Aging Clinical and Experimental Research最新文献

{"title":"Associations between frailty dimensions and quality of life in older adults with Type 2 diabetes Mellitus: A cross-sectional study","authors":"Dimitra Natsina,&nbsp;Fotini Malli,&nbsp;Maria Malliarou,&nbsp;Georgios Tsioumanis,&nbsp;Maria Saridi,&nbsp;Katerina Toska,&nbsp;Theodosios Paralikas","doi":"10.1007/s40520-026-03428-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40520-026-03428-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><p>Frailty is increasingly recognized as a clinically relevant condition in older adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), with important implications for functional outcomes and individualized care. This study examined the association between multidimensional frailty and quality of life in older adults with T2DM.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 112 older adults aged ≥ 65 years in the Trikala Regional Unit, Central Greece. Frailty was assessed using the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), and quality of life was measured using the Older People’s Quality of Life Questionnaire (OPQOL-35). Overall quality of life was operationalized as the OPQOL-35 mean score. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the association between quality of life and frailty components, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine independent associations with quality of life.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>The sample demonstrated a moderate level of frailty (<i>M</i> = 7.88, <i>SD</i> = 2.78), exceeding the established cut-off for frailty. Physical fatigue and upper limb weakness were the most frequently reported physical limitations. All frailty components (physical, psychological, and social) were significantly associated with poorer OPQOL-35 mean scores (<i>p</i> &lt; .01). The strongest correlation was observed for physical health-related problems (<i>r</i> = .690, <i>p</i> &lt; .001), followed by social (<i>r</i> = .582, <i>p</i> &lt; .001) and psychological components (<i>r</i> = .486, <i>p</i> &lt; .001). The regression model explained 77.2% of the variance in quality of life (<i>R</i>² = 0.772), with physical frailty emerging as the strongest associated factor (β = 0.459, <i>p</i> &lt; .001), followed by social (β = 0.303, <i>p</i> &lt; .001) and psychological components (β = 0.202, <i>p</i> = .005).</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Frailty shows a strong multidimensional association with quality of life in older adults with T2DM. These findings highlight the importance of early frailty screening and support the implementation of individualized, multidisciplinary management strategies in primary care to preserve functional ability and overall well-being in this vulnerable population.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7720,"journal":{"name":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40520-026-03428-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148155146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aging in Behçet’s syndrome: an overlooked risk for late-life cognitive impairment","authors":"Davide Spinetti,&nbsp;Matilde Massara,&nbsp;Camilla Marrone,&nbsp;Elia Salvador,&nbsp;Emma Pepe,&nbsp;Adele Ravelli,&nbsp;Roberto Padoan,&nbsp;Roberta Ramonda,&nbsp;Chiara Ceolin,&nbsp;Giuseppe Sergi,&nbsp;Daniela Mapelli,&nbsp;Marina De Rui,&nbsp;Maria Devita","doi":"10.1007/s40520-026-03427-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40520-026-03427-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Behçet’s syndrome (BS) is a chronic multisystemic inflammatory disorder with a heterogeneous clinical course. A severe subset with central nervous system involvement (neuro-Behçet’s syndrome, NBS) carries substantial morbidity. While disease activity often decreases with age, the long-term neurological and cognitive outcomes remain poorly defined. Emerging evidence indicates that vascular insufficiency, chronic inflammation, and central nervous system involvement may contribute to cognitive decline in BS, even in the absence of frank neurological symptoms, suggesting a broader and underrecognized impact on brain function. These processes overlap with mechanisms implicated in age-related cognitive decline and dementia, bringing up the hypothesis that BS may accelerate neurodegenerative trajectories in older adults. However, this population remains underrepresented in research. Clarifying whether BS constitutes an overlooked cause or modifier of late-life cognitive decline is clinically urgent. A coordinated agenda spanning neuropsychology, advanced imaging, and biomarkers can deliver diagnostic pathways and testable prevention/management strategies for aging BS populations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7720,"journal":{"name":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13442495/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148148065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasound-induced blood–brain barrier opening in Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review of clinical studies","authors":"Nafise Niknam,&nbsp;Neda Songhori,&nbsp;Negar Nekahi,&nbsp;Melika Kavian,&nbsp;Farbod Khosravi,&nbsp;Atousa Moghadam Fard,&nbsp;Yeganeh Moshiri,&nbsp;Nazanin Haghshenas,&nbsp;Mostafa Heidari Sadegh,&nbsp;Paria Torabi","doi":"10.1007/s40520-026-03408-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40520-026-03408-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Focused ultrasound (FUS) has emerged as a non-invasive approach to transiently open the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and facilitate therapeutic delivery in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This systematic review evaluates current clinical evidence regarding the feasibility, safety, and reported biological and clinical outcomes of FUS-mediated BBB opening.</p><h3>Method</h3><p>A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines and supplemented by Google Scholar. Human clinical studies employing FUS-induced BBB opening in AD were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool for non-randomized studies.