READING 4 The Science of Aging

The SCIENCE of AGING

Read the following article. Pay special attention to the words in bold. 11.6

Do you wish you could live to be 100 years old or more? The answer to that question probably depends on how healthy you would be at that age, both physically and mentally. Does an elderly person wish he or she had the memory of a young person? Probably. As we age, most people’s memories diminish1 .

How much of longevity2 and health is determined by genetics3? How much by environment? To analyze why some people live a much longer, healthier life than others, scientists have been traveling to areas of the world where there are a number of centenarians, or people 100 or more years old. They have found certain groups in Japan, Italy, New York, and California who outlive others around them.

Women are more likely than men to live to be 100 by a ratio of four or five to one. However, scientists no longer think that this is genetic. Women take better advantage of diet and medical care than men do.

For years, scientists have wished they could find the genes for diseases. But now they have changed their focus. They are looking for genes that can protect us from disease and aging. Scientists are looking at the genes of the “wellderly” (well + elderly). These are people over 80 who have no chronic4 diseases, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. They have found that, besides genetics, there are many factors that influence longevity—diet, education, response to stress, and even luck.

Salvatore Caruso, a centenarian from Italy, broke his leg when he was a young man. As a result, he was unfit to serve in the Italian Army when his entire unit was called to serve during World War II. At the time, he wished he could have served with his unit. “They were all sent to the Russian front5,” he said, “and not a single one of them came back.” Whatever factors contribute to long life, a little luck doesn’t hurt.

1 to diminish: to lessen, reduce, or become limited 2 longevity: the length of life 3 genetics: the passing of physical characteristics from parents to children 4 chronic: long lasting, persistent 5 front: the area where two enemy forces meet in battle

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