Striving For a Healthy Long Life

[yablanowitz]

Given my family history of cancer, C.O.P.D., heart disease and dementia, I think I've already beat the odds by making it to 65.

[Naperville]

I think that I went down a rabbit hole!

I did not know about any of this a month or two ago, and then today I found out that there is a competition of sorts.

Some of these folks trying to hit 125+ years of age are spending millions per year to get results. They are the cutting edge of research, and they are creating systems that we can all follow with a little bit of will power and some cash. These anti-aging systems are expensive now, but in 5 years they will be cheap and plentiful.

Now, I will say they may not make it to 125 (not a stated goal, just a number that I chose) anyone can die, but some have extravagant websites tell YOU everything that you need to do to follow them. Some have monthly kits/meals that you can purchase too.

They are competing globally on the process of aging!
https://rejuvenationolympics.com/

Competitor Bryan Johnson's Personal Website
https://blueprint.bryanjohnson.co/

US citizen, Bryan Johnson, was a Silicon Valley developer/CEO and sold Braintree Venmo for $800 million. Now he spends $2+ million per year trying to perfect an anti-aging system. I took notes on what he is taking and I'll do the same exact things if I am able.

For me, it's about staying alive. As @yablanowitz more or less said staying alive is the goal.

[Naperville]

Given my family history of cancer, C.O.P.D., heart disease and dementia, I think I've already beat the odds by making it to 65.

Me too!

I'm 63 in May. From 14 through 26 I worked in construction. I did everything because my mom worked for a builder, so if a subcontractor needed employees, I went with that sub for the day, or the Summer. I started college because I had to eat, and I was told not to do too much physically, and to sit at a desk for the rest of my life if I wanted to avoid a heart valve replacement.

In 2010 after a decade of "issues" involving dementia, they declared that I had schizoaffective disorder, type 1, depressive. I've been like a clock since 2010 taking meds, and I'm saner than 99% of the people on this planet!



At 26 when I signed up for a 6yr stint with the USMC, doctors found out that I had a heart murmur so they booted me out. Heart doctors discovered that I had a bicuspid aortic valve. Valve was replaced in 2017 when they did a 3-way bypass, for a mild heart attack. They then also discovered with a heart MRI that I had cardiomyopathy, and I could die at any time. Lots of fun.

In 2018 they said that my A1C was too high and declared me a diabetic. I don't take insulin yet, just a lot of pills. I think that I take 19 pills in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, and 12 in the evening at 10:30PM.

I'm going to start working toward a healthier life. That is all. I am no world beater in anything, but it will be fun to get involved in my health.

[dsvirsky]

Some of these folks trying to hit 125+ years of age are spending millions per year to get results. They are the cutting edge of research, and they are creating systems that we can all follow with a little bit of will power and some cash. These anti-aging systems are expensive now, but in 5 years they will be cheap and plentiful.

Now, I will say they may not make it to 125 (not a stated goal, just a number that I chose) anyone can die, but some have extravagant websites tell YOU everything that you need to do to follow them. Some have monthly kits/meals that you can purchase too.

And all of it completely unproven.

[SG89]

All of the people I’ve known that lived past the age of 80 had terrible diets and never exercised. Maintenance medications work I guess lol.

[James Y]

One of the things I never understood was the whole cryonics thing. Wealthy people who want to somehow live forever. Who in their right mind would waste huge amounts of money to have their head preserved after death, so that maybe one day they can be revived? If it was even possible, who would want to be a disembodied head??? And one that had been frozen for decades, maybe even centuries? Unless there was negligence (as was alleged to have happened to Ted Williams' head at the Alcor facility), or some power outage that caused the head to rot.

Sounds disgusting? So does the concept of a revived human head. Not that I think that's even a possibility. It sounds like a big scam to me.

Jim

[yablanowitz]

Dad made it to 90, Mom to 89 (17 years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's). They were active but not fanatically so into their mid 70s. They ate what they liked and didn't worry.

I've never understood why people want to live longer rather than better. Eat right, stay fit, die anyway. Why not enjoy the time you have instead of worrying about how to get more? Nobody gets out alive. Get used to it.

[dsvirsky]

I've never understood why people want to live longer rather than better. Eat right, stay fit, die anyway. Why not enjoy the time you have instead of worrying about how to get more? Nobody gets out alive. Get used to it.

