“What we mean when we say we die is that we stop functioning as a coherent whole. The collection of cells that forms our tissues and organs all communicate with one another to make us the sentient individuals we are. When they no longer work together as a unit, we die.” (p. 12)
Venki Ramakrishnan provides a guided tour through the explosion of anti-aging technology in the past decade and its implications for the future. Ramakrishnan explores the implications of cryopreservation (freezing your body until aging has been solved in the Future), taking metformin (the diabetes drug), getting blood transfusions from younger people, the promise of rapamycin, drinking red wine with resveratrol, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Sadly none of these approaches have panned out so far in slowing the aging process or reversing it. What does work in dealing with aging?
“Exercise and sleep…affect a large number of factors in aging, including our insulin sensitivity, muscle mass, mitochondrial function, blood pressure, stress, and risk of dementia. These remedies currently work better than any anti-aging medicine on the market, cost nothing, and have no side-effects.” (p. 240)
How are you dealing with the aging process? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction
The immortal gene and the disposable body
Live fast and die young
Destroying the master controller
The problem with ends
Resetting the biological clock
Recycling the garbage
Less is more
Lessons from a lowly worm
The stowaway within us
Aches, pains, and vampire blood
Crackpots or prophets?
Should we live forever?
I hope you didn’t waste a lot of money on this tripe, er, I mean science!
Bob, I try to keep up on the latest scientific research.
“How are you dealing with the aging process?” Reasonably well, thanks to good genes, Medicare, secondary insurance coverage, a pension, and SocSec. We’re not an equitable society and becoming even less so; if you’re on the lower socio-economic rungs, god help you because no one else will. I expect that science will break the DNA code, someday, that will extend life well beyond 100 — but only if you’re rich enough to afford the therapy!
Fred, I totally agree with you! The anti-aging treatments will be expensive and limited to the wealthy.
I am dealing with the aging process quite well, George. My body, however, is bitching and bellyaching all the way. **sigh**
P.S., Safe travels to Ohio.
Jerry, Diane and I will be packing up in the next hour. Right now, we’re saying good-bye to Patrick and Katie who made this Father’s Day weekend special. They’re driving their Rent-a-Car back to the Cleveland Airport and returning to NYC and Boston. We’ll begin the five hour drive back to Western NY while the temps climb into the 90s.
Mostly, what Fred said. Otherwise, one day at a time. That’s the only way. Get sleep, get exercise, eat right, cut down (not out, sorry) on fried and fatty foods, do a lot of reading and lots of word and other mind games.
The blood transfusion thing reminded me of my aunt going to Switzerland supposedly for “monkey gland” injections in the 1970s. I won’t say it worked, but she did live to be 98, though the last three years she was pretty far gone.
Jeff, the chapter on blood transfusions of young people’s blood to old people to affect aging was chilling!
Exercise, sleep and a healthy diet really can work wonders. I’m probably in overall better health than I’ve been in 25 years and I don’t take it for granted for a second.
Bryon, every time my wife and I read an obit of someone younger than us who died, we’re just very thankful we’re still healthy and happy!
I’m reminded of the Cumean Sybil from mythology who was blessed with eternal life but not blessed with eternal youth. Finally, she was so old & withered, she was kept in a birdcage. When people yelled “What do you want?” she replied, “I wish only to die.” As long as I’m able to get around and have my faculties about me, I’m ok with aging. It’s the thought of everything breaking down that makes me worry.
Deb, I watched my mother slowly sink deeper and deeper into Alzheimer’s. Watching your parent lose their mind is a wrenching experience. I don’t want that to happen to me or anyone else!
Both parents here…Alzheimer/s runs in my mother’s family, vascular in my father’s (though he was officially diagnosed with Lewy body dementia as COD). Monstrous.
Todd, watching my mother descend into Alzheimer’s was hellish.
Dementia certainly frightens me worse that death itself.