Latest news with #lifespan
New York Times
5 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Is ‘Joyspan' the Key to Aging Well?
You've probably heard the term life span. And maybe you've learned about health span, a longevity term that describes the number of years someone spends in good health. Not to overload you with 'spans,' but I just heard about another one: Joyspan. Joyspan is a term coined by Kerry Burnight, who was a professor of geriatric medicine and gerontology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine for 18 years. In her upcoming book, 'Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half,' she says that a lengthy life span does not equal a life well lived: You have to like your life, too. Dr. Burnight, who has treated thousands of older patients, writes that aging need not be 'the downhill slide that people believe it is.' You can thrive, even when faced with health problems and challenges. 'How we step up to those challenges can be the difference between thriving and suffering,' she said. She has had some patients who have become immobilized by the realities of aging, such as a death of a loved one or a chronic condition, 'while others have been able to find creative ways to navigate their new normal.' And you can lengthen your joyspan through everyday choices, regardless of your age or physical condition, by focusing on four 'nonnegotiable' actions she has identified in her research, she said. I asked her to take me through each one. Growth is the desire to explore and learn, and research suggests that a sense of curiosity and a willingness to learn help maintain cognitive function and mental health in older adults. To spark your curiosity, Dr. Burnight said, write down anything that has captured your interest, no matter how esoteric — whether it's Renaissance fairs, learning to play the drums, genealogy research or rucking. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Study Says Drinking This Popular Beverage Makes You Live Longer. But There's a Catch
Many people enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. Some people like the taste. For others, it's just the warm feel in their hands and the smell that they enjoy. But what is coffee drinking doing to your health? It turns out that a new study argues that coffee drinking can actually increase your lifespan. That's good news for people who drink coffee every day - and there are a lot of them. "Coffee is one of the world's most commonly consumed beverages, with about half of the adults in the United States reported drinking coffee daily," the study noted. However, there's one big exception to the coffee-will-make-you-live-longer rule. You have to drink the coffee black. "In a new observational study, researchers from the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University found the association between coffee consumption and mortality risk changes with the amount of sweeteners and saturated fat added to the beverage," Tufts University wrote in June 2025. "Black coffee and coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat were associated with a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality as compared to no coffee consumption. The same link was not observed for coffee with high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat," Tufts reported. The study is called "Coffee Consumption and Mortality among United States Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study." It ran in the Journal of Nutrition in May 2025. "Higher coffee consumption was associated with lower all-cause mortality," the study says. "However, the mortality benefits were restricted to black coffee... and coffee with low added sugar and saturated fat content." In other words, if you load your coffee with syrups, creamers, and sugar, you might be nullifying the benefits. "The health benefits of coffee are potentially attributable to its bioactive compounds, such as caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and polyphenol, which have been associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties," the researchers explained. The study concluded, "The addition of sugar and saturated fat to coffee can contribute to a high level of calories consumed from coffee, potentially counterbalancing coffee's health benefits."Study Says Drinking This Popular Beverage Makes You Live Longer. But There's a Catch first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 30, 2025
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Amazing news for pet owners as dogs now live two YEARS longer – here are the reasons why
DOGS live two years longer on average than they did ten years ago, data research shows. Pooches now have a life expectancy of 12-and-a-half years, compared to just over ten a decade ago. Experts say it is down to improved vet treatments and owners feeding them healthier food. Pet food firm Bella+Duke, which did the study, also said 58 per cent of owners reckon their dog is as much a part of the family as the humans in it. The study said owners are 'investing more time and money in their pets, elevating the bond to one mirroring the connection between parent and child'. The report looked at data on 580,000 pets collected by Liverpool John Moores University and dog organisations the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust B+D co-founder Tony Ottley said many dog lovers are adopting healthier diets for themselves and want the same for their pets. He said: 'Increasingly, we hear, 'If I wouldn't eat processed junk, why should my dog?'. 'Pet owners are demanding minimally processed, nutritious food.' The majority of dog owners care more about their pet's health than their own 1
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Simple blood test could reveal your body's REAL age and how long you have left to live - would YOU take it?
It may sound like the premise of a science fiction film. But, believe it or not, US and French scientists claim to have discovered a game-changing test that could help predict lifespan. Intrinsic capacity (IC)—all the physical and mental capacities a person can draw on, including their ability to walk, think, see, hear and remember—has long been considered a good marker of healthy aging. But until now, measuring IC has been considered a costly and time-consuming assessment of physical health. Yet the researchers say a simple saliva or blood test could measure IC by monitoring DNA methylation patterns—chemical tags that regulate gene activity in the body—to estimate a person's biological age. In a 10-year-long study, tracking more than 1,000 adults aged between 20 and 102-years-old, they developed IC scores for each based on five age-related risk factors—cognition, movement, vision and hearing, vitality and mental well-being. They found those with high IC scores lived 5.5 years longer on average. People with the highest IC scores had better lung function, faster walking speed, stronger bones and were more likely to view themselves as healthy. Maria Branyas Morera, who was the oldest person in the world, celebrating her 117th birthday in March A low IC was also significantly associated with an increased risk of death from age-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. Professor Thomas Holland, from the RUSH institute for Healthy Aging, who was not involved in the study, said: 'A blood or saliva-based test for intrinsic capacity is a very promising tool in ageing science.' 'One of the most critical aspects is that this test can be done with a simple blood or saliva sample, making it accessible and noninvasive. He also told Medical News Today: 'It tells us not just how old you are, but how well your aging, which is much more meaningful to help inform which interventions should be implemented, if any, to help prevent future health problems. 'This test doesn't just give a snapshot of your current state, it may also offer a glimpse into your future health.' The researchers also looked at the relationship between diet and biological aging and found that those who ate oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, and limited their sugar intake, had higher IC scores. Writing in the journal Nature Aging, they said: 'We found that individuals with higher IC consumed more beer and dark meat, fish like mackerel, salmon, sardines, bluefish and swordfish, but fewer calcium supplements. 'Consuming sugar at the recommended level was also associated with a higher IC.' Dr Tunç Tiryaki, a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of the London Regenerative Institute, who wasn't involved in the research, said: 'Oily fish are rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. 'Conversely, excessive sugar intake is known to accelerate oxidative stress, insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, all of which impair IC. 'Staying within recommended sugar limits likely supports metabolic flexibility and reduces inflammatory burden, preserving cognitive and physical function.' Dr Tiryaki also recommended regular physical exercise, including aerobic activity and strength training exercises, to keep the body young. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining social connections and keeping the brain stimulated to ward-off age-related diseases.
