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Is ageing a disease that can be cured? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly discover the field of epigenetics, the Information Theory of Aging, and curing blindness for mice with Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, David Sinclair.
What is epigenetics? Discover the difference between genetics and epigenetics. We discuss whether aging is a disease and if there have been any changes in aging throughout the centuries. David breaks down the information theory of aging and how epigenetic inheritance works. Plus, Chuck tells us about some of the studies he’s reading and how behaviors during your lifetime can be epigenetically passed onto your children.
Could we someday cure death? What does aging look like in the broader animal kingdom? We look at aging from an evolutionary standpoint, restoring vision in blind mice, and what the length of your telomeres tells you. We break down conflicting information regarding diet and how to not just live longer but live younger, longer. What are the genes that control aging?
We break down what anti-aging medicine would look like and whether it would be affordable for everyday people. Learn about the world’s oldest mice with the youngest eyes. We discuss the Yamanaka genes and how they can be utilized to turn back time on a cellular level. Is DNA destiny?
Thanks to our Patrons Jason L, Daniel Holzmann, Anne P Vance, Unknown, Myles G Blanton, Paul A. Straus, and Gregory Dees for supporting us this week.
NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.
By Kelly Bilodeau, Executive Editor, Harvard Women’s Health Watch
The research is mixed, but what’s clear is that the benefits of statins typically outweigh the risks in people who need them.
Experts know that statins are good for your heart — they can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and reduce your chances of having a heart attack or stroke by 25% to 30%. But what effect do statins have on your brain?
In 2012, questions surfaced when the FDA issued a warning that statin users had reported short-term cognitive impairment when taking the drugs.
A study published June 29, 2021, by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) aimed to shed some additional light on this issue. Researchers looked at data on statin use among 18,446 people, ages 65 or older, who had taken part in a large randomized trial of aspirin. The researchers found that over a follow-up period of almost five years, people who took statins weren’t any more likely than non-users to have dementia. The same was true when it came to other changes in cognition, memory, language, executive function, or a measure called psychomotor speed, which measures how quickly someone can process information. They also found no differences between different types of statins.
Protect yourself from the damage of chronic inflammation.
Science has proven that chronic, low-grade inflammation can turn into a silent killer that contributes to cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other conditions. Get simple tips to fight inflammation and stay healthy — from Harvard Medical School experts.
However, while these findings were good news, they may not be the final word on this issue. Although this particular study found no link between statins and dementia, the research into statins and brain-related effects over all is best described as inconsistent, says Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
“I think that the relationship between statins and cognitive function remains controversial,” says Dr. Manson. “There’s still not a clear conclusion whether they help to prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, have neutral effects, or increase risk.” While the science in this area is a little murky, one thing is clear: “If your health care provider is recommending statins and saying that you are a candidate, the benefits of taking it are very, very likely to outweigh any risks,” she says.
Healthy heart, healthy brain?
On the surface, it seems intuitive that statins would reduce the risk of cognitive problems, because many treatments that help your heart can also help your brain, says Dr. Manson. Conversely, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes are all risk factors for heart disease, as well as for a condition called vascular dementia, in which impaired blood flow to the brain leads to cognitive changes.
“Statins also decrease inflammation, which has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease and some other forms of dementia,” says Dr. Manson.
Although it seems to make sense that statins would bring brain benefits, the research doesn’t always bear that out.
“While you would expect that statin use would reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia because statins lower cardiovascular risks and the risk of stroke, it hasn’t been clearly shown to be the case,” says Dr. Manson. “It’s surprising that there’s not a clearer reduction seen. If anything, some of these studies have raised concerns about cognitive risks.”
Don’t avoid statins if your doctor recommends oneWhile the link between statins and dementia risk is inconclusive, Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital, says that people shouldn’t be afraid to take a statin if their clinician determines that they need one.Some people do hesitate to take statins because they’ve heard about others who have had symptoms related to statin use, such as brain fog, muscle pain, and liver problems, she says.”But such side effects are rare, and the benefits of statins clearly outweigh the risks in people who are appropriate candidates,” she says.An analysis published July 15, 2021, in The BMJ supports that conclusion. Study authors looked at 62 trials that included more than 120,000 participants and an average follow-up of about four years. While the authors found that statin use was associated with a small increase in symptoms such as muscle pain, liver dysfunction, kidney problems, and eye conditions, the significantly lower risk of heart attack, stroke and other vascular conditions outweighed these risks. It’s not the first study to examine the risk-to-benefit ratio in people with cardiovascular risk factors.”Randomized trials have found that side effects are extremely rare, comparing the statin and placebo groups. I think a lot of the concerns about statins are really more about perception than fact,” says Dr. Manson.As for the link between statins and dementia, she says there will be much more research on this question in coming years, including randomized trials of statins that look specifically at how they affect the brain.
