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Social Isolation Hurts in Multiple Ways

Socially isolated people die sooner Social isolation can be defined as the objective state of having few social connections or infrequent contact with other people. Scientists widely believe that social isolation is undesirable for most people. But is social isolation associated with a shorter life? A recent study used data from the English Longitudinal Study…
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Prolonged Caloric Restriction May Slow Aging

Japanese-Americans with long-term, moderate caloric restriction live longer Experimental studies of different animal species, including rhesus monkeys, show that moderate caloric restriction leads to greater life span. Human studies are another matter. The long life span of humans limits long-term experiments of caloric restriction for practical reasons. Long-term epidemiological studies provide an alternative way to…
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Caloric Restriction Improves Cardiometabolic Health

Unintended caloric restriction in Biosphere 2 Caloric restriction reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in several animal species. But what about humans? Data from the eight inhabitants of Biosphere 2 showed that people eating a low-calorie diet improved cardiovascular risk factors. In 1991, eight people (four men, four women) were sealed in Biosphere 2 near…
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Climb Stairs for Better Health

Can climbing stairs really improve your health? Over the past decade, researchers have discovered that short-duration, high-intensity physical activity can produce outsized positive effects on cardiorespiratory fitness. Some people refer to this general approach as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or sprint interval training (SIT) or vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). One practical approach for…
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