Ishita Roy

US Isn't Taking Prompt Action Against Bird Flu, Warn Health Experts

Bird Flu In US

The COVID-19 pandemic had already brought way too many challenges in the United States, including a severe decrease in country's life expectancy rates. With challenges, it also brought a lessons of mitigating the treat of pathogens, though health experts feel that the US has not learned the lesson well. 

Dr Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator told CNN, "We kind of have our head in the sand about how widespread this is from the zoonotic standpoint, from the animal-to-human standpoint."

The doctor has called for a wider-spread testing of farm workers. This is because they make up the majority of identified <span>Bird flu</span> cases in the United States. This means the country is heading into an even higher-risk period as the <span>seasonal flu</span> begins to circulate. This also raises a question of whether a person be infected by both, the seasonal <span>flu</span> and the <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/bird-flu-outbreak-in-us-reaches-15-states-know-the-symptoms-and-preventive-measures-article-151088236" data-type="tilCustomLink">H5N1 or bird flu viruses</a>. Does that also mean that the viruses could swap gene segments? Would that give the bird flu more tools to better infect humans? These are some questions which are raised by the health experts across the country. 

The tests are not enough, a spokesperson for the US Centers for <span>Disease</span> Control and Prevention told the media outlet that the "comments about <span>avian flu</span> (H5N1) testing are out of date, misleading and inaccurate."

<strong>ALSO READ: The US Reports A Rare Case Of Bird Flu, CDC Notes Change In Infection Pattern</strong>

While the data indicates that asymptomatic infections are rare, CDC changed its recommendations back in November and widen the testing net that including asymptomatic people with high-risk exposure to avian flu. The results showed that more than 70,000 specimens have been tested, looking for novel flu viruses. More than 10,000 people were exposed to avian flu, they were also monitored for symptoms, and 540 people were tested specifically for H5N1. 

<h4>First Severe Human Case of Bird Flu</h4>

CDC also confirmed the first severe case of bird flu in humans in the US, which showed the signs of mutation. The sample was taken from a patient in Louisiana, which showed mutations in the gene which is responsible for attaching to host's cells. This is a concern, as it raises the questions of whether the <span>H5N1 virus</span> can actually swap gene segment with other flu?

As of now, as per CDC, there are 66 human cases of bird flu across the United States, though the number is believed to be higher. 

The Louisiana patient was infected with a strain of the bird flu virus called D1.1. The patient is 65 years old and also has underlying health problems. "It has been determined that the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks," the CDC said. Another such case of mutation has also been reported in British Columbia, Canada. 

Health is a major concern, however, the spread of bird flu in the United States, especially among poultry flocks has also causes egg prices to skyrocket. From $2.50 for a dozen Grade A large eggs at the beginning of the year, the prices have reached up to $3.65 in November.

<strong>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/nutrition/bird-flu-in-us-how-to-eat-eggs-safely-article-151067687" data-type="tilCustomLink">How To Eat Eggs Safely?</a></strong> 

Another growing concern is of the cat food. As this week, the Northwest Naturals recalled a line of its raw and frozen chow after health authorities linked the death of a cat to a batch of feed contaminated with bird flu. Does it means that house cats are carrying a deadly disease? <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/bird-flu-in-us-are-cats-spreading-a-deadly-disease-article-151112961" data-type="tilCustomLink">Is it safe for humans to have cats</a> amid the increasing cases of bird flu? 

While these are important questions to ask and the answers are yet to be found, there are certain symptoms for you to look out for so you can protect your health:

<ul><li>Pink eye</li><li>fever</li><li>fatigue</li><li>cough</li><li>muscle aches</li><li>sore throat</li><li>nausea</li><li>vomiting</li><li>diarrhea</li><li>study or runny nose</li><li>shortness of breath</li></ul>

Health Conditions A-Z

health

bird flu

bird flu in US

disease

H5N1 virus

avian flu

US bird flu

seasonal flu

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Ananda Lewis, Former MTV Host Who Shared Her Breast Cancer Story To The World Passes Away At 52

