Sleep and Aging I

Science consists in grouping facts so that general laws or conclusions may be drawn from them. —Charles Darwin Sleep is a complex state controlled by a number of different brain chemicals. In aged individuals, these brain chemicals may not be made in as great a quantity as in youth. Brain cells may become less sensitive […]

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Some Immediate Benefits of Life Extension Measures I

There does not seem to be anything in the nature of the reproduction of tissue which demands its death. … One cause of senility after another will be found and removed, each resulting in only a minor extension of active life. One cannot help wondering what will happen if the causes are all known and […]

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Our Subversive Free Radicals VI

Hydergine® (made by Sandoz), a prescription drug, can prevent a considerable amount of the damage caused by free radicals in the brain. It is a very powerful antioxidant. It is useful in older persons who have a degree of cerebral hypoxia (insufficient oxygen), in preventing birth defects resulting from inadequate oxygen to the fetal brain […]

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Aging and the Immune System III

Selenium, a mineral, is an important trace element in immune system function. It has been found in experimental animals to act as an anti-carcinogen and anti-mutagen (can prevent DNA mutations—undesired alterations of your DNA master blueprint in the presence of some mutagenic agents). Selenium is an essential part of your enzyme called glutathione peroxidase, which […]

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Aging and the Immune System II

One of the most important factors leading to immune system decline is the greatly reduced rate of release of growth hormone by the brain as we age. This hormone, produced by the pituitary gland, begins to fall off in quantity after your teens. Since the thymus gland requires growth hormone to function properly, this decrease […]

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Aging and the Immune System I

… just as the pigment of the hair is destroyed by phagocytes, so also the atrophy of other organs of the body, in old age, is very frequently due to the action of devouring cells which I have called macrophages. —Elie Metchnikoff, The Prolongation of Life (1908) Instead of preventing diseases only by protecting the […]

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