It turned out that there are five main ways to increase human life, the five main secrets of longevity. Good genes are certainly important, but modern scientific research proves that in order to increase the duration of human life, the right and balanced diet, an active lifestyle is often much more important than unsuccessful heredity, according to IA PrimaMedia.
Let's talk about the five main secrets of longevity. The first secret proper nutrition. American scientists from the National Primate Center in Wisconsin and the National Institute on Aging in Dickerson have conducted interesting studies of rhesus monkeys. It turned out that the monkeys, which were put on a low-calorie diet, lived much longer than the primates from the control group, which had no food restrictions. In addition, the monkeys who ate little were significantly less likely to develop diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. One important correction: macaques reached old age when they switched to a low-calorie diet in adulthood. That is, children do not need to restrict food. The researchers believe that this study could well be applied to humans, also belonging to the group of primates.
The second secret is intermittent fasting. Also, American scientists have found that a temporary refusal to eat activates the processes of energy metabolism in cells and slows down the aging of the body.
The third secret is physical activity. Scientists have found that literally half an hour a day spent on physical education reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases by 20%. The risk of premature death is reduced by 28%. And if you spend 12.5 hours a week on physical education and sports, the risk of "live fast, die young" for you is reduced by 36%! If you don't have time to go to gym, you can walk fast, it will also prolong your life.
The fourth secret is education and self-education. It turns out that reading books, improving skills and education also prolong our lives. Each year of college or university adds 11 months to a person's life. According to researchers, a good education contributes to the fact that a person eats better and is less dependent on bad habits.
And finally, the fifth secret is substances that slow down aging. Employees of the Marshall University (USA) discovered an enzyme, injections of which extended the life of laboratory mice. This is sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase, which plays a key role in the synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Perhaps soon they will come up with an elixir of youth for people.
The problem of life expectancy has gone through a complex and rather contradictory path of historical development. Many of its theoretical, methodological and practical aspects cannot currently be considered sufficiently resolved.
Extending the life of a Soviet person is one of the important state tasks in the period of building a developed socialist society, which is interested in preserving the life, health and ability to work of its members, increasing labor resources and strengthening the economic power of the socialist state. Numerous data indicate that in our country during the years of Soviet power there have been significant positive changes in the level of active longevity of the population due to fundamental socio-economic transformations, an increase in the material and cultural standard of living of working people and a significant improvement in their medical care. It is known that the reliability of calculations of the growth of the total population and the growth of labor resources necessary for the successful fulfillment of a number of important tasks of the long-term national economic development plan of the USSR largely depends on the correct forecasting of these processes for the future.
For the real implementation of the problem of increasing the life expectancy of the broad masses of the population, it is necessary to penetrate into its deep essence. The results of many studies indicate that there is a real basis for raising the question of the possibility of raising the upper age limits for the general population, since they confirm the leading role in maintaining health and increasing human life expectancy of socio-economic factors that, under certain conditions, can be influenced.
Over the centuries, thanks to the progressive development of society, the accumulation of scientific knowledge, including in the field of medicine, raising the cultural level and improving the living conditions of the population, there has been a steady, albeit gradual, increase in the average life expectancy of the population. This growth began to manifest itself especially rapidly from the beginning of the 20th century. If for almost 10 centuries (from the 9th to the 19th centuries) the average life expectancy changed very slowly and amounted, according to tentative data, to 30-40 years for the most developed countries Europe (V. V. Alpatov, 1962; Rosset, 1968), now in a number of states it reaches 70-75 years.
At a certain stage in the development of human society, when as a result of the success of medicine and some improvement in the socio-economic and living conditions of the population, there has been a decrease in mortality and an increased opportunity for a significant part of people to reach high age limits, it became possible to talk about their longevity.