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The COVID-19 pandemic had already brought way too many challenges in the United States, including a severe decrease in country's life expectancy rates. With challenges, it also brought a lessons of mitigating the treat of pathogens, though health experts feel that the US has not learned the lesson well. Dr Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator told CNN, "We kind of have our head in the sand about how widespread this is from the zoonotic standpoint, from the animal-to-human standpoint."The doctor has called for a wider-spread testing of farm workers. This is because they make up the majority of identified Bird flu cases in the United States. This means the country is heading into an even higher-risk period as the seasonal flu begins to circulate. This also raises a question of whether a person be infected by both, the seasonal flu and the H5N1 or bird flu viruses. Does that also mean that the viruses could swap gene segments? Would that give the bird flu more tools to better infect humans? These are some questions which are raised by the health experts across the country. Bird Flu Data Is OutdatedThe tests are not enough, a spokesperson for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the media outlet that the "comments about avian flu (H5N1) testing are out of date, misleading and inaccurate."ALSO READ: The US Reports A Rare Case Of Bird Flu, CDC Notes Change In Infection PatternWhile the data indicates that asymptomatic infections are rare, CDC changed its recommendations back in November and widen the testing net that including asymptomatic people with high-risk exposure to avian flu. The results showed that more than 70,000 specimens have been tested, looking for novel flu viruses. More than 10,000 people were exposed to avian flu, they were also monitored for symptoms, and 540 people were tested specifically for H5N1. First Severe Human Case of Bird FluCDC also confirmed the first severe case of bird flu in humans in the US, which showed the signs of mutation. The sample was taken from a patient in Louisiana, which showed mutations in the gene which is responsible for attaching to host's cells. This is a concern, as it raises the questions of whether the H5N1 virus can actually swap gene segment with other flu?As of now, as per CDC, there are 66 human cases of bird flu across the United States, though the number is believed to be higher. The Louisiana patient was infected with a strain of the bird flu virus called D1.1. The patient is 65 years old and also has underlying health problems. "It has been determined that the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks," the CDC said. Another such case of mutation has also been reported in British Columbia, Canada. Bird Flu's Impact Beyond HealthHealth is a major concern, however, the spread of bird flu in the United States, especially among poultry flocks has also causes egg prices to skyrocket. From $2.50 for a dozen Grade A large eggs at the beginning of the year, the prices have reached up to $3.65 in November.READ MORE: How To Eat Eggs Safely? Another growing concern is of the cat food. As this week, the Northwest Naturals recalled a line of its raw and frozen chow after health authorities linked the death of a cat to a batch of feed contaminated with bird flu. Does it means that house cats are carrying a deadly disease? Is it safe for humans to have cats amid the increasing cases of bird flu? While these are important questions to ask and the answers are yet to be found, there are certain symptoms for you to look out for so you can protect your health:Pink eyefeverfatiguecoughmuscle achessore throatnauseavomitingdiarrheastudy or runny noseshortness of breath

us isn't taking prompt action against bird flu, warn health experts

Health and Me

Ananda Lewis Passes Away at 52

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<span>Ananda Lewis</span>, celebrated TV host known for her authenticity and warmth, passed away at 52 after a long and brave battle with <span>breast cancer</span>. Once a beloved face on BET’s Teen Summit and MTV’s Total Request Live, she used her platform to engage young audiences with pressing social issues and celebrity interviews that left a mark.

Lewis first came into the spotlight through BET’s Teen Summit, where she led candid conversations on challenges facing Black youth. Her interviews with figures like Kobe Bryant, Tupac Shakur, and Hillary Clinton earned her critical acclaim, including an NAACP Image Award.

In 1997, she joined MTV, becoming a key voice on MTV Live, Hot Zone, and TRL. Though her move sparked criticism, she remained unapologetic. “Growth is necessary,” she told the Associated Press. “You’ve got to get out there and live your life.”

She later launched The Ananda Lewis Show in 2001, a daytime talk show aimed at real conversations, even if it followed a familiar format. The show lasted one season, but Lewis remained a powerful presence, later joining The Insider as a correspondent.

