Healthy Life Extension

New Research Says Age 100 is Turning to the New 50

posted on June 06, 2011

Dear Future Centenarian,

“We now know that we can make changes in our lifestyle... and make our middle age a lot higher then previously imagined.”
-Greta Blackburn, health and fitness authority

Research by influential doctors and biologists such as Aubrey de Grey, PhD are increasingly showing that longer, more vital lives are possible in effect, turning the average middle age to around 100.

One of the key factors found in all the research is telomere length. So what are telomeres, and how can the average person take advantage of this research? The “100 is the new 50”'s Greta Blackburn believes she has the answer.

Greta says “Many of my colleagues and I agree there are two kinds of Baby Boomers (and younger!) in this world: those  who will still be alive and full of energy and vitality in 2050, 2111 and beyond... and those who will NOT! Which kind are you? Would you like to learn how to become one of those still standing, prancing, and dancing?"

Now, when a person turns 100, people celebrate by flying in from around the country to congratulate them on such a long life. But could this now rare event become as common place as someone turning 50 today?

Recent news and research is increasingly pointing to “yes”, and “100 is the New 50”'s (http://100isthenew50.com) Greta Blackburn, puts all this research together into one place in a new free worldwide teleseminar.

Recently the world was abuzz with the announcement of the “test that can tell you how long you will live.” The announcement, made by Maria Blasco, published research that has shown a simple blood test (currently only available in the EU) can predict, fairly accurately, how long you have to live. This test measures telomere length.

Telomeres are key structures at the end of chromosomes, who’s length determines how vulnerable your body is to age-related disease such as heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's. Research that discovered the role of telomeres and this connection earned the associated researchers a Nobel Prize in 2009.

Where this research stops is; while it shows when one might die, it doesn’t show us what we can do about it.

This is where research by such figures as famed biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey, PhD; anti-aging pioneer Dr. Vince Giampapa;, Dr. Michael Rose, the famous evolutionary biologist; Dr. David Sinclair; Dr. Calvin Harley; telomere pioneer, Dr. Michael West; the world renowned telomere expert; and health and fitness authority Greta Blackburn, co-author of The Immortality Edge: Realize the Secrets of Your Telomeres for a Longer, Healthier Life, come in.

Greta has been making news herself lately, spreading the good word about what we can do about telomere length.

As she explains, “Telomeres are affected by a host of lifestyle factors, including stress, diet and exercise. We now know we can make changes in our lifestyle that will protect and rejuvenate our telomeres and make our middle age a lot higher then previously imagined. And those telomere tests? Armed with the information in The Immortality Edge, people can be sure the “snapshot” they receive in such a test, can be changed.”    

Greta continues, “With this need for change in our lives, “100 Is The New 50” has made an online teleseminar, titled The 7 Essential Steps to Fight Growing Old—Like Never Before. It is being hosted Greta and David Kekich, and you will meet experts from all ends of the spectrum, including Aubrey De Grey PhD., Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation, and Dr. Joseph Mercola, founder of Mercola.com. Everyone said we were crazy...no way we could get ALL of these experts on one call, but we did. And now YOU get the benefits.”

It is broadcasting online globally for all comers, free of charge, on June 11th at 5 pm Pacific standard time, 8 pm Eastern.

For more information, visit www.100istheNew50.

Long Life,
David Kekich
____________________________

LATEST HEADLINES FROM FIGHT AGING!

GLANCING AT THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF AGING Friday, June  3, 2011 http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2011/06/glancing-at-the-comparative-study-of-aging.php
The BBC here looks briefly at the study of aging in varying animal species - it mangles the scientific details in the usual fashion, but covers much of the territory: "From the moment they are born into the dense jungle of Central Africa, the biological clock is ticking for baby bonobos. A recent study, published in the journal Science, revealed that all primates - from men to monkeys - roughly age in the same way, with a high risk of dying in infancy, a low risk of dying as juveniles and then an increasing risk of dying as they aged. Some species though, have found a few tricks to help them play the aging game and extend their natural lifespans. By doing so, they can live for hundreds of years.

While a select few, by some definitions, may already have become immortal. Some species of bat [can] live for decades [and] the explanation may lie in the way bats protect themselves from protein damage, using special molecules called protein chaperones. Studies of the American lobster (Homarus americanus), have shown that its extreme longevity might be related to the expression of telomerase. High concentrations of telomerase are found in cells that need to divide regularly such as organs and embryonic stem cells.  Access to an elevated supply of telomerase would equip this crustacean with the ability to rebuild cells damaged by aging. The ability to repair cells in this way may help to explain why lobsters can live up to 100 years and are able to regrow limbs even at an 'old age'. Another oceanic resident, the quahog clam (Arctica islandica), is thought to be one of the longest lived metazoans of all. A recent study on this ancient clam, [which] lives more than 400 years, shows it has an increased resistance to oxidative stress. The reasons for the exceptional longevity in Arctica may have little to do with resistance to oxidative stress though. Instead, like in naked mole rats, it may be the integrity of the animal's proteins that may be the key, rather than damaging free radicals or antioxidants used to defend against them."

