Scientists testing a cosmetic anti-ageing product sold on the high street have shown it can clinically reduce wrinkles and improve the appearance of skin damaged by everyday exposure to sunlight.

Dermatologists at The University of Manchester carried out a clinical trial on 60 volunteers with typical signs of sun-damaged skin and found that the cosmetic, No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum, could improve some of these clinical features.

The study, published online in the British Journal of Dermatology showed that 70% of individuals using the beauty product had significantly fewer wrinkles after 12 months of daily use compared to volunteers using a placebo.

Read More

In the May-June 2009 issue of the prestigious Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, an international journal published by Elsevier, Prof. Dr. Imre Zs.-Nagy, of the University of Debrecen Medical and Health Science Center (Hungary), and founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/archger), presents numerous studies documenting a diverse array of anti-aging medical therapeutics that currently exist and are being applied in the clinical setting today, as well as interventions that are in the laboratory stage, to slow, prevent, and perhaps even reverse the degenerative diseases of aging and the degenerative biological processes which lead to premature disease, disability, dependence, and death.

Further, Dr. Zs.-Nagy expresses his opinions on the use of the hGH as an anti-aging medical intervention. The Editorial attempts to point out the main clinical results of hGH replacement therapy (hGHRT) in light of the “Membrane Hypothesis of Aging” (MHA), which Dr. Zs.-Nagy submits as offering a solid basis for the interpretation of the observed beneficial effects of hGH.

Read More

Whilst runners all over the UK may be warming up for this year’s Flora London Marathon on 26th April, Age Concern and Help the Aged is offering an easier way to get fit and raise funds for charity to those of us who feel that running 26 miles is asking a bit too much.

The Charity is launching its national fundraising event: The Big Spring Walk, taking place from 11th-17th May. The event challenges people to walk to work, with friends at the weekend, on a treadmill at the gym or anywhere their feet take them that week. By getting sponsored for every mile, participants will be making a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged older people.

With one in twenty people admitting their longest walk of the day is just around their house, Age Concern and Help the Aged is urging people to embrace the benefits of a more active way of life by making a small lifestyle change

Read More

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have developed a new method to help researchers identify genes that can help protect the body during the ageing process.

The team developed a method of analysing genes in multiple ageing tissue types in both animals and humans. The analysis, which included more than five million gene measurements, highlighted the mechanisms used by the body to protect against cellular changes with age that can result in conditions such as muscle degeneration and cognitive ageing.

The new method could help further understanding into anti-ageing interventions by identifying genes that indicate biological changes as a result of ageing. Research has suggested that some genes respond to age-related conditions by increasing key protein levels, allowing the body to manage the ageing process more effectively.

Read More

A biochemical pathway that helps keep cells alive when oxygen is low also plays a role in longevity and resistance against some diseases of old age, according to a report to be published April 16 in the journal Science.

A cell’s protective reaction to a drop in oxygen is called the hypoxic response. Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have found that nematode worms live longer if their genetic make-up permits their cells to turn on the hypoxic response under normal oxygen conditions.

Not only do these worms live longer, the researchers noted, their cells are relatively free from the toxic proteins that accumulate and clump together as an animal ages.

Read More