IMO, one of the worst things that can happen as you get older, other than dementia, is to be feeble. I see guys my age (68 next month), or maybe a little older, tottering through the grocery store, using their cart as a walker. And I think to myself, never. You don't have to squat 300+ lbs and deadlift 400+ lbs, but you've got to do something to maintain muscle and bone mass if you want any real quality of life when you get older.

[James Y]

When I see certain people who aren't too old and have difficulty walking, I often consider the possibility that in some cases, it could be due to some type of injury that occurred on the job, in the military, or in some unforeseen accident in daily life that could happen to anyone.

I'm turning 60 in early May, and I can easily pass for early 40s. I take good care of myself, but I wonder how much of that is a combination of factors, such as genetics, as well as having a youthful mindset. Back in 2021, a friend sent me pics of our 40-year high school reunion, and everyone in the photos looked much older than I do. One girl I had a secret crush on in junior high now looks like she could pass as my mother-in-law, if I were married. And in school, she had been an athlete...gymnastics, track, volleyball, basketball, a cheerleader. That said, I don't know the circumstances of her life in the years since high school, so I do my best not to judge her, or any of them. I am not perfect, either.

Several of my former classmates are no longer with us.

When I was in my late teens and into my early 20s, I had this opinion that any older people who couldn't run, move quickly, do X-amount of pull-ups, or do a full split, etc., couldn't because they were lazy. Now, in hindsight, I realize how arrogant I was.

I'm not saying that anyone here has posted anything arrogant, but I am saying that over the years, having known so many different people, as well as hearing clients' stories during the years when I was a massage therapist, I learned to be less judgmental of others in their old(er) age, if they weren't in great shape. Sometimes luck is a factor, too.

IMO, having multiple varied interests that stimulate the mind is also very important as one ages. A lot of people who mostly just worked hard all their lives, had families, but had few if any outside interests, especially mentally stimulating interests (as well as having few, if any, real friends or social contacts outside of work and immediate family), seem to deteriorate mentally much more, and much faster, than those who have a variety of interests in life.

There has to be more richness to life than only going to work, stress, coming home, watching TV with a beer, going to bed, wake up and repeat. Not saying that work isn't vital, just that many people's worlds shrink to focusing on only a couple aspects of life, to the exclusion of anything else. Then, when they retire, many don't know what to do, or don't have any outside interests, because their focus in life was so narrow.

Jim

[Naperville]

Some of these folks trying to hit 125+ years of age are spending millions per year to get results. They are the cutting edge of research, and they are creating systems that we can all follow with a little bit of will power and some cash. These anti-aging systems are expensive now, but in 5 years they will be cheap and plentiful.

Now, I will say they may not make it to 125 (not a stated goal, just a number that I chose) anyone can die, but some have extravagant websites tell YOU everything that you need to do to follow them. Some have monthly kits/meals that you can purchase too.

And all of it completely unproven.

NOPE. They are proving it through several mechanisms in labs and in real life measurements(although they do not agree on which set of measurements to use yet).

This is all medical research. Some of these drugs, supplements, treatments, or lifestyle modifications have been worked on for the last 100 years, but the last 40 years have had the greatest impact.

Did you know for example that over the last 30 years, 33% fewer people have died from cancer? Not dying from cancer increases longevity!

Aging is a disease. When we age things happen to our bodies and minds over the age of 50 that do not happen to 20 years olds. Disease and the failure of systems in our bodies begin to break us down. We become ill. A lot of it has to do with bad lifestyle choices. Too much alcohol, too much fast food, no exercise, obesity....and BOOM.

This is all part of aging but most people do not set themselves up for healthy aging.

The way they are proving it in labs, are through the same tools they have always done, through testing on worms, mice, various types of monkeys, and pigs. I would not be alive right NOW if they had not perfected the transplantation of an aortic pig valve into humans decades ago. This has increased thousands of people's longevity.

The way they prove it in tests are age tests for all of the organs, the brain, nervous system, and bone structure. One or two of the links that I provided above go to sites where one guy has spent $2 million on tests, drugs, therapies, and medical staff. He is trying to lead the way.

