A hormone that extends lifespan in mice by 40% is produced by specialized cells in the thymus gland, according to a January 2016 study by Yale School of Medicine researchers. The team also found that increasing the levels of this hormone, called FGF21, protects against the loss of immune function that comes with age. Published… Continue reading Life-Extending Hormone Bolsters the Body’s Immune Function
Tag: longevity
Happiness and Unhappiness Have No Direct Effect on Mortality
As we head into the holidays and the new year, many people find themselves feeling less than merry because of life events or loneliness. The good news, however, is that being unhappy is not a threat to health and longevity. A study of 700 000 women with an average age of 59, published on December… Continue reading Happiness and Unhappiness Have No Direct Effect on Mortality
Having a Purpose May Add Years to Your Life
People who have a higher sense of purpose in life are at lower risk of death and cardiovascular disease, according to a pooled data analysis published in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society. A release from the publisher, Wolters Kluwer, cites this quote from the paper by… Continue reading Having a Purpose May Add Years to Your Life
We Are Meant to Live Long and Lucid Lives!
Humans (and certain whales) are unique among vertebrates in that we typically live long past our reproductive years, and most of us stay sharp well into old age. Now researchers at the University of California, San Diego have discovered the reason for this happy phenomenon. In a paper published November 30th 2015 in Proceedings of… Continue reading We Are Meant to Live Long and Lucid Lives!
Surviving Longevity
Age 85+ is becoming the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. And those of us (the so called “boomers”, aged 51-69) who may be caregivers for those elderly parents may still be at the tail end of funding college kids or starting to babysit grandkids. They don’t call us the “sandwich generation” for nothing. As… Continue reading Surviving Longevity
The Secret to a Longer Life? Be a Female.
Human supercentenarians share at least one thing in common: over 95 percent are women. Scientists have long observed differences between the sexes when it comes to aging, but there is no clear explanation for why females live longer. In a discussion of what we know about stem cell behavior and sex, published June 4th 2015… Continue reading The Secret to a Longer Life? Be a Female.
Why The Retirement Age Should Be Raised Even More
Researchers say that the age to receive full Social Security benefits should be closer to 70. But that might not be fair to people with shorter life expectancies. “We’re living longer and healthier than ever before, but the statutory age of retirement for receiving Social Security benefits doesn’t reflect that,” says lead author S. Jay… Continue reading Why The Retirement Age Should Be Raised Even More
Longevity Protein Protects Against Alzheimer’s
Scientists from the Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San Francisco report in February 2015 in the Journal of Neuroscience that raising levels of the life-extending protein klotho can protect against learning and memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease. Remarkably, this boost in cognition occurred despite the accumulation of Alzheimer-related toxins in the brain, such… Continue reading Longevity Protein Protects Against Alzheimer’s
Gene Variant Linked to Cognitive Skills
People with a gene variant linked to longevity also have also have a larger volume in a part of the brain involved in planning and decision-making, according to researchers. The finding, by researchers from the University of California San Francisco, builds on the team’s earlier discovery that middle-aged and older people who carry the variant,… Continue reading Gene Variant Linked to Cognitive Skills
Feeling Younger Than You Are Lowers Death Rate
Do you feel younger than you really are? If so, that’s good news! Research done at the University College London and published online in December 2014 by JAMA Internal Medicine found that older people who felt three or more years younger than their chronological age had a lower death rate compared with those who felt… Continue reading Feeling Younger Than You Are Lowers Death Rate
Watch: How to Live Over 100 Years
Here’s another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
A Sense of Purpose May Add Years to Your Life
Feeling that you have a sense of purpose in life may help you live longer, no matter what your age, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
The research has clear implications for promoting positive aging and adult development, according to lead researcher Patrick Hill of Carleton University in Canada:
Feeling in Control Can Increase Longevity
People who feel in control and believe they can achieve goals despite hardships are more likely to live longer and healthier lives, especially among those with less education, according to a study by Brandeis University and the University of Rochester and published online in the Journal of Health Psychology.
Previous studies have shown that people with a high school diploma or less education tend to die younger than those with a college degree or graduate training. Yet, that’s not a hard and fast rule. Why?