The Urgent Need for International Action for Anti-aging and Disease Prevention

Recent advances in the role of hydrogen sulfide in age-related diseases

In recent years, the impact of age-related diseases on human health has become increasingly severe, and developing effective drugs to deal with these diseases has become an urgent task. Considering the essential regulatory role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in these diseases, it is regarded as a promising target for treatment. H2S is a novel gaseous transmitter involved in many critical physiological activities, including anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and angiogenesis. H2S also regulates cell activities such as cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and autophagy. These regulatory effects of H2S contribute to relieving and treating age-related diseases. In this review, we mainly focus on the pathogenesis and treatment prospects of H2S in regulating age-related diseases.

Performance of antisaccades in patients with cerebral small vessel disease accompanied by white matter hyperintensities

OBJECTIVES

The antisaccades (AS) task is considered a reliable indicator of inhibitory control of eye movements in humans. Achieving good AS performance requires efficient cognitive processes that are sensitive to changes in brain structure. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) can cause subcortical-cortical dysconnectivity, affecting diverse cognitive domains. Thus, the AS task was investigated in patients with WMH in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD).

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 75 participants with WMH, determined by neuroimaging standards for CSVD research, were admitted to the Department of Neurology of Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2021 to December 2022. All subjects underwent the AS task, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and 3.0T brain MRI. Additionally, 61 healthy subjects were recruited to characterize WMH profiles.

RESULTS

Compared to the control group, patients with WMH had a significantly increased AS error rate (49.81%, p = 0.001) and lower gain (76.00%, p = 0.042). The AS error rate was significantly higher in patients with WMH in the frontal lobe than in those without WMH (p = 0.004). After adjusting for confounders (age), a positive correlation was found between the AS error rate and MoCA scores for patients with WMH (coefficient = 0.262, p = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with WMH due to CSVD exhibited abnormal AS performances, particularly in the frontal lobe. The eye movement paradigms, the new diagnostic forms in neurology, can be utilized to investigate the distributed cortical and subcortical systems involved in cognitive control processes, offering simple, well-tolerated and highly sensitive advantages over traditional measures.

Prevalence of dementia, heart disease and stroke in community-dwelling adults in Canada, 2016-2021: opportunities for joint prevention

INTRODUCTION

This aim of this study is to provide updated estimates on the prevalence of dementia, heart disease, and stroke in Canadian communities. Targeting all three conditions together, at the community level, may be key to disease prevention and health aging in the Canadian population.

METHODS

Using nationwide health survey data, we calculated the age-standardized prevalence of self-reported dementia, heart disease and stroke in adults aged 18 years and over residing in Canadian communities from 2016 to 2021. Poisson regression models were used to detect statistically significant changes in the prevalence of all three conditions from 2016 to 2021.

RESULTS

Less than 1% (~ 175,000 individuals) of adults residing in Canadian communities reported dementia, 5% (~ 1.5 million individuals) reported heart disease, and more than 1% (~ 370,000 individuals) reported stroke annually from 2016 to 2021. Overall, the age-standardized prevalence for stroke decreased minimally from 2016 to 2021 (p = 0.0004). Although the age-standardized prevalence of heart disease and dementia decreased from 2016 to 2018, subsequent increases in prevalence from 2018 to 2021 led to a lack of overall statistically significant changes from 2016 to 2021 (p = 0.10 for heart disease and p = 0.37 for dementia).

CONCLUSION

Recent increases in the prevalence of dementia, heart disease and stroke in Canadian communities threaten to reverse any gains in vascular disease prevention over the past six years. Findings reveal the urgent need for intensified prevention efforts that are community-based with a focus on joint reduction in the shared risk factors contributing to all three diseases.

Blocking C3d+/GFAP+ A1 Astrocyte Conversion with Semaglutide Attenuates Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in Mice after Ischemic Stroke

