Journal of Aging Research最新文献

To delay social and healthcare utilisation among the ageing population, there is an increasing focus on the role of health-promoting lifestyle adopted at an individual and/or community level. Longevity is generally viewed as the ultimate outcome of health, although a high life expectancy does not necessarily go together with health and/or a health-promoting lifestyle. The potential coherence between longevity, health and lifestyle may vary in different cultural, political, social and economic contexts. This Nordic regional study situated in regions differing in longevity aims to (i) explore differences in adherence to the comprehensive, health-promoting Blue Zone lifestyle principles in four regions in Western Finland (bilingual Ostrobothnia, Swedish-speaking Åland and Finnish-speaking South Ostrobothnia) and (ii) investigate regional differences in health. Thus, the present study aims to examine if adherence to Blue Zone lifestyle principles and good health is highest in the most longevous region. Survey data from the Gerontological Regional Database in 2021-2022 were used. Marginal means were calculated using ANOVA. The results showed that Åland, Finland's most longevous region, showed the best health and higher environmental agreeableness, while deviated from several Blue Zone lifestyle principles. Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia showed good health and adherence to the Blue Zone lifestyle. South Ostrobothnia showed the poorest health but as much adherence to the Blue Zone lifestyle as Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia. Finnish-speaking Ostrobothnia deviated the most from the Blue Zone lifestyle. The findings imply that Nordic longevous regions do not necessarily adhere to the Blue Zone lifestyle. Future research incorporating individual, community and societal factors could further elucidate whether and how longevity, lifestyle and health are interconnected in different ethnolinguistic contexts to further advance the understanding of healthy ageing and improve the implementation of effective health-promoting initiatives.

Aim: Today, Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common diseases, especially in old age, and it is important to help recognize and treat this disease. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and short-term cognitive rehabilitation protocols on the improvement of depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. Methods: The research method was an extended experiment with two experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population included all patients over 65 years of age with mild Alzheimer's who had been referred to a neurologist in 2020, and among these people, 60 people were selected through available sampling and then randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. Then, the independent variables of the tDCS method for 10 sessions of 20 min once a week were applied to an experimental group and a short-term cognitive rehabilitation program of 9 sessions (90 min each session) was applied once a week to the second experimental group, and no intervention was performed on the third group. After the end of the intervention, the post-test was conducted with an interval of 1 week on the experimental and control groups. After 1 month, the studied groups were followed up again. A neuropsychological questionnaire (NPI) was used to collect information. Results: The results showed that both studied methods caused a significant reduction in depression in both the post-test and follow-up periods, but only the tDCS method was able to maintain its reduction in the follow-up period. Also, both methods have caused a significant improvement in the anxiety variable both during the post-test and during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that both methods can be used to improve the symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.

Objectives: This study explores the relationship between social and activity participation (SAP) and subjective well-being (SWB) among older adults in Japan, with a particular focus on differences by care-needing status. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2019 Sakai City Older Adults Survey, including 5469 healthy and 406 care-needing individuals aged 65 and over (65.59% female). An ordered probit model was used to estimate the association between SAP and SWB, which was measured on an 11-point scale and categorized into three levels. To address potential endogeneity, instrumental variable (IV) analysis was conducted using information source diversity and health consciousness as instruments. Results: Higher frequency of SAP was positively associated with SWB among both healthy and care-needing older adults. While the association was stronger and more consistent among the healthy group, IV analysis revealed a statistically significant and robust relationship among care-needing individuals as well. The findings suggest that even older adults facing physical or cognitive limitations may experience psychological benefits from SAP. Conclusions: SAP is associated with better SWB among older adults, including those with care-needing status. These results support the promotion of inclusive community-based programs to enhance psychosocial health in aging populations.

