Envejecimiento
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Item Social connections, leukocyte telomere length, and all-cause mortality in older adults from Costa Rica : the Costa Rican longevity and healthy aging study (CRELES)(Journal of Aging and Health, DOI: 10.1177/08982643251313923, 2025) Gan, Danting; Baylin, Ana; Peterson, Karen E.; Rosero Bixby, Luis; Ruiz Narváez, Edward A.Objectives: To examine the association of social connections with blood leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and all-cause mortality in older Costa Ricans. Methods: Utilizing data from the Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study (CRELES), a prospective cohort of 2827 individuals aged 60 and above followed since 2004, we constructed a Social Network Index (SNI) based on marital status, household size, interaction with non-cohabitating adult children, and church attendance. We used linear regression to assess SNI’s association with baseline LTL (N = 1113), and Cox proportional-hazard models to examine SNI’s relationship with all-cause mortality (N = 2735). Results: Higher SNI levels were associated with longer telomeres and decreased all-cause mortality during follow-up. Being married and regular church attendance were associated with 23% and 24% reductions of the all-cause mortality, respectively. Discussion: These findings underscore the importance of social engagement in promoting longevity among older Costa Ricans, suggesting broader implications for aging populations globally.Item Diabetes mellitus en adultos mayores costarricenses(Población y Salud en Mesoamérica. Revista Electrónica, Vol. 5(1), artículo 2, 2007) Brenes Camacho, Gilbert; Rosero Bixby, LuisPoblación y Salud en Mesoamérica - Volumen 5, número 1, artículo 2, jul - dic 2007 Número especial CRELES - Costa Rica: Estudio de Longevidad y Envejecimiento Saludable http://ccp.ucr.ac.cr/revista/ 2Diabetes mellitus en adultos mayores costarricenses1Gilbert Brenes-Camacho2, Luis Rosero-Bixby3RESUMEN El propósito del artículo es describir la prevalencia de la diabetes mellitus (DM) entre los adultos mayores costarricenses. Se analiza la magnitud de la prevalencia, los problemas de medición de la misma, así como los factores asociados con la enfermedad, la enfermedad controlada, y el tener niveles altos de hemoglobina glicosilada (HbA1C) entre la población sin diagnóstico previo de DM. Una cuarta parte de los adultos mayores de Costa Rica padecen de DM y cerca de la mitad de los que la padecen, no la tienen controlada. Los factores asociados con la prevalencia de la enfermedad son los usuales destacados por la literatura científica: actividad física, obesidad e historia familiar de DM. Se halla evidencia de un posible problema de acceso diferencial a servicios de control de DM, ya que los adultos mayores que habitan fuera de la gran área metropolitana de San José tienen un riesgo menor de tener controlada su enfermedad. Los adultos mayores sin pensión también tienen un riesgo mayor de tener niveles altos de HbA1C.Item Traditional rural dietary pattern and all-cause mortality in a prospective cohort study of elderly Costa Ricans: the Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study (CRELES)(The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2024) Zhang, Yundan; Cortés Ortiz, Mónica V.; Leung, Cindy W.; Baylin, Ana; Rosero Bixby, Luis; Ruiz Narváez, Edward A.Costa Rica, as many other Latin American countries, is experiencing a fast demographic aging. It is estimated that by 2030, 18.5% of the population, or almost 1 of every 5 Costa Ricans, will be 60 y or older, compared with 7.9% or 1 of every 13 Costa Ricans in 1999 [1]. As the population ages, chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and neurodegenerative disorders are expected to increase in prevalence posing growing challenges to the health of the Costa Rican population. With the demographic shift toward an aging population, there is an urgent need to study determinants of longevity and healthy aging. Diet—as part of a healthy lifestyle—is a key modifiable factor that may help to minimize the burden of age-related health conditions. Beans are a major source of protein and fiber in Costa Rican adults and part of traditional diets in most Latin American countries. High bean consumption has been found associated with a protective cardiometabolic prolife such as low total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol [2,3]. In the Costa Rican population specifically, intake of beans has been associated with lower risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction