Posts tagged with "UK Biobank"

Above, the researchers found that one group of night owls had significantly higher cognitive function than another group of morning folks. (Photo source: Neoscope/Futurisjm)

Study: Night owls have superior cognitive function

September 23, 2024

Night owls can hoot all they want! New research suggests that people who stay up and do their best work at night have higher cognitive function than early birds, who are—let’s face it—often seen in a far more positive light, reports Futurism.

An international team of scientists led by Imperial College London came to this intriguing conclusion in a new study published in the journal, BMJ Public Health, during which they also found that getting seven to nine hours of sleep is best for optimum brain function.

For the study, the scientists looked at the large-scale UK Biobank, which comprises biomedical data and other information from half a million Brits, analyzing 26,000 participants who had undergone cognitive tests and answered whether they were early birds or night owls.

After crunching the numbers, the researchers found that one group of night owls had significantly higher cognitive function than another group of morning folks—surpassing them with 13.5% higher scores. In another sampling, night owls still came up on top with 7.5% higher scores.

People who are considered intermediate sleepers—they can switch between night and morning habits—also topped pure early birds with higher scores at 10.6% and 6.3%, respectively, in two separate population samples.

Cognitive function was obtained using results from four tests that measured visual and working memory, reaction time, verbal and numerical intelligence, and other cognitive qualities.

Scientists used different groups of people for comparison because some participants only completed two cognitive function tests instead of the four. People who did only two and people who did all four all were included in the study order to “optimize the analysis and enhance the representativeness of our findings,” the researchers wrote.

“It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean all morning people have worse cognitive performance,” Imperial College London medical researcher and study lead author Raha West said. “The findings reflect an overall trend where the majority might lean towards better cognition in the evening types.”

But will this study change the overall impression of night owls, who are seen as being lazy and irresponsible? Maybe not. But if you’re a night owl, at least you can whip out this study and say you got the morning birds beat in one very important aspect.

Research contact: @futurism

Photo source: Medical News Today

Study: Walking fast is key to a long life

April 25, 2022

A brisk walk could help add 16 years to your life, a recent study has found. Researchers at the University of Leicester in England have discovered a link between a person’s walking pace and the rate at which he or she ages, reports Study Finds.

Specifically, a lifetime of brisk walking leads to longer telomeres. These are the protective “caps” on the ends of your chromosomes—sort of like the plastic tabs on your shoelaces. Although they don’t carry genetic information, telomeres play a vital role in keeping DNA stable.

Scientists measure these end caps to calculate a person’s biological age. The longer they are, the younger a person is in terms of biological age—which can be much different from chronological age.

In an analysis of over 400,000 British adults conducted by the UK Biobank, scientists found that a faster walking pace throughout life could lead to a person being 16 years younger in terms of biological age by the time he or she reaches midlife. Importantly, the team found brisk walking alone, regardless of how much physical activity that person engages in, leads to longer telomeres.

Researchers explain that each time a cell divides, telomeres become shorter. At a certain point, telomeres get so short that the cell no longer divides. Although the link between telomere length and disease is still unclear, scientists say the buildup of senescent (elderly and dying) cells contributes to the development of age-related diseases and frailty.

Previous studies have shown how walking can provide physical, mental, and social benefits. However, the team says that this is the first time scientists have compared walking speed with genetic data tied to longevity.

“Previous research on associations between walking pace, physical activity and telomere length has been limited by inconsistent findings and a lack of high-quality data,” says lead author Dr. Paddy Dempsey in a university release.

“This research uses genetic data to provide stronger evidence for a causal link between faster walking pace and longer telomere length. Data from wrist-worn wearable activity tracking devices used to measure habitual physical activity also supported a stronger role of habitual activity intensity (e.g. faster walking) in relation to telomere length,” the lecturer and research fellow at the University of Leicester continues.

“This suggests measures such as a habitually slower walking speed are a simple way of identifying people at greater risk of chronic disease or unhealthy aging, and that activity intensity may play an important role in optimizing interventions. For example, in addition to increasing overall walking, those who are able could aim to increase the number of steps completed in a given time (e.g. by walking faster to the bus stop). However, this requires further investigation.”

Leicester researchers have previously found that as little as ten minutes of brisk walking each day can contribute to a longer life. These individuals had a life expectancy up to 20 years longer than their slower walking peers.

The team in this study notes that they did not find a link between walking slower and telomere length growing shorter.

“Whilst we have previously shown that walking pace is a very strong predictor of health status, we have not been able to confirm that adopting a brisk walking pace actually causes better health. In this study we used information contained in each person’s genetic profile to show that a faster walking pace is indeed likely to lead to a younger biological age as measured by telomeres,” concludes Tom Yates, senior author and professor of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior and Health at the University of Leicester.

Research contact: @StudyFinds

Photo source: Telegraph UK

‘Sensational’ study: Coffee’s bitter taste gives drinkers a ‘buzz’

Leave a reply

November 19, 2018

While the aroma of coffee is enticing and pleasurable, most people find the taste to be bitter. However, a study published in Scientific Reports this month—and covered in a report by NPR—has found that, the more sensitive you are to the bitter taste of coffee, the more of it you tend to drink.

A team of researchers from the Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States conducted the investigation using data stored in the UK Biobank, a major global health resource established over a decade ago by the Wellcome Trust medical charity, Medical Research Council, Department of Health, and the Scottish Government—and supported by the National Health Service..

More than 500,000 residents of England , Scotland, and Wales between the ages of 37 and 73 contributed blood, urine, and saliva samples to the Biobank between 2006 and 2010—and agreed to have their health status tracked, in order to determine which diseases and health conditions they would develop during the remainder of their lives.

The same volunteers also filled out questionnaires asking a variety of health-related questions—including how much coffee, tea, and alcohol they drank on a daily basis.

Since most of us inherit our taste preferences from our parents, the researchers used genetic analysis of samples from the Biobank to find people who were more or less sensitive to three bitter substances: caffeine, quinine (think tonic water) and a chemical called propylthiouracil that is frequently used in genetic tests of people’s ability to taste bitter compounds.

The objective was to determine whether people sensitive to one or more of these three substances drank more or less coffee than other drinkers. Surprising, NPR reports, people who exhibited greater sensitivity to caffeine reported higher coffee consumption, compared with people who did not strongly perceive the bitter taste. Strangely enough, the researchers said, “opposite relationships were observed for tea consumption.”

Conversely, those who were sensitive to quinine and propylthiouracil—neither of which is in coffee—tended to drink less coffee on a daily basis. For alcohol, a higher perceived intensity of propylthiouracil (bitterness) was associated with lower overall consumption.

How to explain these results? NPR reports that Marilyn Cornelis, assistant professor of Preventative Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and one of the study authors, says people may “learn to associate that bitter taste with the stimulation that coffee can provide.” In other words, they get hooked on the buzz.

And it turns out those who drink two or three cups a day just might live longer, too.

Research contact: @joesbigidea