Research
Children from less affluent families may be ageing faster at a biological level than their wealthier peers, according to a new study. Researchers from Imperial College London analysed data from 1,160 children aged between six and 11 from across Europe. The study, published in The Lancet, measured biological markers associated with ageing and stress. Children [...]
New research shows that weight stigma—not body weight itself—has the biggest impact on mental health and healthy behaviours in the years following weight-loss surgery. The study found that patients who had undergone metabolic bariatric surgery, commonly referred to as weight-loss surgery, tended to experience a significant reduction in weight stigma. This decrease—not a lower BMI [...]
Antidepressants, taken by around 8.6 million people in the UK, may increase the risk of motor neurone disease (MND) by up to 26 per cent, according to a major study. Scandinavian researchers also found an increased risk linked to other commonly prescribed drugs, including anxiolytics (used to treat anxiety disorders), sedatives, and sleeping pills. Motor [...]
Apple Watches and similar wearable devices exhibit significant inaccuracies when estimating calories burned, despite performing well in monitoring heart rate and counting steps. A comprehensive review of 56 studies conducted by researchers at the University of Mississippi found that while fitness trackers are generally reliable for basic metrics, they struggle with energy expenditure calculations—a key [...]
Following a low-calorie diet is linked to a heightened risk of depressive symptoms, particularly among men and individuals who are overweight, according to new research. The study, which analysed data from 28,525 adults, found that people on calorie-restrictive diets scored higher on measures of depressive symptoms than those not following any specific dietary plan. Men [...]
Researchers have released the full dataset from a decade-long project designed to track brain and cognitive health as people age and distinguish neurologically healthy paths from those indicating a likelihood of decline. The Dallas Lifespan Brain Study (DLBS) combined brain and cognition measures across the adult lifetime, including an expansive range of imaging and tests [...]
Public healthcare emergencies, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, can drastically disrupt healthcare systems with long-term repercussions. The effects of such healthcare crises are more pronounced in the ageing population, who are particularly vulnerable to chronic infections and sudden disruptions in healthcare. The Covid-19 outbreak that emerged in December 2019 quickly spread worldwide, and several emergency [...]
New research has found that unintentional weight loss is the most significant individual predictor of fall risk among the common signs of frailty. A research team led by first author Ya-Mei Tzeng and corresponding authors Yu-Tien Chang and Yaw-Wen Chang from the National Defense Medical Center studied older adults in Taiwan. The team's findings highlights the [...]
There is a strong association between an older person’s view of how they are ageing and how well they will physically recover after a fall, according to new research. The research is the first to suggest how important psychological factors may be in post-fall physical recovery. Falls in older adults are a major health concern [...]
New research has revealed that phase angle - a measure of muscle quality - is linked to memory performance and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults. Over the past decade, much research has focused on the connection between skeletal muscle health and cognitive disorders. Scientists have found that sarcopenia, a geriatric syndrome characterised by progressive loss [...]
