living healthy longer Colorado State University's Columbine Health Systems Center for Healthy Aging

Aga Burzynska, an associate professor at CSU and director of The BRAiN Lab, shares her latest research, published in Neurobiology of Aging, which studied 141 adults aged 20 to 80. Burzynska's team found that myelin, the protective insulation around nerves, peaks in our 40s and 50s before gradually declining. This decline, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, is linked to reduced memory performance with age. We delve into these findings and what they mean for understanding the aging brain and neurocognitive decline. 
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Find the publication here.

Dr. Saranya Wyles, a dermatologist from the Mayo Clinic, delves into the science of skin aging and the reasoning behind common age-related skin concerns, like wrinkles, age spots, and skin thinning and sagging. She shares a basic skin care routine (with just three products!) that everyone should use to maintain skin health with age – as well as her advice for navigating cosmetic procedures to reverse signs of aging. The episode ends with the next generation of skin care: regenerative dermatology, exosomes, and 3D bioprinting to create models of skin aging.
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Find Dr. Wyles' feature on the Today Show.
Learn about (plated)™ Skin Science in the New York Social Diary.

Regional Director Lily Griego from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services discusses recent initiatives impacting adults in Colorado, including the HHS's mission to address maternal care, mental health destigmatization, and rural health care accessibility, along with the Inflation Reduction Act's role in reducing health care costs for older adults.
Further reading:
Strengthening Maternal HealthSAMSHA Announces $39.4 Million in Funding Opportunities for Grants to Help Advance the President’s Unity AgendaBiden-Harris Administration taking actions to improve the health of rural communitiesFact Sheet: One Year In, President Biden’s Inflation Reduction ActFact Sheet: Advancing Health Equity Across HHSSAMSHA Announces $36.9 Million in Behavioral Health Funding Opportunities ASPE Office of Health Policy: Insulin Affordability and the Inflation Reduction Act

Associate Professor of Communication Studies Meara Faw explores the complexities of caregiving, including statistics on its prevalence, the challenges faced by care partners, and the unique needs they encounter. Faw shares insights from her research on improving caregiver and care-recipient well-being, including interventions like B-Sharp and the performing arts. Also discussed is the 2023 Surgeon General's report on loneliness and its impacts on health.

Dr. Greg Gahm – a geriatrician, Corporate Medical Director for Vivage Senior Living, and an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at CU Anschutz – discusses the long-term care industry over the decades, including the different types of long-term care available, standards of care provided, and the impact of the pandemic on cost dynamics and staffing structures. If you're just getting introduced to long-term care, this is the episode for you.

Amidst the ongoing debate over whether Presidents Biden and Trump are "too old" to run for president again, our season 4 premiere offers a compelling panel discussion. At the crossroads of healthy aging, anti-ageism, political science, and principles of democracy, this episode revisits a thought-provoking conversation originally aired on President's Day 2024. Explore with us the the extent to which age should impact your decision-making at the 2024 ballot box. Perspectives by:
Karrin Anderson, moderator and Professor of Communication Studies.Manfred Diehl, University Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Family Studies.Christine Fruhauf, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies.Lucas Brady Woods, State Capitol Reporter at KUNC.Nick DeSalvo, ASCSU president and political science student.---
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