in middle-aged adults [4]. We recently reported that a traditional Costa Rican rural dietary pattern, rich in beans and rice, was associated with longer leukocyte telomeres—a marker of biologic aging—in Costa Rican adults 60 y and older [5]. However, no studies have examined whether adherence to a traditional diet in elderly Costa Ricans may also be associated with lower mortality. Because of the nutrition transition (i.e., a shift from traditional diets to an increased consumption of processed foods highs in sugars, fats, and salt) experienced by Costa Rica in the last decades [4,6,7], it is essential to evaluate the potential impact of traditional diets on promoting healthy aging and longevity within an aging population. In this study, we assessed the association between a traditional rural dietary pattern, as well as their major food components beans and rice, and all-cause mortality among elderly Costa Ricans aged 60 y and older at baseline. We hypothesized that higher scores on the traditional dietary pattern are associated with lower all-cause mortality in elderly Costa Ricans. We also assessed whether additional dietary patterns may be associated with all-cause mortality. We used longitudinal and nationally representative data from the Costa Rican Longevity and Healthy Aging Study (CRELES).Item Centenarian clocks: epigenetic clocks for validating claims of exceptional longevity(SPRINGER LINK, vol. 45, 2023) Dec, Eric; Clement, James; Cheng, Kaiyang; Church, George M.; Fossel, Michael B.; Rehkopf, David H.; Rosero Bixby, Luis; Kobor, Michael S.; Lin, David TS.; Lu, Ake T.; Fei, Zhe; Guo, Wei; Chew, Yap Ching; Yang, Xiaojing; Dwi Putra, Sulistyo E.; Reiner, Alex P.; Correa, Adolfo; Vilalta, Adrian; Pirazzini, Chiara; Passarino, Giuseppe; Monti, Daniela; Arosio, Beatrice; Garagnani, Paolo; Franceschi, Claudio; Horvath, SteveClaims surrounding exceptional longevity are sometimes disputed or dismissed for lack of credible evidence. Here, we present three DNA methylation-based age estimators (epigenetic clocks) for verifying age claims of centenarians. The three centenarian clocks were developed based on n = 7039 blood and saliva samples from individuals older than 40, including n = 184 samples from centenarians, 122 samples from semi-supercentenarians (aged 105 +), and 25 samples from supercentenarians (aged 110 +). The oldest individual was 115 years old. Our most accurate centenarian clock resulted from applying a neural network model to a training set composed of individuals older than 40. An epigenome- wide association study of age in different age groups revealed that age effects in young individuals (age < 40) are correlated (r = 0.55) with age effects in old individuals (age > 90). We present a chromatin state analysis of age effects in centenarians. The centenarian clocks are expected to be useful for validating claims surrounding exceptional old age.Item The vanishing advantage of longevity in Nicoya, Costa Rica: A cohort shif(Demographic Research, vol.49 (27, 2023) Rosero Bixby, LuisBACKGROUND The Nicoya region in Costa Rica has been identified as one of a handful of hotspots of extreme longevity. The evidence supporting this status comes mostly from observing the 1990 and 2000 decades and cohorts born before 1930. OBJECTIVE To determine how the longevity advantage of older men in Nicoya has progressed in the period 1990 to 2020 and in cohorts born from 1900 to 1950. METHODS Remaining length of life and adult mortality were estimated using new public administrative records from the electoral system and a Gompertz regression model. A new nationwide survival-time database of 550,000 adult Costa Ricans who were alive at any point during 1990–2020 was put together. RESULTS The longevity advantage of Nicoya is disappearing in a trend driven mostly by cohort effects. While Nicoyan males born in 1905 had 33% lower adult mortality rates than other Costa Ricans, those born in 1945 had 10% higher rates. The original geographic hotspot of low elderly mortality, coined the Nicoya blue zone, has decreased to a small area south of the peninsula around the corridor from Hojancha inland to the beach town of Sámara. However, Nicoyans born before 1930 who are still alive continue to show exceptionally high longevity. CONCLUSIONS Surviving Nicoyan males born before 1930 are exceptional human beings living longer than expected lives. Not so for more recent cohorts. The window of opportunity to meet and study pre-1930 individuals is closing.Item Epigenome-Wide Association Study and Epigenetic Age Acceleration Associated with Cigarette Smoking