The diversity and versatility of the problem of longevity of the population allows us to consider it one of the most complex socio-biological problems of our time. It closely intertwines socio-economic, medical-hygienic, natural-geographical, genetic and psychological aspects. The external environment (social and physical), the person himself as a carrier of biological and social characteristics, his behavior and lifestyle, the ratio of social and biological factors in his health and longevity represent a single inseparable complex.
Many questions concerning longevity have not yet received a sufficiently complete scientific development. Especially little has been done in this direction of research of a socio-hygienic nature. Among the first domestic works, in which attempts were made to consider the factors affecting the longevity of the population, can be attributed to the monograph by S. A. Novoselsky "Mortality and life expectancy in Russia" (St. Petersburg, 1916).
The aging process is inherent in all living things in nature. It is impossible to stop him. But it is possible, although it is not easy, it is another thing to slow down this process, to prolong human life for years, decades.
Aging - a long process, when changes gradually accumulate in the body, which will later appear as signs of old age. A person's hair turns gray, movements slow down, muscles weaken, and the gait relaxes. Moreover, it is very difficult to talk about any specific boundary of the onset of old age. At different people it happens in different ways and at different times. The aging process cannot be misrepresented as wear and tear. internal organs and systems, the gradual extinction of their functions. The body resists time, creates original protective mechanisms, adapts to the world around it in a new way. Throughout a person's life, very complex changes occur: the cellular structure of organs and their functions change. As a result, the loss or reduction of some functions is compensated for by the development of new compensatory mechanisms.
How long can this process take? Has humanity accumulated any experience of life extension over the millennia of its existence? Can this experience be used to achieve active longevity? It would seem yes! This is the experience of longevity, which gerontologists call longevity phenomenon
Longevity- a socio-biological phenomenon, the survival of a person to high age limits. It is based on the variability of the normal duration of human life. The threshold of longevity is sometimes considered to be reaching 80 years or more, depending on many factors - heredity, socio-economic conditions, natural influences, and others. In gerontology, the highest level of longevity is distinguished - longevity: 90 years and above. Long-livers usually become people who have an optimal level of functioning of most of the most important physiological systems; they are characterized by wide adaptive capabilities, which is a prerequisite for health and vitality.
Characteristics of the health of long-livers to the greatest extent approaches the standard of physiological aging. The state of the cardiovascular system, for example, is characterized by significant safety, compared with individuals from short-lived families. Less common is angina pectoris, hypertension;
there is a trend towards lower cholesterol levels. Low blood cholesterol is considered one of the indicators of predisposition to longevity. Another predictor of longevity is the age at which tooth decay begins; in persons with family longevity, it is noted later, after 60-69 years, the beginning of their destruction.
Longevity factors (rural Abkhazians, rural Balkars, the indigenous population of Yakutia) have been actively studied in recent decades. Let us briefly dwell on them in order to better understand the nature of this phenomenon.
genetic factor. Longevity is due to genetic factors. This hypothesis since the time of the English scientists M. Bitoni and K. Pearson, who established a significant relationship between the longevity of ancestors and descendants in many families of English aristocrats, does not raise serious doubts. A hereditary predisposition to both longevity and the likelihood of old age diseases (atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, etc.) has been proven. But it is also known that a combination of favorable factors contributes to longevity and even somewhat smoothes the value of hereditary foundations. And vice versa, in less favorable conditions, "bad" gene changes are realized faster.
environmental factors. The climatic and geographical features of the middle mountains of the Caucasus, soil, water, flora, fauna, the proximity of the sea contribute to the survival of people to the oldest ages, which cannot be said about other regions. Recall that the trend of longevity is sometimes explained by the fact that in the mountain air there are many negatively charged "aeroions" that restrain cell aging, especially with a rational lifestyle. In the experiments of A. L. Chizhevsky, the life span of a mouse breathing ionized air increased by almost one and a half times, and not old age was extended, but the active period of life - youth.
traditional food is also a very important component of longevity. Among the Abkhazians and many other long-lived groups, the basis of nutrition is the products of agriculture and cattle breeding. The diet includes a lot of fruits, berries, nuts, honey, various vegetables, wild herbs and plants, i.e. what provides high antioxidant protection of the body (increased intake of vitamin E, ascorbic acid, B vitamins and RR, glutamic acid and a number of other substances).