<h4>Breast <span rel="noindex">Cancer</span> Journey That She Shared With The World</h4>

In 2020, Lewis revealed that she had been living with stage 3 breast cancer since 2018—later advancing to stage 4. Her diagnosis came after years of ignoring persistent inflammation linked to mastitis from breastfeeding. A lump discovered in her right breast led to a biopsy, confirming it was invasive carcinoma.

Instead of following a conventional medical path, Lewis chose alternative treatments. “I wanted to understand why my body created cancer and how to change the terrain,” she explained. She focused on diet changes, stress management, detoxing, and holistic therapies like high-dose vitamin C, acupuncture, and cryoablation.

Lewis moved to Arizona in 2020 for 16 weeks of intensive integrative treatment. Her cancer reduced from stage 3 to 2 and was no longer in her lymph nodes. But the journey wasn’t without hardship—financial struggles and insurance lapses made consistent treatment difficult.

In early 2023, a scan showed the tumor had grown slightly, but it had not spread. She underwent electrical ablation in Mexico, which unfortunately didn’t succeed. By October 2023, a PET scan confirmed the cancer had advanced to stage 4. Still, Lewis continued treatment and saw significant improvement by January 2024.

Lewis was candid about her journey, using her story to raise awareness about early detection and holistic health. “Stage 4 doesn’t mean the end,” she said. “It means I have to do more.”

Her message to women was clear: be proactive. Prioritize mammograms, manage stress, sleep well, and adopt a clean lifestyle. “If I had known what I know now ten years ago, perhaps I wouldn’t have ended up here,” she said.

“I want to look back and say—I did that exactly how I wanted to,” Lewis reflected. Her legacy is one of resilience, wisdom, and an enduring belief in the right to choose one’s own path—even through cancer.

Ananda Lewis cancer survivor dies at 52

health and wellness

cancer

breast cancer

cancer survivor

Ananda Lewis

Ananda lewis cancer

Ananda lewis cancer survivor

ananda lewis dies

Ananda Lewis, celebrated TV host known for her authenticity and warmth, passed away at 52 after a long and brave battle with breast cancer. Once a beloved face on BET’s Teen Summit and MTV’s Total Request Live, she used her platform to engage young audiences with pressing social issues and celebrity interviews that left a mark.A Powerful Presence on ScreenLewis first came into the spotlight through BET’s Teen Summit, where she led candid conversations on challenges facing Black youth. Her interviews with figures like Kobe Bryant, Tupac Shakur, and Hillary Clinton earned her critical acclaim, including an NAACP Image Award.In 1997, she joined MTV, becoming a key voice on MTV Live, Hot Zone, and TRL. Though her move sparked criticism, she remained unapologetic. “Growth is necessary,” she told the Associated Press. “You’ve got to get out there and live your life.”She later launched The Ananda Lewis Show in 2001, a daytime talk show aimed at real conversations, even if it followed a familiar format. The show lasted one season, but Lewis remained a powerful presence, later joining The Insider as a correspondent.Breast Cancer Journey That She Shared With The WorldIn 2020, Lewis revealed that she had been living with stage 3 breast cancer since 2018—later advancing to stage 4. Her diagnosis came after years of ignoring persistent inflammation linked to mastitis from breastfeeding. A lump discovered in her right breast led to a biopsy, confirming it was invasive carcinoma.Instead of following a conventional medical path, Lewis chose alternative treatments. “I wanted to understand why my body created cancer and how to change the terrain,” she explained. She focused on diet changes, stress management, detoxing, and holistic therapies like high-dose vitamin C, acupuncture, and cryoablation.A Different Kind of BattleLewis moved to Arizona in 2020 for 16 weeks of intensive integrative treatment. Her cancer reduced from stage 3 to 2 and was no longer in her lymph nodes. But the journey wasn’t without hardship—financial struggles and insurance lapses made consistent treatment difficult.In early 2023, a scan showed the tumor had grown slightly, but it had not spread. She underwent electrical ablation in Mexico, which unfortunately didn’t succeed. By October 2023, a PET scan confirmed the cancer had advanced to stage 4. Still, Lewis continued treatment and saw significant improvement by January 2024.Lewis was candid about her journey, using her story to raise awareness about early detection and holistic health. “Stage 4 doesn’t mean the end,” she said. “It means I have to do more.”Her message to women was clear: be proactive. Prioritize mammograms, manage stress, sleep well, and adopt a clean lifestyle. “If I had known what I know now ten years ago, perhaps I wouldn’t have ended up here,” she said.“I want to look back and say—I did that exactly how I wanted to,” Lewis reflected. Her legacy is one of resilience, wisdom, and an enduring belief in the right to choose one’s own path—even through cancer.

