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Living Longer

 

Live Long, If You Prosper

At an age that lies somewhere between Kid Rock and Mr. Spock, any talk of extending my stay with the living gets the immediate attention of my good ear. While waiting in a crowded clinic for a flu shot, I overheard two people discussing an article one was reading about "living forever". This immunized me from terminal boredom by injecting my thoughts with several interesting questions. Will medical science develop a fountain of youth in my lifetime? Will these life extending treatments be available for everyone? How much earlier do I need to get here next flu season to get a better magazine selection?

Scientists are close to unlocking the genetic secrets that could allow us live for centuries, maybe forever. Researchers around the world are learning more about how and why we age. Advances in biotechnology, tissue regeneration, artificial organs, diagnostic procedures and life saving drugs will make it almost certain that we will enjoy longer lives as time progresses. Some scientists predict that by the year 2075, medical technology will have slowed the aging process to a crawl and eliminated most life threatening illnesses.

But don't buy your tickets for the 2080 Summer Olympics just yet. There may be a high price to pay for living longer. Will health plans cover treatments that extend lives past their "natural" end? What will manufacturers charge for a drug that promises eternal life? The obvious answers are; "Not likely." and "As much as they can."

For the sake of society, especially my small part of it, I hope that life extending breakthroughs will be available for all. Perhaps in the years that it takes for us to develop these advanced medical techniques, we will also learn enough about ourselves to become more compassionate and fair. 

Links to more information:

Closing in on the Cure for Death - by Aubrey de Grey,  The Longevity Meme 

The Quest For Immortality - How would you like to live say, 400 or 500 years, or even more and all of them in perfect health? 

Human Longevity and Aging Research

Today, more people than ever before are enjoying robust health and productivity well into their seventies, eighties, and beyond. Life expectancy for Americans, around 49 years in 1900, has increased over the past century to about 76, thanks to improvements in health care, nutrition, and the overall standard of living for most people. Furthermore, demographic projections suggest that life expectancy for men and women who maintain the healthiest lifestyle patterns will continue to increase. In fact, centenarians (persons 100 years of age and older) are the fastest-growing segment of our population. Article from the National Institute on Aging. 

 

Have you ever dreamed of climbing Mt. Everest – on your 125th birthday?

Los Angeles, CA (May 19, 2008) On Friday June 27th, leading scientists and thinkers in stem cell research and regenerative medicine will gather in Los Angeles at UCLA for Aging 2008 to explain how their work can combat human aging, and the sociological implications of developing rejuvenation therapies.  

The Longest Lifespan

Jeanne Louise Calment, February 21, 1875 – August 4, 1997) reached the longest confirmed lifespan in history at 122 years and 164 days. Her lifespan has been thoroughly documented by scientific study; more records have been produced to verify her age than for any other case. 

Do you want to live longer?

Exercise regularly.

Eat right.

Check with your doctor before beginning
any exercise routine or change of diet.

Longevity Genetics

Only within the past decade have scientists understood that single genes can significantly affect ageing, once though to be an uncontrollable process of decay.  

Unlocking the Secrets of Longevity Genes

You can assume quite a bit about the state of a used car just from its mileage and model year. The wear and tear of heavy driving and the passage of time will have taken an inevitable toll. The same appears to be true of aging in people, but the analogy is flawed because of a crucial difference between inanimate machines and living creatures: deterioration is not inexorable in biological systems, which can respond to their environments and use their own energy to defend and repair themselves. 

Humans Aging Slower thus Living Longer

“What happens before the age of 2 has a permanent, lasting effect on your health, and that includes aging,” said Dr. David J. P. Barker, a professor of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland and a professor of epidemiology at the University of Southampton in England. 

U.S. study finds potential new ways to fight aging

Researchers said on Thursday they had found more ways to activate the body's own anti-aging defenses -- perhaps with a pill that could fight multiple diseases at once. 

U.S. Life Expectancy Hits New High

Drops in deaths from heart disease, cancer and stroke fuel the trend. Life expectancy rates in the United States are at an all-time high, with people born in 2005 projected to live for nearly 78 years, a new federal study finds. 

'Longevity' Genes Protect Very Old People From The Bad Genes' Harmful Effects

Science Daily — People who live to 100 or more are known to have just as many—and sometimes even more—harmful gene variants compared with younger people. 


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Live Long, If You Prosper

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