Advances in Gerontology最新文献

This study investigates how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) influence active ageing among older adults living in rural areas of Madrid, Spain. By addressing a gap in the literature regarding the intersection of digital inclusion and active ageing in rural contexts, this research contributes novel insights into the lived experiences of older individuals. A qualitative approach was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with fifteen individuals aged 80 and over residing in rural areas. Data were analysed through inductive thematic analysis, emphasizing the relationship between ICT use and the pillars of active ageing (health, participation, lifelong learning and security). The findings reveal a dual impact of ICTs on active ageing. Participants identified ICTs as facilitators of social participation and emotional well-being, particularly through video calls with family members, which helped maintain social connections and reduce loneliness. ICTs also supported health-related behaviours, such as accessing online exercise programs, contributing to physical activity and cognitive engagement. However, concerns about privacy violations and external control challenged the sense of security, while fears of overuse and dependency on digital devices were seen as potential risks to autonomy. These challenges were exacerbated by limited digital literacy and accessibility in rural areas. This study highlights the potential of ICTs to align with the goals of active ageing by fostering health, participation, and security. However, the findings underscore the critical need for tailored interventions to address digital literacy and infrastructure deficits in rural contexts. Promoting equitable access and addressing privacy concerns are essential to harness the benefits of ICTs while mitigating their risks.

The Will-to-Live (WTL) scale measures desire for life and life commitment across populations. However, psychometric evidence for a Turkish older adult WTL screening model is lacking. In this study, the WTL was first translated into Turkish using established procedures, followed by the collection of psychometric information on the Turkish form (WTL-T). Included in the study were community-dwelling older adults (aged 65–85 years) who could be considered representative of the older adult Turkish population, who were asked to complete the WTL scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale, as well as a single-item WTL and self-rated health. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated an acceptable model fit of the WTL-T, yielding a single-factor model that explained 66.45% of the variance. Furthermore, the WTL-T was found to have high internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.865) and convergent validity was demonstrated by the strong positive correlations identified through the single-item WTL question (r = 0.810, p < 0.001). The moderate to high correlations of the scale with theoretically related measures supported its concurrent validity (r = –0.299 to 0.742, all p’s < 0.01). The evidence presented in the present study identifies the WTL-T as a concise, appropriate and psychometrically sound instrument for the assessment of WTL in older adults living in Turkey.

On October 28–31, 2024, there took place the international conference, “Longevity Nation 2024— Enhancing Research, Development and Education for Healthy Longevity” in Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel (http://www.longevitynation.org/). This conference explored the challenges that rise from population aging, from interdisciplinary perspectives that reflect new science and technology, and many social, cultural, political, economic and philosophical concerns that aging raises. By bringing together leading Israeli and international voices in the longevity space—researchers, developers, investors, educators, decision makers and public figures—the Longevity Nation conference aimed to contribute to increasing the synergy of science, technology and aging society, and help advance ethical scientific and technological solutions for healthy longevity for the benefit of the entire society. As the conference emphasized, in this period of conflict in Israel and the Middle East, it is especially important to build up international collaboration as a basis for future positive development.

Current editors of the journal Advances in Gerontology dedicate this short obituary paper to Prof. Vladimir N. Anisimov, one of the most famous and outstanding world gerontologists, the founder of this journal, who passed away on November 16, 2024. Vladimir Anisimov’s research interests and his contributions to both experimental and theoretical gerontology and oncology are briefly described. The authors also share their personal impressions from many years of communication with V.N. Anisimov. It is emphasized that, being an extremely versatile person, Prof. Anisimov was engaged not only in science, but also in literary work, wrote excellent books and verses, was interested in music and fine art. And, perhaps his most important characteristic, he possessed an incredible sense of humor, which the authors consider to be a necessary trait of any outstanding scientist.

The problem of antioxidant efficiency in terms of their impact on “normal” aging and age-related diseases is discussed. It is emphasized that for many years antioxidants were considered the most promising geroprotectors (anti-aging drugs) capable of slowing down aging, treating age-related diseases and increasing both the average and maximum lifespan of animals and humans. However, as noted, in recent years the situation has begun to change dramatically. The methodological aspects of this problem are considered—in particular, the complexity of the correct selection of effective concentrations of such drugs in experimental gerontological studies on both multicellular organisms and cell cultures is emphasized. The literature data is analyzed, indicating that, in many cases, antioxidants, unfortunately, can even be harmful to the body, causing “paradoxical” oxidative stress and suppressing some important physiological functions.

A demographic shift towards an ageing population necessitates a comprehensive examination of the quality of life of the older adults and a new development on aging service as well as gerontology. Current research has shown that virtual reality has the potential to enhance the well-being of them, including those with social isolation. Technology-mediated communication is vital for social connections in society. Virtual technologies enhance social engagement through social virtual reality. These platforms unite users in simulated virtual reality settings, enabling socialization. Contrary to misconceptions, the older adults have demonstrated high levels of engagement with virtual reality. The older adults have elicited positive responses, engagement and enjoyment. This research aims to enhance the well-being of the older adults by understanding their attitudes toward using social virtual reality for their social life. By investigating the older adults’ acceptance of using these applications, all the factors were tested and correlations were found from the Technology Acceptance Model. The findings also reveal that the “Use of Context” strongly influences “Perceived Ease of Use.” Social virtual reality eliminates the need for face-to-face chatting and enables virtual communication and activities to take place among friends. However, there is a comparatively low recognition rate of adoption among the participating elderly. Interaction designers and academics should emphasize the need for human-computer interaction in these applications.

