Jeanne Calment died in 1997 at the age of 122. She is still the oldest person ever recorded. You might think that she lived a healthy, faultless lifestyle. Not at all. As her fame grew, journalists would flock to her home in south France every year to ask for her secret to living a long and healthy life. She reportedly said that she had stopped smoking at 100.
Scientists have found that certain families are prone to longevity. They now focus on finding the genes or DNA instructions that promote a healthy, long life.
Scientists have found that genes play a significant role in the aging of animals such as mice, flies, and roundworms. Researchers have discovered that hundreds of tiny instructions within the genome regulate longevity. A mutation in the daf-2 gene can result in a doubled but healthy lifespan. , the current record in microscopic roundworms is a subtle mutation of the age-1 gene, which extends life span tenfold. If the same thing could be done with humans, they would live more than 1,000.
The life-extension benefits of genetic engineering are more modest for mammals, but there is evidence that they can still be beneficial. Mutating the Growth Hormone Receptor Gene in mice results in dwarf animals who not only live 40 percent longer but also are protected against age-related diseases like cancer and show a delayed onset of degenerative change. This is like changing one gene to slow down the aging of mammals.
Are longevity genes from model organisms like worms or mice relevant for humans? Human gene mutations can modulate aging in humans. Progeroid syndromes, also known as accelerated aging syndromes, are similar to accelerated aging. Werner syndrome is a fascinating disease that causes patients to look and feel older than they actually are. Subtle genetic mutations cause both.
The focus of studies has also been on people with mutations that are associated with the life-extension of rodents. The Laron syndrome is a rare disorder in which people with a deficiency of the growth hormone receptor are small and seem to be protected against cancer. This shows that genes that regulate longevity in model organisms could at least lead to treatments for human age-related illnesses.
We know also that species longevity is plastic and that long-term genetic changes can lead to a significant increase in longevity. Even in captivity, some species, like mice, age rapidly, but others live much longer. Bowhead whales can live up to 200 years old, and certain species of turtles and fish don’t seem to age. Aging is not universal or inevitable. Scientists hope to discover the secrets behind these species to help us live longer.
By 2050, the number of British people over 60 will increase from 21% to nearly 40%. This makes it imperative that the health and quality of life of older people is improved. We can’t do much to prolong our lives except for following motherly advice such as not smoking, exercising regularly, and eating a diet high in fruits and veggies. Vitamins and anti-oxidants have been touted for years as able to retard aging. However, their only effect is expensive urine. It’s still a big improvement over the first half of the 20th century, when Serge Voronoff, a French surgeon, grafted monkey testicles onto wealthy patients in the belief that this would rejuvenate the patient.
Recent research has shown that compounds can extend the lifespan of mice. Resveratrol is the most well-known of these compounds, and it can be found in red wines. However, it only seems to increase lifespan for obese mice and not normal mice. If you want to compensate for the lack of exercise by drinking more red wine each day, that would be over 100 bottles.
Woody Allen once said: “You can be 100 if you stop doing all the things that makes you want to be 100.” Calment and other centenarians show that this is not true. These centenarians also demonstrate that you can live a long, healthy life and still be mentally sound. Although we cannot control our genes, there are nutrients or drugs that can provide longevity benefits to those who do not have them. The ultimate goal is for people to enjoy everyday pleasures such as Port wine and Chocolate while living longer and healthier lives. That’s something I will certainly toast.