Objectives: Bowel dysfunction and habitual laxative use are indicators of poor gastrointestinal (GI) health and are inversely associated with cognitive function. These associations are understudied in Latino and Hispanic populations. Therefore, we examined the associations between bowel frequency, stool type, laxative use, and cognitive function in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS). Methods: The BPRHS is a prospective cohort that enrolled 1502 Puerto Rican adults residing in the Boston Area, aged 45-75 years at baseline, with four waves of collection across 13 years. Cognitive function was measured using a composite global cognitive score (GCS) with low scores indicating worse cognitive function. Bowel health at Wave 4 was assessed by self-reported bowel frequency (times/day) and stool type. Self-reported laxative use (yes/no) was assessed at baseline and Wave 4. Adjusting for relevant covariates, we examined cross-sectional association between bowel frequency, stool type and GCS at Wave 4, and serial cross-sectional associations between laxative use and GCS at baseline and Wave 4. We used linear mixed models to examine time-varying laxative use and GCS over 13 years of follow-up. Results: At Wave 4, 155 (27.1%), 235 (41.0%), and 183 (31.9%) participants self-reported normal, low, and high bowel frequency, respectively, and 334 (65.9%), 72 (14.2%), and 101(19.9%) self-reported normal, hard, and loose stool type, respectively. At Wave 4, participants with high bowel frequency had low GCS (β = -0.152, p=0.02), but stool type was not associated with GCS. Self-reported laxative use increased from 6.8% (baseline) to 18.4% (Wave 4). Laxative users had low GCS at baseline (β = -0.13, p=0.01) and Wave 4 (β = -0.13, p=0.05). However, laxative use was not associated with a change in GCS over 13 years of follow-up (laxative use∗time β = 0.006, p=0.28). Conclusion: Low or high bowel frequency and laxative use may be inversely associated with cognitive function. Our results suggest a relationship between bowel and cognitive health. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01231958.

Aging is a multifactorial process driven by accumulating cellular damage. Ferroptosis-an iron-dependent, lipid peroxidation-mediated form of cell death-has emerged as a critical contributor to age-related tissue degeneration. This review synthesizes current evidence linking ferroptosis to key aging hallmarks, including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and dysregulated iron metabolism. Central to these interactions is the age-associated decline in antioxidant defenses (e.g., glutathione, glutathione peroxidase 4 [GPx4]) and paradoxical iron dynamics, where systemic deficiency coexists with intracellular overload, promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation via the Fenton reaction. Natural products such as resveratrol, curcumin, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) exhibit promising anti-ferroptotic effects through mechanisms including iron chelation, ROS scavenging, and upregulation of endogenous antioxidants. Preclinical and clinical studies indicate their potential in reducing lipid peroxidation and enhancing cellular resilience in aging contexts. However, challenges such as poor bioavailability and tissue-specific iron dysregulation remain. This review explores how combinatorial approaches-targeting multiple ferroptosis pathways-may offer synergistic therapeutic benefits. Collectively, ferroptosis inhibition emerges as a promising strategy to mitigate age-associated tissue damage and promote healthy aging.

Background: It is known that people who are socially isolated and lonely are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) than people who are neither socially isolated nor lonely. This work addresses the direct impact of socially isolation and loneliness on the brain. Aim: To review the neurobiological evidence on the relationships between social isolation, loneliness and AD pathogenesis. Method: Neurobiological literature in relation to social isolation, loneliness and how these factors impact risk of AD was reviewed. A new model providing a framework to describe the links between these pieces of evidence was created. Results: Social isolation contributes to AD pathogenesis via neuroinflammation and stress pathways. Loneliness is linked to AD risk mainly through its strong association with depression. Conclusion: Although social isolation and loneliness are typically linked together, they should be considered separately in the context of AD because, neurobiologically, social isolation is more closely linked to AD than loneliness is linked to AD. Implications: Clinicians should be cognisant that socially isolated people who are not lonely may be at higher risk for AD than people experiencing loneliness who are not socially isolated. Measures of depression are likely more appropriate for appraising AD risk than measures of loneliness.