AN INSPIRING STORY Thursday, June  2, 2011 http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2011/06/an-inspiring-story.php
From the SENS Foundation: "For Max, working at the [SENS Foundation Research Center (SENSF-RC)] has been the culmination of years of dedicated study and preparation. Before he first heard about SENS in early 2005, he wasn't a scientist at all; in fact, he was a 23-year-old cost accountant. When he wasn't studying for his MBA, he was counting other people's money. He knew that he wanted more out of life, though: specifically, he wanted to change the world in a way that would benefit society. As soon as he found and read Aubrey de Grey's Ending Aging, he settled on human health as the area he would strive to impact - and on SENS as the way to make that impact. Over the next few years he committed himself to working in finance, at one point teaching at a local community college, always with the intention of saving his money so that he could return to school to learn about science and laboratory work.

During this period he studied whenever he had the time, reading articles relevant to health and aging in scientific journals. In 2008, Max went back to school full-time at the University of Toledo to study chemistry, math, and biology. He was interested in taking an active role in SENS research as quickly as he could, so he contacted the predecessor of the SENS Foundation Academic Initiative, MFURI.  As a member of the Initiative, he performed a literature review on the harm caused by iron and aluminum accumulation in the body, citing well over a hundred journal articles. Max's paper was accepted by the journal Rejuvenation Research and published in April 2010, just as he was completing his coursework at Toledo. As his next step, Max opted to join the RC staff rather than pursue a PhD opportunity so that he could continue to make as direct and immediate of a contribution to SENS as possible. Max has now been working at the SENSF-RC for one year, and will be staying on to continue his work on the A2E degradation project. In the long term, he hopes to see the LysoSENS project through all of its pre-clinical stages. It is his wish that this work will lead to therapies that can effectively reverse, or at the least greatly slow, the pathology of age-related macular degeneration."

THE IMPLICATIONS OF HORMESIS Wednesday, June  1, 2011 http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2011/06/the-implications-of-hormesis.php
Hormesis is the process by which a little damage or stress to our biology can lead to a longer life span, as it wakes up the repair mechanisms and makes them do a better job than they otherwise would - a net gain in resiliency. Here is a review that summarizes the implications for much of mainstream research into aging and longevity: "Various nutritional, behavioral, and pharmacological interventions have been previously shown to extend life span in diverse model organisms, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, mice, and rats, as well as possibly monkeys and humans. This review aims to summarize published evidence that several longevity-promoting interventions may converge by causing an activation of mitochondrial oxygen consumption to promote increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

These serve as molecular signals to exert downstream effects to ultimately induce endogenous defense mechanisms culminating in increased stress resistance and longevity, an adaptive response more specifically named mitochondrial hormesis or mitohormesis. Consistently, we here summarize findings that antioxidant supplements that prevent these ROS signals interfere with the health-promoting and life-span-extending capabilities of calorie restriction and physical exercise. Taken together and consistent with ample published evidence, the findings summarized here question Harman's Free Radical Theory of Aging and rather suggest that ROS act as essential signaling molecules to promote metabolic health and longevity." ROS can of course be acting both as useful signals and sources of damage in different circumstances - the fact that life can be extended by antioxidants specifically targeted to mitochondria, coupled with the evidence mentioned above, suggests that much.

THE EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON AGING Wednesday, June  1, 2011 http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2011/06/the-effects-of-exercise-on-aging.php
A review paper: "Aging is a gradual process during which molecular and cellular processes deteriorate progressively, often leading to such pathological conditions as vascular and metabolic disorders and cognitive decline. Although the mechanisms of aging are not yet fully understood, inflammation, oxidative damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, functional alterations in specific neuronal circuits and a restricted degree of apoptosis are involved. Physical exercise improves the efficiency of the capillary system and increases the oxygen supply to the brain, thus enhancing metabolic activity and oxygen intake in neurons, and increases neurotrophin levels and resistance to stress.

Regular exercise and an active lifestyle during adulthood have been associated with reduced risk and protective effects for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Similarly, studies in animal models show that physical activity has positive physiological and cognitive effects that correlate with changes in transcriptional profiles. According to numerous studies, epigenetic events that include changes in DNA methylation patterns, histone modification and alterations in microRNA profiles seem to be a signature of aging. Hence, insight into the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the aging process and their modulation through lifestyle interventions such as physical exercise might open new avenues for the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies to treat aging-related diseases."

