[MIXED MESSAGES] Some older adults don't trust AI texts to boost physical activity
"Artificial intelligence (AI) can write text messages encouraging physical activity that most older adults consider appropriate and good quality, but their feelings about AI—and if they know AI wrote the message—impact their response, a recent study suggests. "
[DON'T DRINK UP] Binge drinking once a month triples liver scarring risk
"People may assume that if they drink lightly during the week or month, heavy drinking on the occasional Friday or Saturday may not cause their liver harm. But new research suggests otherwise. Researchers from Keck Medicine of USC discovered that people with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the most common liver condition in the United States, affecting one-in-three adults, face a significantly higher risk of liver fibrosis, or harmful scarring of the liver, if they engage in episodic heavy drinking. "
[MEETING EXPECTATIONS] AI a strategic advantage for customer service
"Companies are starting to view customer service as a growth driver, not a cost center, according to a new survey-based report from Klaviyo, a marketing, service, and analytics firm with an artificial intelligence (AI)-based platform for B2C CRM. "
[TOOTH WISDOM] Inability to pay for dental care boosts risk of heart disease, dementia
"People who can’t afford dental care may be at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dementia, according to a study led by researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH). "
[GLASS HALF FULL] Higher optimism, lower dementia risk
"Higher optimism is associated with a lower risk of dementia, according to a new study. In the analysis of data from the Health and Retirement Study, optimism was assessed using the Life Orientation Test-Revised in 9,071 cognitively healthy individuals (average age, 74 years; 57% women) within 2 years of obtaining the participant’s first measure of cognitive function. Dementia was assessed during up to 14 years of follow-up. "
BOLD variability modulation linked to age-specific bimanual performance
"“Older adults exhibited higher BOLD SD in cerebellar lobule VIIIb and greater modulation across task conditions in both sensorimotor and cerebellar regions.”"
VAD law experts talk dementia and critical issues at QUT conference
"The QUT Australian Centre for Health Law Research will host the International Conference on Assisted Dying and Other End of Life Care in Brisbane in April."
USC study reveals differences in early Alzheimer’s brain markers across diverse populations
"A team of researchers at the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has identified important differences in how early Alzheimer’s disease-related brain changes appear across racial and ethnic groups, underscoring the need for more inclusive approaches to studying and diagnosing the disease. Their findings are now available in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association."
Pre-chemotherapy exercise shows promise in reducing cancer-related fatigue
"A randomized crossover pilot study conducted by researchers at the University of Sherbrooke and the Research Centre on Aging in Quebec, Canada, investigated whether moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic exercise performed the day before chemotherapy could influence cancer-related fatigue and active versus sedentary behaviors in the days following treatment. The study, published in Translational Exercise Biomedicine (ISSN: 2942-6812), an official partner journal of International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), provides preliminary evidence that pre-chemotherapy exercise is safe and may offer modest benefits for fatigue management."
Routine blood pressure readings offer early insights on dementia risk
"Measures of vascular aging could inform preventive steps"
UH researcher disputes claim that multilingualism promotes better brain aging
"Finds that wealth, not languages, may drive healthy brain"
Long dismissed in adult health, the thymus may be critical for longevity and cancer treatment
"Mass General Brigham researchers used artificial intelligence to analyze routine medical scans, uncovering how the thymus impacts aging, cardiovascular risk, cancer incidence, and response to immunotherapy"
Modeling brain aging and resilience over the lifespan reveals new individual factors
"Age is more than just one number. While neuroscientists used to think of cognitive aging as a single trendline, they now realize that vast individual differences require a more predictive and personalized approach. As they uncover more factors that affect cognition over time, they are realizing that modeling the aging brain requires more diverse data than traditionally captured. "
Financial decline linked to faster memory aging in older adults
"Significant worsening in financial well-being tied to memory decline equal to ~5 extra months of aging per year"
COSMOS trial results show daily multivitamin use may slow biological aging
"An analysis led by Mass General Brigham investigators found slower aging in older adults after two years of a daily multivitamin, with greater benefits for those who began the trial with accelerated biological age"
Is your brain aging faster than you are? Sleep may hold the key
"A machine-learning analysis of brain waves recorded during sleep may help identify people at high risk of developing dementia, according to a study led by UC San Francisco and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. "
New data platform tracks the complex path to Alzheimer’s and could transform how its risk is predicted
"Capture of nearly 10 million electronic patient records will help reveal the web of chronic diseases, behaviors, and environments that precede Alzheimer’s"
Computational model measures key aging metric from routine biopsies Study demonstrates a new method for quickly and cheaply predicting telomere length, enables larger experiments
"Study demonstrates a new method for quickly and cheaply predicting telomere length, enables larger experiments"
[FOLLOW THE THINKER] Activating the brain while sitting helps curb dementia
"New research distinguishing between passive and mentally active sitting in association with dementia has found that adults who engaged in extended durations of mentally passive sedentary behaviors had a higher risk of dementia. Replacing passive with mentally active sedentary behaviors was shown to reduce the risk of dementia onset in later life. The study has the potential to inform public health guidelines and preventive strategies to reduce dementia, according to the authors."
[LEANING IN] ACE produces social media series on obesity and obesity meds
"A new social media series from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) takes a look at obesity and the growing conversation around obesity medications. The four-part series, Understanding Obesity & Obesity Medications, explores obesity as a complex, chronic disease shaped by biology, environment, and behavior. It’s designed to help both health professionals and the public better understand what’s often a misunderstood topic. "
[MOVE-IN READY] Turnkey connectivity expected in multifamily properties
"A new white paper from Parks Associates found that 41% of apartment renters expect their internet service will be ready-to-go from the moment they move into a property. The white paper examines how properties can enable turnkey readiness and a seamless move-in experience for residents, while addressing challenges from vendor fragmentation and addressing best practices for simplifying smart-tech implementation."
[NOT ENOUGH!] Walking most popular activity, but more exercise needed to meet guidelines
"In a study of US adults, walking was, by far, the most popular leisure-time physical activity, while rural residents also enjoyed gardening, hunting and fishing, and urban residents more commonly reported running, weightlifting and dance. This study examined urban versus rural preferences for leisure-time physical activities, and how they related to meeting US national physical activity guidelines. "
[THE RIGHT MINDSET] NCOA funds mental health program for NYS older adults
"The National Council on Aging (NCOA), through funding provided by the Mother Cabrini Foundation, is considering applications from community-based organizations to provide mental health support to older adults in rural New York state. Selected organizations will receive a $5,000 honorarium and all materials to host the long-term “Get Empowered: Embrace Your Mental Well-Being” program. The application deadline is April 19, 2026."
