Just last week, researchers at NYU Langone’s Optimal Aging Institute were awarded $31 million to work on vascular research to see what risk factors may contribute to other age-related illnesses, such as dementia, in those over 85 years old.

This study will be a joint effort from several universities, including NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota, University of Mississippi Medical Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, and Washington University in St. Louis.

Of these organizations, 10 researchers will closely monitor 4,000 participants (between 80-90 years old) who are actively participating in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities – Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS) over the next five years. In addition to biomarker data, the researchers will collect information on cognitive function, physical decline, and age-related disease. As part of this research, the funding will also go towards the integration of 6 wearable devices to monitor sleep, blood glucose levels, physical activity, and heart monitoring.

This is a compelling study and one that will best demonstrate how the use of health wearables within research can shape future care planning to better detect and potentially improve outcomes for those who may struggle with diseases related to old age.