health earlier in life than previous generations, according to a review of studies comparing national birth cohort datasets involving tens of thousands of people across the UK born since 1946. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-uk-younger-generations-likelier-poor.html Thu, 21 May 2026 19:10:02 EDT news698572141