Astrocytes play an essential role in the modulation of blood-brain barrier function. Neurological diseases induce the transformation of astrocytes into a neurotoxic A1 phenotype, exacerbating brain injury. However, the effect of A1 astrocytes on the BBB dysfunction after stroke is unknown. Adult male ICR mice (n=97) were subjected to 90-minute transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Immunohistochemical staining of A1 (C3d) and A2 (S100A10) was performed to characterize phenotypic changes in astrocytes over time after tMCAO. The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist semaglutide was intraperitoneally injected into mice to inhibit A1 astrocytes. Infarct volume, atrophy volume, neurobehavioral outcomes, and BBB permeability were evaluated. RNA-seq was adopted to explore the potential targets and signaling pathways of A1 astrocyte-induced BBB dysfunction. Astrocytic C3d expression was increased, while expression of S100A10 was decreased in the first two weeks after tMCAO, reflecting a shift in the astrocytic phenotype. Semaglutide treatment reduced the expression of CD16/32 in microglia and C3d in astrocytes after ischemic stroke (p<0.05). Ischemia-induced brain infarct volume, atrophy volume and neuroinflammation were reduced in the semaglutide-treated mice, and neurobehavioral outcomes were improved compared to control mice (p<0.05). We further demonstrated that semaglutide treatment reduced the gap formation of tight junction proteins ZO-1, claudin-5 and occludin, as well as IgG leakage three days following tMCAO (p<0.05). In vitro experiments revealed that A1 astrocyte-conditioned medium disrupted BBB integrity. RNA-seq showed that A1 astrocytes were enriched in inflammatory factors and chemokines and significantly modulated the TNF and chemokine signaling pathways, which are closely related to barrier damage. We concluded that astrocytes undergo a phenotypic shift over time after ischemic stroke. C3d⁺/GFAP⁺ astrocytes aggravate BBB disruption, suggesting that inhibiting C3d⁺/GFAP⁺ astrocyte formation represents a novel strategy for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Insights into the Anti-Aging Prevention and Diagnostic Medicine and Healthcare

Aging is an irreversible and natural phenomenon that occurs as a person ages. Anti-aging medicine applies advanced science and medical technology to early detection, prevention, treatment, and reversal of age-related dysfunctions, disorders, and diseases. Therefore, anti-aging diagnostic medicine and healthcare are important factors in helping the elderly population lead healthy and active lives. However, it is challenging to diagnose various aging and related diseases accurately through various forms of anti-aging diagnostic medicine and health management. It may not be treated appropriately, so many older people are making various efforts to prevent aging themselves in advance. Therefore, anti-aging medicine and health care have been developed in various forms, from health checkups to alternative medicine and biophysical technology beyond simple clinical medicine, and are being applied to demand the needs of the elderly. This review intends to explore and characterize various applications related to anti-aging medicine and healthcare in the elderly. In addition, economic, medical, and ethical considerations arising from the relationship between the increase in the elderly population and the continuous development of anti-aging medicine can be considered.

Evaluation of Epigenetic Age Based on DNA Methylation Analysis of Several CpG Sites in Ukrainian Population

Epigenetic clocks are the models, which use CpG methylation levels for the age prediction of an organism. Although there were several epigenetic clocks developed there is a demand for development and evaluation of the relatively accurate and sensitive epigenetic clocks that can be used for routine research purposes. In this study, we evaluated two epigenetic clock models based on the 4 CpG sites and 2 CpG sites in the human genome using the pyrosequencing method for their methylation level estimation. The study sample included 153 people from the Ukrainian population with the age from 0 to 101. Both models showed a high correlation with the chronological age in our study sample (R² = 0.85 for the 2 CpG model and R² = 0.92 for the 4 CpG model). We also estimated the accuracy metrics of the age prediction in our study sample. For the age group from 18 to 80 MAD was 5.1 years for the 2 CpG model and 4.1 years for the 4 CpG model. In this regard, we can conclude, that the models evaluated in the study have good age predictive accuracy, and can be used for the epigenetic age evaluation due to the relative simplicity and time-effectiveness.

Roles of extracellular vesicles in the aging microenvironment and age-related diseases

Cellular senescence is a persistently hypoproliferative state with diverse stressors in a specific aging microenvironment. Senescent cells have a double-edged sword effect: they can be physiologically beneficial for tissue repair, organ growth, and body homeostasis, and they can be pathologically harmful in age-related diseases. Among the hallmarks of senescence, the SASP, especially SASP-related extracellular vesicle (EV) signalling, plays the leading role in aging transmission via paracrine and endocrine mechanisms. EVs are successful in intercellular and interorgan communication in the aging microenvironment and age-related diseases. They have detrimental effects on downstream targets at the levels of immunity, inflammation, gene expression, and metabolism. Furthermore, EVs obtained from different donors are also promising materials and tools for antiaging treatments and are used for regeneration and rejuvenation in cell-free systems. Here, we describe the characteristics of cellular senescence and the aging microenvironment, concentrating on the production and function of EVs in age-related diseases, and provide new ideas for antiaging therapy with EVs.

Effect of an aged wearing suit on nursing student's knowledge and attitude

Background

The knowledge and attitude of health care providers are important and influential factors in providing care services to the elderly and need to be considered during the training course. Simulation in geriatric nursing education can be an opportunity for learners to experience the restrictions of the elderly. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of training through simulation on the attitude and knowledge of nursing students in elderly care.