ananda lewis, former mtv host who shared her breast cancer story to the world passes away at 52

Tanya Dutt

Smartphone Tool Can Now Detect Early Warning Signs Of Huntington’s Disease In 5 Minutes, Finds Study

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In a revolutionary medical breakthrough, scientists have identified that a five-minute phone test will soon be able to detect early onset of Huntington's disease—a rare, genetic brain disorder—long before symptoms become visibly apparent. With digital health technologies revolutionizing the future of diagnosis, the new app test offers promise of quicker, more convenient, and highly accurate tracking, all from the comfort of the patient's own home. Wondering how your phone could be part of the future of neurology? Here's what a new study says.

Scientists have created a smartphone application that can identify early signs of motor symptoms of Huntington's disease within five minutes. The research, published in the journal Brain, is presented here with the explanation of how simple devices used on a daily basis can become big medical devices to analyze a subject's neurological well-being in real time from the comfort of his or her home. This innovation is especially valuable considering the scarcity and intricacy of Huntington's disease (HD), a genetically inherited disease in which there is, as of yet, no cure.

<h2>How the <span rel="noindex">Smartphone Test</span> Works?</h2>

The test developed is composed of five smartphone tasks assessing factors like finger tapping, balance, and involuntary movements. These activities together create a Huntington's Disease <span>Digital Motor Score</span> (HDDMS), a sensitive measure that can identify minimal changes in motor function that could occur before more evident clinical signs. As Ed Wild, Professor of Neurology at University College London's Huntington's Disease Center, points out, the fact that motor impairment can be measured in only five minutes at home has the potential to change the way <span>clinical trials</span> are carried out and disease progression followed.

Huntington's disease is a genetically inherited condition that leads to progressive degeneration of nerve cells within the brain, particularly in areas responsible for movement, cognition, and emotion. The symptoms usually occur between ages 30 and 50 and gradually worsen. In the early stages, there can be involuntary jerking or contorting movements (chorea), clumsiness, imbalance, and mood swings. When the disease progresses, patients become severely disabled from a motor standpoint, develop loss of cognitive abilities, and have psychiatric disturbances.

Conventional diagnostic approaches such as neurological assessment and imaging studies can be costly, time-consuming, and not as sensitive when identifying early-stage symptoms. The HDDMS tool is a cost-friendly, easily accessible alternative that could result in improved disease management through earlier intervention.

<h2>What Sets the HDDMS Test Unique and Accurate?</h2>

In contrast to traditional clinical evaluations that entail patients visiting specialized clinics, the HDDMS may be taken on a smartphone in under five minutes. The measure was created using information from more than 1,000 participants in four independent studies and is among the most widely validated digital tests for HD to date.

The investigators discovered that the HDDMS was almost twice as effective as conventional techniques in detecting significant changes in motor function. Such accuracy is important in rare conditions such as HD, where clinical trials have often been hindered by limited sample sizes and heavy participant burden.

With a number of hopeful treatments for Huntington's disease being developed, the need to measure disease progression accurately has never been greater. Integrating the HDDMS into clinical trials could make the research process more efficient by cutting the number of participants needed and the time needed to determine the effectiveness of a drug.

