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Aging can't be stopped, but a daily pill could slow it down, according to new research led by Mass General Brigham in Boston.Among people who took a multivitamin every day for two years, biological aging slowed down by about four months, found the study, which was published in Nature Medicine.Biological aging refers to the pace of aging on a cellular level, which is often different from chronological age.BRAIN TRAINING SESSIONS FOUND TO REDUCE DEMENTIA RISK IN DECADES-LONG STUDYThe findings came from a large randomized clinical trial of nearly 1,000 healthy older adults averaging 70 years of age. The participants were divided into four groups — one took a daily  multivitamin-multimineral supplement along with a cocoa extract, one took a daily cocoa extract and placebo, one took a placebo and multivitamin, and one took just a placebo, according to the study press release.The researchers analyzed blood samples taken from the participants at three points during the study, looking at five biomarkers known as "epigenetic clocks" that measure age-related changes to DNA."Aging at the cellular level can be marked by DNA methylation, where in some cells it decreases and in some it increases," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital. "This is also described as epigenetic changes – or DNA expression."MISSING SLEEP MAY TAKE A HIDDEN TOLL ON YOUR BRAIN AND LONGEVITY, RESEARCH REVEALSThose who took multivitamins showed a biological aging slowdown across all biomarkers, including the two that are linked to longevity.The biggest benefit was seen in those who already had a biological age that was older than their chronological age, the researchers found."There is a lot of interest today in identifying ways to not just live longer, but to live better," said senior author Howard Sesso, associate director of the Division of Preventive Medicine in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine, in the press release. "It was exciting to see the benefits of a multivitamin linked with markers of biological aging. This study opens the door to learning more about accessible, safe interventions that contribute to healthier, higher-quality aging."CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIESSiegel, who was not involved in the study, described the results as "scientific and significant," agreeing that they should be studied further.It’s not clear which part of the multivitamin might be responsible for the aging slowdown, the doctor noted."There are so many possibilities, from biotin to calcium to zinc to vitamin B,… [TheTopNews] Read More.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50 and the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., highlighting the importance of routine screenings.Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, according to a report from the American Cancer Society."Once considered a disease that primarily affected people over 50, we are now seeing increasing diagnoses in patients in their 20s, 30s and 40s — making it even more important not to dismiss symptoms based on age alone," Dr. Timothy Cannon, director of the Molecular Tumor Board and co-director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Program at Inova in Virginia, told Fox News Digital.SPIKE IN DEADLY CANCER BEFORE 50 LINKED TO COMMON CONVENIENCE FOODSOfficial health agencies recommend that CRC screenings start at age 45 and continue through age 75 for adults at "average risk."Stool-based tests can be used to detect blood or DNA changes, potential indicators of cancer. Depending on the type of stool test, it can be performed every one to three years.A colonoscopy is a medical procedure that allows a doctor to examine the inside of the patient’s colon and rectum using a thin, flexible tube with a camera on the end. For average-risk adults, a colonoscopy is typically done every 10 years."Colonoscopy remains the gold standard because it not only detects cancer early, but can also prevent it by identifying and removing precancerous polyps," Cannon said.JAMES VAN DER BEEK’S DEATH HIGHLIGHTS ALARMING COLON CANCER RISE IN YOUNGER ADULTSDr. Michael Martin, a California physician, emphasized that colonoscopy is generally preferred for younger patients who are clearly at higher risk. "Stool-based tests are appropriate screening options for average-risk adults, but they are not the best choice for people with significant family history, inflammatory bowel disease, hereditary syndromes or alarm symptoms," he told Fox News Digital. "If symptoms are present, the goal is not screening but diagnosis, and colonoscopy is usually the more appropriate test."Doctors may suggest earlier screenings for people who fall into the following higher-risk groups."A family history can make screening earlier and more frequent," Martin told Fox News Digital.The American College of Gastroenterology recommends early screening if one first-degree relative is diagnosed with colorectal cancer or an advanced polyp before age 60, or if two first-degree relatives are diagnosed at any age."They should generally start colonoscopy at age 40 or 10… [TheTopNews] Read More.

Aging is often depicted as a steady decline, but new research suggests that many older adults actually improve over time.Using more than a decade of data from a large, representative study of older Americans, Yale University researchers found that nearly half of adults 65 and older showed improvement in cognitive function, physical function or both.The improvements were consistent across the study population, and were linked to the participants' mindset about aging, according to a press release.SOME 80-YEAR-OLDS STILL HAVE RAZOR-SHARP BRAINS — AND NOW SCIENTISTS KNOW WHY"In contrast to a predominant belief or stereotype that age is a time of continuous and inevitable decline, we found evidence that a meaningful number of older persons actually show improvement over 12 years in cognitive and/or physical health," lead author Becca Levy, a professor of social and behavioral sciences at Yale, told Fox News Digital.The research, which was published in the journal Geriatrics, relied on data from the Health and Retirement Study, a federally supported, long-running survey of older Americans.Researchers tracked changes in cognition using global performance tests and measured physical function based on walking speed, which was seen as a "vital sign" because of its strong links to disability, hospitalization and mortality.Over a 12-year period, 45% of participants improved either mentally or physically. About 32% showed cognitive gains, while 28% improved physically, according to the study.DOCTOR SHARES 3 SIMPLE CHANGES TO STAY HEALTHY AND INDEPENDENT AS YOU AGE"If you average everyone together, you see decline," Levy said. "But when you look at individual trajectories, you uncover a very different story. A meaningful percentage of the older participants … got better."TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZA participant’s beliefs about aging appeared to influence the results, as those with more positive age beliefs were significantly more likely to show improvements in both cognition and walking speed.This remained true even after accounting for factors such as age, sex, education, chronic disease, depression and the length of follow-up. Improvements were seen even among participants who started with "normal" levels of function, not just those recovering from injuries or illness. "Individuals who have taken in more positive age beliefs ... tend to have a lower stress response and lower stress biomarkers," Levy said. Because age beliefs are modifiable, she noted, there could be a capacity for improvements later in life.The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged. It didn’t look at how muscles or brain cells… [TheTopNews] Read More.

