The arts cover a wide range of activities with different “active ingredients,” such as aesthetics, sensory or physical stimulation, and social interaction.

A recent medical paper investigated the genome of Maria Branyas Morera, a U.S.-born Spanish woman who died in August 2024 at age 117 years and 168 days, shortly after becoming the world’s oldest living person.

Compared with eligible people who were not participating in the U.S. Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, SNAP participants showed a slower decline in cognitive function during a 10-year period, essentially maintaining up to three additional years of cognitive health, according to a new study.

ER boarding is a symptom of the U.S. health care system’s struggles, including shrinking points of entry for patients seeking care outside of ERs and hospitals prioritizing beds for procedures insurance companies often pay more for.

A new study found shingles vaccination cut older adults’ risk of developing dementia over the next seven years by 20%. The research is part of growing understanding about how many factors influence brain health as we age – and what we can do about it.

“We have to recognize there’s a limit” and perhaps reassess assumptions about when people should retire and how much money they’ll need to live out their lives, said S. Jay Olshansky, a University of Illinois-Chicago researcher.

“Aging is not a uniform phenomenon that happens equally,” said Jay Olshansky, professor of public health at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Can old dogs teach us new tricks? Scientists are looking for 10,000 pets for the largest-ever study of aging in canines. They hope to shed light on human longevity too.

A new study links higher levels of key nutrients associated with the Mediterranean diet to more efficient brain connectivity and performance on cognitive tests in older adults. 

In a new study, older adults share insights about why they refuse help and offer strategies to overcome their concerns.

In the last two decades, only four drugs have been approved to treat Alzheimer’s symptoms, according to a new report. “I’m very optimistic that within 10 years we’ll have a breakthrough,” said Dr. Doug Williamson of biopharmaceutical company Lundebeck.

Despite the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers, caregivers and advocates are optimistic about the future. “I see a treatment, it’s going to happen,” said William Klein, a professor at Northwestern University.  

Last month, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel penned an op-ed detailing why he hopes to die at the age of 75. Chicago Tonight discusses the controversial article.

Is there a secret to living longer and healthier? We talk with The Buck Institute for Research on Aging's CEO.

Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and author Anna Quindlen shares her thoughts about aging in her memoir, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake.

We go inside the brains of bees. Our science guy, Neil Shubin, joins us to talk about bee personalities, the impact of music training on aging, and more news in Scientific Chicago.