Current Aging Science - Volume 13, Issue 1, 2020

Background: With the increasing number of elderly people in the world, usage of concepts and terminology related to this phenomenon has substantially increased. One concept in this context is successful aging. The purpose of the present study is to extract and introduce a common concept to be used in studies on measuring successful aging. Methods: This is a review study. First, by searching the databases of Magiran, Noormags, Medlib, Irandoc, Iranmedex, Barakat Knowledge Network System, Civilica, SID, ISI Web Of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and search engines, Google Scholar and Elmnet as well as using standard keywords such as elder, elderly, aging, and successful aging, all related published articles during the period 1995 to 2017 were retrieved. A total of 3417 documents were retrieved. By removing 3390 unrelated, duplicate and unusable documents, 27 articles were included in the study after quality control. Results: The findings of the study were categorized in three areas: "defining successful aging by focusing on dimensions", "successful aging principles" and "factors influencing successful aging". Reviewing various studies, we found that the definition of successful aging deals with cognitive action, perception, control, life satisfaction, and ethics. Successful aging is also defined as having inner feelings of happiness and satisfaction with life for the present and the past. Sometimes successful aging is also considered to be survival with health. Conclusion: Health care professionals as community health supporters can use the results from the present study for providing the grounds for successful aging. Then, they can use the designed successful aging program for preserving and promoting active and healthy aging for every elderly person in old age.

Background: Although telomerase has potential for age-related disease intervention, the overexpression of telomerase in about 90% of cancers, and in HIV virus reservoirs, cautions against se in anti-aging telomerase therapeutics. While multiple reviews document the canonical function of telomerase for maintenance of telomeres, as well as an increasing numbers of reviews that reveal new non-canonical functions of telomerase, there was no systematic review that focuses on the array of associates of the subunit of Telomerase Reverse transcriptase protein (TERT) as pieces of the puzzle to assemble a picture of the how specific TERT complexes uniquely impact aging and age-related diseases and more can be expected. Methods: A structured search of bibliographic data on TERT complexes was undertaken using databases from the National Center for Biotechnology Information Pubmed with extensive access to biomedical and genomic information in order to obtain a unique documented and cited overview of TERT complexes that may uniquely impact aging and age-related diseases. Results: The TERT associations include proper folding, intracellular TERT transport, metabolism, mitochondrial ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) regulation, inflammation, cell division, cell death, and gene expression, in addition to the well-known telomere maintenance. While increase of cell cycle inhibitors promote aging, in cancer, the cell cycle check-point regulators are ambushed in favor of cell proliferation, while cytoplasmic TERT protects a cell cycle inhibitor in oxidative stress. The oncogene cMyc regulates gene expression for overexpression of TERT, and reduction of cell cycle inhibitors-the perfect storm for cancer promotion. TERT binds with the oncogene RMRP RNA, and TERT-RMRP function can regulate levels of that oncogene RNA, and TERT in a TBN complex can regulate heterochromatin. Telomerase benefit and novel function in neurology and cardiology studies open new anti- aging hope. GV1001, a 16 amino acid peptide of TERT that associates with Heat Shock Proteins (HSP’s), bypasses the cell membrane with remarkable anti disease potential. Conclusions: TERT “associates” are anti-cancer targets for downregulation, but upregulation in antiaging therapy. The overview revealed that unique TERT associations that impact all seven pillars of aging identified by the Trans-NIH Geroscience Initiative that influence aging and urge research for appropriate targeted telomerase supplements/ stimulation, and inclusion in National Institute on Aging Intervention Testing Program. The preference for use of available “smart drugs”, targeted to only cancer, not off-target anti- aging telomerase is implied by the multiplicity of TERT associates functions.

Ageing is a natural phenomenon which is a fold, ridge and crease in the skin that occurs due to loss of body mass, poor hydration, disintegration of dermis and epidermis junction. The Skin ageing process involves many changes that occur due to the combination of both endogenous factors (gene mutation, cellular metabolism, and hormonal factor) and exogenous factors (U.V, pollutants, chemical, and toxins). In 1950, the number of older people were found to be almost 205 million across the globe. But this number almost got 4 times by the year 2012 and the number of older persons increased to a massive amount of 810 million. The ageing of the skin occurs due to various mechanisms like glycation, free radical, cell cycle, and cellular and molecular mechanism of skin ageing. In this review article, we have discussed the treatment, worldwide newer therapies and marketed formulation that are currently available for the reduction of skin ageing. The most promising and revolutionizing field of nanotechnology is mostly applied in the field of dermatology, cosmetics, and biomedical applications. Nanotechnology also plays a vital role in increasing the efficacy of the product.

Background: Accumulation of various damages is considered the primary cause of aging throughout the history of gerontology. No progress has been made in extending animal lifespan under the guidance of this concept. This concept denies the existence of longevity genes, but it has been experimentally shown that manipulating genes that affect cell division rates can increase the maximum lifespan of animals. These methods of prolonging life are unsuitable for humans because of dangerous side effects, but they undoubtedly indicate the programmed nature of aging. Objective: The objective was to understand the mechanism of programmed aging to determine how to solve the problem of longevity. Methods: Fundamental research has already explored key details relating to the mechanism of programmed aging, but they are scattered across different fields of knowledge. The way was to recognize and combine them into a uniform mechanism. Results: Only a decrease in bioenergetics is under direct genetic control. This causes many different harmful processes that serve as the execution mechanism of the aging program. The aging rate and, therefore, lifespan are determined by the rate of cell proliferation and the magnitude of the decrease in bioenergetics per cell division in critical tissues. Conclusion: The mechanism of programmed aging points the way to achieving an unlimited healthy life; it is necessary to develop a means for managing bioenergetics. It has already been substantially studied by molecular biologists and is now waiting for researchers from gerontology.

