A century of aging research; alcohol-related hospitalization trends; AI wearable spots frailty before falls occur – Morning Medical Update

A century of aging research

Researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) to scan nearly 100 years of aging research and found clear shifts — and some big disconnects — in how the field has evolved. In a paper published in Aging-US, scientists analyzed more than 460,000 abstracts from 1925 to 2023 and showed that aging research has moved steadily toward clinical topics like Alzheimer’s and dementia, while basic biology has often marched along separately. The study, led by Jorge Sanz-Ros and colleagues, highlights gaps between lab discoveries and real-world care, along with underexplored links between areas like mitochondria, senescence and epigenetics. The authors say AI-based mapping could help steer future aging research in more connected directions.

Alcohol-related hospitalizations steady, but deaths and costs keep climbing

Alcohol-related hospitalizations in the U.S. didn’t rise overall between 2016 and 2022 — but outcomes got worse, according to a large national analysis published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers found inpatient mortality increased from 2.4% to 3.1%, length of stay grew longer, and total hospital costs reached $32.6 billion in 2022, even after adjusting for inflation. Hospitalizations for alcohol-related medical complications, including liver disease and pancreatitis, rose steadily, despite stable overall admission rates.

AI wearable aims to catch frailty before falls

Engineers at the University of Arizona have developed an AI-powered wearable designed to spot early signs of frailty in older adults — before a fall or hospitalization occurs. The soft mesh sleeve, worn around the thigh, tracks gait patterns like step variability and leg symmetry and analyzes them on the device itself using AI. Reporting in Nature Communications, senior author Philipp Gutruf, Ph.D., said the goal is to move frailty care from reactive to preventive. By processing data locally and sending only results via Bluetooth, the device minimizes power and connectivity needs, making it a potential fit for remote and underserved settings.