{"id":30145,"date":"2022-03-27T21:57:07","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T02:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/?p=30145"},"modified":"2022-11-14T13:48:15","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T19:48:15","slug":"longevity-medicine-how-we-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/27\/longevity-medicine-how-we-age","title":{"rendered":"Longevity Medicine: How We Age"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gerontology is the scientific study of aging. It\u2019s a relatively new field, pretty well dominated by research PhDs. Certainly it\u2019s a science that was virtually nonexistent when I was in medical school, back when preventive medicine itself got little more than lip service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the recent arrival of anti-aging medicine\/longevity medicine, MDs started paying more attention to the various theories about aging that gerontologists had been exploring. How many of those theories could be translated into clinical results, whether by teaching the public that a healthy long life was within the realm of possibility or just by making people aware that a few lifestyle changes and nutritional supplements could contribute to longevity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many ideas for longer life do require qualification, as in \u201cmight benefit longevity.\u201d But there are no guarantees generally when it comes to health. You can do everything right–nutrition, exercise, supplements–and still get some dreadful disease and die young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy me?\u201d you plead. Nobody knows. Best guess is that it\u2019s some susceptibility in your genetic make-up. Less scientific guesses: past life malfeasance or the homeless guy you passed without contributing was really an exterminating angel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But seriously, when it comes to thinking about longevity, there are broadly two approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approach One: Are we simply programmed to age?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Genetic theories<\/span> <\/strong>explore why some families live great long lives while others don\u2019t. At first, these sound difficult to control (\u201cIn my family everyone dies of heart attacks in their 50s\u201d), but there are numerous steps to take (diet, exercise, quitting cigarettes) that can help shape your epigenome<\/a> so you don\u2019t capitulate to your genetic risks. Take charge, thumb your nose at your genetic inheritance, and fool the naysayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The neuroendocrine theory<\/span> <\/strong>of aging was one of the first to be explored. It was based on the slow decline of the hypothalamic-pituitary system with diminished production of estrogen in women, testosterone in men, and cortisone in both. With declining hormones, people aged, and when hormones were restored to the levels of earlier decades they often looked and felt younger. This was all fairly subjective, though, since whether testing lab animals or patients themselves, hormones didn\u2019t necessarily add years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The immunological theory of aging<\/span> posits that the immune system is programmed to decline over time, which leads to increased vulnerability to infectious disease and thus aging and death. As you get older, your antibodies lose their effectiveness, and new diseases, including Covid-19, can\u2019t be combatted as effectively by your body. This causes cellular stress and eventual death. An inefficient immune response has been linked to cardiovascular disease, inflammation, Alzheimer\u2019s, and cancer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approach Two: Damage and error theories<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Free Radical Theory<\/span> of aging has been immensely popular for more than 70 years. The idea is that being exposed to free radicals (altered oxygen molecules) from unhealthful diets and our environment damages our cells and renders them susceptible to chronic illnesses (heart disease, certain cancers) and accelerated aging. In this case, we as diligent patients have some control. There is mounting evidence that certain diets (such as the  Mediterranean way of eating) and antioxidants do have a positive effect on disease prevention and subsequently longevity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most powerful antioxidants are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n