Aging Clinical Trials

The goal of this basic science clinical trial is to understand whether adipose tissue blood flow changes between younger and older healthy adults. The main question[s] it aims to answer are: Is basal and nutrient responsive adipose tissue blood flow (ATBF) different between younger and older adults What molecular and systemic signatures related to adipose tissue blood flow are altered between these two groups. Participants will undergo measurements of adipose tissue blood flow using the xenon washout technique, undergo 2 abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies, and drink a sugary drink. Read Less

The effect of L-Citrulline is well studied in relation to muscle strength, exhaustion, exercise performance, and endothelial function in health and disease. This study will extend current body of knowledge and will investigate the effect of L-Citrulline on brain vascular function. Read Less

The ability to mount an effective immune response declines with age, leaving the elderly increasingly susceptible to infectious diseases and cancer. Rapamycin, an FDA approved drug to prevent transplant rejection, increases the lifespan and healthspan of mice and ameliorates age-related declines in immune responsiveness, cancer survival, and cognition in laboratory animals. Investigators are conducting a translational trial to test whether rapamycin also improves life functions in humans focusing on elderly persons (aged 70-95). Substudy E will evaluate the Rapamycin and Cardiac Function. Read Less

Frailty is one of the main reasons older adults lose independence. Frailty describes a reduced ability to withstand stress on the physiological scale, or a reduced physiological reserve. The theory is that entrainment of circadian rhythm via time-restricted eating will improve the body's ability to predict energy supply and demand, and therefore enable the body to allocate more resources to anabolic processes and promote resilience to cancer treatment, thereby preventing the progression of frailty. A total of 30 individuals over 55 years old undergoing ADT therapy for prostate cancer will be recruited. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to a 12-week TRE intervention or a time-unrestricted nutrition control intervention. At baseline and post-intervention, Fried's Frailty Index will be used to assess frailty, and a novel set of five physiological responsiveness measures will be used to assess physiological responsiveness-1) lying-to-standing blood pressure, 2) heart rate variability, 3) oral glucose tolerance test, 4) 24-hour circadian cortisol rhythm, and 5) usual vs. fast gait speed. These data will allow assessment of 1) the feasibility of TRE among patients with prostate cancer during ADT treatment with the ultimate goal of optimizing an intervention to prevent the progression of frailty, and 2) the effects of TRE vs. control on frailty and physiological responsiveness. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) with a family-augmented version of HELP (FAM-HELP), that includes family members and care partners, for the prevention of delirium in older patients during hospital admission. The main objectives of the trial are the following: To compare the effectiveness of FAM-HELP and HELP in reducing both the incidence of delirium and its severity. To compare the effectiveness of FAM-HELP and HELP in improving patient- and family-reported outcomes. To explore the implementation context, process, and outcomes of the FAM-HELP program in diverse hospital settings. Read Less

The majority of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) occur in men and women ≥60 years of age. Vascular dysfunction, including endothelial dysfunction, as assessed by reduced endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD), and stiffening of the large elastic arteries (i.e., aortic and carotid artery stiffening), is a major mechanism of increased risk of CVD in older adults. Excess production of ROS (reactive oxygen species) by mitochondria (mtROS) has emerged as a central feature of vascular oxidative stress with aging and driver of age-related vascular dysfunction. As such, identifying novel strategies to decrease mtROS and improve vascular function, to ultimately reduce the risk of age-related CVD, is an important biomedical objective. MitoQ is a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant that accumulates at the inner mitochondrial membrane where it is optimally positioned to reduce mtROS. Preclinical findings showed that 4 weeks of oral MitoQ supplementation completely restored EDD in old mice, ameliorated mtROS-associated suppression of EDD, and was associated with reduced arterial mtROS, oxidative stress, and improved mitochondrial health. MitoQ therapy also reduced aortic stiffness in old mice. A recent small pilot study of older adults (n=20) found that supplementation with MitoQ was well-tolerated, improved endothelial function, and reduced plasma levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, a circulating biomarker of oxidative stress. Consistent with the preclinical findings, preliminary mechanistic assessments in subsets of subjects from the pilot study suggested that improved endothelial function with MitoQ was mediated by reduced endothelial cell mtROS production, associated reductions in tonic mtROS-related suppression of EDD, and improved mitochondrial health, linked in part to changes in circulating factors in the serum induced by chronic MitoQ supplementation. Lastly, MitoQ reduced aortic stiffness in older adults who exhibited age-related aortic stiffening at baseline. The investigators are conducting a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial to establish oral MitoQ (20 mg/day; MitoQ, Ltd.) for 3 months vs. placebo (n=56/group) for improving endothelial function in older men and women (≥60 years), and determine the mechanisms by which MitoQ improves endothelial function. The investigators will also assess the effect of MitoQ on aortic stiffness. Read Less

The objective of this project is to determine if mTORC1 inhibition by 24 weeks of daily (0.5 mg/day) or weekly (5 mg/week) everolimus can safely improve physiological and molecular hallmarks of aging in humans. Participants who are 55-80 years old and insulin resistant or prediabetic will be randomized to treatment and can expect to be on study for up to approximately 38 weeks. Participants aged 18-35 will not receive the intervention and can expect to be on study for up to approximately 8 weeks. Read Less

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), including mild cognitive impairment (MCI), are becoming among the most prevalent causes of disability, death and healthcare costs worldwide. Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances are common among individuals with MCI as well as their spouses/ partners and may increase risk of the development of ADRD in both patients and partners. This is the first study to systematically investigate sleep as a shared health behavior within couples in which one member has MCI, and the degree to which sleep and circadian disturbances impact both partners health and well-being, including cognitive decline and risk for ADRD. Read Less

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the effects of MitoQ supplementation in older adults and frail older adults with physical dysfunction and/or cognitive dysfunction. The main question[s] it aims to answer are: To compare vascular function, oxidative stress levels, and physical and cognitive function among older adults and frail older adults with physical and cognitive dysfunction To determine whether MitoQ supplementation has the potential to improve vascular function in central and cerebral vessels To determine whether MitoQ supplementation can enhance physical and cognitive capabilities. Read Less

The goal of this study is to determine the impact of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes on muscle atrophy during a period of bed rest and recovery of muscle mass, strength, and physical function following bed rest. Read Less

Older adults and stroke survivors often have difficulty performing complex walking tasks, due in part to changes in the brain. One task often overlooked is turning, which can lead to injury when performed poorly. The investigators will use non-invasive brain stimulation to assess brain activity and relate those observations to turning performance in older adults and stroke survivors. Read Less

This study evaluates critical environmental limits (temperature and humidity) above which older adults are unable to effectively thermoregulate. Participants will exercise in a series of different environmental conditions to identify combinations of temperature and humidity above which age-related physiological changes cause uncompensable heat stress, resulting in increased risk of heat illness. Read Less