A high level of consumption of traditional lactic acid products contributes to the formation of a "healthy" intestinal microflora, which, as you know, helps to meet the body's needs for vitamins and performs an important detoxification (cleansing) function. Timely removal of toxins contributes to the prolongation of life.
Gerontologists attribute the low content of sugar, salt, meat and meat products, conservatism (strict adherence to national habits and cuisine traditions to the specific activity of gastrointestinal enzymes) to the favorable features of the nutrition of the long-livers of the Caucasus.
There are no overweight people among centenarians, because the calorie content of their food is low (no more than 2200 kcal).
As studies of gerontologists have shown, among alcoholic beverages, centenarians used only natural wine in moderate quantities from 1 to 3 glasses, only 6% smoked.
labor factor. Typically, the early start and late end of the labor activity of centenarians. According to materials collected in Abkhazia, almost all centenarians continued to work, their work experience often exceeded 60 years. The load was characterized by constancy and moderation. Work was interrupted by rest with obligatory daytime sleep of at least 1.5-2 hours.
psychological climate. Long-lived old men were provided with a special psychological climate, high respect with the addition of real or nominal power. They live most often with children, friendly families in good living conditions.
Studies of the phenomenon of longevity and its factors formed the basis of modern recommendations for maintaining active longevity, a rational lifestyle. At one time, the fundamental research of the Institute of Gerontology of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences (Sachuk N.N., 1984.), Conducted among centenarians in many regions of the country, established a number of important patterns in the formation and regional features of their lifestyle. An analysis of the significance of social and hereditary (family) factors in achieving active longevity made it possible to establish, at first glance, a paradoxical fact that, for example, in Ukraine, the relative role of heredity is higher, and in Abkhazia - social living conditions. It was concluded that favorable environmental factors and associated lifestyle features (climatic and geographical conditions, the nature of work and nutrition, national traditions) affect the conservation of relatively good health Abkhaz centenarians. This requires less genetic protection. In Ukraine, where there were less favorable natural conditions and affected severe consequences the first and second world wars with devastation, famine, epidemics, only people with very reliable heredity could achieve longevity. This means that the more favorable the climatic and social conditions and the more rational the way of life, the less the relative role of hereditary factors in achieving active longevity.
Therefore, it is expected that one of characteristic features global aging of the world's population will increase the number of people 75 years and older in the population of older people in developed countries. According to European experts, the number of older people over 80 years old in Europe will increase over the next 25-30 years and it is expected that 65 out of 35.2% of the total elderly population in Europe by 2030 will be over 80 years old (D. Callahan et al, 1995).
In Russia, the absolute number of people aged 80 and over increased from 1.8 million in 1989 to 3 million in 1999, and amounted to 2% of the total population. About 90% of the oldest are 80 years old. The proportion of 100-year-olds has been declining until recently and amounted to 0.4% in 2000 in the entire population (0.8% in 1979). This decline is temporary. In general, the number and proportion of the oldest in Russia is growing. Characteristically, over the past 20 years (since the 1979 general census), the number of elderly people aged 85 and over has more than doubled, while the population of Russia has increased only slightly. But the prevalence of old age in Russia is still small. The elderly population of Russia is relatively young, but this does not exclude the imminent increase in the burden of problems that society has to solve, due to the expected increase in the need for old people in social and medical services. Among them:
The problem of living alone;
The problem of the state of mobility;
The problem of independence of the old person and his need for outside help;
The problem of the state of vision and hearing;
The problem of the condition of the teeth;
The problem of diseases, the number of which in people older than 75 years, as a rule, is 5 or more.
Of the listed problems of old people, health problems are the main ones. More than any other age group, this age group benefits from health and social care services. Ultimately, his condition determines the level of needs for various types social and medical care, the quality of life of an old person or centenarian. It is now clear to everyone that progress is possible only if people are provided with a healthy old age.
