The Aging process and Alzheimers, can we stop it ?

We all age. There is no getting around it; we all suffer the effects of time on the human body. Sadly, the probability that each of us will die as the result of some severe pathology is 100 percent (Gems, 2011). But what if we can slow down the aging process or even stop it all together, what would be the effects on our social well-being and living for an additional 50-60 years? What if one could start taking one pill daily starting at age 50 that would prolong life and eliminate the possibility of contracting those diseases associated with old age, would you be taking it? What would it be like if the diseases associated with aging such as cardiovascular disease that leads to heart attacks and strokes; neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s that erode the self; and macular degeneration which blinds and all the cancers were to become history. What would be the consequences on the environment and the economy? What is stopping us from increasing our life span now? The cause of aging remains one of the great unsolved scientific mysteries. Still, the past decade has brought real progress in our understanding raising the prospect that treatments might one day be feasible. Yet aging is not a disease, and the prospect of treating aging is extraordinary in terms of the potential impact on the human condition, so would it be ethical to try to treat it (MD, 2012)? The problem with aging is the deterioration at the molecular, cellular and physiological levels. An analogy might help us to understand. It is like a brand new car just assembled at the factory. When it is brand new, it works just fine. However, just after a few years some of its parts start to wear out. The battery and breaks usually are the first to wear out and need replacements, and soon the seals in the transmission and the engine have reached the end of life cycle and they will also need replacement. After about 10 years of being used it becomes just so much junk and heads for the junk yard. Now, the life of the car could be extended if the proper maintenance program was employed. One might be inclined to think that staying healthy will be beneficial in living longer. In a recent study conducted by Ed Diener and Micaela Chan has produced a report on how happy people live longer, subjective well-being contributes to health and longevity. By subjective well-being we mean people’s evaluations of their lives, which can be judgments such as life satisfaction, and evaluations based on feelings, including moods and emotions. Diener goes on to report of a controlled experiment of married couples. These couples were given blister wounds and assigned to a marital disagreement condition and to a social support interaction during two consecutive stays in a hospital setting. Those couples who had a higher state of marital conflict were slower in would healing (PhD, 2010). Research over the past decade in the study of aging has made remarkable progress in extending the life of laboratory animals. In fact, it is easy. Work on the tiny nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, which is widely used in genetic studies. It has been discovered that by altering their genes one can slow aging in C. elegans. The longevity of this worm has been extended by tenfold. It has now been shown that genes that influence again in the worms also influence aging in mammals. Humans also carry these genes (Gems, 2011). One can surmise that leading a healthy life and have a few genes altered will increase one’s life. Due to advances in medicine and the elimination of Polio and similar diseases has led to more people living longer. The average life span in 1900 was 45 years of age; now it is 78 years of age. However, no matter how long one lives, one still dies. One can ask: What do they die of? The answer is a range of aging related illnesses. One then would ask: So what is the benefit by extending life? All that has been achieved is that diseases have been delayed for a while (Gems, 2011). Now we come to a two edged sword. If we can prolong longevity one can ask the question: how long is long? Will we be satisfied with reaching 140 years of age then say to ourselves; lets shoot for another 20 years of life. While it seems that living longer only prolongs the inevitable, it would not make them any less awful. Should we extend life in favor of having a healthy lifespan and in the process postpone the illnesses of aging? Ultimately, the success of any medical treatment should be gauged in terms of the degree to which it extends a healthy lifespan. In conclusion, living longer will present problems for the future. The effects on the economy are vigorously being debated. If we can prepare it socially, politically and institutionally along with keeping the birth rate low, we should be able to ensure long, healthier, happier lives for our children and for our grandkids, which I believe will be more thankful than resentful. References Gems, D. (2011, July/August). Aging: To Treat, or Not to Treat? Retrieved from American Scientist: http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=105&sid=9bfac76a-6c20-447e-848f-b12b56c8be0c%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=61928429 MD, R. H. (2012, February). Spotlight on Aging Research. Retrieved from National Institute on Aging: http://www.nia.nih.gov/newsroom/spotlight-aging-research PhD, E. D. (2010). Ed Diener. Retrieved from Ed Diener: http://internal.psychology.illinois.edu/~ediener/