Background: To investigate the association between community members' participation in Ageless Gym and their age, chronic disease history, lifestyle, and place of residence, and to analyze the related factors that influence their continuous participation in gym activities and physical fitness improvements. Methods: This study was a retrospective intergenerational study in which 1896 people aged 60 or older, who participated in the integrated community screening in Ershui Township, Changhua County, were analyzed, and the dependent variable was the participation in the Ageless Gym (445 people in total, 23.5%). The independent variables were the most recent screening questionnaire, including chronic disease history, health behaviors, age, and distance from the health center. Cox proportional risk regression modeling has been used as a multivariate variance analysis, and all statistical analyses have been conducted using SAS 9.4. Results: The hypotheses were partially supported: (1) People with a history of diabetes and osteoporosis were 1.62 times more likely to participate in ageless fitness than those without disease, respectively. (2) With regard to lifestyle, those who had regular health checks were 1.54 times more likely to participate in Ageless Gym than those who did not. (3) The probability of participating in ageless gyms is 0.69 and 0.42 times higher for people aged 70 to 79 and 80 than for people aged 60 to 69. (4) Elderly people living far from a health center were 0.67 times more likely to participate in Ageless Gym than those living nearby. (5) Comparison between those who are willing to participate and those who have consistently participated in the Ageless Gym revealed that factors that influence consistent participation include exercise habits, chronic diseases, and emphasis on healthy eating. (6) The fitness of people who regularly participate in the gym has improved considerably. Conclusions: This retrospective study provides insights for promoting exercise among the elderly, emphasizing the relationships between participation, age, health conditions, and proximity to health facilities.

Extensive research indicates that cognitive interventions can lead to a general improvement in cognitive functioning throughout the lifespan. In this study, we evaluate the causal evidence supporting this relationship in healthy older adults and older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by means of an umbrella meta-analysis of meta-analyses. The meta-analytic studies were identified through systematic searches in electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) and were included in this umbrella meta-analysis if they examined the effects of cognitive interventions, not mixed with other approaches, in healthy older adults and individuals with MCI. Of the 9734 publications that were screened, 25 met the inclusion criteria and reported comprehensive data suitable for statistical analysis. Findings showed that although the effect-sizes across studies were variable, they were consistently positive, indicating a significant impact of different cognitive interventions on global cognitive functioning, memory, executive functions, visuospatial ability, and processing speed compared to control groups. This finding suggests that the efficacy of cognitive treatments is the best option for preclinical forms of aging, such as MCI. The underlying mechanisms of the observed improvements and their implications for further studies and clinical practice are discussed.

Background: The increasing prevalence of neurological conditions in older adults leads to impaired balance and mobility, heightening fall risk. This systematic review explores the effectiveness of Frenkel exercises in enhancing dynamic balance and motor function, underscoring the importance of fall prevention techniques supported by evidence. Methods: This systematic review adhered to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, including studies published from 2020 to 2025. Researchers utilized various databases, including MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, APA PsycNet, Science Direct, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, to identify pertinent articles. Studies were selected based on inclusion criteria for individuals aged 65 years and above with neurological disorders. The primary outcomes assessed were dynamic balance and motor function, with secondary outcomes including fall risk. Results: Six studies, encompassing 198 participants, were included in this review. They demonstrated significant improvements in dynamic balance and motor function following Frenkel exercise interventions. Five studies reported enhanced balance, measured by the Berg Balance Scale and timed up and go test. Frenkel exercises also contributed to a reduced fall risk and improved mobility. Consistent with other studies, our results show that Frenkel exercises effectively boost self-confidence and physical function. Conclusion: Frenkel exercises improve dynamic balance and motor function while lowering fall risk in elderly individuals with neurological disorders. Its simplicity and low cost make it a practical option, but more long-term studies are needed to confirm these benefits.

This study offers the first in-depth analysis of the Village Movement since its launch in 2002, examining the socioeconomic and institutional factors behind the growth and sustainability of Villages, community-based organizations that support aging in place. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines survey data, case studies, interviews, field observations, and regression analysis. Findings show that Villages are grassroots' responses to the breakdown of traditional social networks in modern, urbanized societies. They help rebuild community ties, reduce isolation, and provide older adults with both services and a renewed sense of purpose. Key drivers of Village development include human capital, civic engagement, spatial proximity, and support from existing organizations. While strong local networks can sometimes reduce the need for Villages, communities with looser ties often have greater motivation to establish them. The study also challenges the perception that Villages are expensive or exclusive. Many operate with low or no membership fees, and alternative models, such as affiliated or hub-and-spoke Villages, allow for growth in lower income and minority communities. Government support, while not essential, can complement Village efforts, particularly during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the Village model proves adaptable and resilient, capable of filling service gaps while strengthening community cohesion. It offers a flexible, community-driven solution to the challenges of aging in a rapidly changing society.