Sorting through the mixed results
Ultimately, when it comes to the research on statins and dementia, there is enough inconsistency in the findings to conclude that if statins do have an effect on cognition, it’s probably quite subtle, says Dr. Manson.
If you take a statin and do experience symptoms, such as brain fog, confusion, or difficulty concentrating, it might be helpful to talk with your doctor about whether you should lower the dose or switch to a different type of statin, she says.
While the JACC analysis found no cognitive differences between people taking different types of statins, other research has found a higher rate of brain-related side effects related to a category of statins called lipophilic statins, says Dr. Manson. These include
simvastatin (Zocor)
fluvastatin (Lescol)
pitavastatin (Livalo)
lovastatin (Altoprev)
and atorvastatin (Lipitor).
Switching to a different type of statin, called a hydrophilic statin — either rosuvastatin (Crestor) or pravastatin (Pravachol) — might be an option to discuss with your doctor, says Dr. Manson. Your doctor might also want to prescribe a non-statin cholesterol medication instead. Some examples are ezetimibe (Zetia), alirocumab (Praluent), and bempedoic acid (Nexletol).
It’s important to keep in mind that even if you do experience side effects with one type of statin, don’t stop taking it without having a conversation with your doctor.
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Dr David Sinclair express his view on why olive oil is good and other than olive oil, there are a few more options to mix with resveratrol to make it more bioavailable.
David Sinclair is a professor in the Department of Genetics and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School, where he and his colleagues study sirtuins—protein-modifying enzymes that respond to changing NAD+ levels and to caloric restriction—as well as chromatin, energy metabolism, mitochondria, learning and memory, neurodegeneration, cancer, and cellular reprogramming.
Dr David Sinclair has suggested that aging is a disease—and that we may soon have the tools to put it into remission—and he has called for greater international attention to the social, economic and political and benefits of a world in which billions of people can live much longer and much healthier lives.
Dr David Sinclair is the co-founder of several biotechnology companies (Life Biosciences, Sirtris, Genocea, Cohbar, MetroBiotech, ArcBio, Liberty Biosecurity) and is on the boards of several others. He is also co-founder and co-chief editor of the journal Aging. He is an inventor on 35 patents and has received more than 35 awards and honors. In 2014, he was on Time Magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World,” and listed as Time’s Top 50 in healthcare in 2018. ___________________________________________ DISCLAIMER: Please note that none of the information in this video constitutes health advice or should be substituted in lieu of professional guidance. The video content is purely for informational purposes.
David Sinclair is a professor in the Department of Genetics and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School, where he and his colleagues study sirtuins—protein-modifying enzymes that respond to changing NAD+ levels and to caloric restriction—as well as chromatin, energy metabolism, mitochondria, learning and memory, neurodegeneration, cancer, and cellular reprogramming.
avocados
Dr David Sinclair has suggested that aging is a disease—and that we may soon have the tools to put it into remission—and he has called for greater international attention to the social, economic and political and benefits of a world in which billions of people can live much longer and much healthier lives.
brussels sprouts
Dr David Sinclair is the co-founder of several biotechnology companies (Life Biosciences, Sirtris, Genocea, Cohbar, MetroBiotech, ArcBio, Liberty Biosecurity) and is on the boards of several others. He is also co-founder and co-chief editor of the journal Aging. He is an inventor on 35 patents and has received more than 35 awards and honors. In 2014, he was on Time Magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World,” and listed as Time’s Top 50 in healthcare in 2018.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that none of the information in this video constitutes health advice or should be substituted in lieu of professional guidance. The video content is purely for informational purposes.
We read over and over that we must keep exercising in order to fend off the effects on the brain of growing older.
That’s great advice for everyone, but it’s a little more complicated than that.
Researchers have found that there are at least five different ways in which exercise can make your brain function better.