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>From an initial screening of 587 records, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria. Across these studies, FUS-mediated BBB opening was generally feasible and well tolerated, with no reports of irreversible procedure-related adverse events. Reported adverse effects were typically mild and transient, including localized headache, fatigue, or imaging-detected edema. Exploratory findings included heterogeneous changes in cognitive measures and regional amyloid-β biomarkers assessed by neuroimaging or cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Substantial variability in study design, target regions, sonication parameters, and outcome measures limited quantitative synthesis and definitive interpretation.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Current clinical evidence supports the short-term feasibility and safety of FUS-mediated BBB opening in AD. However, the available data remain preliminary, and well-designed randomized controlled trials with larger cohorts, standardized imaging and cognitive endpoints, and longer follow-up are required to determine therapeutic efficacy and sustained clinical benefit.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7720,"journal":{"name":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13442609/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148142501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative effects of metformin and lifestyle therapy on bone metabolism markers: A 6-month pilot, open-label randomized-clinical trial","authors":"Mohammed Almosfer,&nbsp;Shaun Sabico,&nbsp;Kaiser Wani,&nbsp;Malak Nawaz K. Khattak,&nbsp;Ibrahim S. Almarashad,&nbsp;Nicola Veronese,&nbsp;Nasser M. Al-Daghri","doi":"10.1007/s40520-026-03423-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40520-026-03423-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The metabolic effects of Metformin (Met) and lifestyle modification in early type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) management are well established, but their influence on bone remodeling remains uncertain in under-investigated populations, particularly during early treatment when weight loss and metabolic shifts may transiently affect skeletal turnover. This study examined the short- and mid-term effects of metformin, lifestyle intervention, and their combination on bone turnover markers (BTMs) in treatment-naïve Saudi adults with T2DM.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>In this 6-month pilot, open-label multicenter randomized controlled trial, 114 treatment-naïve Saudi adults with newly diagnosed T2DM (90 males, 24 females; mean age ± SD 53.6 ± 8.4 years; mean BMI 30.3 ± 3.9 kg/m²; mean HbA1c 7.0 ± 0.6) were assigned to Met (1000 mg/day), lifestyle modification, or combined therapy (<i>n</i> = 38/group). Serum markers of bone resorption (C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen [CTX], primary outcome) and bone formation (procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide [P1NP], osteocalcin), along with sclerostin (SOST), were measured at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Anthropometric, glycemic, lipid, renal, and hepatic parameters were assessed as secondary outcomes.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>After adjustment for baseline P1NP levels, only the lifestyle group demonstrated a significant reduction in CTX after 6 months (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), while osteocalcin, SOST and P1NP showed no significant changes across all interventions. All interventions were associated with improvements in anthropometric and glycemic measures; most pronounced in the combined intervention group.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>In treatment-naïve adults with T2DM, lifestyle intervention alone was associated with a significant reduction in CTX after 6 months, while metformin-based interventions showed no significant effects on bone turnover markers. These exploratory findings may suggest short-term modulation of bone turnover but should be interpreted cautiously given the pilot design.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7720,"journal":{"name":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13437765/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148136504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Methodological concerns in the association between gut microbiota and sarcopenia: from cross‑sectional associations to statistical fragility","authors":"Sharipova Gulnihol,&nbsp;Nurullaev Abdukhamid,&nbsp;Turakulov Rustam,&nbsp;Ulmasov Firdavs,&nbsp;Arman Abroumand Gholami","doi":"10.1007/s40520-026-03415-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40520-026-03415-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This commentary critically appraises the cross‑sectional study by Nasrollahizadeh et al. on gut microbiota and sarcopenia in Iranian older adults. Key limitations include; after FDR correction for twelve bacterial genera, no significant differences remained between groups; Akkermansia lost significance in sensitivity analyses; Lactobacillus showed a confidence interval including 1.00; four primer pairs lacked validation with no MIQE‑compliant efficiency data; the cross‑sectional design precludes causal inference; and no sample size justification was reported. The study offers valuable hypothesis‑generating data, but evidence remains preliminary. Future longitudinal studies with metagenomic approaches are essential.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7720,"journal":{"name":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13221414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148052018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associations between pain and cognitive impairment in older adults: findings from the birjand longitudinal aging study","authors":"Akam Ramezani,&nbsp;Shakiba Rahimi,&nbsp;Azin Soltani,&nbsp;Hossein Fakhrzadeh,&nbsp;Mitra Moodi,&nbsp;Hanieh-Sadat Ejtahed,&nbsp;Farshad Sharifi","doi":"10.1007/s40520-026-03419-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40520-026-03419-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Chronic pain is highly prevalent among older adults and has been shown to be associated with differences in cognitive function. While pain intensity reflects the severity of pain, pain interference assesses the extent to which pain disrupts daily activities. Distinguishing between these dimensions of pain and their associations with cognitive function may improve understanding of how pain relates to cognitive health in older populations.