Summary: A new study will study how lifestyle, diet and social ties influence aging. The Arlington Study of Healthy Aging (ASHA) will include 600 volunteers aged 50 to 80 to undergo integral imagery, cognitive tests and vascular health assessments.
Researchers aim to provide information that helps individuals and health care providers to better prevent the decline in age -related health. The large -scale multidisciplinary approach to the study will generate thousands of data points, making research progress for the years to come.
Key facts
- Study of complete aging: Asha will analyze how diet, lifestyle and the environment have an impact on aging.
- Volunteer participation: 600 participants will undergo integral imaging, cognitive tests and vascular assessments.
- Long -term impact: Study data will support future research on aging and health.
Source: UT Arlington
How where you live, what you eat and what friends you keep affect the way you get older is at the center of a new study from the University of Texas in Arlington.
Researchers enroll volunteers for the Arlington Study of Healthy Aging (ASHA), which will use advanced imaging, genetics, exercise science, neuroscience and remote surveillance to study the decline of age -related health.
The objective is to help individuals and health professionals better prevent the impact of diseases on the elderly.
“What is unique in our study is that we focus on the whole individual,” said Michael Nelson, principal investigator and director of the Center for Healthy Living and Longevity of UTA. He also oversees the new UTA clinical imaging research center (CIRT), where imaging studies will be carried out.
“Other studies tend to focus on very specific parts of the body, such as the brain or blood vessels. But we adopt a fully encompassing approach – looking through the whole body from head to toe. »»
The team aims to enroll 600 volunteers aged 50 to 80 to participate in the program. Each person will participate in two days of tests at UTA. On the first day, they will receive an MRI of the complete body, including images of the brain, the heart and the skeletal muscle.
On the second day, the team will study how blood vessels work, memory and physical performance and draw a small blood sample.
“We are very grateful to all those who volunteer their time and efforts,” said Dr. Nelson. “In addition to helping to advance science, volunteering for a study like this is an excellent way to find out about your health and well-being.”
The study also emphasizes community engagement.
“We are delighted that so many members of the community visit our campus and interact with our incredible students, teachers and staff,” said Jon Weidanz, main associate vice-president for research and innovation at UTA and co-investigator of the project.
“We hope they are impressed by the many new additions to our campus, such as the circuit which opened its doors last year, the intelligent hospital built in 2021 which houses the biggest social work and nursing programs in Texas, and the innovation and research building in science and genius which opened its doors in 2018.”
It will take four years to register and assess the 600 participants. Subsequently, the teachers, the staff and the students of the whole campus will begin to examine the data, in particular by using the sequencer of new generation generation of UTA, the first of its kind in northern Texas.
“What is really exciting in this project is that it provides a vehicle for interdisciplinary collaboration,” said Dr. Weidanz.
“While our main investigation team is made up of members of several departments on the campus, including kinesiology, psychology, social work, nursing care and bio-engineering, we expect a large participation of all of UTA, with partnerships that form in fields such as mathematics, business, IT and biology.”
The study will generate thousands of anonymized data points, providing valuable information for future researchers for the decades to come.
“In addition to the volunteers who give the project their time, the long-term success of the ASHA will be due to the hard work and the dedication of all co-investigators, researchers, support staff, graduates and undergraduate research assistants,” said Nelson.
“You really need a village to set up a project of this scale.”
For more information on Asha or to become a volunteer, visit https://asha-study.uta.edu/.
About this news of research on aging and neuroscience
Author: Katherine Bennett
Source: UT Arlington
Contact: Katherine Bennett – Ut Arlington
Picture: The image is credited with Neuroscience News