Some of these drugs and supplements have been proven in labs and they are in testing right now on humans, that is what this is all about. You can buy most of the drugs, supplements, start exercising, losing weight, eating right, and add decades to YOUR life.

Now, in my life it isn't so cut and dry as to how many extra hours, days, years I'll add to my life. I had a few genetic issues, and I did not live perfectly for half of my life so we will just have to see what I can do to improve whatever time I have remaining.

But everyone has the option to try these things out.

[Naperville]

One of the things I never understood was the whole cryonics thing. Wealthy people who want to somehow live forever. Who in their right mind would waste huge amounts of money to have their head preserved after death, so that maybe one day they can be revived? If it was even possible, who would want to be a disembodied head??? And one that had been frozen for decades, maybe even centuries? Unless there was negligence (as was alleged to have happened to Ted Williams' head at the Alcor facility), or some power outage that caused the head to rot.

Sounds disgusting? So does the concept of a revived human head. Not that I think that's even a possibility. It sounds like a big scam to me.

Jim

I've seen magazine stories on cryonics and maybe a few videos on the subject. They are still perfecting that and a lot of the early people that submit heads/brains/bodies may not be recoverable. Elon Musk was working on implanting electrodes in brains to download or interact with the world without hands/feet/eyes. Not sure where they are with that. There are several companies working on those technologies.

[Naperville]

Dad made it to 90, Mom to 89 (17 years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's). They were active but not fanatically so into their mid 70s. They ate what they liked and didn't worry.

I've never understood why people want to live longer rather than better. Eat right, stay fit, die anyway. Why not enjoy the time you have instead of worrying about how to get more? Nobody gets out alive. Get used to it.

Nobody is going to get out alive, and the work they are doing right now is to extend life just a bit(5, 10, 20 years) by getting rid of the major diseases. But what if you live to 85 and never have any organs fail or we wipe out obesity and cancer by taking a drugs like rapamycin and acarbose for the rest of our lives? That is where they are right now, testing to see if they can stop people from getting overweight, keep blood sugar in a respectable range, and stop cancer from starting in any human body.

[Naperville]

GENOMIC INSTABILITY
As Dr. Hyman writes in Young Forever, guiding the hallmarks of aging, we each have “four key nutrient-sensing systems that work together, with overlapping redundancies designed to beautifully protect us from disease and abnormal aging: insulin and insulin signaling, mTOR, AMPK, and sirtuins.” He adds that “most of the dietary and lifestyle strategies that prevent disease, promote health, and extend life work through these nutrient-sensing systems.”

Sugar, “significantly damages the DNA,” and if Dr. Hyman had one suggestion on how to slow your aging, it would be to avoid your consumption of sugars and starch. (He adds that “below the neck, your body doesn’t know the difference between a soda and a bagel!”)

TELOMERE ATTRITION
Dr. Hyman writes, is that “we have tremendous influence over our telomeres… A whole foods phytonutrient-rich diet, exercise, sleep, love, and even a multivitamin all lengthen the telomeres.”

A study from the University of California, San Francisco, found that individuals who engaged in regular exercise, consumed a healthy diet, and managed stress effectively had longer telomeres than those who did not. A Nature study even proved that meditation is directly linked to lengthened telomeres!

EPIGENETIC ALTERATIONS
diet is a major factor: polyphenols, for example, are compounds found in fruits, vegetables, and green tea, which can influence epigenetic regulation and promote healthy aging.

LOSS OF PROTEOSTASIS
Dr. Hyman notes that “proteins regulate everything in your body. Your organs, tissues, and cells are made from proteins. Your cellular messenger molecules, like hormones, peptides, immune molecules, and neurotransmitters, are made from proteins.”

As we age, this balance becomes disrupted, leading to the accumulation of damaged or misfolded proteins that can contribute to age-related diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

A nutrient-rich diet, good sleep, and regular exercise can help support proteostasis, prevent protein aggregation, and protect against neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Hyman remarks that intermittent fasting is a powerful way to prevent the loss of proteostasis. “Periods of fasting, “ he writes, “(even overnight for 12 hours) give our body a chance to clean up the messes and damaged proteins we create from the way we live.”

