Exceptional Longevity


Book Description

States that the number of genuine long-livers is exploding and a substantial proportion of new-borns in developed countries may survive to celebrate their 100th birthday. This book examines the storied realms of exceptional longevity.




The Quest for Human Longevity


Book Description

"Many scientists today are working to retard the aging process in humans so as to increase both life expectancy and the quality of life. Over the past decade impressive results have been achieved in targeting the mechanisms and pathways of aging. In The Quest for Human Longevity, Lewis D. Solomon considers these scientific studies by exploring the principal biomedical anti-aging techniques. The book also considers cutting edge research on mental enhancements and assesses the scientific doubts of skeptics. The Quest for Human Longevity is also about business. Solomon examines eight corporations pursuing various age-related interventions, profiling their scientific founders and top executives, and examining personnel, intellectual property, and financing for each firm. Academic scientists form the link between research and commerce. Solomon notes that the involvement of university scientists and researchers follows one of two models. The first is a traditional model in which scientists leave academia to work for a corporation or remain in academia and obtain business support for their research. The second is a modern model in which scientists use their intellectual property as a catalyst for acquiring equity interests in the firms they organize. Critics have pointed to the dangers of commercialized science, but Solomon's analysis, on balance, finds that the benefits outweigh the costs and that problems of secrecy and conflicts of interest can be addressed. If scientists succeed in unlocking the secrets of aging and developing drugs or therapies that will allow us to live decades longer, the consequences for society will include profound social, political, economic, and ethical questions. Solomon deals with the public policy aspects of significant life extension and looks at the conflict between those who advocate the acceptance of mortality and the partisans of life. The Quest for Human Longevity will be of interest to policymakers, sociologists, scientists, and studen"




Human Longevity, Individual Life Duration, and the Growth of the Oldest-Old Population


Book Description

Old-age survival has considerably improved in the second half of the twentieth century. Why has such a substantial extension of human lifespan occurred? How long can we live? In this book, these fundamental questions are explored by experts from diverse fields. They report on recent cutting-edge studies about essential issues of human longevity and social factors of long survival in old age.




The Biology of Human Longevity


Book Description

Written by Caleb Finch, one of the leading scientists of our time, The Biology of Human Longevity: Inflammation, Nutrition, and Aging in the Evolution of Lifespans synthesizes several decades of top research on the topic of human aging and longevity particularly on the recent theories of inflammation and its effects on human health. The book expands a number of existing major theories, including the Barker theory of fetal origins of adult disease to consider the role of inflammation and Harmon's free radical theory of aging to include inflammatory damage. Future increases in lifespan are challenged by the obesity epidemic and spreading global infections which may reverse the gains made in lowering inflammatory exposure. This timely and topical book will be of interest to anyone studying aging from any scientific angle. Author Caleb Finch is a highly influential and respected scientist, ranked in the top half of the 1% most cited scientists Provides a novel synthesis of existing ideas about the biology of longevity and aging Incorporates important research findings from several disciplines, including Gerontology, Genomics, Neuroscience, Immunology, Nutrition




Genetic Determinants of Human Longevity


Book Description

In the last two decades, due to the continuous increase of lifespans in Western societies, and the consequent growing of the elderly population, have witnessed an increase in the number of studies on biological and molecular factors able to promote healthy aging and reach longevity. The study of the genetic component of human longevity demonstrated that it accounts for 25% of intra population phenotype variance. The efforts made to characterize the genetic determinants suggested that the maintenance of cellular integrity, inflammation, oxidative stress response, DNA repair, as well as the use of nutrients, represent the most important pathways correlated with a longer lifespan. However, although a plethora of variants were indicated to be associated with human longevity, only very few were successfully replicated in different populations, probably because of population specificity, missing heritability as well as a complex interaction among genetic factors with lifestyle and cultural factors, which modulate the individual chance of living longer. Thus, many challenges remain to be addressed in the search for the genetic components of human longevity. This Special Issue is aimed to unify the progress in the analysis of the genetic determinants of human longevity, to take stock of the situation and point to future directions of the field. We invite submissions for reviews, research articles, short-communications dealing with genetic association studies in human longevity, including all types of genetic variation, as well as the characterization of longevity-related genes.




Human Longevity, Individual Life Duration, and the Growth of the Oldest-Old Population


Book Description

Old-age survival has considerably improved in the second half of the twentieth century. Why has such a substantial extension of human lifespan occurred? How long can we live? In this book, these fundamental questions are explored by experts from diverse fields. They report on recent cutting-edge studies about essential issues of human longevity and social factors of long survival in old age.







Human Longevity: the Major Determining Factors


Book Description

Two thousand years ago, the average life expectancy from birth to death of a Roman citizen, an individual better off than most people at that time, was about 22 years (wars, infectious diseases, trauma, etc.). This progressively increased to about 47 years in the U.S. and most European countries by 1900. Today, the average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78 years (women about five years more than men). However, unless the obesity pandemic is reversed and lifestyles improved, the average life expectancy will likely decrease significantly. conversely, if our lifestyles improve, the average life expectancy could reach 85 or more years. Growing older does not necessarily mean growing sicker. Thus, "don't just add years to your life, add life to your years" (Hans Selve). Indeed, of the 15 major causes of death in the U.S., 65-70% are lifestyle-related. In this book, the following documented topics that are associated with diseases and mortality are discussed in detail: theories of aging; diseases and mortality associated with obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition; psychological stress (anxiety, depression); addiction (alcohol, tobacco, drugs); violence (suicide, homicide); food-borne and infectious diseases (viral, bacterial, parasitic); and various other conditions (air pollution, asbestosis, trace metals).







Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries


Book Description

During the last 25 years, life expectancy at age 50 in the United States has been rising, but at a slower pace than in many other high-income countries, such as Japan and Australia. This difference is particularly notable given that the United States spends more on health care than any other nation. Concerned about this divergence, the National Institute on Aging asked the National Research Council to examine evidence on its possible causes. According to Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries, the nation's history of heavy smoking is a major reason why lifespans in the United States fall short of those in many other high-income nations. Evidence suggests that current obesity levels play a substantial part as well. The book reports that lack of universal access to health care in the U.S. also has increased mortality and reduced life expectancy, though this is a less significant factor for those over age 65 because of Medicare access. For the main causes of death at older ages-cancer and cardiovascular disease-available indicators do not suggest that the U.S. health care system is failing to prevent deaths that would be averted elsewhere. In fact, cancer detection and survival appear to be better in the U.S. than in most other high-income nations, and survival rates following a heart attack also are favorable. Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries identifies many gaps in research. For instance, while lung cancer deaths are a reliable marker of the damage from smoking, no clear-cut marker exists for obesity, physical inactivity, social integration, or other risks considered in this book. Moreover, evaluation of these risk factors is based on observational studies, which-unlike randomized controlled trials-are subject to many biases.