Postoperative neurocognitive impairment is an urgent problem with global aging accelerating. The prevention and treatment of postoperative neurocognitive impairment have been widely investigated but lack effective strategies. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), a non-invasive tool, has shown an effect on neuroprotection, but whether it could attenuate the postoperative neurocognitive impairment and the underlying mechanisms remains unknown. An experimental setup for LIPUS stimulation of the hippocampus was well established. A laparotomy model in aged mice was applied, and a Morris water maze was used to assess cognitive function. RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to detect levels of Piezo1, synapse-associated proteins in the hippocampus, respectively. Immunofluorescent staining was also used to determine the neural activation and Piezo1 expression. The results showed that LIPUS increased synapse-related proteins of the hippocampus and attenuated cognitive impairment in aged mice. Meanwhile, LIPUS suppressed the overexpression of Piezo1 in the hippocampus. We further found that LIPUS promoted Calpain1 activity and increased extracellular regulated protein kinases (Erk) phosphorylation. Our results suggested that LIPUS could improve cognitive impairment and increase hippocampal synaptogenesis through the Piezo1-mediated Calpain1/ Erk pathway. LIPUS could be used as an effective physical intervention to alleviate postoperative cognitive dysfunction in the aged population.

Background: Chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a well‐established driver of skin aging. However, its potential to accelerate systemic biological aging and the protective role of sun‐protective behaviors at a population level remain largely unexplored. Objective: To investigate the association between the frequency of engaging in sun‐protective behaviors and the pace of biological aging. Methods: We analyzed data from 5585 participants in the NHANES and 279,664 participants in the UK Biobank, focusing on sun‐protective behaviors and their association with biological aging, as measured by the PhenoAge algorithm. Multivariable linear regression models were employed to assess the impact of sun protection on biological age. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed to examine the influence of sunburn history and sun sensitivity on this relationship. Results: Sun‐protective behaviors were significantly associated with slower biological aging in both datasets. In NHANES, engaging in at least two sun‐protective behaviors was linked to a 0.66‐year reduction in PhenoAge ( β = −0.66, p = 0.012). Moderate and frequent sunscreen use reduced biological aging by 0.47 years and 0.72 years, while frequent long sleeve use was associated with a 0.57‐year reduction. In the UK Biobank, moderate and frequent sun protection use were associated with reductions of 0.51 years ( β = −0.51, p < 0.001) and 0.68 years ( β = −0.68, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses suggested that this association was more pronounced among individuals without a history of sunburn or high sun sensitivity. Conclusion: Sun‐protective behaviors, particularly regular use of sunscreen, are inversely associated with biological aging. These findings underscore the importance of adopting sun protection measures as part of a healthy lifestyle to potentially delay aging and reduce the risk of age‐related diseases.

Background: Although altered grip strength is a recognized predictor of various central nervous system disorders, large‐scale clinical evidence linking it to delirium and postoperative delirium (POD) remains scarce. Using data from the UK Biobank (UKB), this study investigated the association between baseline grip strength and the future risk of incident delirium. Methods: We analyzed 452,711 UKB participants without delirium at baseline. Grip strength was measured at study entry. Incident delirium was identified from hospital records using ICD‐10 code F05. POD was defined by the occurrence of surgery before delirium diagnosis, using postoperative windows of 3 and 7 days. Accelerated failure time (AFT) were used in the primary analyses to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The proportional hazards assumption was assessed using Schoenfeld residual tests. Because sex modified the associations of interest, sex‐stratified analyses were performed. Restricted cubic spline analyses and Kaplan–Meier curves were used to characterize dose‐response patterns and cumulative incidence. Results: Over a median follow‐up of 14.9 years, 7695 incident delirium events were identified. Lower baseline grip strength was associated with higher risks of incident delirium and POD. Sex modified these associations, particularly for incident delirium and POD defined within 3 days after surgery. In both males and females, restricted cubic spline analyses supported inverse associations between grip strength and the risks of incident delirium, POD within 3 days, and POD within 7 days. Kaplan–Meier curves showed higher cumulative incidence across decreasing grip strength tertiles. In fully adjusted models, lower grip strength remained associated with higher risks across outcomes in both sexes. The lowest grip strength tertile consistently showed the highest risk. In females, however, the intermediate tertile was associated with incident delirium but not with POD. Conclusion: Lower baseline grip strength was independently associated with higher risks of incident delirium and POD, with modest sex‐related differences in the strength of association. Grip strength measurement may offer a simple, noninvasive means of identifying individuals at increased risk of delirium‐related outcomes.