MADRID+90 study on factors associated with longevity: Study design and preliminary data

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Global population is aging, with a projected increase in individuals over 90.
• This demographic shift necessitates understanding factors promoting healthy aging and mitigating age-related diseases like Alzheimer's.
• The MADRID+90 project investigates healthy and pathological aging in nonagenarians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify lifestyle and clinical factors associated with healthy aging in the over-90 population.
• To explore factors contributing to pathological aging, particularly Alzheimer's-type dementia.
• To characterize the biophysical and clinical profiles of nonagenarians.

Main Methods:

• Phase 1: Stratified random sampling and survey of 191 individuals aged 90+ in Madrid, collecting demographic, clinical, lifestyle, and cognitive data.
• Phase 2: Comprehensive clinical examination (neurological, cognitive, MRI, EEG) of 50 individuals over 90 to track aging trajectories.
• Multidisciplinary approach involving epidemiology, neurology, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, and computational neuroscience.

Main Results:

• Presents key findings from the initial survey of 191 nonagenarians regarding their demographics, health status, lifestyle, and cognitive function.
• Highlights preliminary associations between specific factors and healthy versus pathological aging trajectories.
• Provides baseline data for longitudinal analysis in Phase 2.

Conclusions:

• Characterizing nonagenarians is vital for understanding aging processes and developing targeted interventions.
• Findings will inform policies to address the social and economic impacts of an aging population.
• This research addresses a data gap concerning the health and aging of the rapidly growing nonagenarian demographic.