Life expectancy is a statistic highly dependent on child mortality. It varies significantly from era to era, from country to country, from infectious diseases, epidemics, from gender, social conditions, etc.
Species lifespan is a biological indicator that indicates how long an individual of a given species is able to live under favorable conditions. In humans, the value of this indicator is 120-130 years.
Gerontology (from Greek geron, genitive case gerontos - old man and ... ology) is a branch of biomedical science that studies the phenomena of aging of living organisms, ranging from the molecular and cellular level to the whole organism, including humans.
Geriatrics is the study of the features of the development, course, treatment and prevention of diseases in people of senile age.
The problem of longevity has always occupied the minds of researchers, but in the twentieth century it acquired special meaning due to deep demographic shifts in the structure of the population: in all developed countries there is an increase in the contingent of older people. Attempts to extend life have been made for a long time. But they continue to this day. It is possible that further development of any results. Theories of aging: endocrine (G. Steinakh), growth inhibiting nutrition (McKay 1953, V.N. Nikitin 1974), lack of recovery processes (I.A. Arshavsky 1972), normalization of immune system functions, free radical theory, normalization of the nervous system (A.V. Achurin 1958).
Features of biorhythms in old age: progressive extinction of amplitudes, low level reliability of chronostructure, modified structure of chronodesms.
Question 12: Calendar and biological age. Methods for determining biological age. Chronobiological ideas about markers of biological age.
Biological age is an objective state of the body, comprehensively assessed by the level of reliability of cells and tissues and systems.
Calendar age shows how many years a person has lived. From date of birth to date of study.
To determine the biological age, a system of various tests is used:
Blood pressure
blood cholesterol
Eye accommodation
Vital capacity of the lungs
muscle strength
An indicator of osteoporosis of the metacarpal bones.
method for determining biological age by physical performance,
method for determining biological age by mental performance,
method for determining biological age by physical and mental performance,
method for determining biological age by bioelectrical activity of the brain.
The analysis of chronodesms of indicators of homeostatic systems opens the way to a chronobiological method for determining the age periodization of ontogenesis, especially for determining biological age. The rate of fading of the amplitude of circadian rhythms and changes in their internal acrophases can also serve as a measure of biological age.
Question 13:The role of heredity and environment in ontogeny. Twin method of genetics. Its role in understanding the problems of medicine. Postnatal ontogeny and its periods. The role of the endocrine glands. Pituitary gland, pineal gland, melatonin. essence of aging. Genetic, cellular and systemic mechanisms of aging. Theories of aging.
In the genetic apparatus of the organism, the information of two individuals merges. Heredity plays an important role in the development of organism traits. Since he inherits the characteristics of both his father and mother. That is, an organism is formed with a new genetic apparatus, but with partially inherited characteristics of the parents.
Intensively dividing cells of the embryo are very sensitive to adverse effects, which can lead to various disorders in the developing organism. The most dangerous exposure to chemicals that can penetrate the placenta into the embryo.
The twin method was introduced by F. Galton. He divided the twins into identical (monozygotic) and dizygotic (dizygotic) twins. The twin method is used to determine the degree of influence of the environment and heredity on the development of any trait.
Based on the twin method, a genetic predisposition to various diseases was established. The same method shows that life expectancy is to a certain extent determined by heredity.
Periodization of postnatal ontogenesis (a complex step-by-step process during which fundamental transformations of the level of information take place, directed changes in entropy, energy production and its use (metabolism)):
Newborn 1-10 days
Breast 10 days-1 year
Early childhood 1-3 years
First childhood 4-7 years old
Second childhood 8-12 years old (m), 8-11 years old (w)
Teenagers 13-16 years old (m), 12-15 years old (w)
Youth 17-21 years (m), 16-20 years (w)
First mature 22-35 years old (m), 21-35 years old (w)
Second mature 36-60 years (m), 36-55 (w)
Elderly 61-74 years old (m), 56-74 (w)
Senile 75-90 years old
Long-livers 90 years or more
Postembryonic ontogeny:
Pre-reproductive period - growth, development, puberty.
