Health
Longevity experts reveal ‘flicker method’ that could help you feel years younger
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The idea that aging is a steady, predictable process is being challenged by a new book, which describes a so-called “flicker stage” where some aspects of aging may briefly reverse.
Stuart Kaplan and Marcus Riley, authors of the book “Your Aging Advantage,” say aging may be more fluid than chronological age alone would suggest. They call this phenomenon the “flicker stage,” just one of seven stages of aging.
The “flicker stage” suggests functional age isn’t fixed, with people shifting between levels of youth and vitality based on lifestyle and mindset, the authors state.
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Periods of feeling significantly younger, followed by times of feeling one’s age, may reflect what the authors describe as the “flicker stage.”
Riley said healthier aging involves “flickering back” to a younger state, noting that while stress or setbacks can make people feel older, those shifts aren’t permanent.
The secret to aging healthier is learning how to “flicker back” to a younger state when life pushes you forward, the authors said. (Milan Markovic/iStock)
“Through positive interventions, we have the ability to flicker back to the stage of age we want to be in … these setbacks or unforeseen circumstances might propel us to a different stage of aging, but we have this ability to flip it back through positive intervention.”
“Aging or growing older is [not] a problem to fix… it’s an opportunity to be seized.”
Riley said this requires identifying personal “flicker triggers” — physical, psychological, social or environmental shifts that help reset one’s pace, such as exercise or renewed social connection.
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Most people already live with a “feels-like” age that doesn’t match their chronological age, said Kaplan, comparing it to a weather report.
“In the summertime, the weatherperson might say it’s 85 degrees outside, but with the humidity, it feels like 95… The feels-like age is the lived age, as compared to the chronological age or the age on your birth certificate.”
The authors suggest that engaging in your community is one way to activate the flicker stage. (iStock)
Focusing on the “lived age” may allow people to intentionally shift into a younger stage, according to the authors.
Instead of “aging in place,” which focuses on where one lives, they suggest focusing on “aging on pace.”
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“It’s more about what’s important to us on a personal level… do we want to stay in employment and work for as long as we can? Do we want to be shifting gears… and pursuing other interests and pastimes that are important to us?” Riley asked.
Kaplan said the common focus on age 65 as a point of decline reflects a socially imposed retirement benchmark, not a biological marker.
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“It comes from the Social Security Act that was created in 1935 in the United States. And here we are 90 years later, and we’re still thinking that 65 is an important age…. We didn’t use the word retirement back then. I mean, have you ever seen a farmer back in the 1800s… that says, ‘Oh, we’re going to retire because Grandpa is now going to be 62 or 65 years old?’”
The flicker effect works best when you stop viewing aging as a “downhill” perspective, the experts said. (iStock)
The flicker effect works best when you stop viewing aging as a “downhill” perspective, Riley and Kaplan said.
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Even after a health setback shifts someone into a later stage, maintaining a positive and active approach may help move them back toward an earlier stage of aging, according to the authors.
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Ultimately, the goal is to stop seeing the passage of time as a problem to be solved, Riley said.
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“Aging or growing older is [not] a problem to fix.… We want the mindset [that] it’s an opportunity to be seized.”
Health
Weekly weightlifting sweet spot may be linked to longer life, study finds
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Sticking to a resistance or strength training routine for a certain amount of time may extend your life, according to a new study.
Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed whether workouts involving weightlifting and weight machines are linked to a lower risk of death over time.
The study followed more than 147,000 U.S. adults who participated in three large health studies spanning up to 30 years. More than 35,000 died during the study period.
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Participants reported their exercise habits, including the number of minutes per week spent on resistance training and on aerobic activity, like walking, biking or swimming.
Resistance training levels were then compared with later death from any cause, as well as from cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and neurological disease, according to a press release.
Doing a moderate amount of resistance training was linked with a lower risk of death in a recent study. (iStock)
Doing a moderate amount of resistance training was linked with a lower risk of death, according to study results. This outcome persisted even after researchers adjusted for other factors like age, smoking, diet quality, alcohol intake, family history and aerobic activity.
The clearest benefit was seen at around 90 to 119 minutes per week of resistance training.
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People who stuck to this interval of training per week had a 13% lower risk of all-cause death, 19% lower risk of death from heart disease and 27% lower risk of death from neurological disease.
More than 120 minutes of resistance training per week did not appear to add extra benefit to the overall death risk, according to the findings.
The clearest benefit was seen at around 90 to 119 minutes per week of resistance training. (iStock)
A lower risk of cancer death was seen at even small amounts of resistance training — 30 to 59 minutes per week was associated with a 12% decreased risk.
The lowest overall death risk was found in people who did both higher aerobic activity and moderate to high resistance training.
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The study shows only an association between resistance training and lower death risk, not a direct cause, the researchers noted.
Other limitations were that participants reported their own exercise habits, which may not have been completely accurate, and the study did not measure how intensely they exercised.
30 to 59 minutes per week of strength training was associated with a 12% decreased risk of cancer death.
The authors reflected in the study that engaging in “sufficient aerobic or resistance training alone is linked to lower mortality, with a stronger effect from aerobic activity.”
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The lowest risk was seen among people who did high levels of both aerobic exercise and resistance training. However, for people already doing a very high amount of aerobic exercise (roughly five to six hours of jogging or 11 hours of brisk walking per week), adding resistance training did not appear to lower the risk any further, they noted.
The lowest overall death risk was found in people who did both higher aerobic activity and moderate to high resistance training. (iStock)
In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Kenny Santucci, fitness trainer, gym owner and host of the “Strong New York” podcast, shared the importance of pairing general movement with a focus on muscle building.
For a better fitness outcome, Santucci encourages gym-goers to add more strength training to their routines and to lift “a little bit heavier.”
