Anti-Aging Medicine, Treatments, Life Extension, Rejuvenation
We begin the aging process just as soon as we pop
out of the womb. Every day of our lives our bodies slough off and
regenerate new cells. The speed at which that process takes place
when we are children is vastly different as we get older.
For years explorers searched for the illusive “fountain
of youth.” Unfortunately, it does not exist or you wouldn’t
be reading this. Every day you are bombarded daily with commercial
messages that attempt to lure you into believing that the most recent
miracle drug is just what you need to fight off the ravages of Mother
Nature.
At times it seems as though there are more miracle
methods than ever being flashed in front of your eyes each day. .
.and there are. We are living longer as a whole. Singularly, that
can be a curse or a blessing depending on your perspective.
On this site we will explore low and no cost methods
you can use to help in the anti-aging process. Some of our material
may be new and some serve as reminders of things we may have forgotten.
Anti-Aging medicine and treatments focus on extending
human life beyond the current maximum lifespan. Careful studies of
health statistics support a systems approach to aging. When enough
systems are damaged, a catastrophic failure occurs.
Several aging mechanisms are known, and anti-aging
therapies aim to correct one or more of these:
The Hayflick Limit
Dr. Leonard Hayflick discovered that mammalian cells
divide only a fixed number of times. This "Hayflick limit"
was later proven to be caused by telomeres on the ends of chromosomes
that shorten with each cell-division. When the telomeres are gone,
the DNA can no longer be copied, and cell division ceases.
Telomeres and Telomerase
In 2001, experimenters at Geron Corp. lengthened the
telomeres of senescent mammalian cells by introducing telomerase to
them. They then became youthful cells. Sex and some stem cells regenerate
the telomeres by two mechanisms: Telomerase, and ALT (alternative
lengthening of telomeres).
At least one form of progeria (atypical accelerated
aging) is caused by premature telomeric shortening. In 2001, research
showed that naturally occurring stem cells must sometimes extend their
telomeres, because some stem cells in middle-aged humans had anomalously
long telomeres.
Aubrey de Grey's "engineered negligible senescence"
proposes to substantially extend human lifespan with a short series
of particular cellular therapies.
Hormone Therapy
Experimenters discovered that mice whose pituitary
glands were removed lived half again as long as unmodified mice, though
with terrible side-effects. Therefore, mammals are believed to have
a hormonal system that triggers some age-related disease.
Hormone therapies partially reverse some of the effects
of aging. Growth hormone supplementation reverses many of the hormonal
effects of aging, including sexual hormones, and losses of muscle
and immune function. In mice, it reduces maximum life-span slightly,
while slightly increasing average life-span.
Hormone therapies with sex hormones (i.e. estrogen,
progesterone or testosterone) or their precursors (DHEA) are more
controversial. Although sexual functions increase, side effects to
other body systems are substantial.
More information:
Resetting
the Clock : 5 Anti-Aging Hormones That Are Revolutionizing the Quality
and Length of Life
Staying
Young: Growth Hormone and Other Natural Strategies to Reverse the
Aging Process
Grow
Young With Hgh: The Amazing Medically Proven Plan to Reverse Aging
Hgh:
Age-Reversing Miracle
Feeling
Younger with Homeopathic HGH
The
Superhormone Promise: Nature's Antidote to Aging
Genes and Genetic Modification
In 2002, genetic modification of a small annelid worm
(Caenorhabditis elegans) increased its lifespan sixfold. Related experiments
have increased maximum life-span in mice and fruitflies. These experiments
prove that there is a genetically-coded death clock that triggers
some part of aging. This may be related to the hormonal death clock.
A number of research programs have proven that mutations
in body cells occur and accumulate as an organism ages, and degrade
its function. In 1999, researchers discovered that naturally occurring
stem cells recolonize organ systems, countering this effect by reintroducing
cells from a reduced number of cellular lineages.
The number of cellular lineages is further decreased
because the older half of the reproduced DNA is far more likely to
remain in a stem cell. The mechanism of old-strand conservation is
still being researched.
Gene therapy to repair damaged or diseased cells (including
cancer). This would include extension of teleomeres to reduce cellular
aging and induced failures of telomerase to prevent growth of cancers.
Sugar and Diet
A number of clinicians noted that the cumulative damage
in diabetic patients strongly resembled accelerated aging.
This was generalized into a theory that some aging
is caused when sugar chemically combines with proteins and other bodily
chemicals. It is known that feeding adolescent mice a fully-nutritive
diet with minimal food energy can extend their maximum life-spans
by half.
Breaker medication to remove glycosylated (sugar-damaged)
proteins and to restore elasticity to the organs, especially the heart.
The most famous is l-acetyl carnitine, an amino salt available in
health-food stores in the U.S.
Chromium
It is also known that feeding mice small amounts
of chromium picolinate can extend their maximum life span about 15%.
Chromium is an integral part of active insulin, and insulin is cleaved,
to excrete chromium in normal metabolism.