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>This cross-sectional study was conducted using baseline data from the Birjand Longitudinal Aging Study (BLAS). Pain was assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), with pain severity defined as the mean of items 3–6 and pain interference assessed using item 9. Cognitive impairment was determined based on the combination results of the Six Item Cognitive Impairment Test (6-CIT), the Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS), and the Category Fluency Test (CFT). Multiple logistic regression models were employed to examine associations between pain measures and cognitive impairment, adjusting for potential confounders.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Among 1,343 participants (mean age: 69.73 ± 7.53 years; 51.82% female), 59.64% were classified as cognitively impaired. In analyses adjusted for covariates selected based on the DAG-informed model, both pain severity and pain interference were significantly associated with cognitive impairment (pain severity: OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02–1.15, <i>p</i> = 0.005; pain interference: OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04–1.22, <i>p</i> = 0.003). Sensitivity analyses showed consistent findings, with significant associations observed for both pain severity (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03–1.21, <i>p</i> = 0.004) and pain interference (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.05–1.28, <i>p</i> = 0.002).</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Both pain severity and pain interference were significantly associated with cognitive impairment after adjustment for key confounders. These findings highlight the importance of addressing pain’s impact on daily functioning to mitigate cognitive decline in this population.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7720,"journal":{"name":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13391442/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148025769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of the “world guidelines for falls prevention and management” algorithm in older volunteers","authors":"Hubert Blain,&nbsp;Pierre Louis Bernard,&nbsp;Gilles Berrut,&nbsp;Olivier Coste,&nbsp;Maxence Josset,&nbsp;Marie Christine Picot,&nbsp;Jean Bousquet","doi":"10.1007/s40520-026-03405-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40520-026-03405-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and aims</h3><p>30% of people aged 65 + fall at least once a year. The “world guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: a global initiative” (WGFs) have published an algorithm for fall risk prediction (low, intermediate or high risk) and proposed measures requiring health resources adapted to the risk level. We performed a real-life study to estimate the distribution of fall risk categories according to the WGFs algorithm in a population of old volunteers.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>We performed a cross-sectional study in unselected 65-85-year-old participants attending an information meeting on WGFs falls and wishing a personalized assessment of their falls-risk.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Among the 165 participants tested (mean age: 78.3 ± 6.1, 82% females), the number of fallers was significantly higher (51.2% 95% CL: 43.6–58.8%). than in previous published studies testing the WFGs. The intermediate risk concerned 15.1% and the high risk 47.3% of participants. In fallers, 90.1% were at high risk.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Information meetings about the WGFs could raise awareness among older people and help identify people at high risk of falling. In accordance with previous studies, most fallers would be classified at high risk of falling by using the WGFs, which makes it difficult to propose the multifactorial assessments and tailored interventions recommended by the WGFs in around 25% of all 65+.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7720,"journal":{"name":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216084/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148025758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food insecurity as a predictor of all-cause mortality and premature mortality among older adults: a longitudinal cohort analysis of ELSA study","authors":"Vincenza Gianfredi,&nbsp;Daniele Nucci,&nbsp;Pinar Soysal,&nbsp;Stefania Maggi,&nbsp;Alberto Castagna,&nbsp;Andrea Cozza,&nbsp;Vincenzo Baldo,&nbsp;Nicola Veronese","doi":"10.1007/s40520-026-03422-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40520-026-03422-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Food insecurity is a growing public health concern, particularly among older adults, as it has been linked to adverse health outcomes, including chronic diseases, sarcopenia and functional decline. However, its direct association with all-cause and premature mortality remains underexplored.</p><h3>Aims</h3><p>This study aims to evaluate the relationship between food insecurity and mortality among individuals aged 50 years and older using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>A longitudinal analysis was conducted using data from ELSA wave 2 (2004–2005), including 8,686 participants aged ≥ 50 years with available information on food insecurity. Food insecurity was assessed through a single-item self-reported measure. All-cause and early mortality were determined using linked mortality records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for key sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-related confounders.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>During the follow-up period, food insecurity was significantly associated with a 41% higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.04–2.82, <i>p</i> = 0.035) after full adjustment for confounders. Additionally, food insecurity was linked to a 126% increased risk of premature mortality (HR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.26–4.02, <i>p</i> = 0.006).</p><h3>Discussion</h3><p>Findings suggest that addressing food insecurity could represent a novel strategy to prevent sarcopenia and related mortality in older adults.