Understanding the causes of aging is a complex problem due to the multiple factors that influence aging, which include genetics, environment, metabolism and reproduction, among others. These multiple factors create logistical difficulties in the evaluation of anti-aging agents. There is a need for good model systems to evaluate potential anti-aging compounds. The model systems used should represent the complexities of aging in humans, so that the findings may be extrapolated to human studies, but they should also present an opportunity to minimize the variables so that the experimental results can be accurately interpreted. In addition to positively affecting lifespan, the impact of the compound on the physiologic confounders of aging, including fecundity and the health span--the period of life where an organism is generally healthy and free from serious or chronic illness--of the model organism needs to be evaluated. Fecundity is considered a major confounder of aging in fruit flies. It is well established that female flies that are exposed to toxic substances typically reduce their dietary intake and their reproductive output and display an artifactual lifespan extension. As a result, drugs that achieve longevity benefits by reducing fecundity as a result of diminished food intake are probably not useful candidates for eventual treatment of aging in humans and should be eliminated during the screening process. Drosophila melanogaster provides a suitable model system for the screening of anti-aging compounds as D. melanogaster and humans have many conserved physiological and biological pathways. In this paper, I propose an algorithm to screen anti-aging compounds using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Within the coming decade, the demand for well-trained pharmacists is expected to only increase, especially with the aging of the United States (US) population. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING:To help fill this growing demand, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) aims to offer a unique pre-pharmacy degree program and has developed a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences to help achieve this goal. In this commentary, we share our experience with our curriculum and highlight its features in an effort to encourage other institutions to enhance the learning experience of their pre-pharmacy students. FINDINGS:The efforts of the UCI Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences has resulted in UCI being consistently ranked as one of the top feeder institutions by the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) in recent years. DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY:The UCI Pharmaceutical Sciences Bachelor of Science offers a unique pre-pharmacy educational experience in an effort to better prepare undergraduates for the rigors of the doctorate of pharmacy curriculum.

Stress levels in college students are increasing at an alarmingly fast pace. To combat this rising tide, universities need effective tools to promote student well-being and help them to recognize and manage their stress. One approach is to teach students basic lifestyle skills to cope with stress and achieve wellness. This is important as it not only increases students’ retention within a chosen field of study, but assists them to achieve personal and academic success. To inspire our undergraduate students to adopt healthy lifestyle choices, a once-weekly course titled “Life101” was developed with topics that focused on students’ wellness such as stress management, emotional intelligence, financial management, nutrition, and exercise. Classes were taught through a combination of lecture, multimedia videos, and discussions. Here, we share our observational findings outlining the potential benefits (short- and long-term) for students participating in Life 101. Based on pre- and post-course survey data from students, both in-class and online, Life101 had a significant positive impact on the lifestyle of our students. The main outcomes from this study were: 1) both in-class and online courses resulted in positive lifestyle changes in our students; 2) online students showed greater mastery of course topics compared to their in-class peers; and 3) long-term benefits from the course were reported after a one-year follow-up. Although, this collective positive impact may suggest that offering Life101 to undergraduate students can serve to improve students’ mental and physical health, a prospective study is needed to confirm these findings.

The main goal of this paper is to present the case for shifting the focus of research on aging and anti-aging from lifespan pharmacology to what I like to call healthspan pharmacology, in which the desired outcome is the extension of healthy years of life rather than lifespan alone. Lifespan could be influenced by both genetic and epigenetic factors, but a long lifespan may not be a good indicator of an optimal healthspan. Without improving healthspan, prolonging longevity would have enormous negative socioeconomic outcomes for humans. Therefore, the goal of aging and anti-aging research should be to add healthy years to life and not merely to increase the chronological age. This article summarizes and compares two categories of pharmacologically induced lifespan extension studies in animal model systems from the last two decades-those reporting the effects of pharmacological interventions on lifespan extension alone versus others that include their effects on both lifespan and healthspan in the analysis. The conclusion is that the extrapolation of pharmacological results from animal studies to humans is likely to be more relevant when both lifespan and healthspan extension properties of pharmacological intervention are taken into account.

The main goal of this paper is to present the case for shifting the focus of research on aging and anti-aging from lifespan pharmacology to what I like to call healthspan pharmacology, in which the desired outcome is the extension of healthy years of life rather than lifespan alone. Lifespan could be influenced by both genetic and epigenetic factors, but a long lifespan may not be a good indicator of an optimal healthspan. Without improving healthspan, prolonging longevity would have enormous negative socioeconomic outcomes for humans. Therefore, the goal of aging and anti-aging research should be to add healthy years to life and not merely to increase the chronological age. This article summarizes and compares two categories of pharmacologically induced lifespan extension studies in animal model systems from the last two decades-those reporting the effects of pharmacological interventions on lifespan extension alone versus others that include their effects on both lifespan and healthspan in the analysis. The conclusion is that the extrapolation of pharmacological results from animal studies to humans is likely to be more relevant when both lifespan and healthspan extension properties of pharmacological intervention are taken into account.

