Among several DNA-based aging measures, only GrimAge consistently tracked a higher risk of dementia. Overall, the links were mixed, so these clocks aren’t reliable enough to use as disease tests yet.
People with frontotemporal dementia had higher scores on a DNA-based aging measure, alongside signs linked to smoking, inflammation, and blood sugar. The study can’t tell whether these patterns contribute to the disease or result from it.
Across a small set of studies, more severe gum disease was associated with poorer thinking and memory, and the overall link was about twofold. The evidence is limited, so it’s not yet clear whether treating gum disease prevents cognitive decline.
A new score based on heart disease risk in 11.7 million people predicted death more accurately than the comparison age scores in this study. It still needs independent testing before it can be considered useful for personal health decisions.
A Finnish model estimated that screening 55-year-olds for kidney disease, then treating those found to have it, could modestly improve health and be good value for money over a lifetime. The results are projections, not proof of what a screening program would achieve in practice.
Across 182 trials, programs combining a phone app, a wearable device, and health education led to more weight loss than the other approaches studied. Results varied in reliability, so this combination may help, but it won’t guarantee the same outcome for everyone.
In a large trial, adding AI to doctors’ decisions about who should get a follow-up heart artery test did not meet the study’s standard for being at least as reliable as usual care. It may help at centers that do fewer of these heart tests, but more evidence is needed.
A genetic analysis found links between certain gut microbes and autism or ADHD, and identified CNTN4 as a possible shared gene. These findings suggest possible connections, but they do not prove that gut microbes cause either condition.