Methods. Fifty-nine healthy but sedentary community-dwelling volunteers, aged 60–79 years, participated in the 6month randomized clinical trial. Half of the older adults served in the aerobic training group, the other half of the older adults participated in the toning and stretching control group. Twenty young adults served as controls for the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and did not part...

An active research area in biological gerontology concerns the mechanisms by which caloric restriction (CR) retards the aging process in laboratory rodents. We used high density oligonucleotide arrays representing 6347 genes to determine the gene expression profile of the aging process in gastrocnemius muscle of male C57BL/6 mice. Aging resulted in a differential gene expression pattern indicat...

All aging individuals will develop some degree of decline in cognitive capacity as time progresses. The molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to age-related cognitive decline are still not fully understood. Through our previous research, we discovered that active neural progenitor cells selectively become more quiescent in response to aging, thus leading to the decline of neurogenesis in th...

An active research area in biological gerontology concerns the mechanisms by which caloric restriction (CR) retards the aging process in laboratory rodents. We used high density oligonucleotide arrays representing 6347 genes to determine the gene expression profile of the aging process in gastrocnemius muscle of male C57BL/6 mice. Aging resulted in a differential gene expression pattern indicat...

Psychological stress exerts its effects mainly through the release of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), which activates inflammatory pathways in skin (inter alia), resulting redness, extracellular matrix degradation, loss elasticity and firmness, appearance wrinkles—namely, accelerated aging. In order to propose a solution this neurogenic aging phenomenon, we report here on studies using m...

This article aims to identify the main determinants of self-rated health and well-being in the elderly Portuguese population, using a set of dimensions including demographic and socioeconomic indicators, characteristics of interpersonal networks and social activities, health, sexual activity, representations of aging, and feeling of happiness. Taking socioeconomic, behavioral, and attitudinal p...

This article reviews the scientific literature on the enhancement of healthy aging in older adults through active participation in the arts. Methodologies and conclusions are described for studies of dance, expressive writing, music (singing and instrumental), theatre arts, and visual arts including documentation of mental/physical improvements in memory, creativity, problem solving, everyday c...

Evolutionary considerations suggest aging is caused not by active gene programming but by evolved limitations in somatic maintenance, resulting in a build-up of damage. Ecological factors such as hazard rates and food availability influence the trade-offs between investing in growth, reproduction, and somatic survival, explaining why species evolved different life spans and why aging rate can s...

The Mental Healthiness and Aging Initiative was created to develop resources addressing the mental health needs of older adults, particularly those in rural areas. Community members participated in focus groups discussing mental health and aging. Themes that emerged included the desire to maintain independence, the importance of emotional health and intergenerational activities, the value of sh...