Differential mortality in a long-living community in Sardinia (Italy): a cohort analysis

Redefining Age-Friendly Neighbourhoods: Translating the Promises of Blue Zones for Contemporary Urban Environments

The longevity and healthy ageing observed in Blue Zones offer valuable insights for contemporary urban neighbourhood planning and design. This paper reviews the age-friendly features of the built environment in Blue Zones, aiming to translate these insights into actionable strategies for urban neighbourhood development. Employing a systematic literature review and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) analysis of Google Street View imagery, this study assesses the built environments in Blue Zones, including housing, public spaces, and transportation systems. Key findings highlight the presence of adaptable housing, building designs that foster a connection with nature, and semi-public spaces that encourage social interaction and physical activity. A notable emphasis on walkability and limited public transport access was observed. The CNN analysis corroborated these findings, providing a quantitative view of age-friendly features. This research contributes to the academic discourse in urban planning and design by providing practical insights for developing age-friendly neighbourhoods, inspired by Blue Zones. It concludes by offering policy advice and future research directions for creating sustainable and inclusive urban environments conducive to ageing populations.

Loneliness in Later Life and Reaching Longevity: Findings From the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam

Objectives

There is an increasing research interest in factors that characterize those who reach exceptionally old ages. Although loneliness is often associated with an increased risk for premature mortality, its relationship with reaching longevity is still unclear. We aimed to quantify the association between (social/emotional) loneliness and the likelihood of reaching the age of 90 years in men and women separately.

Methods

For these analyses, data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) were used. Loneliness, social loneliness, and emotional loneliness were assessed at baseline using the 11-item De Jong-Gierveld scale in 1992–1993 (at age 64–85 years). Follow-up for vital status information until the age of 90 years was 99.5% completed. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression analyses with a fixed follow-up time were based on 1,032 men and 1,078 women to calculate risk ratios (RR) of reaching 90 years.

Results

No significant associations were observed between loneliness and reaching 90 years in both men (RR, 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70–1.14) and women (RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.83–1.14). Social loneliness was significantly associated with a reduced chance of reaching 90 years in women (RR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.67–0.99).

Discussion

The current analyses did not show support for the existence of a meaningful effect of loneliness on reaching longevity in both sexes. When investigating specific dimensions of loneliness, we observed that reporting social loneliness was associated with reaching 90 years in women. This indicates that, for women, a large and diverse personal network at an older age could increase the probability of reaching longevity. However, replication of our findings in other cohorts is needed.

Genomic Approach to Understand the Association of DNA Repair with Longevity and Healthy Aging Using Genomic Databases of Oldest-Old Population

Aged population is increasing worldwide due to the aging process that is inevitable. Accordingly, longevity and healthy aging have been spotlighted to promote social contribution of aged population. Many studies in the past few decades have reported the process of aging and longevity, emphasizing the importance of maintaining genomic stability in exceptionally long-lived population. Underlying reason of longevity remains unclear due to its complexity involving multiple factors. With advances in sequencing technology and human genome-associated approaches, studies based on population-based genomic studies are increasing. In this review, we summarize recent longevity and healthy aging studies of human population focusing on DNA repair as a major factor in maintaining genome integrity. To keep pace with recent growth in genomic research, aging- and longevity-associated genomic databases are also briefly introduced. To suggest novel approaches to investigate longevity-associated genetic variants related to DNA repair using genomic databases, gene set analysis was conducted, focusing on DNA repair- and longevity-associated genes. Their biological networks were additionally analyzed to grasp major factors containing genetic variants of human longevity and healthy aging in DNA repair mechanisms. In summary, this review emphasizes DNA repair activity in human longevity and suggests approach to conduct DNA repair-associated genomic study on human healthy aging.