among Costa Rican Adults(Scientific Reports, Vol. 12 Núm, 2022) Cárdenas, Andrés; Ecker, Simone; Fadadu, Raj P.; Huen, Karen; Orozco, Allan; McEwen, Lisa M.; Engelbrecht, Hannah Ruth; Gladish, Nicole; Kobor, Michael S.; Rosero Bixby, Luis; Dow, William H.; Rehkopf, David H.Smoking-associated DNA methylation (DNAm) signatures are reproducible among studies of mostly European descent, with mixed evidence if smoking accelerates epigenetic aging and its relationship to longevity. We evaluated smoking-associated DNAm signatures in the Costa Rican Study on Longevity and Healthy Aging (CRELES), including participants from the high longevity region of Nicoya. We measured genome-wide DNAm in leukocytes, tested Epigenetic Age Acceleration (EAA) from five clocks and estimates of telomere length (DNAmTL), and examined effect modification by the high longevity region. 489 participants had a mean (SD) age of 79.4 (10.8) years, and 18% were from Nicoya. Overall, 7.6% reported currently smoking, 35% were former smokers, and 57.4% never smoked. 46 CpGs and five regions (e.g. AHRR, SCARNA6/SNORD39, SNORA20, and F2RL3) were differentially methylated for current smokers. Former smokers had increased Horvath’s EAA (1.69-years; 95% CI 0.72, 2.67), Hannum’s EAA (0.77-years; 95% CI 0.01, 1.52), GrimAge (2.34-years; 95% CI1.66, 3.02), extrinsic EAA (1.27-years; 95% CI 0.34, 2.21), intrinsic EAA (1.03-years; 95% CI 0.12, 1.94) and shorter DNAmTL (− 0.04-kb; 95% CI − 0.08, − 0.01) relative to non-smokers. There was no evidence of effect modification among residents of Nicoya. Our findings recapitulate previously reported and novel smoking-associated DNAm changes in a Latino cohort.Item Helicobacter pylori infection and serum pepsinogen concentrations in an elderly population representative of Costa Rica(Población y Salud en Mesoamérica 19(2), 2022) Une, Clas Allan; Malespín Bendaña, Wendy Karina; Ramírez Mayorga, Vanessa; Rosero Bixby, Luis; Sierra Ramos, RafaelaINTRODUCTION: Costa Rica has among the highest mortality rates from gastric cancer in the world, largely due to late detection. It is therefore important that economically and logistically sustainable screening is implemented in order to detect risk of developing cancer. We have previously shown that low pepsinogen (PG) values and infection with Helicobacter pylori-CagA+ are associated with risk of gastric atrophy and cancer in Costa Rican populations. OBJECTIVES: To determine how markers for gastric cancer risk are distributed in an elderly population representative of Costa Rica in order to design a screening strategy. METHODS: The population studied consists of 2,652 participants in a nationally representative survey of ageing. Information concerning epidemiologic, demographic, nutritional and life style factors is available. Serum PG concentrations as well as H. pylori and CagA status were determined by serology. Possible associations were determined by regression analyses. RESULTS: Antibodies to H. pylori were present in 72% of the population and of those, 58% were CagA positive. Infection with H. pylori was associated with higher PGI concentrations (p=0.000) and infection with H. pylori-CagA+ with lower PGI concentrations (p=0.025). Both showed association with lower PGI/PGII (p=0.006 and p=0.000). Higher age was associated with lower prevalence of H. pylori infection (OR=0.98; p=0.000) and CagA+ (OR=0.98; p=0.000) but not with PG values. Regions with high risk of gastric cancer showed lower PGI (p=0.004) and PGI/PGII values (p=0.021) as well as higher prevalence of H. pylori infection (OR=1.39; p=0.013) but not CagA+. Using cut-off values of PGI<100 μg/L and PGI/PGII<2.0, 2.5 and 3.0, 7-15% of the population would be considered at risk. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori alone is not a useful marker for risk of gastric cancer. Screening using serum pepsinogen concentrations and infection with H. pylori-CagA+ is feasible in the general elderly population of Costa Rica but appropriate cut-off values have to be determined based on more clinical data and follow up capacity.Item La disminución de la mortalidad de los adultos en Costa Rica(Notas de Población, Vol. 22, no. 60, 1994) Rosero Bixby, LuisEste artículo estudia la evolución histórica de la mortalidad de los adultos en Costa Rica y sus determinantes. Entre 1920 y 1990, el riesgo de muerte se redujo en 80% entre los adultos jóvenes y en 40% entre los de mayor edad. Las disminuciones más rápidas tuvieron lugar en los años cincuenta entre los adultos jóvenes y en los años ochenta entre los de edad avanzada. La aceleración de la