Unlabelled

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of college students worldwide. As colleges shifted to online instruction, students faced disruptions and increased stressors, leading to a decline in mental health that appears to continue in the postpandemic era. To alleviate this problem, academic institutions have implemented various interventions to address mental health issues; however, many of these interventions focus on a single approach and lack diverse delivery methods. This viewpoint introduces the concept of a multimodal self-care online course, Life101: Mental and Physical Self-Care, and discusses the potential effectiveness of such an intervention in improving students' well-being. The course combines evidence-based interventions and incorporates interactive lectures, workshops, and guest speakers. Pre- and postcourse surveys were conducted over a span of 4 academic terms to evaluate the impact of this course on the well-being and self-care practices of students. The survey data suggest positive outcomes in students taking Life101, including the adoption of healthier habits, reduced stress levels, and increased knowledge and practice of self-care techniques. Life101 represents a novel multimodality intervention to address the epidemic of mental health issues faced by students today. By implementing similar evidence-based multimodal didactic curricula across campuses, academic institutions may be able to better equip students to navigate challenges and promote their overall well-being.

In the age of clickbait and targeted marketing, we are constantly exposed to hype and misleading claims about dietary supplements. Many of us may need to take dietary supplements for various reasons (i.e., vitamin and mineral deficiencies). The goal of this chapter is not to advise against taking the dietary supplements that we need. The chapter will explore areas about which we all need to know: how to find what is scientifically known about supplements, where to look for the most rigorous studies, and how to assure the quality of a supplement in the absence of a formal FDA approval process. Although scientific certainty is the goal, high-quality botanical extracts that have worked for thousands of years to alleviate a variety of symptoms and improve human health are likely to continue working if used in the right context, science or no science.

Herbal supplements have been used as adjuncts to medical therapy for many years by various cultures. Many consumers believe that because herbal supplements are natural products, they are somewhat safer or more effective than traditional prescribed medications. This is also one reason that alternative medicine is growing and gaining more popularity. On the other hand, adverse reactions to herbal supplements or their interactions with patients' current medications are no different than pharmaceutical medicines. We report a case of premature ventricular contraction associated with two herbal supplements. These products contained multiple different herbs and both included large doses of guarana. Guarana, which is found in some supplements marketed in U.S., contains a substantial amount of caffeine. Although the exact cause of tachycardia in our report is not proven, a large amount of caffeine consumption is thought to be a possible causal effect. The purpose of this report is to remind health care professionals to evaluate and educate patients on the use of herbal products and any potential adverse reactions, drug interactions, or possible toxicities.

Angiotensin II (AT-II)-receptor antagonists are reviewed. Research focused on blocking the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) led to the discovery of angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which are effective in the treatment of hypertension but are associated with a high frequency of cough and other adverse effects. AT-II-receptor antagonists were developed as agents that would more completely block the RAS and thus decrease the adverse effects seen with ACE inhibitors. AT-II-receptor antagonists include losartan, valsartan, irbesartan, candesartan, eprosartan, telmisartan, and tasosartan. Several clinical trials have demonstrated that AT-II-receptor antagonists are as effective as calcium-channel blockers, beta-blockers, and ACE inhibitors in the treatment of hypertension and induce fewer adverse effects. The adverse effects of AT-II-receptor antagonists--dizziness, headache, upper-respiratory-tract infection, cough, and gastrointestinal disturbances--occur at about the same rate as with placebo. [corrected]. All available AT-II-receptor antagonists seem to be equally effective in reducing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and they are comparable in cost. Currently, AT-II-receptor antagonists are used either as monotherapy in patients who cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors or in combination with other antihypertensive agents. Angiotensin II-receptor antagonists are well tolerated and are as effective as ACE inhibitors in decreasing blood pressure.

Objective

Evaluate utilization and diagnosis rates in a self-pay, self-referred screening program for dyslipidemia.

Design

301 patients self-referred to the clinical laboratory for lipid testing in a two-year period. The patient population that participated was characterized in terms of insurance status, gender, age, and known cardiovascular risk factors. Lipid profiles were characterized as measured by total cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and total cholesterol to HDL risk factor.

Setting

Clinical laboratory in an academic medical center.

Patients

Data from all patients that self-selected for screening were included.

Interventions

Immediate laboratory results with both verbal and written interpretations and recommendations were provided to the patients.

Main outcome measures

Age, gender, insurance status, number of known risk factors, and lipid profiles in the subject group.

Results

The mean age of participants was 57 years. Men (197) outnumbered women (104) by almost 2:1; most (94%) had health insurance. At presentation, 44% of the patients had more than one risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). 151 individuals (50%) had lipid findings that would require at least dietary intervention by NCEP guidelines.

Conclusion

A self-pay, self-referred screening program for lipid disorders is an effective means of improving screening and diagnosis rates. Patients with insurance were willing to pay for the convenience offered and men in particular were more likely to self-refer than women, independent of previous knowledge of risk factors or lipid disorders.