Researchers have identified what they call “global instigators of aging and neurodegeneration” and a therapy that may slow down the damage they cause the body.

Improving your hand strength may be useful for more than opening jars of pickles. New research suggests that better hand strength is linked to better cognitive health and may prevent some dementia. A large study published by JAMA Network Open found that poor handgrip strength in midlife was associated with cognitive decline a decade later. More than 190,000 dementia-free men and women were involved in the study and followed for at least 10 years. Participants, whose average age at the study’s outset was 56, took tests that measured handgrip strength, problem-solving skills, memory and reasoning abilities. They also underwent brain imaging. The study found that people with lower grip scores were more likely to experience problems with thinking and memory later in life. They were also more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

While the issue of COVID-related brain fog is well documented, and other long-term symptoms have been recorded, this new study published in Nature Medicine is scary because it suggests the infection’s long-term impact may be vastly worse than we imagined. Researchers found the variety of neurological issues was surprising.

So, maybe all that dietary fiber isn’t as healthy as you thought. Fiber-enriched foods have gotten popular to encourage weight loss and protect against chronic diseases. But a recent study suggests that a diet high in processed fiber could increase some people’s risk of developing liver cancer.

Gary Hudson, who has spent a lifetime making space flight real, says longevity research will be critical to successful long-term space missions. Called a “space prophet” by Inc. magazine, Hudson recently told the ELONgevity Podcast several longevity medicines being developed today can be useful to astronauts involved in deep-space missions.

A new study in ants suggests that suppressing insulin may be a fountain of youth for ants – and may offer clues about life extension in other species. New York University researchers found that queen ants produce an anti-insulin protein that blocks part of the insulin pathway responsible for aging. Insulin, a hormone that converts food into energy, is important to metabolism and aging.

A New York City doctor believes the secret to longevity is muscle mass. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon has focused her private practice on what she calls "muscle-centric medicine," which emphasizes muscle health through a combination of protein-smart diet, exercise and lifestyle adjustments.

Methuselah Foundation recently announced a $1 million competition to encourage innovation that will enable medicine to move away from unreliable animal testing. The change is long overdue. In the U.S., all our food and drug research has been guided by the 1938 Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, which requires that every drug be tested on animals.

A tiny jellyfish – smaller than a fingernail – may offer important clues about longevity. A species called Turritopsis dornii, known as the “immortal jellyfish,” can effectively turn back its life clock, reverting to a juvenile state and maturing again.

Though more research is needed, Plikus envisions a day when microinjections of SCUBE3 will restore hair follicle productivity. Turn Biotechnologies is taking a different approach. It is working on a cocktail of proteins that can turn back the clock on hair follicles. The company’s therapy, TRN-001, would be delivered to follicles inside liquid nanoparticles and help reset stem cells there, making the follicles functionally younger.

A new study finds that the benefits of rapamycin may be achievable more safely than currently thought possible by reducing exposure to the drug. Researchers are focused on repurposing existing, proven medications to help extend the human lifespan. Primarily used to treat cancer and prevent organ rejection in transplant patients, rapamycin is the most promising anti-aging drug available. Animal studies have found that its off-label use can delay age-related diseases, including cognitive decline, some types of tumors, cardiovascular dysfunction and immune problems. This means it has the potential to lengthen life and its quality.