Age with optimism and live longer

Flinders: It pays to look on the bright side as you get old: Flinders University psychologist Professor Mary Luszcz says that optimism – expressed as confidence about living for another decade – is proving to be a good indicator for longevity. Feeling upbeat also means you’re less likely to fall over. The findings are part of the analysis of the data collection for the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing, run by the Flinders Centre for Ageing Studies.

Coud half a handful of nuts a day reduces early death risk?

NHS: "A handful of nuts can save your life, says new study," The Daily Telegraph reports after a Dutch study found a link between daily nut consumption and a reduced chance of dying from a number of chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease. The study assessed the dietary and lifestyle habits of middle-aged to elderly adults from the Netherlands and followed them up over the next 10 years. Overall, researchers found people who ate nuts had a decreased risk of death from any cause as well as various specific causes, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer, compared with those who didn't eat any nuts. The most reduced risk was found with the consumption of 5-10g of nuts a day.

Five-year 'death test' for older adults launched online

NHS: "Are you dying to know? Scientists develop death test to predict if you'll make it to 2020," The Daily Telegraph reports. The test is based on analysis of data collected from the UK Biobank. This is essentially a huge ongoing cohort study that collected data from almost 500,000 middle- to older-age adults in the UK over an average of five years. This data was then used to create an online death risk calculator. The researchers looked at around 650 different measurements, including blood tests, family history, health and medical history to work out which were most strongly associated with risk of death over the next five years.

Study reports peak longevity benefit with an hour of daily exercise

NIH: A new study has found that people who engage in three to five times the recommended minimum level of leisure-time physical activity derive the greatest benefit in terms of mortality reduction when compared with people who do not engage in leisure-time physical activity. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, developed by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, recommend a minimum of 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise per week or 1.25 hours of vigorous aerobic activity, but more activity is encouraged for additional health benefits.

High-carb diet keeps mice healthy

Scimex: An Australian-led study in mice has found that a low protein, high carbohydrate diet provides similar benefits to a calorie-restricting diet, including lowering cholesterol and improving insulin sensitivity. The authors say if the diet causes a similar response in people, it could lead to healthier ageing in a more realistic manner, rather than drastically cutting calories. Calories through dietary restriction has been shown to lower cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity, and even prolong life in mammals. Now, new research publishing on May 28th in Cell Reports shows that, at least in mice, low protein, high carbohydrate diets can provide benefits similar to those obtained with calorie restriction.

Protein and carbs, not calories, hold the key to a long life

Sydney: Low protein, high carbohydrate diets could be just as effective as low calorie diets at promoting a long life and good heart and digestive health. New research from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre shows the long-reported benefits associated with caloric restriction diets could also be reached with a low protein, high carbohydrate diet. Published in Cell Reports, the research marks 80 years since the publication of a seminal paper showing that restricting calorie intake in rats by around 40 per cent prolonged their lives. Since that time, caloric restriction without starvation has been found to extend lifespan and improve metabolic health in organisms from yeast cells and worms to mice and monkeys.

Middle age 'starts at 60' claims media

NHS: “Middle age begins at 60, say researchers,” The Times reports. A new population modelling study estimates that due to increased lifespan, what was once regarded as elderly should be seen as middle-aged, and this trend will continue into the future. Traditionally, medical professionals, particularly epidemiologists, regarded 65 as the age at which somebody becomes elderly. This was based on the expectation that they probably only had a few years left to live. As this study argues, however, this expectation is no longer valid.
Improvements in life expectancy and health mean that categorising someone as old because they've turned 65 no longer makes sense. Instead, they suggest looking at how long a person may have left to live, based on average life expectancy, which in the UK is currently around 79 years for men and 82 for women (this is expected to rise in the future).

Chronic disease major cause of death for seniors, suicide for young people

AIHW: Chronic disease continues to be the major cause of death among people aged over 45 in Australia, with suicide the leading cause among people aged 15-44,' said AIHW spokesperson Louise York.
Coronary heart disease was the most common underlying cause of death in Australia for people aged over 45, followed by cerebrovascular disease, cancers, dementia and Alzheimer disease and respiratory conditions.

Mice live longer on high carb and low protein diet

Scimex: An Australian-led study has shown, for the first time in mammals, the diets that contribute to longevity and reproductive success in mice. The researchers found that while a strict high carbohydrate and low protein diet achieved greater longevity, diets that helped reproductive success varied in their protein and carbohydrate ratios; with a healthy sperm count requiring equal amounts of protein and carbs, and an optimal reproductive cycle achieved on a higher carb diet in female mice.

Diet key to lifespan and fertility

Sydney University. Australia: It may be possible to live longer and increase fertility by manipulating diet, according to world-first research in mice from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre.

When will you die? DNA clock helps predict lifespan

Edinburgh University. UK: Scientists have identified a biological clock that provides vital clues about how long a person is likely to live.

Researchers studied chemical changes to DNA that take place over a lifetime, and can help them predict an individual's age. By comparing individuals’ actual ages with their predicted biological clock age, scientists saw a pattern emerging.