Process of Aging

Scientist don't know for sure why the cells senesce (the process of becoming old) at different rates among different organisms and among different people. Molecular biologist's know that our cells can duplicate up to 50 times in vitro (meaning in a test tube or laboratory dish) before they stop, or become senescent cells. Leonard Hayflick discovered it almost 40 years ago. Recent scientist have been able to isolate genes that can cause certain cells to act differently, either age faster, that is, go through their 50 duplications sooner, or extend the number of divisions to 100+.

What these scientist are looking for is the senescent factor (SF), which may be the underlying cause of why our billions of cells stop dividing an thus age. The elusive SG has been viewed from either a "damage" theory or a "programmed" theory point of view.

Damage theories are based on the assumption that aging is the result of accumulated errors from such sources as free radicals. Now free radicals aren't protestors who've been released from jail. They are, according to Denham Harman's 1956 theory, atoms, ions, and molecules that contain an unpaired electron. Based on Harman's idea, the underlying cause of aging and aging-related increases in diseases like cancer, is the accumulation of structural damage to our cells from being constantly bombarded by metabolically generated free radicals. Oxygen free radicals are thought to greatly increase the severity of, if not cause, such life-shortening diseases as diabetes, strokes, and heart attacks. Since longer-lived species have lower rates of free radicals generation than do shorter-lived ones, the life span may be dependent upon our ability to prevent oxidative damage.

By contrast, programmed theories suggest that SF is genetically regulated. While both theories are correct to a certain degree, they are interconnected and have been thought to create a fixed, maximum life span of between 120-130 years.

Now even the presumption of a fixed life span is being questioned. Two researchers at MIT in Cambridge, MA, Drs. David Sinclair and Leonard Guarente believe they have discovered the "Holy Grail" of aging, the SF.

Believe it or not, it may all be a big mistake. These two scientist think that bits of extra DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid, the building blocks of life - accumulate within our cells' nuclei, and that this "junk" DNA builds up to levels that clog normal cell action.

Our mothers have been telling us that junk food is bad for us, now junk DNA may be, too! Actually, what Drs. Sinclair and Guarente published in the prestigious journal, 'Cell', was about brewer's yeast cells; however, they believe that this buildup of junk DNA from too many repeats or our ribosomes - protein producing factories inside a cell's nucleus - is what also causes Werner's syndrome in humans, which is a fatal disease of premature aging.

Persons afflicted with Werner's syndrome are normal until they become teenagers, then they start developing signs of accelerated aging like very wrinkled skin and die in their 30's. If the 'Cell' paper's conclusion is correct, then knowing what the SF is may lead scientist to find ways to slow down the mechanism of cellular senescence, or aging.

Social & Psychological

Since the beginning of the 20th century, life expectancy has increased in the developed world more than in all of recorded history prior to 1900.

Today, in the United States, over 35 million persons are 65 years of age or older, accounting for about 13% of the population. In the year 2030, their numbers will more than double resulting in one in every five American's being over 65. Italy is predicted to reach that mark in 2002. And in May 2011, the first wave (those born in 1946) of the Baby Boomers, start turning 65, the last wave in 2030.

In other parts of the world, 16-18% are already 65+, and by the year 2025, Japan is expected to have twice as many old persons as children. Also, by this time, there will be over one billion older people worldwide. This increase in life expectancy to well beyond 80 years of age is the result of better public health measures, improvements in living conditions, and advances in medical care. The next increases in life expectancy will, no doubt, come from medical research and technology.

Psychology

Gerontologists at the Baltimore Longitudinal Study have been following a group of older people for several decades. The results show that our personalities really don't change much over time. So, if someday someone says you are a mean-spirited old codger, you were probably that way when you were 30- age didn't have anything to do with it. And, as we age, we still like to do the things we did when we were young.

Contrary to popular belief, older people can still drive safely, run in the Olympics (The Senior Olympics, of course) and more good news: older people maintain an interest in sex all of their lives, if they are healthy.

While older people do quite well, there are those who do not.
· Clinical depression is often misdiagnosed.
· Alcoholism is no respecter of age.
· Up to 33% of all older people live alone, most of them widowed women over the age of 85.
· At any point in time, about 5% of our elderly population live in some type of long-term care facility.
· Almost 25% of all older Americans live within about 150% of the federal poverty level.

That means that these older people have around $1000 per month from Social Security and other sources. While covered by Medicare, the federal health program for persons 65 years of age and older, many of these people still spend out -of-pocket as much for drugs, eyeglasses, etc, as they did when Medicare was first started in 1965. The trade off is in food, shelter, and the fun things in life. Thus, there are social gerontologists and geropsychologists who help us understand better those nonphysiological/health-related aspects of aging that involve where and how well we live our lives.

Demographics

Yet another new projection in aging, is that we will see a dramatic increase in the number of centenarians in the United States there may be as many as 2.5 million 100+ year old people in the year 2060 vs. the estimated 76,000 now. These remarkable people are still leading interesting lives come here and read about these centenarians, including Mr. George Dawson of Dallas, Texas, the man, who, at age 98 decided to go to school and learn to read and write. At age 102, Mr. Dawson published a book entitled Life is So Good! And the number of "supercentenarians", those 105 years of age and older will be as commonplace in the next century as centenarians are fast becoming now.

To envision yourself living a long prosperous life you must ask yourself if you:
· Exercised 3-5 times weekly.
· Ate a well balanced diet.
· Maintained a recommended weight level.
· Kept your blood pressure within normal range.
· Did not smoke.
· Consumed alcohol in moderation (no more than 1-2 oz/day) coped effectively with stressful events.
· Had a circle of friends with whom you socialized frequently, saved enough money to be comfortable in your old age.
· Maintained a positive self-attitude about your own aging.
· Were future oriented.
· Remained active in learning new things.

Did you see yourself doing these things or conducting your life "this way"? If so, good, because research indicates that this so called prospective aging, aging well, even productive aging. I think you know why. So like the proverbial Nike "Swoosh", just do it!

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