Queen Margrethe II of Denmark appears to be active and intelligent, but at the age of 83 she will abdicate the throne due to recent changes in her health. Like the rest of us, she knows that even the slightest age-related declines can accelerate and lead to a decline in executive brain function. Few world leaders remain effective past their early 80s, and while many U.S. voters are wary of 81-year-old President Joe Biden’s re-election bid, he is It signals a visible change and is becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss as a harmless gaffe. In an August Associated Press-NORC poll, about three-quarters of respondents said Biden was effectively too old to serve as president. About half of respondents said the same about 77-year-old former President Donald Trump.
As the late journalist Andy Rooney said, “The idea of living longer is appealing to everyone, but the idea of growing old is not appealing to everyone.” As we age, our brains The body loses elasticity, becomes inflamed, and becomes more susceptible to disease and chronic disease, and the foundations of executive functions such as memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control are eroded. So how does that happen?
Although our DNA remains largely constant throughout our lives, the way our genes are expressed changes over time. This change in expression is called epigenetics.
One important and measurable mechanism of epigenetics is the accumulation of methyl molecules (CH3) within DNA. As DNA unzips and recompresses to expose genetic sequences, the presence of these extra molecules is like threads on a zipper, interfering with smooth operation.
These mental “disorders” have become known as markers of “biological age.” If chronological age measures the number of years you have lived, biological age measures the level of health of your cells, tissues, DNA zipper, etc.
Several years ago, Steve Horvath at UCLA developed the now popular biological age calculator based on measuring where and how these methyl molecules accumulate. More recently, in September 2023, an Israeli study verified the accuracy of these biological age measurements, even when using very small blood samples.
So what if we could reduce methyl accumulation? Will our genes function again as they did when our bodies were young? Could this be the long-awaited fountain of youth?
This idea prompted famous Harvard University researcher David Sinclair. In a recent paper, he and his team documented successful age reversal in mice using this strategy. He calls this process aging reset, and claims that the mice he studied had improved memory and vision. It has been reported as the “Benjamin Button effect.”
Although Sinclair’s argument is persuasive, it is not intended for humans, and there is no evidence that similar cocktails of chemicals are safe for humans. And strangely, his paper fails to quantify whether treated mice actually live longer.
Fortunately for us humans, researchers have focused on persistent inflammation, which is also associated with aging, and have pursued safer alternatives to improve gene expression. A recent clinical trial measured that the biological age of 57 patients became an average of 4.6 years younger after six months of using a drug that blocks inflammation.
Will large-scale studies also show age reversal? Will this reversal be associated with improvements in health like those experienced by Sinclair’s mice? Will age reversal last and increase lifespan? Also, do other inflammation-blocking drugs show similar data? Clearly more research is needed.
We may one day be able to reset our biological age like Harvard’s mice. But for now, it would be foolish to ignore signs of age in yourself or others. The Queen of Denmark has made a sound administrative decision to pass on her throne to her next generation, despite her primarily ceremonial role. In contrast, our president (along with a leading candidate just a few years behind him) appears to be denying the signs that executive function will soon decline, with no treatment or cure in sight.
Ken Blaker is a healthcare and technology consultant.
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