Aging and death are obligatory stages in the life of any organism. This position is still held by many famous researchers. However, some specialists have started to talk about aging as a disease that can be treated. These scientists are sure that old age comes to everyone at different speeds and, like a car, it can be accelerated or, on the contrary, slowed down. Accordingly, aging can be delayed, and perhaps even reversed! Recently, the World Health Organization has put a temporary stop to discussions on this topic. In the new edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), the code XT9T (“Aging-related diseases”) appeared. As explained on the website of the organization, these diseases are caused by various pathological processes and in one way or another are signs of age-related dysfunction of the body. Thus, WHO indirectly recognized aging as a disease underlying many ailments.

What environmental factors can cause accelerated aging? Can it be controlled? The body in a state of increased stress is more susceptible to aging than ever before. There are a number of causes that contribute significantly to the body’s “wear and tear” process. These include stress, unstable nutrition and improper diet, lack of rest, bad habits and sedentary lifestyle, unfavorable environmental conditions, various types of radiation, etc.

Not everything depends on environment and lifestyle. Aging is also caused by reactions within the body. Scientists all over the world are trying to understand the mechanisms of this process. However, it is necessary to understand what is happening in the body at this moment. To date, there are several theories, and, most likely, it is their totality that will answer the question of what exactly makes the body fade.

Death of any organism is a programmed process. That is, from the moment a person is born (even earlier), there is already a code in the genes that predicts our death. But why? It is simply evolutionarily advantageous. We pass on our best and most useful genetic information from generation to generation so that the species can improve. Also, natural selection is pretty ruthless against old and sick individuals. In simple words: let it be better the death of one than the death of an entire species. Then, the most important thing, the genetic code, will be saved. But what if this program were changed? Or abolish it altogether? Some organisms have done just that. Take, for example, the naked digger. These small rodents live unusually long compared to their relatives – about 30 years. In the course of evolution, it so happened that these animals simply do not need to “improve”, and thanks to certain genomic rearrangements naked mole can afford not to evolve and do not age at all. Their habitat, the social structure of their colonies, and certain physiological features allow them to “freeze” development at the level of a rat cub. Thus, our genetic code contains a program of self-liquidation. Trying to change or break it is one of the possible mechanisms to influence life expectancy.

A cell cannot divide an infinite number of times. This is because special protective structures at the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, are shortened at each cell division. They can be compared to the laces on a shoe. There are caps on each end of the shoelaces that keep them from unraveling. Nature has devised a similar method of protection for chromosomes. With each division, telomeres become shorter and eventually lost so much that the cell, deprived of protection, ceases to function and dies. As a result, the whole organism becomes more vulnerable and not resistant to disease. Studying the end sections of chromosomes scientists came to the conclusion that they are one of the main markers of cellular aging. As research has shown, if you increase the length of telomeres in cell culture, you can achieve that they will live almost forever. In 1980, Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak discovered an enzyme, telomerase, that can build up the ends of chromosomes. The scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2009 for this discovery. Many studies have shown that people who are often exposed to chronic stress have short telomeres and low levels of telomerase activity. This relationship is due to the fact that cortisol (a hormone produced in large quantities during stress) inhibits telomerase activity, and stress has a direct detrimental effect on telomeres themselves.

Adherents of this theory claim that the cause of cell dysfunction is free radicals (particles that contain oxygen with one missing electron). They are necessary for many biochemical processes and are constantly formed in the body during respiration. Accidentally leaving the place where their work is needed, they seem to “take” an electron from our body. In scientific language, such a reaction is called oxidative. Thus, by damaging proteins and lipids, free radicals are a serious threat to the vitality of cells. But how can you protect yourself from free radicals? Antioxidants are substances that inhibit oxidative reactions in the body. Experts have high hopes for their use in the fight against aging.