Scientists and physicians agree that there’s been a general decline in male fertility — but they aren’t sure why.Social media buzz has pointed to a few environmental exposures as potential factors, including cellphones and electric vehicles.But the reality is "more complicated" than that, according to experts who recently spoke to National Geographic.ORIGIN OF DEADLY CANCER AFFECTING YOUNG ADULTS REVEALED IN ALARMING REPORTAlthough it’s not clear whether the decline is at a stage where it should be considered a crisis, numbers show that overall fertility — demographically measured by the number of babies born compared to women of child-bearing age — has decreased.Dr. Alex Robles of the Columbia University Fertility Center in New York confirmed that clinical practitioners are "certainly seeing more couples where the male factor contributes to infertility."CELLPHONE HEALTH RISKS IN FOCUS OF NEW GOVERNMENT STUDY: 'VERY CONCERNED'"At least one-third of couples we evaluate have some male component," he told Fox News Digital.A 2017 meta-analysis published in Oxford Journals: Human Reproduction Update found that sperm counts in Western countries have declined by almost 60% globally since 1973. The 2023 update confirmed these same results.Lead study author and epidemiologist Hagai Levine warned that this trend could lead to human extinction if it isn’t addressed."This is the canary in the coal mine," Levine, public health physician at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health, told National Geographic. "It signifies that something is very wrong with our current environment, as lower sperm counts predict morbidity and mortality."   DOCTORS WARN SOME POPULAR FOODS AND DRINKS COULD BE SECRETLY SABOTAGING MEN'S TESTOSTERONE LEVELSThese findings have been contradicted by other studies, however. A 2025 Cleveland Clinic analysis of studies from the last 53 years found sperm counts to be steady."There is no evidence to suggest that this decline is the cause of a precipitous decline in the ability to cause pregnancies," primary study author Scott Lundy, a reproductive urologist at Cleveland Clinic, told National Geographic. "Most men, even with a modest decline in sperm counts, will still have no issues conceiving."Multiple lifestyle factors can lead to a decline in male fertility, Robles noted, including obesity, smoking and diet, as well as environmental exposures and delayed parenthood.National Geographic also reported that heavy drinking and marijuana use directly contribute to declining fertility and that quitting these habits, while also exercising and losing weight, can help.Systemic inflammation, infection and disease can also have a "big, profound effect on the current… [TheTopNews] Read More.

A new blood test could determine a woman’s dementia risk as early as 25 years before symptoms emerge.That’s according to new research from the University of California San Diego, which found that a specific biomarker protein associated with early pathological processes of Alzheimer’s disease was "strongly linked" to future dementia risk.The researchers analyzed blood samples from 2,766 participants in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study in the late 1990s, according to the study’s press release. KEY FITNESS MEASURE IS STRONG PREDICTOR OF LONGEVITY AFTER CERTAIN AGE, STUDY FINDSThe women ranged from 65 to 79 years of age and showed no signs of cognitive decline at the start of the study.After tracking the participants for up to 25 years, the researchers concluded that the biomarker phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) was "strongly associated" with future mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Women who had higher levels of p-tau217 at the beginning of the study were "much more likely" to develop the disease. The findings were published today in JAMA Network Open."The key takeaway is that our study suggests it may be possible to detect risk of dementia two decades in advance using a simple blood test in older women," first author Aladdin H. Shadyab, a UC San Diego associate professor of public health and medicine, told Fox News Digital. "Our findings show that the blood biomarker p-tau217 could help identify individuals at higher risk for dementia long before symptoms begin," he added.This long lead time could open the door to earlier prevention strategies and more targeted monitoring, rather than waiting until memory problems are already affecting daily life, according to Shadyab."As the research advances, these biomarkers may help us identify who is at greatest risk and develop strategies to delay or prevent dementia," he said.This risk relationship wasn’t the same across the board, however. Women over 70 with higher p-tau217 levels had "poorer cognitive outcomes" compared to those under 70, as did those with the APOE ε4 gene, which is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.The study also found that p-tau217 was a stronger predictor of dementia in women who were randomly assigned to receive estrogen and progestin hormone therapy compared to those who received a placebo.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER"Blood-based biomarkers like p-tau217 are especially promising because they are far less invasive and potentially more accessible than brain imaging or spinal fluid tests," said senior author Linda K. McEvoy, senior… [TheTopNews] Read More.