Most adult nonvegetarians have large amounts of inactive
insulin, which may indicate a chronic deficiency of dietary chromium.
Veterinarians routinely treat middle-aged animals for diabetes with
chromium supplementation.
Supplementation of chromium to increase insulin efficiencies
and reduce blood sugar loads.
Ubiquinone (CoQ10)
Studies of patients with Alzheimer's disease patients
and age-spotting discovered that the body builds deposits of waste
within and without cells. The deposits inside cells are called "lipofuscin"
(Latin for "fat dirt"). These deposits may decrease metabolic
efficiencies, causing some age-related symptoms.
A widely-known therapy against lipofuscin (waste build-up
in the cell) is large doses of an enzymic cofactor called ubiquinone,
or CoQ10. CoQ10 forms chains attached to proteins. A chain of three
CoQ10 molecules marks a protein as "old" and allows cellular
digestive enzymes to attach to it and cleave it.
Heavy chronic doses of CoQ10 can gradually reduce
senile confusion, lower blood pressure, and cause age-spots to fade.
CoQ10 is available as a supplement in most U.S. health food stores.
Free Radicals and Antioxidants
Dr. Dennis Harman theorized that some aging damage
might be caused by oxidative damage to the body. Experiments discovered
that the body has substantial amounts of enzymes and chemicals to
reverse oxidative changes. Studies also showed that longer-lived animals
have larger amounts, per weight of animal of these mechanisms, in
a linear relation to life-span.
The experiments also found an internal mechanism,
respiration in mitochondria, that creates free radicals that would
cause oxidative damage. Feeding of antioxidants to mice increased
average life-spans, but not maximum life spans. It is now believed
that oxidative damage depletes self-repair mechanisms, whose limits
are controlled by other systems.
Antioxidants to reduce oxidative damage to the body.
This does not extend maximum life span, but does increase average
life-spans in a population of mice, indicating that it does reduce
metabolic damage. Popular ones include vitamins E, and C. Glutathione
is an anti-oxidant with life extension properties.
Certain natural antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase
is the most common, require adjuvant minerals on their active sites.
The most common form of superoxide dismutase requires an atom of selenium.
Another common dismutase requires an atom of copper, another zinc.
Stem Cell Therapy
The failures of natural stem cells are now an active
area of research. In many cases of damaged organ systems, stem cells
do not migrate to the damaged area. Stem cell therapy would be used
to replace damaged or diseased cells in living tissue.
Melatonin
Experimenters discovered that mice fed extra melatonin
lived 20 percent longer than control mice.
Caloric Restriction
Caloric restriction has consistently extended the
maximum life-spans of laboratory animals. It works on every animal
in which tests have been completed, from rotifers up to guinea pigs,
and preliminary results on Rhesus monkeys are promising.
It was first popularized by Dr. Roy Walford. Unfortunately
it is acutely uncomfortable. Also, the program must be started in
young adulthood for maximum benefit.
Some studies with mild caloric restriction have had
some benefit when started on middle-aged mice, but the extreme programs
started with young mice actually reduce maximum life-spans of middle-aged
mice.
Caloric restriction can be implemented either as reduced
regular feeding, or as days of fasting alternating with days of free-feeding.
Caloric restriction works because blood glucose levels remain lower
than when food energy is unrestricted.
Research on drugs to mimic caloric restriction continues. A number
of possible CR-mimetics are under study. The most available may be
Resveratrol, which is available over the counter as a supplement.
In 2003, the Life
Extension Foundation funded gene-chip research comparing gene
expression in calorically-restricted mice with the gene expressions
of mice on various prescription drugs, including especially diabetic
drugs.
The researchers found that the diabetic drug Metformin
(trade-marked Glucophage) had identical gene expression in mice, within
the limits of measurement. It is also said to have extended the life
span of mice.
See: Resveratrol
and Human Health
Moderate Exercise
Mild exercise can provide some protection against
system failures, and has other small effects. In particular, exercised
old people are generally less frail, and less prone to break bones,
or have other catastrophic incidents.
Mild strength, aerobic and flexibility training were
all helpful against fragility, with strength training having the largest
effect per unit of time spent by subjects. In mice, mild exercise
(on wheels) lengthens average lifespan, and has a nearly unmeasurable
(<2%) lengthening effect on maximum life spans.
Heavy exercise shortens mices' maximum lifespans
by 5%, but lengthens average life spans. These small effects might
be explained by recent research that shows that stem cells are attracted
by the cytokines released from mild damage, exactly the sort of damage
that might be produced by mild exercise.
Cryonics and Cryopreservation
Some people interested in life extension are interested
in cryonics, as an alternative to certain death from age-related damage.
However cryopreservation can cost from thirty thousand to a hundred
and twenty thousand dollars.
It is usually funded by life insurance, but the amount
of required life insurance may be impractical to purchase for the
elderly, or unhealthy people in late middle age.
The advent of medical nanorobotics in the 2030s could allow significant
increases in the human healthspan.