Professor Wild highlighted that more sensitive equipment is essential in rare disease investigation, where the limited patient base means it is challenging to set large-scale trials. He added the HDDMS provides a "more meaningful and convenient" means of assessing motor function than standard in-clinic tests.

Huntington's disease is a hereditary, always fatal disease due to a mutation in the gene encoding a protein named huntingtin. The mutation results in an abnormal repetition of the DNA sequence CAG (cytosine, adenine, guanine), causing brain cells to degenerate over time. Every child of a parent with HD has a 50% possibility of inheriting the defective gene.

<ul><li>Chorea (involuntary jerking motions)</li><li>Cognitive impairment</li><li>Personality and mood changes</li><li>Trouble with walking, talking, and swallowing</li><li>Insomnia and weight loss</li></ul>

With time, people with HD become unable to take care of themselves. The disease is eventually fatal, and no cure is available. Medications can be used to control chorea, depression, and anxiety, however.

Diagnosis is usually made through neurological examination, genetic testing, and imaging tests like MRIs or CT scans. Although these work well in establishing the disease, they are frequently unable to identify early signs, especially minor motor dysfunctions.

Treatment is mainly supportive. Medications like tetrabenazine and deuterabenazine are employed to manage movement disorders, and antipsychotic medications can be given for psychiatric abnormalities. Genetic counseling is highly advised for HD-affected families.

Although the HDDMS has been impressive in its accuracy in initial trials, scientists recognize that additional studies are necessary to assess its ability to forecast long-term functional decline. Additional research will also investigate how the tool can be introduced into standard clinical practice and patient follow-up.

If successful, smartphone-based HDDMS will be the cornerstone of the global battle against Huntington's disease, providing an affordable and scalable means of monitoring one of the most complicated neurological diseases in the arsenal of medicine.

