THE SCIENCE OF AGING INTERVENTIONS
THE SCIENCE OF AGING INTERVENTIONS By Professor Suresh I. S. Rattan The science of aging research and its interventions is progressing at a rapid pace. The three pillars of health– food, physical activity, and social-mental engagement– are accessible to an hormetic way of life, using respective hormetins from various sources, including food supplements. Old age is a privilege, not a birthright This is because our species, just as all other species, has evolved to live up to an age that is essentially required for successful reproduction and continuation of generations. Such a natural or “essential lifespan” (ELS) for our species is about 45 years [1, 2]. It is a great achievement of human ingenuity with respect to social, medical, and technological developments that most of us can expect, and wish, to live much beyond our ELS. For most of the human history, living in old age was a rarity. Living beyond ELS allows aging phenotype to emerge- slowly, steadily, and progressively. Muscles become weaker and thinner. Bones become brittle and porous. Hormone levels decrease. Skin becomes wrinkled and dry. Hair stops growing and loses its color. Blood vessels become | 14 | Aging Matters
hardened and thickened. Energy levels become low. Seeing near and far becomes less sharp. Hearing becomes difficult. The ability to smell and taste is reduced. Digesting and absorbing food declines. Short term memory fails. That is not all and for some can be even worse. Crossing the threshold into chronic and progressive diseases of old age- dementia, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, cataracts, arthritis, and several cancers– becomes a reality. Old age is not good news I wish I had something positive to say about the body in old age. Any so-called positive traits of old age, for example experience, wisdom, empathy, and freedom, are socially constructed and, in modern times, are mostly wishful imaginaries. Obviously, such aging matters to all, and therefore demands action to do something about it.
About the author Professor Rattan is the head at the department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Aarhus University in Denmark. He is a world renowned biogerontologist, researching the biology of aging, and in addition to his professional research work, he is also very much interested and involved in the public communication of its science.
So, what do we really want to do about aging and old age? ►► Do we want to reverse the biological changes that have occurred over time, and revert to some earlier age? ►► Or do we want to continue to age while becoming frail, but without ever crossing over the threshold of becoming clinically ill? ►► Or do we want to slow down the pace of aging, so that all age-related changes and deteriorations occur later, thus prolonging the lifespan and delaying death? ►► Or do we want to eliminate death and continue to live indefinitely?