The reproductive period is the activation of the functions of an adult organism, reproduction.
Post-reproductive period - aging, gradual disruption of vital processes.
The endocrine glands play an important role in the development of the body. With insufficient thyroid function, if it manifests itself in childhood, the disease cretinism develops, characterized by mental retardation, growth retardation and sexual development, and a violation of body proportions.
Pituitary. It contains a hormone that stimulates growth, growth hormone. With a reduced function in childhood, dwarfism (nanism) develops, with an increased function - gigantism. With the release of the hormone in adulthood, pathological growth of individual organs occurs. There is an overgrowth of the bones of the hand, foot, face (acromegaly).
epiphysis Growth tubular bones in length occurs until interlayers of cartilage tissue remain between the epiphysis and diaphysis, when in their place appears bone, growth in length stops.
Melatonin. Coordinates the phase interactions of rhythms in such a way that unidirectional ones act in unison, and multidirectional ones are incompatible. It conveys to all cells of the body about the time of day and the light phase of a sunny day. Breaks down in the world. Produced in the dark.
Aging is a process of natural occurrence of age-related changes that begin long before old age and gradually lead to a reduction in the adaptive functionality of the body.
Cellular mechanisms of aging:
Decreased water content in the cytoplasm
Decreased electrical potential
The structure of the endoplasmic reticulum is changing.
Genetic mechanisms of aging:
Decreased DNA and RNA synthesis
Errors occur when reading information, as a result of which protein synthesis is disturbed
Free radicals accumulate in the cytoplasm
The process of occurrence of chromosomal aberrations in some somatic cells intensifies.
Systemic mechanisms of aging:
Heterochronism - different start manifestations of aging in different tissues and organs.
Heterotopy is an unequal manifestation of changes in different structures.
Heterocateftness is the multidirectionality of aging processes.
Theories of aging:
I.I. Mechnikov. Aging - intoxication with toxins. Begins with the gastrointestinal tract. Orthobiosis. Promotion of dairy products.
I.P. Pavlov. The beneficial role of adequate sleep and rest of the central nervous system (protective inhibition) and the harmful effects of prolonged stress.
A.A. Bogomolets. Aging is a violation of the regulatory function of connective tissue. Begins with the mesoderm. Role of "cross-links" (loss of function, loss of elasticity)
I. Prigogine, Sacher, 1967, Bortz, 1986. Aging is a concession to entropy (thermodynamic theory).
V.M. Dilman. Old age is a disease and it must be treated (neuro-endocrine or elevation theory). The reason is an increase in the threshold of sensitivity of the hypothalamus to the level of hormones in the blood.
V.V. Frolkis. Old age is a struggle, but there is no norm (adaptive-regulatory theory, 1960). In response to old age, the anti-aging mechanism "vitaukt" "auctum" - increase is launched. New proteins appear.
L. Hayflick (1961). Aging is a genetic program and is determined by the limit of cell divisions (50+-10).
A.M. Olovnikov (1971). Guilty of aging linear form chromosomes, and not circular as in bacteria (the cell is not capable of dividing indefinitely - telomeres are not copied during reduplication, circular underreplication).
Genetic Theories of Aging: The aging genes are to blame for this complex mechanism. Genes have been discovered whose changes significantly prolong life.
Mutation theories: error theory (Szillard, 1959), free radical theory (Harman, 1956). Aging is the accumulation of errors and the result of the action of radicals (ROS), damage to DNA and RNA (L. Pollink on the benefits of antioxidants), the theory of apoptosis (V.P. Skulachev).
Energy (mitochondrial) and synthetic theories: aging is a progressive energy deficit (due to the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA damage due to the combination of all causes.