Gerontology News and Research

RSS

Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging.

High adolescent BMI linked to faster biological aging in adulthood

A study by the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, found that a high adolescent body mass index (BMI) may be linked to accelerated biological aging in adulthood.

21 Sep 2026

New initiative connects Detroit students with Black older adults

Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology has launched the Intergenerational Wisdom Exchange (WiSE) Program, a 10-week initiative that pairs Wayne State students with Black older adults in metro Detroit to strengthen digital literacy, promote social connection and create meaningful relationships across generations.

17 Sep 2026

New MRI measure maps blood flow and cellular organization

Researchers from the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have developed a new, noninvasive way to examine how blood flow and cellular organization align across the layers of the living human brain.

17 Sep 2026

Study explains why Amazonian Indigenous populations show low dementia prevalence

In two Indigenous communities living pre-industrial lifestyles in the Bolivian Amazon, dementia is remarkably uncommon.

15 Sep 2026

Caloric restriction reduces genetic mutations across the mouse genome

Mutations are changes in the molecular "letters" that make up DNA, the genetic blueprint for cells. Mutations build up with age in every cell when DNA is damaged or when cells make mistakes in fixing or copying it.

9 Sep 2026

Community brain health programs successfully improve attention in older adults

As aging populations drive rising global healthcare demands, finding scalable ways to prevent cognitive decline has become a vital public health priority.

4 Sep 2026

Why living to 100 may depend on far more than diet and exercise

A critical narrative review found that healthy diets, regular physical activity, strong social ties, and psychological well-being can support healthier aging and reduce premature mortality, but none has been shown to reliably determine who reaches 100. The authors argue that exceptional longevity arises from complex interactions among biological resilience, genetics, social and environmental conditions, lifelong exposures, and chance rather than any universal lifestyle formula.

25 Aug 2026

Blood protein biomarkers predict future disability risk in very old adults

Japan has one of the world's fastest-aging populations, but maintaining independence into very old age remains a growing public health challenge.

21 Aug 2026

Opening the black box of biological aging clocks

What do "epigenetic clocks" actually measure? These lab tests have become popular tools for studying biological aging, or how the body's cellular function changes at a faster or slower rate than expected.

14 Aug 2026

In a famous Blue Zone, daily movement was tied to fewer memory complaints

Older adults in Sardinian Blue Zone communities who took more daily steps, spent less time sedentary, perceived their physical health more positively, and had greater confidence in their memory reported fewer memory complaints. Sleep efficiency was not significantly associated with memory complaints, and the cross-sectional study cannot establish cause and effect.

13 Aug 2026

New USC center seeks answers to sex differences in aging

Women live longer than men in nearly every country in the world, yet they experience higher rates of disability, dementia and many other age-related conditions.

7 Aug 2026

New AI model generates detailed maps of aging in brain regions

USC researchers have developed an approach that uses artificial intelligence to generate detailed maps that highlight differences in how distinct parts of the brain age.

3 Aug 2026

Occult hepatitis B mutations drive liver cancer growth via Akt mTOR pathway

Occult hepatitis B virus (OBI) infection presents a significant global health challenge, notoriously flying under the radar of standard viral screening while relentlessly driving the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

22 Jul 2026

Study maps how macrophages age across different body tissues

Why does the immune system become less effective as we age? A new USC study published in BMC Biology offers fresh insights by examining a key immune cell type across tissues: macrophages.

14 Jul 2026

New report highlights top ten brain health breakthroughs for clinicians

"Understanding Breakthroughs in Brain Health: Top 10 Articles of 2025" - the latest "Top 10" report in the Gerontological Society of America's Insights & Implications in Gerontology series - presents a curated collection of the year's most impactful research on cognitive decline, dementia detection, and brain health across the lifespan, with a focus on actionable insights for primary care providers.

14 Jul 2026

Rumination carries anxiety into deeper distress for caregivers of dementia patients

A new study from Virginia Tech suggests patterns of repetitive negative thinking explain how anxiety develops into deeper stress for caregivers of people living with dementia, and that mindfulness training may help identify and interrupt that progression.

6 Jul 2026

Study tracks long-term recovery patterns of COVID-19 patients

Six years after the world first learned of COVID-19, the pandemic has faded into an unpleasant memory for many. For others, however, it never fully ended.

2 Jul 2026

Targeting metabolic pathways could prevent relapse in KRAS-mutant cancers

Our cells rely on tightly regulated signaling pathways to control when they grow, divide, and survive. When these regulatory systems are disrupted, cells can acquire the ability to grow uncontrollably and become cancerous.

25 Jun 2026

Hidden costs push United States dementia toll to historic high

A new USC-led study finds Alzheimer's disease and related dementias will cost the United States an estimated $818 billion this year, driven largely by often-overlooked costs to persons living with dementia and family and friends providing their care.

24 Jun 2026

USC study links modified Mediterranean diet to longer lifespan

A plant- and fish-based, low-protein diet paired with small amounts of an amino acid commonly found in eggs, meat and dairy increased healthy lifespan and decreased frailty and fat mass in mice, according to a new USC study published today in the journal Cell Metabolism.

23 Jun 2026