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Photograph of two elderly men sitting outdoors. They are enjoying a good joke or tale. The man on the left has his arms around the shoulders of his friend. He ls laughing. The man on the right has his arms out in front, slightly raised, as if he is relating a story. He is grinning.

Emotions get better with age

As people grow older, they gain greater control of their feelings. How do they do that — and can they teach young whippersnappers a thing or two?

A photo illustration showing a younger woman assisting a senior in a wheelchair with colored lines to signify emotional stress.

Health & Disease

Caring for the carers

More than 17 million Americans are looking after disabled elders they love, and many of them pay a steep price in stress, frustration and depression. What can be done to improve their lives?

An illustration conveys the idea that with age, immune cells may fade in power.

Health & Disease

An old problem: How immune responses weaken with age

The body’s defenses lose flexibility and diversity over time, and protective responses to vaccines weaken as well. Scientists are working on ways to boost seniors’ protections against influenza, the novel coronavirus and other pathogens.

Conceptual illustration shows lab-coated scientists attempting to kick a field goal but missing by many yards.

Health & Disease

Why a diabetes drug fell short of anticancer hopes

Population and animal studies suggested it could treat cancer, but the clinical trials were a bust. Here’s what happened and what potential may remain.

Photo of an old rhesus macaque putting something on her mouth. She sits on what looks like a beach or bare ground. Vegetation is behind her.

The Mind

It’s not just us: Other animals change their social habits in old age

In patterns that may sound familiar, long-term studies reveal what elderly deer, sheep and macaques are up to in their twilight years

Collage showing a close-up of an eye, a farmworker in the sun, rising heat waves, cataracts, and a pair of sunglasses

Health & Disease

How climate change threatens eye health

Cataracts, pink eye and other ocular disorders are linked to heat, air pollution and higher UV exposure

A painting shows youthful figures wading in large fountain. Elderly and infirm people are brought in carts to the edge of the pool. Those emerging from the waters enjoy dancing and feasting.

Living World

Out for blood in the search to stall aging

A gaggle of biotech start-ups are trying vastly different approaches to spin animal studies into the next big anti-aging therapy. It’s too early to know which, if any, will succeed.

Society

Covid stole my Dad’s final months

OPINION: Because of the pandemic, I couldn’t visit him in his nursing home, and because of his dementia he couldn’t understand why. Mismanagement of this crisis has failed the elderly and caused incalculable hurt.

Street art by Banksy shows an old woman sneezing violently. Artwork was photographed in Totterdown, Bristol in the UK.

Health & Disease

How zinc helps you fight off infections

Our bodies require the vital mineral for the healthy functioning of the immune system

Collage depicts microbes, the brain, the human body and nerve cells.

Health & Disease

How gut bacteria connect to Parkinson’s disease

Growing evidence suggests a link between the debilitating neurological illness and the microbes that live in our intestines. The vagus nerve may be a pathway.

Illustration of a flower on a teal background

Health & Disease

Keys to successful aging

VIDEO: Watch a scientific exploration of why old age is often associated with high levels of emotional well-being, even as physiological and cognitive capacity declines

A dark-haired dog with white around its muzzle is standing with its mouth open. A small treat is in the air; the dog is preparing to catch it in its mouth.

Health & Disease

Inside the brains of aging dogs

In a citizen science project, thousands of pet dogs are helping scientists to understand what happens to memory and cognition in old age

Scientists in lab coats with oxygen tanks are floating in an enlarged blood vessel, where they point at and take notes about large spherical particles around them.

Health & Disease

All about cholesterol

The latest science on how blood levels of HDL, LDL and more relate to cardiovascular health

Conceptual illustration shows a woman lying half-submerged in water. Above the water are flowering plants. There are water lilies floating on the water next to her.

The Mind

When depression sneaks up on menopause

Fluctuating levels of estrogen during a period known as perimenopause can wreak havoc on the mental health of women in midlife. Diagnosis and treatment have been elusive despite symptoms as serious as suicidal thoughts.

Collage showing a variety of exceptionally long-lived animals.

Health & Disease

Genetic tricks of the longest-lived animals

Some species live unexpectedly long lives. By studying how they do it, researchers hope to pinpoint factors affecting human longevity.

Conceptual collage shows HIV virus, infected person, images of pills and microscope.

Health & Disease

HIV medications: Did fears about side effects come to pass?

The emergence of antiretroviral drugs saved millions of lives — but some worried about long-term health problems. Here’s how that turned out.

Health & Disease

Can marriage make you sick?

In general, it promotes health. But it might not if your relationship is troubled or your partner is ill. Here's why, and what can be done.

Colorful illustration shows RNA molecules of various shapes.

Living World

The silent majority: RNAs that don’t make proteins

Once considered cellular junk, non-coding RNAs are emerging as key players in everything from brain development to cancer — with much still to be discovered

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