Background: There is a huge demand for efficient strategies for maintaining cognitive wellbeing with age, especially in the context of population aging. Dementia constitutes the main reason for disability and dependency in the elderly. Identification of potential risk and protective factors, as well as determinants of conversion from MCI to dementia, is therefore crucial. In case of Alzheimer’s disease, the most prevalent dementia syndrome amongst the members of modern societies, neurodegenerative processes in the brain can begin many years before first clinical symptoms appear. First functional changes typically mean advanced neuron loss, therefore, the earliest possible diagnosis is critical for implementation of promising early pharmaceutical interventions. Objective: The study aimed to discuss the relationships between both circulating and brain cholesterol with cognition, and explore its potential role in early diagnosis of cognitive disorders. Methods: Literature review. Results: The causal role of high cholesterol levels in AD or MCI has not been confirmed. It has been postulated that plasma levels of 24(S)-OHC can potentially be used as an early biochemical marker of altered cholesterol homeostasis in the CNS. Some studies brought conflicting results, finding normal or lowered levels of 24(S)-OHC in dementia patients compared to controls. In spite of decades of research on the relationship between cholesterol and dementia, so far, no single trusted indicator of an early cognitive deterioration has been identified. Conclusion: The current state of knowledge makes the use of cholesterol markers of cognitive decline in clinical practice impossible

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine whether Working Memory (WM) training improves the cognitive functioning of older adults and to determine the role of cognitive reserve in WM training. Methods: Twenty-one older adults, aged between 65 and 91 years were included in the study. Ten of them were in the experimental group and 11 in the passive control group. The experimental group underwent 15 training sessions of n-back training over a period of five weeks, whereas the control group remained passive. All participants (from the experimental and control group) were tested before the training, one week after the training, and three months after the training with Rey– Osterrieth/Taylor Complex Figure test (ROCF), Digit span, and TMT (part A and part B). Results and Conclusion: Results of our study suggest that although the experimental group slightly improved their performance on the trained task, the progress was not statistically significant. There was also no statistically significant transfer of training effects onto tasks of visual-spatial and verbal memory, as well as those related to executive functioning. However, the study did identify a statistically significant correlation between cognitive reserve and certain tests performed at the final testing: tasks measuring executive functioning and spatial ability. Results also revealed that the group that showed improvement in the training task was significantly better in the ROCF test in comparison with the group that had not improved their performance on the N-back task. Thus, visual-spatial abilities (visual perception, construction, and memory) were more connected with success in WM training, than other measured cognitive abilities (e.g. verbal and numerical memory).

Objective: To compare the impact of unilateral versus bilateral Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) on saccadic movements, and to show the effect of visual search training on these eye movement performances in AMD subjects. We hypothesized that unilateral and bilateral AMD subjects had abnormal saccadic performances, and that visual search training could improve their performances. Methods: Three groups participated in visual search training: 13 elderly unilateral AMD subjects (mean age: 74.6 ± 1.6 years), 15 elderly bilateral AMD subjects (mean age: 74.2 ± 1.2 years), and 15 healthy age-matched control subjects (mean age: 70.9 ± 1.3 years). Horizontal saccadic performances were recorded before and after visual search training (Metrisquare®) with the Mobile Eye Tracker (Mobile EBT®). We analyzed the saccadic movement performances: latency, mean velocity and gain. We measured the training performances for each exercise: the time, the number of omissions and the number of errors. We analyzed the performances with Kruskal-Wallis and posthoc tests. Results: The latency of saccades in AMD subjects is significantly longer compared to healthy elderly for 15° (p<0.03), 10° (p<0.003) and 5° (p<10-3). Unilateral and bilateral AMD subjects normalized their latency of saccades after training for small saccades (respectively p=0.30 and p=0.23 for 10°, and p=0.09 and p=0.52 for 5°). In elderly, performances depend on the saccade’s amplitude. Conclusion: AMD subjects’ saccadic movements are disrupted: the execution needs more time but is efficient. The visual search training improved the saccadic performances in AMD subjects. Further studies will aim to improve knowledge on such issues and to explore the benefit of training over time in unilateral AMD subjects.

Aim: Evaluation of the executive function and working memory influence, as well as the general state of memory, on adherence to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and overactive bladder symptoms treatment in elderly men. Background: The influence of the executive function and working memory on treatment adherence in older men with BPH has not been studied enough. Objective: To determine the level of influence of various factors on the treatment adherence in older men with BPH. Methods: The executive function and working memory evaluation, as well as a general memory assessment, were carried out using the Wisconsin Test, the Wechsler Memory Scale, and the California Verbal Test. Hierarchical and simultaneous regressions were calculated to study the effect of executive function and working memory. Results: After the end of the study, the symptoms of hyperactive bladder significantly decreased, the symptoms of evacuation did not change significantly, and the cognitive status of the patients remained unchanged. The predictor variables significantly influencing adherence of elderly men to BPH and overactive bladder (OAB) treatment are executive function and working memory composite (β = .33, p & lt; .05), severe symptoms of lower urinary tract (-.34, p & lt; .05), and age (-.27, p & lt; .05). Conclusion: The status of executive function and working memory, as well as the age and severity of the pathological symptoms of the lower urinary tract, should be taken into account when predicting the risks of rejecting BPH and OAB treatment in elderly patients.