década de los 80 ocurrió a pesar de ser éste un período de recesión económica y de deterioro de los servicios públicos de salud. La brecha de mortalidad entre los sexos emergió y se amplió debido a las mayores disminuciones de mortalidad entre las mujeres. Desde alrededor de 1960, los adultos varones enfrentan menores riesgos de muerte en Costa Rica que en países industrializados, como .Estados Unidos o Francia. Las dolencias cardíacas y el cáncer de pulmón son los componentes claves de la ventaja comparativa de Costa Rica. En contraste, la mortalidad por cáncer de estómago, infarto, diabetes, accidentes de automóvil y cáncer cérvico-uterino es comparativamente alta en este país, por lo que podría ser fuente de reducciones futuras. Hacia 1990, alrededor del 40% de las muertes entre los adultos jóvenes de Costa Rica son producto de accidentes y violencia, en tanto que el 40% de las defunciones entre los adultos mayores son de origen cardiovascular. Las patologías infecciosas y relacionadas con la nutrición (especialmente tuberculosis respiratoria y malaria) dan cuenta de tres cuartos de la disminución en la mortalidad adulta de 1951 a 1971, pero sólo de 30% a partir de este último año. Las disminuciones en las muertes cardiovasculares y accidentales lideraron la transición de la mortalidad adulta en los años setenta y ochenta. La prosperidad y estilos de vida modernos podrían ser responsables de tendencias adversas en la mortalidad, observadas especialmente en los años cincuenta y sesenta. Los patrones geográficos y las correlaciones espaciales también sugieren efectos negativos sobre la mortalidad por enfermedades cardiovasculares y diabetes. El análisis de regresión de áreas muestra que no hay asociación entre la mortalidad infantil y la de adultos en un momento determinado, las cuales parecen estar determinadas por diferentes tipos de factores.Item Adult mortality decline in Costa Rica(Adult Mortality in Latin América. Oxford University Press, 1996) Rosero Bixby, LuisCosta Rica is, along with Cuba, the country with the best health indicators in Latin America. Life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica was 77.9 years for women and 72.7 years for men in 1990, figures which are comparable with those for Western Europe and the USA. Study of the epidemiologic transition in Costa Rica has usually focused on children, reflecting the fact that the main component of mortality decline has been the prevention and control of premature deaths (Behm, 1976; Rosero-Bixby, 1986; CELADE et al., 1987; Cervantes and Raabe, 1991). The greater availability of information on child health and the young age structure of the population (in 1960, 47 per cent of the population were children under 15 years of age) have reinforced the emphasis on studying the young. This chapter shifts the previous emphasis on childhood to focus on adult mortality. The purpose is to describe the mortality transition at adult ages, to identify its key components, and to make inferences about its likely determinants. The chapter has five sections: socio-economic and public-health background of Costa Rica; the data and methods used; decline in risks of dying in two age intervals (20-49 and 50-79 years); analysis of risks of dying by cause of death; and areal analysis of adult mortality and its correlate across 100 small geographical units.Item Insurance and other socioeconomic determinants of elderly longevity in a Costa Rican panel(Journal of Biosocial Science: 37(6), 2005) Rosero Bixby, Luis; Dow, William H.; Laclé Murray, AdrianaOfficial figures show that life expectancy in Costa Rica is longer than in the United States (US), in spite of the fact that per capita health expenditure is only one-tenth that of the US. To check whether this is for real and to explore some of its determinants, 900 Costa Ricans aged 60+ were followed from 1984 to 2001. Follow-up household visits were made, deaths were tracked in the national death registry, and survival status in the voting registry was double-checked. In addition, the survivors were contacted in 2002. Two-thirds of the panel had died by December 2001. Kaplan—Meier curves, life tables and Cox regression were used to analyse the panel's survival. Mortality in the panel was slightly higher than the Costa Rican average and similar to that in the US, confirming the exceptional longevity of Costa Ricans. Survival was substantially lower among unmarried men and individuals with limited autonomy at the beginning of the study. The effect of socioeconomic status is weak. Insurance effects seem to be confounded by selection biases.