Methods

This study was quasi-experimental with two experimental and control groups of pre and post-test, which was conducted on 70 nursing students of the 5th semester (two groups of 35 people). For the experimental group, the elderly simulation suit was worn for two hours, which was designed by the researcher and created sensory, physical, and motor restrictions similar to the elderly for students. Before and after the study, Kogan’s attitudes toward older people scale and Palmore’s “facts on aging quiz” were completed by students. The data were analyzed using an independent t-test and paired t-test using SPSS version 16 software.

Results

The mean scores of students’ knowledge in the experimental and control groups had no significant difference at the beginning of the study (p < 0.05). But the mean scores of knowledge in the experimental group before and after the intervention was (9.2 ± 2.6) and (15.3 ± 3.5), respectively, and in the control group before and after the intervention was (10.4 ± 2.9) and (11.3 ± 2.6), respectively, which had a statistically significant difference (p = 0.0001). The mean scores of students’ attitudes in the experimental and control groups had no significant difference at the beginning of the study (p < 0.05). The mean scores of attitude in the experimental group before and after the intervention was (114.69 ± 8.4) and (157.31 ± 10.7), respectively and in the control group before and after the intervention was (113.34 ± 13.6) and (108.5 ± 16.6), respectively, which was significantly different (p = 0.0001).

Conclusions

Based on the findings, the experience of aging restrictions through simulation has improved the knowledge and attitude of nursing students towards the elderly. Nursing education requires the growth of attitudinal skills, individuals’ beliefs, and creating empathy among them, so creating simulation opportunities can assist nursing students in the educational processes.

The influence of white matter hyperintensity on cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease

The aim of this meta‐analysis was to review systematically and to identify the relationship between the severity and location of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and the degree of cognitive decline in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid, and Cochrane Library databases for clinical trials of the severity and location of WMHs on the degree of cognitive impairment in PD through October 2020. We conducted the survey to compare the association of WMH burden in patients with PD with mild cognitive impairment (PD‐MCI) versus those with normal cognition (PD‐NC) and in patients with PD with dementia (PDD) versus those with PD without dementia (PD‐ND). Nine studies with PD‐MCI versus PD‐NC and 10 studies with PDD versus PD‐ND comparisons were included. The WMH burden in PD‐MCI patients was significantly different compared to that in PD‐NC patients (standard mean difference, SMD = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.66, p = 0.005), while there was no correlation shown in the age‐matched subgroup of the comparison. In addition, PDD patients had a significantly higher burden of WMHs (SMD = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.44 to 1.71, p < 0.0001), especially deep white matter hyperintensities (SMD = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.73, p < 0.00001) and periventricular hyperintensities (SMD = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.36 to 1.04, p < 0.0001), than PD‐NC patients, regardless of the adjustment of age. WMHs might be imaging markers for cognitive impairment in PDD but not in PD‐MCI, regardless of age, vascular risk factors, or race. Further prospective studies are needed to validate the conclusions.

Key Signaling Pathways in Aging and Potential Interventions for Healthy Aging

Aging is a fundamental biological process accompanied by a general decline in tissue function. Indeed, as the lifespan increases, age-related dysfunction, such as cognitive impairment or dementia, will become a growing public health issue. Aging is also a great risk factor for many age-related diseases. Nowadays, people want not only to live longer but also healthier. Therefore, there is a critical need in understanding the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating aging that will allow us to modify the aging process for healthy aging and alleviate age-related disease. Here, we reviewed the recent breakthroughs in the mechanistic understanding of biological aging, focusing on the adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK), Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways, which are currently considered critical for aging. We also discussed how these proteins and pathways may potentially interact with each other to regulate aging. We further described how the knowledge of these pathways may lead to new interventions for antiaging and against age-related disease.

International R&D Collaboration for a Global Aging Society: Focusing on Aging-Related National-Funded Projects

An international research and development (R&D) collaboration for aging-related projects is necessary to alleviate the severe economic/healthcare/humanitarian challenges of a global aging society. This study presents a practical/systematic framework that enables the provision of information on the research goals, the status of science and technology, and action plans of aging-related program development processes. We used data on aging-related national-funded projects from the United States of America, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Korea. We collected data on 6318 national-funded projects, subsequently designating research fields to each project. By analyzing the content of the projects, their representative research fields, and the associated keywords, we assessed the general goals of six different research fields. To recognize the current scientific capabilities of these research fields, we divided the projects by clusters. We provided information on research organizations, specific goals (i.e., project title), project periods, and the funding related to the projects. These may be used by stakeholders in various governments/institutions/industries during future discussions regarding the establishment of an international R&D collaboration strategy. The approach we proposed may facilitate the linkage between knowledge and action during strategy development by maximizing scientific legitimacy, developing consensual knowledge, and minimizing diverging opinions among stakeholders.