Death is inevitable. But the journey to get there is far from universal.
Now, the average life expectancy at birth at birth globally is about 73 years, but it varies greatly between countries and states in the United States. I and probably many readers know that as they get older, some people are barely losing a step, and as they enter the golden years, they are drastically declining. These realities raise the question: How do we significantly lower the biological clock? Will we be closer to the youth’s source in the near future?
Not that quiet person
There is some good news.
First, the bad news. Our lifespan can be a serious limit. A study last year found that although life expectancy has continued to grow anywhere since the early 20th century, growth rates in the United States and other high-income countries have sank significantly over the past 30 years. Today, only about 3% of women and 1% of men are even expected to reach 100. This study shows that radical lifespan extension is no longer in the foreseeable future.
However, not all hope is lost. Many researchers in the aging field have begun to seek new perspectives. They believe that we should also work hard to improve our health, rather than simply focusing on extending our lifespan, but rather the relatively good and healthy years we have left in the hourglass. This is not a strict difference. Research on the oldest humans found that they are usually healthier than the average person in their lives. However, there are still people who still die in their 1970s or 80s and experience chronic health problems that usually plague peers in advance.
ABC life span
The good news is that as we age, there are several evidence-backed ways to improve or maintain our health. Many of these shouldn’t be as surprising as physical exercise. No matter how old you are, any number and form of exercise, whether it’s jogging, weightlifting or flexibility training, will be good for you.
“There is no doubt that regular exercise is associated with improved longevity and a healthy lifestyle,” Sanjai Sinha, associate professor of clinical medicine at Mount Sinai Health System and a doctor at the Hudson Yard Health Center, told Gizmodo. “There are some data that links exercise to lower risks of cardiovascular, metabolic, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.”
Diet also plays a key role in slowing down the clock. Many different diets are related to lifespan and general health, but according to Sinha, the most consistent is the Mediterranean diet. This diet encourages the consumption of large quantities of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive oil, moderate fish and poultry consumption, as well as limited red and processed meat, refined sugar and saturated fat intake. Reviews of 40 clinical trials in 2023 found that the Mediterranean diet extends six other diets that extend lifespan in people at higher cardiovascular risk.
We can also avoid or at least regulate our intake to prolong our lives. Smoking, drinking heavily (the data is more uncertain, and drinking to moderate alcohol) and sitting behaviors are all related to shorter lifespans. Some unknown or unexpected health risks can also complicate the situation. For example, a study this week found that, for example, there may be a link between faster aging and frequent nightmares.
Anti-aging fools and breakthroughs
We still have a lot to know about the biology of aging, and we know less when slowing down on treatment. Of course, you can browse online pharmacy and store shelves and dozens of supplements or other products claiming anti-aging effects, but after careful examination, the data supporting these claims are often spotty or very preliminary. Just this month, NIH scientists failed to find evidence that aging was associated with a decrease in taurine levels, which were a semi-essential amino acid that was often sold as a supplement, contrary to earlier studies.
“While they may have a positive impact on certain genes and proteins involved in aging, these supplements have not been proven in any well-designed human trials to extend lifespan,” Sinha said. “I don’t think these products or substances stand out from the rest.”
This does not mean that there is no promising longevity medication in this work. Last year, a national study of more than 65 people began testing metformin, a long-term, critical type 2 diabetes drug, for longevity (the trial is expected to end in 2030). Rapamycin, a drug used to prevent organ rejection, is also being tested against anti-aging and age-related diseases. Longevity researchers, including Anthony Molina, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, hope we can find real success in some of these trials as soon as possible.
Molina, director of science at Agizmodo, also told Gizmodo: “Molina also told Gizmodo: “By the development of biomarkers of bioaging related to health status reports in health status reports can be reported in various eras, which makes this type of clinical trial possible. “I expect in the next few years we will laugh at what human data actually works and what actually doesn’t support it.” ”
Scientists are continuing to make new discoveries about the biological drivers of aging. For example, researchers at the University of Texas San Antonio have been studying their ability to create “immune resilience”, the ability of the immune system to resist infections and other real threats without causing too much unwanted inflammation. In a study in April this year, they found that middle-aged people with the best immune resilience may have a 15-year survival advantage over the poorest.
“Inflammation is absolutely essential, but it has to be in the right place, the right amount, the right duration and the right duration,” senior researcher Sunil Ahuja told Gizmodo.
Reasons for optimism
Ahuja notes that widely recommended lifestyle habits and healthy eating habits are associated with immune resilience. But he hopes that one day, doctors can provide personalized therapy to improve a person’s resilience and equally maintain healthy aging. He believes that by performing enough detailed analysis of people’s genetics, metabolism, microbiome and other innate characteristics, people who can make ideal healthy diets or preventive drugs for individuals, similar to how doctors can now modify cancer treatment based on the unique makeup of the tumor.
Of course, we are not there yet. But here are some hopeful motivations: Optimism itself seems to help you with longer and healthier.
“People often ask me what is a magical food, a superfood. I would say that the actual superfood is your attitude, your mindset. Some people look at life and its stress in a positive way. When they do that, we think – based on the data, we and others have developed – if you’re going to maintain, if you’re going to have some resistance state,” Ahuja said. ”
No one lives forever. But there are many things we can do to make us as happy and healthy as possible here. Fortunately, more longevity techniques and techniques will appear in our lives.
