Healthy Aging News and Research ⇒ Is aging really a disease?

[Rob1]

I know Dr. David Sinclair talks about this topic often and also clearly defines aging as a disease. Sinclair explains to us that if deterioration of the body occurs in less than half the population, aging would then be defined as a disease. I am curious about everyones view on this and whether or not it is factual or more so opinion based?

[Fred]

Well, disease is a human concept so it is whatever we decide it is.

That said, technically an affliction must be present in less than 50% of the population to be called a disease. But with that reasoning caries is not a disease. Does that mean we shouldn´t fight tooth decay and just let our teeth fall out? Of course not.

Whatever aging is we have to fight it and slow it down because it is slowly making us miserable and currently it has a survival rate of 0%. No one makes it through aging alive. Aging will kill every single human on the planet if we don´t find a way to treat it.

[NewLifeScience]

There are a lot of ways to look at this certainly if governments and the health care industry considers this a policy... In some ways, every aging individual becomes a patient, and that sounds expensive.

But if we consider that many expensive conditions, like type 2 diabetes and dementia could be reduced... Costs could shrink.

But personally, I think we Ned to assume we are already at risk for cancer, diabetes and dementia and start fighting it now. Being proactive will take a lot of energy (exercise, by also managing your own health care) and money to pay for preemptive action.

I don't mind the $200 or so monthly investment tovlook healthier, be stronger and if effect younger, while warding off age related conditions.

[rhett]

“Disease” is a value judgement. It is ALWAYS opinion. It’s not a thing that exists in nature or science. You’ll even find deaf people who are against the idea of curing deafness because they consider “deaf culture” of sign language and other things to be a valuable and unique thing to preserve.

The way I think of it is that aging isn’t a disease, but the terrible and horrific things that happen to the human body as they years advance are most certainly diseases that should be fought against.

[canadahealthy]

Aging is by the very definition of disease.

Things become less comfortable and hard to do... Thus ease, in both senses, in diminished.

It is just a questions on of semantics.

[jocko6889]

"Why Aging Should Be Classified as a Disease

Since the time of the ancient Greeks, doctors and philosophers have argued whether ageing is a disease or a natural process. Many authors of the Hippocratic Corpus argued that growing old invariably leads to frailty, disability and death, hence they saw ageing as a progressive and incurable disease. But the Roman physician Galen argued that while diseases are abnormal, ageing is universal, so ageing is a natural process rather than a disease. This dichotomy persists to this day and frames our conceptions of the problems of ageing and our proposed solutions.

Unlike Galen and Hippocrates, modern scientists understand how some of the biological mechanisms that cause ageing work. One of these, cellular senescence, sheds important light on the ancient dichotomy.

When cells enter senescence (become old), they release a range of inflammatory factors and enzymes that break down the tissue in which they reside. This lets immune cells reach the senescent cells and kill them. But if this process fails, senescent cells accumulate, changing the tissues in which they reside, causing many of the degenerative changes we perceive as ageing and age-related disease.

Cellular senescence is common across the tissues of the body and happens throughout life. When senescent cells build up in the skin causing wrinkles it is considered a “natural change”. Yet when senescent cells build up in the heart and blood vessels, causing blood vessels to calcify, we call it “cardiovascular disease”. This is an error of logic and categorisation and not due to the intrinsic nature or complexity of pathology or disease."

For more, click the link below:

https://www.realclearscience.com/articl ... 11201.html

[FitandHealthyinAZ]

jocko6889: Thank you for the powerful yet simple quote "Since the time of the ancient Greeks, doctors and philosophers have argued whether aging is a disease or a natural process." Truth is, the only accurate description of what will happen in the future is to accept that on a long enough timeline, the life expectancy for each of us is zero. So, to say, "disease" or to say "natural process", is in reality a semantic rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic.

The key from my perspective is longevity and how making the right choices such as taking NMN and resveratrol, committing to an exercise regimen, removing stress from your life, getting your diet right plus the proper amount of sleep can make the aging experience a healthy, fully functional event that is free from the ravages of poor health. Aging can be fun, all except the death part of course!

[drpatrick]

a particular quality, habit, or disposition regarded as adversely affecting a person or group of people.

Middle English (in the sense ‘lack of ease; inconvenience’): from Old French desaise ‘lack of ease’, from des- (expressing reversal) + aise ‘ease’.

We consider diabetes, cancer, dementia, heart disease as disease. Aging increases the risk of all of these dramatically, more than any other risk factor. Being able to address the underlying mechanisms of the aging process could reduce the incidence of all of these diseases. It can be very helpful to consider aging a disease, because it encourages the mindset that we are not helpless observers, but may be able to intervene with treatments, lifestyle choices, longevity molecules, etc.

In other words, although chronological aging is inevitable, we can make choices and take advantage of research that will allow us to increase the time spent in good health, "healthspan" as Dr. Sinclair calls it, and maybe even reverse the effects of aging. It is a very exciting time for longevity research!

[CeeJayBee]

I wonder how many of us think that we could stretch longevity past the 120 year threshold.

[Newage]

I wonder how many of us think that we could stretch longevity past the 120 year threshold.

I’m not saying it can’t happen but I believe we should all keep a “cap” on our expectations.
Live in the moment and continue to receive all the wonderful benefits from taking NMN and NAD+ and let the future run its course..
Along with the longevity concept our immediate focus should include our present “quality” of life which as you age deteriorates significantly.
That’s where personally, I am seeing wonderful improvements.....