Twenty junior and postdoctoral researchers from five Dutch universities with academic networks for long-term care met in Leiden to learn about the research we are all doing on care for persons in a late stage of dementia. This first meeting, an initiative of Dr Jenny van der Steen (LUMC and Radboudumc) and Dr Judith Meijers (Maastricht University) showed the wonderful work done in our country and an eagerness to connect, collaborate and enhance our work. A network to be continued…
[...]Successful participation of UNC-ZH at Nacht van Ontdekkingen 2024
On September 14, UNC-ZH, in collaboration with the Master Health Aging and Society and LCO participated in Nacht van Ontdekkingen, a festival celebrating art and science in Leiden.
Interactive activities focused on research
Melanie van der Velde – van Buuringen delivered an inspiring presentation about the Vital Garden, sharing beautiful memories of outdoor activities and highlighting the importance of spending time outside.
Charlotte Poot, Tosca van Hoorde, and Reon Smits from Mentech organized an engaging activity centered around the MASQUE [...]
PhD defense Lisa van Tol – The COVID-19 pandemic and vulnerable older persons
LUMC PhD candidate Lisa van Tol will defend her PhD thesis “The COVID-19 pandemic and vulnerable older persons – Impact of a public health emergency on nursing homes and geriatric rehabilitation” on the 11th of December at 13.00 o’clock. You can join in person at the Academiegebouw in Leiden, or via the livestream! .
First patient enrolled in TOPFORM study
Patients are getting older while at the same time undergoing increasingly intensive treatments. This brings up the concept of physical resilience – the ability to recover and adapt after health-related stressors such as surgery or chemotherapy. Identifying physical resilience in older patients may enable more personalized treatment plans, ultimately allowing for better recovery and improved functional outcomes. The first step, however, is being able to measure physical resilience, which is the goal of the TOPFORM study.
Today, the first patient [...]
Physical activity and fiber intake beneficial for muscle mass and strength preservation during aging
A recently published study by LEGend researchers investigated factors associated with muscle mass in the UK Biobank (Morwani-Mangnani J et al., 2024).
As we age, muscle mass and strength naturally decline, affecting our health and independence. This study explored how diet, exercise, and sleep influence muscle health in middle-aged men and women. It [...]
LEGend researcher answers reader questions from EenVandaag about increased life expectancy
LUMC researcher Niels van den Berg gave an interview together with Henne Holstege from Amsterdam UMC to answer reader’s questions about the predicted further increase in life expectancy.
During the interview with EenVandaag, the researchers address factors influencing life expectancy, including the role of genetics and social contacts, and how extra life years are linked to retirement age.
Read the whole interview in Dutch here.
Growing Old TOgether study published in Nature Communications
A Paper on the effects of the Growing Old TOgether study on the transcriptomes of blood, subcutaneous adipose tissue and muscle tissue was published by Fatih Bogaards and collaborating researchers from Wageningen and Belgium.
The researchers investigated the effects of a 13-week combined Growing Old TOgether (GOTO) lifestyle intervention on the transcriptomes of blood, subcutaneous adipose tissue and muscle tissue. The transcriptomic effects were related to the metabolic health changes of the intervention and the shared variation between the three [...]
Irregular brain white matter lesion shape increases risk of cerebrovascular disease in aging
Jasmin Keller and other researchers from the LUMC and Iceland found that the shape of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), white matter brain lesions visible on MRI scans, is linked to the risk of dementia and the progression of cerebrovascular disease in older adults. In a study of 2,297 participants, those with irregularly shaped WMHs were more likely to experience an increase in these lesions and develop new brain issues, such as small strokes and microbleeds, over 5.2 years. These findings [...]
Dutch Society on Ageing Research (DUSRA) Annual Meeting 2024
PhD defense Daniele Bizzarri– Metabolomics- and methylomics-based predictors for estimating health and biological aging
LUMC PhD candidate Daniele Bizzarri will defend his PhD thesis “Metabolomics- and methylomics-based predictors for estimating health and biological aging” on the 11th of September at 14.30 o’clock. You can join in person at the Academiegebouw in Leiden, or via the livestream.