Inés Moreno

Researchers in China have analysed data from more than 4,500 people and identified 13 proteins linked to brain ageing. In addition, changes in protein concentrations in the blood tend to peak at ages 57, 70 and 78. According to the authors, who publish the results in the journal Nature Aging, these ages may reflect transitions in human brain health at specific ages, and could therefore be important for designing possible interventions in the brain ageing process.

Vision loss and having high cholesterol - the so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol - are risk factors for developing dementia, according to a meta-analysis published in The Lancet. Eliminating these risk factors could reduce dementia cases by 2% and 7% respectively, the study says. Both factors are in addition to 12 others previously mentioned in a 2020 report such as less education, physical inactivity, hearing loss, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity or poor social contact, among others. According to the research, almost half of all dementia cases could be prevented or delayed if these risk factors were controlled.

A study of more than 5,000 patients has developed a method to predict the biological age of our organs. They have analysed more than 4,000 proteins present in the blood and used machine learning models adapted to 11 different organs. According to the authors, almost 20 % of the population has accelerated organ ageing, which in many cases is associated with an increased risk of mortality of between 20 and 50 %. The results are published in the journal Nature.

Scientists have analysed data on 7.1 million common DNA variants (alterations in the standard sequence) in people with and without Alzheimer's disease. The results, published in PLOS Genetics, have helped them to develop a method that can predict the risk of suffering from this neurodegenerative disease, depending on the DNA variants that a person has and before presenting symptoms.