THE POTENTIAL OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS TO TREAT AGE-RELATED DISEASE Tuesday, May 31, 2011 http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2011/05/the-potential-of-embryonic-stem-cells-to-treat-age-related-disease.php
An open access review of work on regenerative medicine based on embryonic stem cells: "The prospect of repairing or replacing damaged, dysfunctional or missing cells with new functional cells has shifted the therapeutic paradigm toward restoring tissue function in individuals affected with aging-associated diseases. The primary candidate for the development of these therapies is stem cells, particularly human embryonic stem cells (hESC), which have the capacity to self-renew indefinitely and differentiate into all tissue-specific cell types. In this review, we will describe the derivation, maintenance, and properties of pluripotent hESCs. We will also outline the methods used to induce the generation of specific cell types from hESCs, with primary focus on cell types that are applicable in understanding the pathology, as well as a potential source of cell-based therapies, in aging-associated diseases.

As cell replacement therapies are envisioned and realized, their use in the treatment of aging-associated diseases becomes a compelling prospect. hESCs provide much promise as a potential tool in designing such therapies, as well as in drug discovery. It is clear that there are still major scientific challenges as well as ethical and legislative issues that must be addressed. However, it is encouraging to see that clinical trials involving the use of hESCs have begun, and that extensive efforts are underway to efficiently, successfully, and safely differentiate hESCs into specific cell types. These studies will pave the way toward leveraging the therapeutic benefit of hESCs for regenerative medicine, particularly in aging-associated diseases."

PUTTING UPPER BOUNDS ON LONGEVITY DERIVED FROM EXERCISE Monday, May 30, 2011 http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2011/05/putting-upper-bounds-on-longevity-derived-from-exercise.php
Here's an interesting study that might place some upper bounds on the benefits of exercise accruing to longevity by looking at a cohort of the most highly trained and fit athletes. There are potential selection effects here, however - it's possible that only those already predisposed towards longevity on the grounds of general resiliency tend to become highly trained and fit athletes: "It is widely held among the general population and even among health professionals that moderate exercise is a healthy practice but long term high intensity exercise is not. The specific amount of physical activity necessary for good health remains unclear. To date, longevity studies of elite athletes have been relatively sparse and the results are somewhat conflicting.

The Tour de France is among the most gruelling sport events in the world, during which highly trained professional cyclists undertake high intensity exercise for a full 3 weeks. Consequently we set out to determine the longevity of the participants in the Tour de France, compared with that of the general population. We studied the longevity of 834 cyclists from France, Italy and Belgium who rode the Tour de France between the years 1930 and 1964. Dates of birth and death of the cyclists were obtained on December 31 2007. We calculated the percentage of survivors for each age and compared them with the values for the pooled general population of France, Italy and Belgium for the appropriate age cohorts. We found a very significant increase in average longevity (17%) of the cyclists when compared with the general population. The age at which 50% of the general population died was 73.5 vs. 81.5 years in Tour de France participants. Our major finding is that repeated very intense exercise prolongs life span in well trained practitioners. Our findings underpin the importance of exercising without the fear that becoming exhausted might be bad for one's health."

THE IRISH TIMES ON THE SENS FOUNDATION Monday, May 30, 2011 http://www.fightaging.org/archives/2011/05/the-irish-times-on-the-sens-foundation.php
Some mainstream media attention for the work of the SENS Foundation: "Rather than simply slowing aging down, which is what most people have been focused on, we are interested in reversing aging. So taking people who are already in middle age or older and [getting them back to] the same state of health as a young adult. [SENS Foundation co-founder Aubrey de Grey was in Dublin] to talk about how he thinks science will achieve that. So how do you reverse aging? The basis of de Grey's argument is that our metabolism, that complex biochemical orchestra that keeps our bodies running, has side effects that cause damage in the long term. The big insight that governs our work is that we can classify these many different types of damage into just seven major categories. And within each category, there is a particular approach that seems promising to not simply slow it down but repair the damage, so we have less of it than we had before the therapy was started.

The research is at a basic stage, and therapies for use on humans are decades away, according to de Grey. He considers the theme that looks to tackle junk that accumulates between cells to be the most advanced. That's an area being looked at by Dr Brian O'Nuallain, who has just left University College Dublin for Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. He is starting work on a SENS-funded project into an age-associated condition called senile systemic amyloidosis. One aim is to develop an antibody that will pick up when a protein called transthyretin clumps abnormally in heart tissue, which can lead to organ failure. Being able to diagnose this early would maximize the beneficial effects of future therapies for the incurable condition,"

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