Climate change and healthy ageing: An assessment of the impact of climate hazards on older people

Copyright \ua9 2024 by the Journal of Global Health. All rights reserved. Background: Climate change not only directly impacts older people\u27s longevity but also healthy ageing, which is the process of maintaining physical and mental capacities while optimising functional abilities. The urgency to address both population ageing and climate change necessitates a rethink and assessment of the impact of climate change on older people. This includes identifying what can be done to anticipate, mitigate and adapt to climate change and engage older persons. Methods: A review of climate change and healthy ageing forms the basis of evidence in this report. We developed a comprehensive search to assess current literature, combining terms related to ageing and climate change across four major data sets and assessing articles published up to the end of 2021. Results: We summarised the current and future impact of climate change on older people and developed a framework identifying climate change impacts on older persons, recognising social and environmental determinants of healthy ageing. Major hazards and some key exposure pathways include extreme temperatures, wildfire, drought, flooding, storm and sea level rise, air quality, climate-sensitive infectious diseases, food and water insecurities, health and social care system displacement, migration, and relocation. Strategies to address climate change require interventions to improve systems and infrastructure to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience. As a heterogeneous group, older people\u27s perceptions of climate change should be integrated into climate activism. Increasing climate change literacy among older people and enabling them to promote intergenerational dialogue will drive the development and implementation of equitable solutions. Pathways may operate via direct or indirect exposures, requiring longitudinal studies that enable assessment of exposures and outcomes at multiple time points, and analyses of cumulative impacts of hazards across the life course. Conclusions: The lack of systematic reviews and primary research on the impact of most climate hazards, except for heat, on older people is apparent. Future research should include outcomes beyond mortality and morbidity and assess how older people interact with their environment by focusing on their capacities and optimising abilities for being and doing what they value

Defining and implementing a National Policy for Science, Technology, and Innovation in Health: lessons from the Brazilian experience Definição e implementação de uma Política Nacional de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação em Saúde: lições a partir da experiência brasileira

The need for clearly-defined health research policies and priorities has been emphasized in the international scenario. In Brazil, this process began in 2003, when a group appointed by the National Health Council proposed 20 sub-agendas to account for the various health research specificities. The second step was to identify research priorities for each sub-agenda during national seminars involving 510 researchers and policymakers. The 2nd National Conference on Science, Technology, and Innovation in Health was held in July 2004. During the preparatory phase, 307 cities and 24 States organized local conferences, involving 15,000 participants. Some 360 health sector delegates were appointed during the local conferences, in addition to those from the education and science and technology sectors. During the Conference, the national policy was approved and 3 other sub-agendas were introduced and approved. The national policy and the priority agenda are currently guiding investments by the Ministry of Health for research and development, and to a certain extent those from the Ministry of Science and Technology as well. From 2003 to 2005, 24 calls for proposals were launched; as a result, 3,962 research projects were submitted and 1,300 financed.<br>A necessidade de estabelecer uma política de ciência e tecnologia em saúde e prioridades de pesquisa em saúde foi destacada no cenário internacional. No Brasil, estes processos iniciaram em 2003, quando um grupo designado pelo Conselho Nacional de Saúde propôs 20 subagendas para abarcar as especificidades da pesquisa em saúde. O segundo passo foi identificar prioridades em cada subagenda, durante seminários nacionais envolvendo 510 cientistas e gestores. A 2ª Conferência Nacional de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação em Saúde ocorreu em julho de 2004. Durante a fase preparatória 307 municípios e 24 Estados organizaram conferências locais, envolvendo 15 mil pessoas. Do setor saúde foram indicados 360 delegados nas conferências locais, além dos indicados pelos setores de educação e ciência e tecnologia. Durante a conferência, a política nacional foi aprovada e três novas subagendas foram introduzidas e aprovadas. Atualmente, a política nacional e a agenda de prioridades estão guiando os investimentos de recursos para pesquisa e desenvolvimento do Ministério da Saúde e, de certa forma, do Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia. Entre 2003 e 2005, 24 editais de pesquisa foram lançados, nos quais foram recebidas 3.962 propostas de pesquisa e aprovadas 1.300

Functional crosstalk of PGC-1 coactivators and inflammation in skeletal muscle pathophysiology

Skeletal muscle is an organ involved in whole body movement and energy metabolism with the ability to dynamically adapt to different states of (dis-)use. At a molecular level, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivators 1 (PGC-1s) are important mediators of oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle and in other organs. Musculoskeletal disorders as well as obesity and its sequelae are associated with PGC-1 dysregulation in muscle with a concomitant local or systemic inflammatory reaction. In this review, we outline the function of PGC-1 coactivators in physiological and pathological conditions as well as the complex interplay of metabolic dysregulation and inflammation in obesity with special focus on skeletal muscle. We further put forward the hypothesis that, in this tissue, oxidative metabolism and inflammatory processes mutually antagonize each other. The nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway thereby plays a key role in linking metabolic and inflammatory programs in muscle cells. We conclude this review with a perspective about the consequences of such a negative crosstalk on the immune system and the possibilities this opens for clinical applications