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Given its significant public health implications, targeted interventions are essential to reduce food insecurity and its associated health burden, ultimately improving longevity and quality of life among aging populations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7720,"journal":{"name":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40520-026-03422-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148025732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Angiogenic T cells and cognitive function in older adults with type 2 diabetes treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists","authors":"Miriam Longo,&nbsp;Paola Caruso,&nbsp;Maria Chiara Auriemma,&nbsp;Antonietta Maio,&nbsp;Irene Di Meo,&nbsp;Lorenzo Scappaticcio,&nbsp;Maria Ida Maiorino,&nbsp;Giuseppe Bellastella,&nbsp;Maria Rosaria Rizzo,&nbsp;Giuseppe Paolisso,&nbsp;Katherine Esposito","doi":"10.1007/s40520-026-03417-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40520-026-03417-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at high risk of both cardiovascular complications and cognitive decline, with major implications for independence and self-management. Endothelial dysfunction and impaired angiogenic capacity may play a key role. This study investigated the association between circulating angiogenic T cells (Tang cells) and cognitive function in older adults with T2DM and explored the potential impact of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) therapy.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>A cross-sectional study was conducted on 154 T2DM patients aged 60–80 years, treated either with GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) plus metformin or metformin alone. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Circulating CD3+CD31+CXCR4+ Tang cells were quantified by flow cytometry. Propensity score matching was applied to control for age, body weight and HbA1c.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>In the overall cohort, higher Tang cell levels were significantly associated with better cognitive performance (MoCA, r = 0.423; MMSE, r = 0.428; both P &lt; 0.001). After matching, 35 patients in each treatment group were included in the comparative analysis. The GLP-1RA + MET group showed significantly higher circulating Tang cell levels than the MET group, both in absolute counts and as percentage of CD3+ T cells (P &lt; 0.001).</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Circulating Tang cell levels are positively associated with cognitive function in older adults with T2DM. GLP-1RA therapy is associated with higher Tang cell levels compared with metformin alone, suggesting a potential association with mechanisms related to endothelial repair in diabetes-related cognitive impairment in older age.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7720,"journal":{"name":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40520-026-03417-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148004464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Addressing the silent epidemic: a narrative review and evidence synthesis of digital health and telehealth interventions for loneliness in older adults","authors":"Motti Haimi","doi":"10.1007/s40520-026-03411-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40520-026-03411-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Loneliness and social isolation represent major threats to the health and well-being of older adults, conferring elevated risks for depression, cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. The rapid proliferation of digital health technologies and telehealth services—accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic—has opened new pathways for addressing these challenges at scale.</p><h3>Objective</h3><p>This narrative review synthesizes the current evidence on the effectiveness of digital health and telehealth interventions in reducing loneliness and social isolation among older adults, examines the diverse modalities employed, identifies barriers to equitable adoption, and proposes directions for future research.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>A narrative synthesis was conducted drawing on systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and observational studies identified through PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, primarily spanning 2020–2025. Interventions examined include telehealth video visits, empathy-focused telephone programs, group videoconferencing, digital mental health platforms, mobile health applications, social robots, and AI-enabled companions.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>Telehealth video visits, empathy-focused telephone programs, and group-based videoconferencing demonstrate meaningful reductions in loneliness, depression, and anxiety in several RCTs and pilot studies. Digital mental health platforms incorporating cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness show promise, as do AI-enabled social robots in institutional and community settings. However, meta-analytic evidence reveals considerable heterogeneity: some pooled analyses report modest to null overall effects, while others find medium effect sizes (d = − 0.47). Intervention effectiveness appears contingent on design features, population characteristics, training support, and integration with existing social networks. The digital divide—limited digital literacy, technology access, usability challenges, and preference for in-person care—remains a challenging barrier to equitable implementation.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Digital health and telehealth interventions hold considerable promise for mitigating loneliness among older adults. However, their benefits cannot be realized without systematically addressing the digital divide. Large-scale, well-powered RCTs with standardized outcome measures and longer follow-up periods are urgently needed, alongside implementation science research to translate evidence into scalable practice.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7720,"journal":{"name":"Aging Clinical and Experimental Research","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40520-026-03411-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147980165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}