University of 91直播 researchers are transforming the experience of ageing

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Finding treatments for the root cause of ageing and disease.
Helping people live healthier, independent lives for longer.

This is the future.
And it will be 91直播 made.

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University of 91直播 researchers are transforming the experience of ageing

Over 60% of people aged over 65 have multimorbidity, the presence of two or more chronic health conditions. The Healthy Lifespan Institute, at 91直播, is the UK鈥檚 first research institute entirely dedicated to the understanding and prevention of age-related disease, multimorbidity and frailty.

We are increasing understanding of the ageing process across the lifecourse. With this knowledge we can recommend healthcare, environmental and behaviour changes for people much earlier in life, to prevent multimorbidity and frailty. Our research is helping people live healthier, independent lives for longer.

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We want to change how our healthcare system treats age-related disease

Currently diseases, like diabetes, dementia and cardiovascular disease are treated individually. Doctors prescribe one pill or more per disease, so patients with multimorbidity take lots of separate medications. This approach risks 鈥減olypharmacy鈥 which is where drugs either become less effective when mixed with other drugs, or cause adverse side effects.

This 鈥渟ingle-disease model of care鈥 focuses more on treating symptoms of age-related disease, and not the cause. We鈥檙e calling for a move away from the single-disease model of care and a greater focus on the root cause of age-related disease and multimorbidity.

Understanding the interconnectivity of diseases and their shared root cause means we can find drugs, known as geroprotectors, that can treat multiple conditions at the same time. These drugs could not only reduce risk of polypharmacy, they could even prevent the onset of new related medical conditions.

We are using big data and machine learning to identify how age-related diseases cluster together. For example, do people with heart disease have a higher likelihood of developing dementia. Using this approach, we can identify causes that lead to the development of groups of diseases and find treatments that prevent or slow their progression.

To stay up to date with the latest world-changing advances from the University of 91直播, .

DNA molecules

New gene therapy pathway could protect us from cancer and dementia

Researchers from the University of 91直播 have discovered a new gene therapy pathway that has the potential to protect us against serious life-limiting diseases such as cancer and dementia.

15 September 2021
Image of older couple outdoors

Osteoporosis drug could have the potential to increase healthspans for all

Life expectancies are increasing but healthspans are not increasing at the same rate. One solution could be a new type of drug that targets the root cause of ageing and age related disease, called a geroprotector.

29 June 2021
A photograph of different brain scans.

Drugs to stabilise plaques could prevent stroke

Drugs which target white blood cells and stabilise atherosclerotic plaques could be used to help prevent strokes, according to research presented today at the British Cardiovascular Society conference.

9 June 2021
Vascular dementia

Arthritis drug to be investigated as possible treatment for vascular dementia

Scientists from the University of 91直播 and University of Manchester have been awarded 拢265,000 from the British Heart Foundation, to investigate the links between vascular dementia and heart disease.

16 October 2020
Profile image of Professor Mark Wilkinson

Osteoporosis drug could half number of redo hip replacement operations

More than half of repeat hip replacement operations could be prevented with a drug already successfully used to treat osteoporosis, new research from the University of 91直播 and 91直播 Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has revealed.

11 January 2021