Healthy Aging month: how we can all live longer and better
Buck Institute: Elimination of age-related diseases for current and future generations
September is Healthy Aging Month. Here at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging we are on mission to eliminate the threat of age related disease for future generations. We believe that people can live healthy lives as well as at 25 years old. To achieve this, we are seeking to gain a better understanding of the biology behind aging.
In the past century, the average lifespan of humans has increased by approximately two years every decade. This is largely due to advances in medical treatment, such as antibiotics, and improved public health initiatives. Census Bureau of the United States estimates that in 2035 people older than 65 years old will surpass people younger than 18 years old for the first ever time in the history of the U.S. It means that an increasing number of older adults are suffering from chronic diseases, such as diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and cancer. Basic scientific research has shed light on the causes of many diseases and the potential treatments. However, the biological process that leads to aging is at the heart of all chronic diseases.
Buck Institute, along with other research groups on aging across the nation, aims to better understand the mechanisms that underlie aging in order to find new therapeutic targets and help delay or eradicate age-related illnesses. The results are impressive. Scientists have extended the lifespan of model organisms in the laboratory, including mice, worms and flies. They did this by focusing on biological mechanisms such as chronic inflammation and cellular senescence, which is when normal cells stop dividing. It is now up to scientists to take these findings to the clinic and find the best ways to prevent disease throughout life.
Source:
https://www.researchamerica.org/blog/healthy-aging-month-how-we-can-all-live-better-longer
