Aging

Longevity is the desire of most persons, but the goal of increasing age has not been achieved. Did you know that if you live to age 65 that your chances of living to a ripe old age is not much different now that it was 2,000 years ago? Many advances in sanitation, medical care and diet have improved our chances of living out our genetically determined life span, but they have not really increased our ability to live longer. Some scientists have suggested that with the advances in gene therapy and genetic vaccines that by the year 2050, the average life expectancy may be 90 or 95 years of age.

Many suggestions have been offered to increase longevity and reduce aging. One is exercise, but this only improves function, not longevity per se. Another is to inhibit the activity of telomerase to preserve the telomere ends of our chromosomes. Unfortunately, scientists have not been able to stop aging in the organisms studied. In fruit flies, an enzyme superoxide dismutase, which attacks free radicals is associated with living longer, but it is not clear if attacking free radicals will increase the life span of humans.

• What is a telomere and what do they have to do with aging?
• What is a free radical?
• What antioxidants can you use in your diet to reduce the impact of free radicals on your body?
• Can data from the Human Genome Project help us understand the process of aging?

Others have suggested that we clone ourselves, but as we can learn from "Dolly," we are not guaranteed a perpetual life.