India Education Diary featured a USC study on how advance directives are associated with lower hospital costs for patients. “The takeaway here is that you should complete an advance directive as early as possible,” said lead author Yujun Zhu, a doctoral student at the USC Leonard Davis School, noting that last-minute decisions can be high on emotion and short on thorough consideration, education, and discussion. “Start when you are healthy and revisit your choices regularly,” he said. “You can change your mind but it is important to discuss and document your preferences.”
New Scientist featured a study by Valter Longo on the “longevity diet” and how what and when one eats affects longevity.
CNN featured a USC study showing how stress affects aging of the immune system. “People with higher stress scores had older-seeming immune profiles, with lower percentages of fresh disease fighters and higher percentages of worn-out T-cells,” said author Eric Klopack. The Scientist, Yahoo News and StartsAt60 also covered the study.
New York Times featured commentary from Caleb Finch on new studies that appear to show extremely slow aging in cold-blooded animals such as tortoises. While the mortality risk in long-living turtles and tortoises remained stagnant over the decades, they haven’t obtained eternal youth according to Finch. “Some of them get cataracts and are feeble to the point where they need to be fed by hand. They wouldn’t survive in the real world, so there’s no question that they do age.”
New York Times featured a study by Eric Klopack and Eileen Crimmins on how exposure to social stress can speed up the aging of the immune system. Klopack also discussed the study in a column for the Conversation. “Less aged immune systems are better able to fight infections and generate protective immunity from vaccines,” he wrote. “Immunosenescence may help explain why people are likely to have more severe cases of COVID-19 and a weaker response to vaccines as they age. Understanding what influences immune aging may help researchers better address age-related disparities in health and illness.”
Senior Housing News featured new senior living operator Empower Living, led by CEO and USC Leonard Davis graduate Mark Reisman. Reisman, who earned his Master of Arts in Senior Living Hospitality in May, is part of “a new class of leaders in the senior living industry,” the article stated.
U.S. News & World Report featured Theresa Andrasfay and her research on COVID-19 Latino deaths, which showed a three-year drop in life expectancy. “A three-year reduction in life expectancy is huge in historical terms. We usually have not seen reductions this large except during times of war or major pandemics. … Of course, it’s really sad to think about the individuals who died of COVID, but it also has broader implications for the family members of those who died,” she said.
Parade quoted Carin Kreutzer in an article on the best foods to eat for longevity. “Scientific studies have shown that the risk for cancer goes up the less plant-based foods people have in their diets, specifically fruit and vegetables,” she said.
Insider featured a study led by Valter Longo on how a “longevity diet” could promote healthier aging. “The longevity diet is not a dietary restriction intended to only cause weight loss but a lifestyle focused on slowing aging,” Longo said. The study was also featured in Technology Networks, Everyday Health, Paris Beacon-News, Digg, OI Canadian, and India Herald.
Rethinking65 quoted Paul Irving on the benefits of intergenerational living versus homogenous, age-restricted retirement communities. “What kind of society are we building — a society that encourages understanding and collaboration and appreciation of others, or a society that reinforces the divides that already challenge America? … I would make the case that bringing older and younger Americans together enhances the lives of both age groups, and in the mix, increases the likelihood of collaboration, mutual understanding and appreciation,” Irving said.