- Age can increase the risk of a person for several health problems, including stroke, dementia and late depression.
- A new study has identified an aging biomarker which is more common in people who develop strokes, dementia and depression as they age.
- The researchers found that the study participants who followed a healthy lifestyle seemed to compensate for the risks associated with this aging biomarker.
“Stroke and dementia are among the most common diseases linked to age, affecting millions in the world and representing major health challenges for individuals, families and health systems”, ” Tamara N. Kimball, MDA post-doctoral researcher in the brain laboratories of the BRIGHAM general brain said Medical news today.
“With their impact which should grow considerably as populations age – and the number of people aged 60 and more projected to pass from
Kimball is the main author of a new study recently published in NeurologyThe American Academy of Neurology medical newspaper, which has identified an aging
However, researchers found that after a healthy lifestyle, compensates for the risk of diseases associated with this aging biomarker.
For this study, researchers have analyzed medical records for more than 356,000 adults with a median age of 56 years living in the United Kingdom
“Imagine that your laces have plastic advice that protect them from effiloche – telomeres work in the same way for your DNA,” said Kimball. “Whenever your cells are divided, which occurs constantly as your body is repaired and maintained, these protective advice becomes a little shorter. As they become shorter over time, their ability to protect DNA decreases, leading to cell aging and an increased risk of susceptibility of age -related diseases. ”
“The length of the telomeres in white blood cells (Leukocytes) can serve as a marker of organic aging and is influenced by genetic factors, lifestyle choices and environmental stressors, “she added.
At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that the participants in the study with the length of the shortest telomeres had 5.82 cases for 1,000 years (number of people in the study and time that each person spent in the study) of dementia of brain diseases, strokes and late depression, against 3.92 cases for participants The longest.
“This shows that 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,” said Kimball.
Scientists also discovered that participants in the study with short telomeres who had risk factors for cerebral disease such as high blood pressure And smoking 11% more likely to develop a stroke, dementia or depression than those with long telomeres.
“Our results demonstrate that low individuals Brain care score – Reflect less favorable lifestyle factors such as high blood pressure and smoking – systematically showed a high risk of stroke, dementia and depression when they also had shorter telomeres, “said Kimball.”
This suggests a compound risk effect where biological aging and bad lifestyle choices increase sensitivity to diseases, “she said.
Interestingly, Kimball and his team also found that participants with short telomeres, but who had high brain care scores, did not have a higher risk of developing the brain diseases studied.
“In people with a high stroke of brain care, the impact of leukocyte telomeres on the risk of illness was not significant,” said Kimball. “This may suggest that the adoption of healthier lifestyles and improving modifiable risk factors can mitigate the negative effects of having shorter telomeres.”
“Research shows that
“Our results suggest that the adoption of healthier lifestyles and improving modifiable risk factors could alleviate some of the negative effects of shorter telomeres, which reflect unfavorable lifestyle in addition to the social and environmental determinants of health earlier in life. In short, it is never too late to start taking care of your brain better. ”
– Tamara N. Kimball, MD
Mnt had the opportunity to speak with Clifford Segil, doAn adult neurologist in a private cabinet in Santa Monica, California, who is also one of the staff of Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, about this study.
“I am delighted to see this research indicating that a common cause of these three pathologies is transformed into a possible treatment for the protection or extension of the length of the telomeres which could possibly reduce the occurrence of stroke, dementia and depression in my elderly patients.”
– Clifford Segil, do
Segil said that each time a common pathology was between disparate neurological disease states, it is exciting because this research can stimulate new therapy.
“I often share with my patients that an ounce of prevention is worth a treatment book and studies like this one support my desire to help my patients with practical cerebral preventive strategies,” he said.
For the next steps of this research, Segil said that he would like to see this research group focus on specific lifestyle traits that make patients maintain their “large” telomeres length and therefore reduce the risk of stroke, dementia and depression to determine what to advise my patients to do good brain health.
“I would then like them to do the opposite and determine what habits or lifestyle choices specifically lead to Telomères lengths” so that I can advise my patients what to avoid in life, “he added.
Mnt also spoke with Jasdeep S. Hundal, Psyd, Abpp-CnDirector of the Center for Memory & Healthy Aging at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at the Hackensack Meridian Health School of Medicine in New Jersey, about this research which said that the results are not entirely surprising, but add value.
“The length of short telocytes has long been considered a general marker of organic aging and this study seems to support this association, in particular for people with unhealthy lifestyles.”
– Jasdeep S. Hundal, Psyd, Abpp-Cn
“This strengthens what we see clinically in that the modifiable risk factors remain central, even in the context of genetic or biological vulnerability, with brain health as we age even if the results are correlational. It is interesting to speculate that short telomeres are not necessarily caused by brain diseases, but they are a warning sign, especially in the context of bad lifestyle, “said Hundal.
“The burden of age -related brain diseases increases rapidly, and we still have no cure for the most serious dementia as Alzheimer’s disease“, He continued.” Most of the risk factors for these diseases can be modified, so there is a real potential for risk prevention or reduction, even in people who can already show signs of organic aging. »»
Hundal said that studies like this point out that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not only a “good advice”, but can have real consequences on brain health if someone is biologically vulnerable.
“We need more research identifying the interventions that really make a difference, for whom and how to implement them in real contexts,” he added. “Emphasis should always be put on the translation of results like these in concrete strategies which help patients maintain health and independence of the brain as long as possible.”