Healthy living and ageing

Healthy living and ageing research aims to understand and support studies on longevity and well-being from genetic, molecular and cellular factors and processes.

Overview

Healthy living and ageing affords people the environment and the opportunity to do what they value in their lifetime. Disease is the main threat to people’s wellbeing. The top causes of death in the UK in 2018 were:

• dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
• ischaemic heart diseases
• cerebrovascular diseases
• chronic lower respiratory diseases
• lung cancer.

Our aims

We are developing the novel methods combined with engineering for the prevention, early detection and diagnosis, and treatment of age-related diseases and their risk factors.

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions

MSK conditions affect millions of people each year, impacting their ability to live and age healthily. Conditions include:

• osteoarthritis
• rheumatoid arthritis
• gout
• back pain
• neck pain
• fibromyalgia
• osteoporosis.

In 2017 these conditions accounted for more than 22% of the total burden of ill health in the UK. The prevalence of these diseases increases significantly with age.

More than 50% of over 65 year olds in the UK are living with at least one MSK condition. This can mean living in pain and having to deal with functional limitations that can impact everyday life such as loss of dexterity, strength and mobility.

Impacts

• Pain and functional limitations can subsequently cause fatigue and depression.
• MSK pain is one of the key barriers to maintaining physical activity and can be considered a key factor in onset of frailty.
• Loss of participation have a serious and significant impact on an individual’s enjoyment of life. People with MSK conditions are more likely to have a lower quality of life than those without MSK conditions.
• Osteoarthritis in particular causes both premature ageing and premature mortality. People with osteoarthritis have an increased risk of dying than people of a similar age.

Research team