If scientists could precisely regulate gene expression, they could turn off the genes responsible for illness and disease and turn on those that enhance health and the immune system.

“This is why controlling gene expression is so fundamental,” said Northwestern University’s Julius Lucks. “Once you get a good handle on it, you can do anything.”

For Lucks, having a “good” handle on gene expression might be an understatement. He and his team have developed a powerful and versatile tool that achieves gene activation thousands of times better than nature.

Exercise is a sensible part of any personal health strategy, and a new study suggests that even low levels of walking are associated with lower mortality compared to inactivity[1].

U.S. public health guidelines recommend that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of intense exercise per week. However, surveys show that only half of U.S. adults actually reach this ideal target level of activity. Worse than that, older adults are even less likely to reach these recommendations, with only 42% of people between the ages of 65 and 74 and 28% of people age 75 or over meeting this goal.

Walking is a great choice for exercise, as it is low impact, convenient, free to do, and requires no special equipment. It is the most common kind of physical activity and is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes. While there are many studies that have focused on moderate to intense physical activity and mortality, there are considerably fewer studies looking at walking.

Does an out of whack microbiome cause inflammaging?

Does our microbiome cause inflammaging, the low-level chronic inflammation that plagues our bodies as we get older? A new research paper examines the question, and their findings just might surprise you.

Many people still regard bacteria and other microorganisms as mere disease-causing germs. However, it’s a lot more complicated than that. In fact, it has become increasingly clear that a healthy human body is teeming with microbes, which play a role in our immune system. We are not just an organism; we are a super-organism and the millions of microbes both within and without our bodies.

The Microbiome and Inflammaging

Geroscientists are starting to realize that the human microbiome, the colony of bacteria in our gut, Several studies have shown that our microbiome changes as we age, and this could negatively impact our health.

A growing body of evidence shows that coffee prevents type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a massive health problem that’s about to get worse. A recent study concluded that 40% of Americans alive today are expected to get the disease. Left untreated, the soaring blood sugar caused by type 2 diabetes creates serious health problems throughout the body, including heart disease, stroke, loss of limbs, kidney failure, blindness, and double the risk of death.

Research has shown that drinking coffee is a way to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Want to live longer? Here’s one way.

Summary: One in four Americans with type 2 diabetes doesn’t know they have the disease. Walking around with untreated diabetes more than doubles your risk of stroke, heart attack, and early death. Add years to your life by knowing your status, and then managing the condition. Type 2 diabetes can be treated with inexpensive tablets. This article provides a two-minute online assessment, which shows if you are at risk.

Today, one in eight adult Americans has diabetes, according to the latest report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Amazingly, one in four of them doesn’t know they have the disease. Walking around with untreated diabetes more than doubles your risk of severe health complications, including stroke, heart attack, and early death. You can add years to your life by managing type 2 diabetes, a disease which can be treated with inexpensive tablets.

Minimize the health-harming effects of type 2 diabetes by getting tested and treated early. This article provides ADA guidelines as to who should get tested for type 2 diabetes. Additionally, you can assess your risk of having diabetes using the free online assessment included in this article.