News
Longer Life Newsletter: December 2021 Issue
12/15/2021
Welcome to the December 2021 issue of The Longer Life Foundation newsletter! As always, we hope you and your loved ones continue to be healthy and safe. Our goal is to provide you with periodic updates on the Foundation’s activities. 2021 was a year of great activity and 2022 is ... Read More »
Cardiovascular Aging: Causes and Intervention
12/2/2021
Aging is defined as a gradual decline in physical and mental capacity, associated with chronic inflammation that results in a progressive decline in the functional performance of multiple organs. More specifically, a ging causes cardiovascular changes, but the rate of biological aging can differ significantly between individuals of the same ... Read More »
Eight researchers receive Longer Life Foundation awards
10/26/2021
Eight researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have received funding from the Longer Life Foundation. The grants help junior investigators launch research projects and assist more established researchers as they move their investigations into new areas. The foundation’s mission is to fund and support the study of factors ... Read More »
Caloric Restriction (CR): What is It and What Does the Research Tell Us?
7/26/2021
Preventing non-communicable diseases and promoting healthy aging are both important in improving long-term health and reducing levels of frailty in the elderly. Extensive research in animals shows that a 30-50% calorie restriction (CR) without malnutrition increases lifespan by 30-50% and reduces incidence of chronic diseases. Hilary Henly, ... Read More »
Childhood Obesity
8/6/2018
Longer Life investigator Denise Wilfey of the Washington University in St. Louis Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine is senior author of a newly published psychotherapy guide to treat childhood obesity.
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How This Broccoli Enzyme Can Slow Aging
10/27/2016
Researchers have zeroed in on an enzyme — found in natural foods like broccoli and cucumbers — that can slow some of the chronic conditions that come with age. So far the findings are limited to mice, but they’re encouraged enough to start testing it in people Read More »
Natural compound reduces signs of aging in healthy mice
10/27/2016
Much of human health hinges on how well the body manufactures and uses energy. For reasons that remain unclear, cells’ ability to produce energy declines with age, prompting scientists to suspect that the steady loss of efficiency in the body’s energy supply chain is a key driver of the aging process. Read More »
It’s Time to Rethink High-Protein Diets for Weight Loss
10/11/2016
Eating a diet that’s high in protein is often recommended for people trying to lose weight, since high-protein foods make people feel more full, preventing overeating. However, a new study suggests that while the diet may help people slim down, it doesn’t necessarily improve other health problems under the hood. (For more on that, see: How Much Protein Should I Eat Every Day.) Read More »
HELP FOR IBD: WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY PHYSICIANS
8/9/2017
Brittany Franklin wasn’t expecting a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) at the age of 22. She was just embarking on her adult life, looking forward to a bright future. But when intestinal problems landed her at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, she had to confront a new health reality...
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Benefits of moderate weight loss in people with obesity
3/1/2016
More than one of every three Americans are obese. Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These health issues stem from a range of underlying metabolic abnormalities that affect the liver, pancreas, muscle, fat, and other tissues.
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Big Health Benefits to Small Weight Loss
2/25/2016
Obese individuals who lose as little as 5 percent of their body weight can improve their metabolic function and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, a new study has found. Read More »
Losing Just A Little Weight Can Bring Big Health Benefits
2/23/2016
Being overweight isn’t linked only to heart risk (although it is that, too)–it’s connected to a constellation of factors that collectively increase a person’s risk for diabetes, cancer, stroke and even dementia. So losing weight is not by any stretch just about a single body system. Weight loss is important ... Read More »
Local Study Finds Health Benefits in Small Weight Loss
2/23/2016
ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – A new local study finds some big health benefits can result from a small amount of weight loss.
Washington University researchers, led by Dr. Sam Klein, found that a relatively small weight loss markedly lowered obese patients’ risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
... Read More »
Diet and urine acidity may have roles in UTI susceptibility
6/25/2015
The acidity of urine — as well as the presence of small molecules related to diet — may influence how well bacteria can grow in the urinary tract, a new study shows. The research, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, may have implications for treating urinary ... Read More »
Gerontology expert works to understand 'whole picture of aging'
3/16/2015
Nancy Morrow-Howell , PhD, is a national leader in gerontology, widely known for her work on productive and civic engagement of older adults. She is the Bettie Bofinger Brown Distinguished Professor of Social Policy at the Brown School, faculty director of productive aging research at the Center ... Read More »
Molecular biologist seeks the keys to healthy aging
2/2/2015
As Shin-ichiro Imai grew up outside Tokyo, he heard his parents many times tell the story of his unlikely birth. According to Imai, doctors told his mother there was a high risk of losing the pregnancy because of a partially detached placenta. Imai’s mother went to great lengths to ... Read More »
Depression, behavioral changes may precede memory loss in Alzheimer’s
1/14/2015
Depression and behavioral changes may occur before memory declines in people who will go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Researchers have known that many people with Alzheimer’s experience depression, irritability, apathy and appetite ... Read More »
Longer Life Foundation awards five grants, seeks applications
1/21/2008
The Longer Life Foundation, a cooperative effort between the School of Medicine and the Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), has awarded grants to five Washington University research projects looking at the genetics of aging, the effects of calorie restriction on aging and longevity, the relationship between cancer and aging, and ... Read More »