brain health

huntington’s disease

smartphone test

early diagnosis

digital motor score

neurological disorder

clinical trials

neurodegenerative disease

In a revolutionary medical breakthrough, scientists have identified that a five-minute phone test will soon be able to detect early onset of Huntington's disease—a rare, genetic brain disorder—long before symptoms become visibly apparent. With digital health technologies revolutionizing the future of diagnosis, the new app test offers promise of quicker, more convenient, and highly accurate tracking, all from the comfort of the patient's own home. Wondering how your phone could be part of the future of neurology? Here's what a new study says.Scientists have created a smartphone application that can identify early signs of motor symptoms of Huntington's disease within five minutes. The research, published in the journal Brain, is presented here with the explanation of how simple devices used on a daily basis can become big medical devices to analyze a subject's neurological well-being in real time from the comfort of his or her home. This innovation is especially valuable considering the scarcity and intricacy of Huntington's disease (HD), a genetically inherited disease in which there is, as of yet, no cure.How the Smartphone Test Works?The test developed is composed of five smartphone tasks assessing factors like finger tapping, balance, and involuntary movements. These activities together create a Huntington's Disease Digital Motor Score (HDDMS), a sensitive measure that can identify minimal changes in motor function that could occur before more evident clinical signs. As Ed Wild, Professor of Neurology at University College London's Huntington's Disease Center, points out, the fact that motor impairment can be measured in only five minutes at home has the potential to change the way clinical trials are carried out and disease progression followed.Huntington's disease is a genetically inherited condition that leads to progressive degeneration of nerve cells within the brain, particularly in areas responsible for movement, cognition, and emotion. The symptoms usually occur between ages 30 and 50 and gradually worsen. In the early stages, there can be involuntary jerking or contorting movements (chorea), clumsiness, imbalance, and mood swings. When the disease progresses, patients become severely disabled from a motor standpoint, develop loss of cognitive abilities, and have psychiatric disturbances.Conventional diagnostic approaches such as neurological assessment and imaging studies can be costly, time-consuming, and not as sensitive when identifying early-stage symptoms. The HDDMS tool is a cost-friendly, easily accessible alternative that could result in improved disease management through earlier intervention.What Sets the HDDMS Test Unique and Accurate?In contrast to traditional clinical evaluations that entail patients visiting specialized clinics, the HDDMS may be taken on a smartphone in under five minutes. The measure was created using information from more than 1,000 participants in four independent studies and is among the most widely validated digital tests for HD to date.The investigators discovered that the HDDMS was almost twice as effective as conventional techniques in detecting significant changes in motor function. Such accuracy is important in rare conditions such as HD, where clinical trials have often been hindered by limited sample sizes and heavy participant burden.With a number of hopeful treatments for Huntington's disease being developed, the need to measure disease progression accurately has never been greater. Integrating the HDDMS into clinical trials could make the research process more efficient by cutting the number of participants needed and the time needed to determine the effectiveness of a drug.Professor Wild highlighted that more sensitive equipment is essential in rare disease investigation, where the limited patient base means it is challenging to set large-scale trials. He added the HDDMS provides a "more meaningful and convenient" means of assessing motor function than standard in-clinic tests.What is Huntington's Disease?Huntington's disease is a hereditary, always fatal disease due to a mutation in the gene encoding a protein named huntingtin. The mutation results in an abnormal repetition of the DNA sequence CAG (cytosine, adenine, guanine), causing brain cells to degenerate over time. Every child of a parent with HD has a 50% possibility of inheriting the defective gene.Symptoms are:Chorea (involuntary jerking motions)Cognitive impairmentPersonality and mood changesTrouble with walking, talking, and swallowingInsomnia and weight lossWith time, people with HD become unable to take care of themselves. The disease is eventually fatal, and no cure is available. Medications can be used to control chorea, depression, and anxiety, however.Diagnosis is usually made through neurological examination, genetic testing, and imaging tests like MRIs or CT scans. Although these work well in establishing the disease, they are frequently unable to identify early signs, especially minor motor dysfunctions.Treatment is mainly supportive. Medications like tetrabenazine and deuterabenazine are employed to manage movement disorders, and antipsychotic medications can be given for psychiatric abnormalities. Genetic counseling is highly advised for HD-affected families.Although the HDDMS has been impressive in its accuracy in initial trials, scientists recognize that additional studies are necessary to assess its ability to forecast long-term functional decline. Additional research will also investigate how the tool can be introduced into standard clinical practice and patient follow-up.If successful, smartphone-based HDDMS will be the cornerstone of the global battle against Huntington's disease, providing an affordable and scalable means of monitoring one of the most complicated neurological diseases in the arsenal of medicine.

smartphone tool can now detect early warning signs of huntington’s disease in 5 minutes, finds study

Aarushi Bhadury

Accelerated Biological Aging Could Make You At Risk For Dementia: Study

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Biking Can Help Your Brain Stay Young - Study Finds Biking To Reduce Risk Of Dementia

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We have all heard people say that they are old souls trapped in a young body, however, this is a figure of speech people use. While this phrase may mean you like old school things, it can also happen literally. Sometimes your body ages faster than you do, but this is the biological age we are talking about. While chronological aging is counted as the years we have lived, biological age can be faster or slower. 

Think of it as perishable food. If you leave them in unfavorable environments, they can spoil fast, becoming edible. However, when you keep them in the correct environment with even temperature, the food will stay edible for longer than it should. Our bodies are similar in that sense. If you take care of it, limiting processed food, exercising and taking care of your health, you will find that your biological age is much slower or healthier than a person who does the opposite. However, what is the connection between biological aging and our lifestyle. How do we age slower/faster depending on our choices. 

A new study suggests that signs of faster aging in your body are connected to a <span>higher chance of developing dementia</span> and stroke. Specifically, researchers found that people with <span>shorter telomeres</span> in their white blood cells tend to have an increased risk of these two brain conditions. These findings were published recently in the journal <span>Neurology</span>. 

<h2>What Are Telomeres and Why Do They Matter? </h2>

Think of telomeres as the protective caps on the ends of your chromosomes, much like the plastic tips on shoelaces. They prevent your chromosomes from unraveling and getting damaged. Every time your cells divide, these telomeres get a little shorter. This makes them a useful way to estimate a person's biological age, which is how much wear and tear your body has accumulated from stress over time, rather than just your age in years. Your biological age can be quite different from your actual age. 

