Thanks for reading The Abstract. This month’s edition is
1,011 words, about a
4-minute read.
Is there a topic that you’d like to see more of in
The Abstract? Drop us a line at
abstract@elysiumhealth.com. Want to get
The Abstract in your inbox? Sign up here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
This month’s edition of
The Abstract spotlights how aging shows up across the body—and what new science suggests we can do about it. From eye drops that may temporarily reduce the need for reading glasses, to research showing how creativity and metabolic pathways influence brain aging, to emerging evidence on
NAD+ precursors and reproductive health, the latest findings reveal a common theme: Small shifts in cellular energy, inflammation, and everyday habits can meaningfully shape how we age.
|
|
|
Could eye drops make reading glasses obsolete?
|
|
|
|
Early data presented at the 2025 meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons point to a simple, non-surgical approach to presbyopia, the age-related loss of the eye’s ability to focus up close: eye drops combining pilocarpine with diclofenac. In a retrospective study of 766 adults, patients gained more than three Jaeger lines of near-vision clarity within an hour—often enough improvement to read comfortably without glasses.
For many, the benefit persisted for more than a year, and some maintained gains for up to two years. Side effects were mostly mild, though the known risks of long-term miotic and NSAID use—including retinal tears and detachments—still apply. Because the findings come from a single center and retrospective design, larger controlled trials are needed, but the early signal suggests a potentially meaningful, low-friction option for people losing near vision with age.
|
|
The Expert’s Take:
“I think that this study supports the use of pilocarpine-based products (e.g., Vuity 1.25% and Qlosi 0.4% are currently FDA approved) for the reduction of symptoms from presbyopia. Thus, providing options to those who seek a non-glasses/non-surgical solution to this natural change of the eye we all experience over time. However, I would still urge caution to weigh the real possibility of a retinal tear and retinal detachment that can be associated with the use of pilocarpine before you start using one of these drops. For this reason, I do not recommend to my friends, family, or patients that they use these drops. Not worth it in my mind—wear reading glasses instead.”
|
Theodore Leng, M.D., M.S.
Director of Clinical and Translational Research and Director of Ophthalmic Diagnostics at Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, member of the Elysium Scientific Advisory Board and
Vision product advisor
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THIS MONTH
|
|
What We’re Reading
|
|
These are third-party articles about science that we find interesting but have no relationship to Elysium or any of our products. Elysium’s products are not intended to screen, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
|
Your brain on creativity ages more slowly
An analysis of more than 1,400 participants found that sustained engagement in creative activities—music, tango dance, visual art, and strategic video games—was linked to significantly delayed brain aging when measured with M/EEG-based brain-clock models. Expertise mattered: Individuals with higher skill levels showed the greatest delays, while even short-term learning produced measurable shifts toward a younger brain profile. Among all groups, tango dancers showed the largest effect, with a predicted brain age 7.1 years younger than their chronological age. (Nature Communications)
|
NAD+ loss ages mouse testes—and NR helps undo the damage
In this mouse study, knocking out Qprt—an enzyme needed to make NAD+ from tryptophan—led to lower testicular NAD+ levels as the animals aged, along with fewer germ cells, poorer-quality sperm production, mitochondrial problems, and errors during meiosis. When the researchers gave the Qprt-deficient mice
nicotinamide riboside (NR), an NAD+ precursor that uses a different pathway, testicular NAD+ levels went back up and many of the defects in spermatogenesis and meiosis were reversed. The findings suggest that healthy NAD+ metabolism is important for maintaining male reproductive function with age, and that NAD+ precursors like NR may have a role—at least in mice—in protecting against testicular aging.* (Aging Cell)
|
NMN may help protect egg quality by supporting mitochondrial energy and stress-resilience
A new systematic review and transcriptomic analysis shows that
nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) improves oocyte quality across multiple animal models by boosting mitochondrial energy production, reducing oxidative stress, and supporting key aging-related pathways. In human oocytes, the genes that shift most with age—especially those tied to mitochondrial function and oxidative stress control (e.g., SIRT3)—map directly onto NMN’s known mechanisms. While clinical trials are still needed, the findings suggest NMN may help preserve or improve egg quality, particularly for women facing age-related reproductive decline. (Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics)
|
Artificial sweeteners linked to faster cognitive decline
An eight-year prospective study of more than 12,700 Brazilian adults, published in Italicize Neurology, found that high consumption of low- and no-calorie sweeteners—including aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol—was associated with accelerated memory loss, poorer verbal fluency, and faster global cognitive decline compared with low consumers. Those in the highest intake group showed cognitive aging equivalent to roughly 1.5 additional years over the study period. The effect was strongest in participants under 60 and in those with diabetes, while tagatose, a natural sweetener, was not linked to decline. (Neurology)
|
|
|
|
|
TERM OF THE MONTH
|
|
Presbyopia
|
|
/ˌprezbēˈōpēə/
|
|
Presbyopia is the age-related loss of the eye’s ability to focus on nearby objects, caused by the gradual stiffening of the lens and reduced flexibility of the ciliary muscle. It typically begins in the early to mid-40s and makes tasks like reading, phone use, and close-up work harder without corrective lenses or other interventions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
AGING 101
|
|
Here’s what happens when you take Vision, starting from week one
|
|
|
|
|
You’re adding Vision to your routine and wondering, “How long will it take to work?” Great question. Here’s what the science shows about how Vision’s formulation supports eye health over time. (Read more)
|
|
|
|
