Tag: ageing

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Benefits of Cutting Cholesterol for Elderly Increase with Age

On By ModernMedia

A pair of new studies in The Lancet found that the effects of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) lowering agents reduced the number of serious cardiovascular events in geriatric patients.

Taking data on over 90 000 individuals in Denmark, an observational study followed patients for 7.7 years, with LDL cholesterol levels as well as first heart attacks or strokes recorded.

The researchers found that people aged 70-100 without a previous cardiovascular event benefited more from taking cholesterol-lowering medications in terms of preventable cardiovascular events.

People aged 80-100 had the highest incidence of heart attacks, at 8.5 per 1000 person-years.

Børge Nordestgaard, joint author of the first study, of the Copenhagen University Hospital, said, “Our study provides further evidence for the cumulative burden of LDL cholesterol over a person’s lifetime and the progressive increase in risk for heart attack and cardiovascular disease with age. With the proportion of people living beyond 70 years of age worldwide rapidly increasing, these data point to the huge potential for primary prevention strategies aimed at lowering LDL cholesterol levels to reduce the population burden of heart disease. The findings should guide decision making about whether older individuals will benefit from statin therapy.”

A separate review and meta-analysis revealed that cholesterol-lowering therapies are as effective as preventing heart attacks in older patients as they are in younger ones. Analysing data from 29 randomised controlled trials, they found that for every reduction of 1mmol/L of HDL cholesterol, the relative risk of major cardiovascular events in patients over 75 years was reduced by 26%. For patients under 75 years, the reduction was 15% per 1mmol/L of HDL-cholesterol.

Source: HCP Live

Categories : Ageing Pain ManagementTags :

New Drug Relieves Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain

On By ModernMedia

A new drug, otilimab, has shown effectiveness in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Otilimab is a human monoclonal antibody which inhibits granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). GM-CSF is a large driver of immune-mediated inflammatory conditions.

The drug is currently being tested on its ability to suppress inflammation, tissue damage and pain in RA sufferers.

A multicentre, dose-ranging trial conducted with the drug. Participants were administered subcutaneous injections with one of five different dosages of otilimab (22.5 mg, 45 mg, 90 mg, 135 mg, or 180 mg) or placebo weekly for five weeks. Thereafter, they received injections once every two weeks for one year. The results showed a rapid reduction in tenderness and swelling, and a very high reduction in pain.

The study was unusual in that it offered an escape arm. It is often difficult to recruit participants when they know they may be receiving a dummy injection, and so if, after 12 weeks the participants  on the placebo arm derived no benefit, they were transferred to the highest dose arm of 180mg.

Source: Medical Xpress

Journal information: Christopher D Buckley et al, Efficacy, patient-reported outcomes, and safety of the anti-granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor antibody otilimab (GSK3196165) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomised, phase 2b, dose-ranging study, The Lancet Rheumatology (2020). DOI: 10.1016/S2665-9913(20)30229-0

Categories : Ageing ExerciseTags :

Standing Protects against Heart Failure in Older Women

On By ModernMedia

A study examining elderly women’s amount of time spent sitting or standing has shown a marked increase in the risk for hospitalisation for heart failure.

The Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study followed 81 000 postmenopausal women for 9 years. None of the women had been diagnosed with heart failure and could walk at least one block unassisted, and they self-reported the amount of time they spent sitting or lying down. Over this time, 1402 women were hospitalised with heart failure.

The researchers graded the amount of sedentary time (sitting or lying down) into three categories: 6.5 hours or less; 6.6-9.5 hours; and more than 9.5 hours. Those who sat 9.5 hours or more experienced a 42% increase in the rate of heart failure compared to those who sat for 6.5 hours or less.

Lead author of the study,  Michael J LaMonte, PhD, MPH, research associate professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, said that there was a lack of data on sedentary time and heart failure, and even less so in elderly women.

“Our message is simple: sit less and move more. Historically, we have emphasised promoting a physically active lifestyle for heart health—and we should continue to do so! However, our study clearly shows that we also need to increase efforts to reduce daily sedentary time and encourage adults to frequently interrupt their sedentary time.” 

He added, “This does not necessarily require an extended bout of physical activity; it might simply be standing up for 5 minutes or standing and moving one’s feet in place. We do not have sufficient evidence on the best approach to recommend for interrupting sedentary time. However, accumulating data suggest that habitual activities such as steps taken during household and other activities of daily living are an important aspect of cardiovascular disease prevention and healthy aging.”

Source: Medical Xpress

Categories : Ageing GeneticsTags :

Hyperbaric Oxygen Shown to Increase Telomere Length

On By ModernMedia

In a world first, the length of human telomeres in living subjects has been increased in a prospective clinical trial as part of a broader study of aging. This was accomplished with the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

Telomeres place a limit on the number of times cells can be replicated, shortening by 20-40 bases every year and are thought to be one of the causes of aging as shorter telomeres are related to greater vulnerability to disease. Telomere length reduction can be slowed with diet and exercise, but not increased.

The trial recruited 35 participants aged over 63, who did not undergo diet or lifestyle changes. Each patient received 60 HBOT sessions over 90 days. The telomere length of T and B cells significantly increased by over 20%. B cells showed the greatest lengthening at 36.7% post-HBOT.

“After dedicating our HBOT research to exploring its impact on the areas of brain functionality and age related cognitive decline, we have now uncovered for the first time in humans HBOT’s biological effects at the cellular level in healthy aging adults,” said Prof Shai Efrati of the Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University. “Since telomere shortening is considered the ‘Holy Grail’ of the biology of aging, many pharmacological and environmental interventions are being extensively explored in the hopes of enabling telomere elongation. The significant improvement of telomere length shown during and after these unique HBOT protocols provides the scientific community with a new foundation of understanding that aging can, indeed, be targeted and reversed at the basic cellular-biological level.”

Source: The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research via PRNewswire