The investigation into cellular and replicative senescence is crucial for both biology and medicine, particularly in light of the increasing percentage of the elderly population. Gaining a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of these forms of aging can help develop strategies aimed at prolonging active longevity. By comparing the processes of cellular and replicative senescence, researchers can reveal both common and distinct molecular mechanisms, thus opening up innovative approaches to diagnosing and treating age-related diseases. The identified aging markers can contribute to personalized medicine and improving the diagnosis and treatment of aging cells. Thus, these studies greatly facilitate the development of methods for combating age-related diseases. The study aims to analyze cellular and replicative senescence in order to identify common mechanisms underlying the aging process. The goal is to understand the relationship between these processes and their influence on age-related changes. The specific objectives of this work include identifying aspects of aging and molecular markers that can be used for the diagnosis and monitoring of age-related disorders. The findings from this study will contribute to the prevention and treatment of age-related conditions, thereby improving overall population health. The public datasets E-MTAB-4879 (cellular senescence) and GSE130727 (replicative senescence) are analyzed. Quality control is carried out using the FastQC program. Adapter removal is performed by sequencing using the cutadapt 2.3 and Trimmomatic-0.38 programs. Mapping is carried out using the bowtie2-2.4.0 program. Reverification of the mapping results is performed using the kallisto-v0.45.0 pseudo-alignment algorithm. Quantification is carried out using featureCounts. RPKM (Read Per Kilobase per Million) normalization is applied (to average the total reads, coverage depth, and gene length). The mirnet.ca online service is used to search for regulatory miRNAs. For groups of genes that showed decreased (7275) and increased (5059) expression levels in the E-MTAB-4879 and GSE130727 datasets after filtering, we identify the biological processes they are involved in. For lists of the top 15 genes, we provide information on their role in the aging process. Additionally, for a group of commonly expressed genes, functional groups are determined using GO. The study compares two aging-related gene datasets and a total of 7275 genes with decreased expression are identified. Of these, 1342 show significant decreases in expression, with processes related to G-protein signaling, cholesterol metabolism, and cytokine signaling standing out. Some genes affect aging through inflammatory responses, membrane potential control, neurodegeneration, and cell differentiation. 143 noncoding RNAs associated with aging and cancer are identified upon further analysis. In a separate group, 1673 genes exhibit increased expression, involving processes such as glycero

Sleep, as a fundamental requirement for the body’s well-being, plays a crucial role in various essential biological processes. Aging is one of the natural biological processes that affects all functions of the human body. The relationship between sleep and aging has been the subject of significant interest of researchers in recent years. The work discusses modern views on the role of sleep in the aging processes and its geroprotective potential. The work provides data on studying the effect of sleep disorders on hallmarks of aging. The influence of sleep deprivation, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on nine hallmarks of aging according to the classification developed by López-Otín et al., is discussed: genomic instability, telomere attrition, loss of proteostasis, epigenetic alterations, dysregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, stem cell exhaustion, cellular senescence, and altered intracellular communication. Data on somnological biomarkers and their relationship to the brain age index are also provided, and the influence of sleep on the formation of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, is discussed. One of the sections is a review of published data on the significance of circadian rhythms in the development of neurodegeneration and aging processes. The use of light therapy and melatonin is considered as a geroprotective methods. In conclusion, the work discusses the importance of developing the area of gerontosomnology.

Aging is a complex biological process that impacts various systems of the body with changes occurring at molecular, cellular, and physiological levels. One of the key elements in the study of aging is determination of the role of insulin-like growth factors (IGF) and insulin-like binding proteins (IGFBP). IGF, in particular IGF-1, are crucial for the regulation of cell growth, metabolism, and apoptosis. IGFBP, in particular IGFBP-3, modulate the bioavailability of IGFs by binding to them and influencing their receptor interactions. This work outlines the mechanisms of action of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 and discusses clinical research findings on their significance in aging, longevity, and the development of age-associated diseases. To investigate the relationship between IGF and IGFBP and aging processes, a search is conducted in the Scopus and PubMed article databases. Basic and clinical studies published primarily between 2010 and 2024 are selected. The search utilized keywords such as “insulin-like growth factors,” “insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins,” “aging,” and “age-associated diseases.”

The work explores the mechanisms by which the gut microbiome influences human aging and associated diseases. We examine age-related changes in the composition of the microbiota and their effects on inflammation, immune response, and intestinal-barrier permeability. Special attention is given to the pathogenic interactions between the gut microbiota and the development of cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases. The role of microbiome imbalance, known as dysbiosis, is highlighted as one of the key mechanisms accelerating the aging process. The review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent studies that demonstrate the impact of microbial metabolites on various systems of the body through the “gut—brain,” “gut—cardiovascular,” and “gut–endocrine brain” axes.