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“Strength training should be the basis of what you do,” he said. “I don’t have anything against cycling … but if you’re telling me that’s the basis of your training, and your goal is aesthetics, then you are not really helping yourself get to that point any easier.”
“Hard doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better workout.”
Santucci recommends working at about 60% to 80% of capacity, pushing to a point of fatigue with moderate intensity.
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“There’s a science behind muscle growth, and if there’s no external force pushing against the muscle tissue, and you’re not fueling yourself with protein, then you’re probably not going to build muscle,” he said.
“Hard doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better workout … If you’re training at levels of intensity, then you’re reproducing good outcomes.”
Health
AI-designed ‘universal vaccine’ passes first human clinical trial, could prevent future pandemics
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A vaccine created using artificial intelligence that could potentially provide broader protection against multiple coronaviruses and help prepare for future outbreaks has passed its first human clinical trial.
Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Southampton developed a “universal vaccine” designed to protect against multiple Sarbeco coronaviruses, which the university explained in a news release is “the large group of viruses that occur in nature, including SARS-CoV-2, which caused the COVID pandemic.”
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Traditional vaccines must constantly be updated as viruses mutate, and the process is “like a dog chasing its tail,” said University of Southampton professor Saul Faust, the trial’s chief investigator.
“Viruses like Influenza, coronaviruses and the Ebola group are evolving continuously, and by the time vaccines are rolled out, they may be poorly matched — the current ‘reactive’ vaccine system struggles to keep pace,” Faust said.
Researchers have developed a vaccine using AI that has proven to be promising in “future-proofing” people against mutating infections. (iStock)
An antigen is the active ingredient in a vaccine meant to trigger an immune-system response and fight off infection. According to the release, the university scientists logged all the available genetic sequence data for Sarbeco coronaviruses and used AI used to design a “super-antigen” that contains the antigen features “common to this whole group of viruses – including ones that haven’t emerged yet.”
The trial of the vaccine proved safe and triggered an immune response in 39 healthy volunteers, marking “the first time that a vaccine whose active component was designed entirely by computer simulations has been tested in humans,” the release said.
The trial vaccine was administered through a micro-fluid jet that delivers the immunization through the skin using a tiny, high-pressure stream of liquid and does not require a needle. The researchers said this method could make it “faster and easier to carry out in large numbers of people.”
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“This new class of universal vaccines are future-proofed,” Faust said. “They not only protect against many variants simultaneously, but potentially against related viruses that haven’t yet emerged and spilt over to humans. If we can develop and clinically advance this new class of vaccines before a virus outbreak begins, millions of lives could be saved, lockdowns avoided and the economy preserved.”
A new vaccine has been proven safe and capable of triggering immune responses against coronavirus in a limited human trial. (iStock)
Some experts have raised broad concerns about using AI in medicine, primarily when it comes to making clinical decisions, not developing vaccines. Certain groups of people may be underrepresented in the data AI relies on, resulting in biased outcomes, some said.
AI also sometimes produces erroneous information, called “hallucinations,” and determining who is liable for medical failings in such situations is a complex matter.
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Others have expressed concern over patient privacy, as well as the need for human judgment that takes into account the scope of a patient’s health history, rather than a single dataset.
While traditional vaccines are reactive, a new AI-designed vaccine aims to protect against future coronavirus threats. (iStock)
The universal-vaccine researchers said that a larger trial involving “a wider and more diverse population” is needed. They published their findings in Journal of Infection.
Health
Former wrestler, actor reveals breast cancer diagnosis: ‘One in 750 men’
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Former professional wrestler and actor Tyler Mane announced he has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Known for his roles in “X-Men” and “Halloween,” Mane shared the news publicly to help raise awareness about a condition that is frequently overlooked in men.
“I have some bad news. I start chemo today,” Mane stated in a video posted to his social media channels. “One in 750 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and I’m one of them.”
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Because breast cancer is predominantly associated with women, many men are unaware that they are also at risk. However, according to Mayo Clinic, everyone is born with a small amount of breast tissue.
While women go on to develop more of this tissue during puberty, the biological foundation for the disease exists in everyone.
Known for his roles in X-Men and Halloween, Mane shared the news publicly to help raise awareness about a condition that is frequently overlooked in men. (Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
The most common symptom of male breast cancer is a hard, painless lump located directly behind or near the nipple, according to experts. Other signs can include skin dimpling, nipple retraction or discharge.
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Male breast cancer is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all cases globally. Because routine screenings like mammograms are not standard practice for men, the disease is often caught much later than it is in women.
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Mane highlighted this issue as a primary motivation for speaking out. “Because it’s rarely talked about, it’s usually found at later stages and has worse outcomes,” he said. “I want to change that.”
Experts say the most common symptom of male breast cancer is a hard, painless lump located directly behind or near the nipple. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Medical data supports Mane’s concerns regarding late-stage detection. While male breast cancer can occur at any age, it is most frequently diagnosed in older men, according to Mayo Clinic.
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Men’s treatment plans generally mirror those for women, typically involving surgery to remove the breast tissue, followed by chemotherapy, radiation or hormone therapy depending on how far the cancer has progressed.
Treatment plans generally mirror those for women, typically involving surgery to remove the breast tissue, followed by chemotherapy, radiation or hormone therapy depending on how far the cancer has progressed. (Rune Hellestad/Corbis via Getty Images)
Mane said he is utilizing his platform to normalize conversations about male health and encourage early detection. He concluded his video by asking his followers to spread the word and help educate others.
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“Follow, like and share, and come along for my journey to kick this thing in the ass,” Mane said. “Send this to 10 of your friends and have them follow me, because people need to hear this.”
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