Health Article

Beyond the exhaustion of immunological space due to cytomegalovirus, there are other contributing factors leading to the degeneration of the immune system: "Immunosenescence is characterized by a peculiar remodeling of the immune system, mainly induced by lifelong antigenic burden and oxidative stress. Apoptosis or programmed cell death plays a central role in the ageing process. ... The apoptosis remodeling, in addition to inflamm-ageing, i.e. the upregulation of anti-stress responses and inflammatory cytokines, represents one of the major determinants of ageing rate and longevity, as well as of the most common age-related diseases. ... A correct modulation of apoptosis may be useful for prolonging the lifespan or at least reducing age-related degenerative, inflammatory and neoplastic diseases whose incidence increases with age. This review [highlights] emerging anti-ageing therapeutical strategies offered by apoptosis re-modulation. The challenge for the future is to identify factors and signals that regulate apoptotic processes and determine if selective apoptosis manipulation [could] preserve immune function in the elderly." Through increased understanding comes the possibility of action for increased healthy longevity.

View the Article Under Discussion: http://pmid.us/17584051
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

Studies have consistently shown that taking fish oil supplements on a daily basis is a highly effective and efficient way of getting enough Omega 3 fatty acids in our diet to make a positive difference to our health, but what are the potential risks of any side effects?

Whatever the mechanisms linking shortening telomeres to aging, the decline appears to accelerate at age 50: "Telomeres play a role in cellular aging and they may also contribute to the genetic basis of human aging and longevity. A gradual loss of the telomeric repeat sequences has been reported in adult tissue specimens. ... There was a tendency that the age-adjusted telomere length was longer in females than that observed in males, while males lose the telomeric sequence faster than females. These data indicated that the percentage of longer telomeres fragments decreased, while the shortest fragments increased quickly with age. In addition, the longest telomere fragments decreased and the short fragments increased with a relatively stable frequency with age. There was also a significant difference in the longest telomere fragment percentage between males and female in their 40s and 50s ... the changing rate of the longest and the shortest range group [seemed] quite different before and after [age 50.] This contrast implies a drastic change around the age of 50 of unknown factors that affect telomere attrition."

View the Article Under Discussion: http://pmid.us/17594061
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/

Despite their disproportionate obesity rate, African- American women can lose weight and keep it off once they overcome cultural barriers, according to a focus group study conducted at Baylor College of Medicine and Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston. Results are presented in the July print edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine and are available online. Thirty-seven black women who lost weight and kept it off or who lost weight and regained it participated in focus groups about their weight loss experiences for the study. According to data gathered by the Center for Disease Control in 2002, 82 percent of African-American women over the age of 40 are overweight or obese compared to the national average of 64 percent. The focus group results have been developed into a survey about weight loss for African Americans. Individuals who complete the survey can become part of the African-American Weight Control Registry funded by the National …

Fat is a nutrient that helps the body function in various ways: For example it supplies the body with energy. It also helps other nutrients work and, when it becomes fatty tissue, it protects organs and provides insulation, keeping you warm.