Cosmetic Surgery
Yet another option involves cosmetic changes to the
individual to create the appearance of youth. Cosmetic surgery is
a large industry offering treatments such as removal of wrinkles ("face
lift"), removal of extra fat (liposuction) and reshaping or augmentation
of various body parts (abdomen, breasts, face). There are also, as
always in history, many fake rejuvenation products that do not work.
Rejuvenation
Rejuvenation
is the procedure of reversing the aging process, thus regaining youth.
As people get older, their health worsens, strength and intelligence
diminishes, beauty goes away. Historically, people in all societies
have looked for a way to regain the qualities of youth.
Various myths tell the stories about the quest for
rejuvenation. It was believed that magic or intervention of a supernatural
power can bring back the youth and many mythical adventurers set out
on a journey to do that, for themselves, their relatives or some authority
that sent them.
In some religions people were to be rejuvenated after
death prior to placing them in heaven.
The stories continued well into the 16th century.
A famous Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León led the expedition
around the Caribbean islands and into Florida to find the Fountain
of Youth. Led by the rumours, the expedition continued the search
and many perished. The Fountain was nowhere to be found as locals
were unaware of its exact location.
Since the emergence of philosophy, sages and self-proclaimed
wizards always made enormous efforts to find the secret of youth,
both for themselves and for their noble patrons and sponsors. It was
widely believed that some potions may restore the youth.
Another commonly cited approach was attempting to
transfer the essence of youth from young people to old. Some examples
of this approach were sleeping with virgins or children (sometimes
literally sleeping, not necessarily having sex), drinking their blood.
In the 20th century it was found that by chance these
methods had a grain of truth in them, although the old methods would
never work, of course. Treatment with blood from placenta or stem
cells or hormone replacement therapy also center around transferring
the "essence of youth" to an older individual.
The quest for Rejuvenation reached its height with
Alchemy. All around the Europe and also beyond alchemists were looking
for the Philosopher's Stone, the mythical substance that, as it was
believed, could not only turn lead into gold, but also prolong life
and restore youth. Although the set goal was not achieved, Alchemy
paved the way to the scientific method and so to the medical advances
of today.
Besides Rejuvenation
there is another approach to solving the underlying problem - slowing
down the aging process. Using a variety of techniques, many of them
probably not discovered yet, it is possible to slow down various mechanisms
responsible for aging.
According to modern science, there are no natural
laws preventing successful rejuvenation. There are numerous methods
that have limited success in prolonging lifes of laboratory subjects
and sometimes partially rejuvenating them. Some of these methods may
be even applicable to humans, but it is not yet known for sure.
Future Developments in Anti-Aging Medicine
Most of the progress, however, lies in the future.
It is expected by some scientists that sometime in the 21st century
it will be possible to rejuvenate humans and extend their lifespan
(and healthspan), even indefinitely.
It is hard to give an exact timeframe for these achievements,
but according to some gerontologists, it will likely be possible to
achieve rejuvenation in adult mice in the next 10-20 years.
More information:
Ageless
Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old
New
Anti-Aging Secrets for Maximum Lifespan
Grow
Younger, Live Longer: 10 Steps to Reverse Aging
Age
Protectors: Your Guide to Perpetual Youth
The
Baby Boomers' Guide to Living Forever
Keep
Your Brain Young: The Complete Guide to Physical and Emotional Health
and Longevity
Dr.
Murray's Total Body Tune-Up: Slow Down the Aging Process, Keep Your
System Running Smoothly, Help Your Body Heal Itself--For Life
Adapted from Wikipedia
Anti-Aging Diet and Lifestyle
Anti Aging Tips and Techniques
Anti-Aging Vitamins
And Diet
Increasing
Longevity Through Better Nutrition
Why DO the Japanese
have the longest lifespan?
Anti-Aging Diet:
You Can Slow the Aging Process, Scientists Say
How To Optimize Your Antioxidants:
The Key To Anti-Aging?
Green Tea: An Oriental Panacea
Revived
Red Wine and Resveratrol :
Cup of Good Cheer
Rooibos Tea: Rejuvenating
Technology for Skin and Body
Anti-Aging is a Lifestyle:
There is no Magic Pill that will Stop the Clock
Anti-Aging
and Disease Prevention
Dietary
Sources of Vitamins and Minerals
Your Best Defence
Against Aging: Your Attitude To Life
Exercise Tips For
Seniors
Anti-Aging Lifestyle
and Prevention Tips
Anti-Aging Supplements
How Taking an HGH Supplement
Changed My Life
Benefits
of Human Growth Hormone – HGH Enhancing Products
How to make HGH and Anti
Aging work for you
Anti-Aging Skin Care
Home
Remedies for Younger Skin
How
to Reverse the Signs of Aging through Healthy Eating
Turning
Back the Hands of Time
Top
Ten Ways to Avoid and Remove Wrinkles
Antioxidants
and Skin Care
The
Best Anti-Aging Treatment is a Sunscreen
