WGH Medical/Surgical Unit

09/22/2025

09/14/2025

😴 Napping may be the secret to staying younger and sharper as you age.

A new study of over 6,600 middle-aged and older adults in China has found that regular midday naps of 30–90 minutes are linked to slower biological aging and better brain health.

Researchers used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and discovered that people who never napped showed significantly faster cognitive decline and more advanced biological aging markers—including higher cholesterol, inflammation, and blood pressure—compared to moderate nappers.

Interestingly, the study revealed that the benefits of napping were partly explained by biological age. In other words, people who napped were biologically younger, which in turn supported better memory and mental performance. However, naps longer than 90 minutes didn’t provide the same advantages.

With dementia rates rising worldwide, this research suggests that a simple, low-cost habit like daytime napping could be a powerful tool for healthy aging and protecting the brain.

📖 Source: Huang H, Huang L, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Lan Y. Daytime napping, biological aging and cognitive function among middle-aged and older Chinese: insights from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Front Public Health. 2023 Nov 17;11.

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Polycystic o***y syndrome (PCOS) occurs in 5 to 10% of women. In the United States, it is the most common cause of infertility. Areas of thickened, darkened skin (acanthosis nigricans) may appear in the axillae, on the nape of the neck, in skinfolds, and on knuckles and/or elbows; the cause is high insulin levels due to insulin resistance. Refresh your knowledge: https://mrkmnls.co/47TrdxR

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