1. Exercise Promotes The Growth Of New Brain Cells
Exercise promotes the creation of new brain cells in an already mature brain. However, even that simple notion is complicated as a recent study verifies. Researchers at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland, with other institutions, set out to discover whether long-distance running, weight training and interval training all produced the same results. They actually set groups of rats to various different workouts, and then measured the level of neurogenesis, or creation of new brain cells, at the end of seven weeks.
They found that strictly in the area of the creation of new brain cells, distance running was the clear winner, while weight training and interval training fell far behind. Assuming humans behave the same as rats, then, distance running or hiking at a fast clip, is our best bet for creating new brain cells. Other researchers have found similar results: even though the birth of new brain cells slows as we age, one study of healthy 60 to 70year-olds found significant increases in brain volume after six months of aerobic fitness training, but no changes in the controls who only did stretching and toning exercises.
2. Exercise Fights Depression
Taking a good long walk in nature can do wonders to lift your spirits if you’re feeling down and there’s a reason for that. Exercise boosts the brain’s production of several important hormones, including serotonin and dopamine, two brain chemicals that are crucial to a happy mood. Exercise also increases levels of those feel-good chemicals called endorphins. Taken together, these hormones have a powerful impact. According to John J. Ratey, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, “By elevating neurotransmitters in the brain, it (exercise) helps us focus, feel better, and release tension.”
3. Exercise Can Reduce The Effects Of Stress
Not only can exercise improve your mood when you’re feeling down, it can also help you deal with stressful situations. Cortisol is released in response to fear or stress by the adrenal glands. According to Christopher Bergland, writing in Psychology Today, “The stress hormone, cortisol, is public health enemy number one. Scientists have known for years that elevated cortisol levels: interfere with learning and memory, lower immune function and bone density, increase weight gain, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease… The list goes on and on.” Bergland suggests that any aerobic activity, even just 20-30 minutes of activity every day will work to burn up the cortisol in our brains.
4. Exercise Helps Your Brian Function More Efficiently
We’re talking here about cognitive tasks like thinking abstractly, focusing on complex tasks, and being able to memorize items like phone numbers. Basically, when you exercise regularly, you are improving neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to grow with all that rushing of blood and hormones. The importance of this idea has recently found its way into K-12 education. Instructors at Charles Pinckney Elementary School in Charleston, South Carolina, and at other schools in the area, are using Active Brains, a program that uses action-based learning to support the link of movement and physical activity to increased academic performance: students are incorporating exercise into their math classes.
5. Exercise Increases Sensitivity To Insulin
Here’s one you may find surprising: in order for glucose — or blood sugar, that we produce when we eat — to enter brain cells, it must be accompanied by the hormone insulin. However, in some cases, brain cells can become resistant to insulin, which leads the body to pump out more and more of it, but there may still be an unhealthy increase in blood sugar levels. Resistance to insulin is bad news for your brain. However, regular exercise can reverse this condition, and increase your insulin sensitivity, thus stabilizing your blood sugar after you eat.
What do you think? Is it time to get out and exercise, and feel all those benefits to your brain?
Estanislao es Profesor Full Time, Director de la Licenciatura en Economía Empresarial y Director Académico del Programa de Educación Ejecutiva en Biotecnología, Innovación y Negocios de la Escuela de Negocios de la Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
Entre 2005 y 2008 fue Faculty de Harvard Medical School. Allí sus estudiantes le otorgaron el Certificate of Distinction in Teaching Biological Sciences 4 años consecutivos y además fue nominado al prestigioso Joseph R. Levenson Memorial Teaching Prize de Harvard.
Su experiencia en educación e investigación en ciencias abarca fundamentalmente la biología molecular, la neurociencia y la genética conjugado con el desarrollo de la innovación en biotecnología principalmente en el área de salud.
Es biólogo de la UBA y PhD de la Universidad de Montpellier, Francia. Tiene, además, un MBA de la Universidad Torcuato Di Tella y HEC Paris donde se especializó en Liderazgo, Innovación y Entrepreneurship.
Dirige el programa ECLA (Entrepreneurship & Competitiveness in Latin America) de la Columbia Business School en New York que reune 17 empresas innovadoras de América Latina.
Es consultor y capacitador de varias empresas privadas y organismos gubernamentales en temas de creatividad, innovación y tecnología.
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