By keeping the body in tone, actively practicing sports, refusing bad habits, a person can significantly extend his life. This is directly confirmed by the stories of long-livers. For example, Carl Yugster, a former dentist, at the age of 87 decided to radically change his life and became a sportsman. He holds world records for the distance of 200 and 400 meters in sprint for people over 95 years old. Another vivid example of active longevity is Bessie Brown Cooper. Even at the age of 105, she worked in the garden and read a lot before 113. “She never seemed old to me,” recalls her grandson Paul Cooper. Bessie passed away on December 4, 2012 at the age of 116 years and 100 days. And Jeanne Louise Kalman led a rather controversial lifestyle. Until the age of 85 she practiced fencing, until 100 she rode a bicycle, at the same time liked to eat chocolate and drink red wine, and until the age of 117 she smoked. Died the famous Frenchwoman at the age of 122 years 164 days. So it is important to realize that genetic context is certainly very important. How can any of us achieve the same life expectancy? For example, by reducing the caloric content of our diet. Reducing the number of calories we eat by 30% increases the same amount of life expectancy. This phenomenon has been tested not only on yeast and insects, but also on monkeys close to us. It is also very important to avoid all kinds of stress, whether it is cold, hunger, physical and mental trauma or any other attack – all of them provoke the body to work to exhaustion. One of the most effective and proven methods of lengthening telomeres is meditation. Studies have shown that it helps reduce stress and psychological tension. As Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn said, “If I had been told 10 years ago that meditation would become one of the main areas of my professional activity, I would have thought that some of us had lost our minds”. Aging can also be influenced by pharmacology. Clinical trials conducted on mice have shown that when given metformin (a drug that diabetics take to lower blood sugar), sick animals who were injected with it lived longer than healthy mice who were not given the drug. It is suggested that metformin is not only a drug to treat type 2 diabetes, but may also be a potential geroprotectant. The next method is similar to the vampire practice of transfusing blood to an old donor from a young donor. In science, this sounds less intimidating and the technique is called creating a “young environment.” After the transfusion, the cells of the old mouse regained their youth – the molecular markers of aging disappeared. There are other methods. Mice, which artificially, using peptide Foxo4-DRI, blocked the division of old cells, live much longer than their unmodified relatives. These mice have already lived to 100 (translated into human years) years and feel great. Of course, geneticists also do not stay aside and try to influence aging by affecting certain genes. Scientists from Stanford University have created transgenic mice in whose skin the NF-kB signaling pathway can be blocked at a certain point. NF-kB is a protein that controls DNA transcription. When the mice began to experience age-related thinning of the skin, this gene was turned off. This resulted in a noticeable rejuvenation: cells began to divide and renew themselves again.

The search for substances capable of prolonging youth is one of the most urgent tasks of modern science. They are called “geroprotectors”, or literally “anti-aging”. They can include antioxidants, hormones, antidiabetic agents, immunomodulators, dietary restriction mimetics and some therapeutic techniques. One of the best known geroprotectors is the all-too-familiar caffeine. This antioxidant reduces mortality due to cardiovascular disease and slows age-related changes in brain function. By acting on the nervous and cardiovascular systems, it helps manage depression. In addition, caffeine protects the body from certain types of cancer. But, for example, garlic extract prevents lipid peroxidation and has an anti-inflammatory effect. It also increases resistance to ionizing and UV radiation. Blueberry extract has a similar effect, but, among other things, provides protection against the damaging effects of heavy metals. Ascorbic acid reduces symptoms caused by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, and is also used in the treatment of oncology, as it has been proven to increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy. Curcumin has antibacterial properties and helps lower blood sugar levels, thereby preventing the development of obesity and cardiovascular disease. By now, there is already a whole list (more than two hundred) of biologically active substances that contribute to increased longevity, but the search does not end here.

The mechanisms of aging are fairly well understood, and right now we are standing on the threshold of revolutionary discoveries that could at any moment overturn fundamental notions about aging and even reverse the process. Although the main gerontological findings are still to come, it is already safe to say that medical technology and the latest research are very close to unraveling the mystery of eternal youth. The only thing left for a person to do is to lead an active and positive lifestyle, so he or she will remain young and healthy for many years to come.