<h2>Lifestyle Habits Can Counter the Risk </h2>

However, there's good news: the study found that this link between shorter telomeres and brain diseases wasn't present in people who maintained healthy lifestyle habits. This suggests that even if your body shows signs of faster aging, you can still reduce your risk of age-related brain diseases. This includes things like keeping a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly. These healthy choices can help delay the aging of your cells and lower your chances of developing these conditions, especially if you're already at a higher risk.

For this study, researchers looked at genetic data from over 356,000 people. They categorized participants into three groups based on the length of their telomeres: short, medium, or long. They then compared telomere length to people's lifestyle habits and whether they had developed dementia, stroke, or depression. 

Over an average of seven years, nearly 26,000 people developed at least one of these three age-related brain diseases. People with the shortest telomeres had significantly more cases of these brain diseases compared to those with the longest telomeres. Overall, after considering other risk factors, individuals with short telomeres were 11% more likely to develop one of these brain diseases. More specifically, they faced an 8% increased risk of stroke, a 19% increased risk of dementia, and a 14% increased risk of late-life dementia.

It's important to remember that this study shows a connection, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship between telomere length and brain health. 

Accelerated Biological Aging

neurology

lifestyle habits can counter the risk however

shorter telomeres

higher chance of developing dementia

dementia and stroke

We have all heard people say that they are old souls trapped in a young body, however, this is a figure of speech people use. While this phrase may mean you like old school things, it can also happen literally. Sometimes your body ages faster than you do, but this is the biological age we are talking about. While chronological aging is counted as the years we have lived, biological age can be faster or slower. Think of it as perishable food. If you leave them in unfavorable environments, they can spoil fast, becoming edible. However, when you keep them in the correct environment with even temperature, the food will stay edible for longer than it should. Our bodies are similar in that sense. If you take care of it, limiting processed food, exercising and taking care of your health, you will find that your biological age is much slower or healthier than a person who does the opposite. However, what is the connection between biological aging and our lifestyle. How do we age slower/faster depending on our choices. A new study suggests that signs of faster aging in your body are connected to a higher chance of developing dementia and stroke. Specifically, researchers found that people with shorter telomeres in their white blood cells tend to have an increased risk of these two brain conditions. These findings were published recently in the journal Neurology. What Are Telomeres and Why Do They Matter? Think of telomeres as the protective caps on the ends of your chromosomes, much like the plastic tips on shoelaces. They prevent your chromosomes from unraveling and getting damaged. Every time your cells divide, these telomeres get a little shorter. This makes them a useful way to estimate a person's biological age, which is how much wear and tear your body has accumulated from stress over time, rather than just your age in years. Your biological age can be quite different from your actual age. Lifestyle Habits Can Counter the Risk However, there's good news: the study found that this link between shorter telomeres and brain diseases wasn't present in people who maintained healthy lifestyle habits. This suggests that even if your body shows signs of faster aging, you can still reduce your risk of age-related brain diseases. This includes things like keeping a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly. These healthy choices can help delay the aging of your cells and lower your chances of developing these conditions, especially if you're already at a higher risk. Shorter Telomeres, Higher Risk For this study, researchers looked at genetic data from over 356,000 people. They categorized participants into three groups based on the length of their telomeres: short, medium, or long. They then compared telomere length to people's lifestyle habits and whether they had developed dementia, stroke, or depression. Over an average of seven years, nearly 26,000 people developed at least one of these three age-related brain diseases. People with the shortest telomeres had significantly more cases of these brain diseases compared to those with the longest telomeres. Overall, after considering other risk factors, individuals with short telomeres were 11% more likely to develop one of these brain diseases. More specifically, they faced an 8% increased risk of stroke, a 19% increased risk of dementia, and a 14% increased risk of late-life dementia.It's important to remember that this study shows a connection, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship between telomere length and brain health. 

accelerated biological aging could make you at risk for dementia: study

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