MITOCHONDRIA
“The best way to clean up and rejuvenate old mitochondria,” Dr Hyman writes in Young Forever, “is to eat a whole foods low-starch-and-low-sugar, good-fat, microbiome-supporting, polyphenol-rich diet, practice intermittent fasting or caloric restriction, and incorporate hormesis (good stress) routines like cold plunges or showers, aerobic exercise, strength training, and a few key supplements.”

CELLULAR SENESCENCE
Senolytics, a novel “category of natural and pharmaceutical compounds,” have shown some effectiveness in combating these zombie cells.

One study mentioned in Young Forever “combined quercetin, a natural compound, with a leukemia chemotherapy drug called dasatinib to kill zombie cells; lifespan in mice was extended by 36 percent.”

Dr. Hyman adds that natural senolytics include “fisetin, from strawberries, persimmons, apples, cucumbers, and onions; luteolin, found in carrots, broccoli, artichokes, onions, chrysanthemum flowers, cabbages, and apple skins; quercetin, found in apples, grapes, berries, broccoli, citrus fruits, and cherries; curcumin, found in turmeric; and piperlongumine, an extract of goldenrod and an alkaloid found in long peppers.”

NUTRIENT SENSING
Dr. Hyman notes that “NAD+ (and precursors NR and NMN) may be one of the most powerful discoveries in healthy life extension—it may be as close to the fountain of youth as we can get.”


FROM:
https://www.diamandis.com/blog/mark-hym ... w-14710129

[Naperville]

https://youtu.be/I3r7q63bMqg

[Naperville]

The following is just one research document, but there are hundreds of them out there regarding the supplements that I am taking and plan to take that are a net benefit for life longevity.

This is for your reading pleasure on NR and NAD, which I will be taking starting the 20th:
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/6/1447


I'm going to try and take the supplements and medicines. I may not be able to always do it because I am on a terribly tight fixed income with little to spend. But there are people out there who have been taking them for 5+ years with no ill effects.

And how do you know they work? Well that's the parlor trick. If you live to be a ripe old age and die of old age you win.

[Naperville]

I updated the initial post, 1st post, to show what I am now taking.

[RustyIron]

I would not be alive right NOW if they had not perfected the transplantation of an aortic pig valve into humans decades ago. This has increased thousands of people's longevity.

You'll like this story. Back in the mid-90's, one of my customers was a Johns Hopkins research facility. My contact was the chief surgeon. On his office wall hung pictures of rats with electric wires sticking out of their heads. I felt bad for the rats, but I know how science works. Sometimes the rat's gotta die.

One day I was wandering down a corridor and walked by an open operating room door. I looked in, and on the operating table surrounded by doctors and nurses was sliced open dog with his paws straight up in the air. I felt bad for the dog, but didn't really know what was going on. When I saw the chief later that day, I asked, "Hey, what were they doing to that dog in the operating room?" He explained that sometimes people get aneurisms or ruptures in their aortas. When that happens, the people die. The doctors in that operating room were devising a method of repairing aortas, which would soon be saving human lives. The whole thing blew my mind: People dying, but these doctors were figuring out how to fix them. How cool is that?

[Naperville]

I would not be alive right NOW if they had not perfected the transplantation of an aortic pig valve into humans decades ago. This has increased thousands of people's longevity.

You'll like this story. Back in the mid-90's, one of my customers was a Johns Hopkins research facility. My contact was the chief surgeon. On his office wall hung pictures of rats with electric wires sticking out of their heads. I felt bad for the rats, but I know how science works. Sometimes the rat's gotta die.

One day I was wandering down a corridor and walked by an open operating room door. I looked in, and on the operating table surrounded by doctors and nurses was sliced open dog with his paws straight up in the air. I felt bad for the dog, but didn't really know what was going on. When I saw the chief later that day, I asked, "Hey, what were they doing to that dog in the operating room?" He explained that sometimes people get aneurisms or ruptures in their aortas. When that happens, the people die. The doctors in that operating room were devising a method of repairing aortas, which would soon be saving human lives. The whole thing blew my mind: People dying, but these doctors were figuring out how to fix them. How cool is that?

I know I'm going to sound a bit silly, but when I got back home and had time to think of how I lived through open heart surgery it was all pretty amazing to me. I was very numb and emotionally detached. I guess that is how I made it through the whole shebang. I totally felt like it could go either way, but I was 57 and not with a whole lot of complications. I did not really worry because there was nothing that I could do. I had a mild heart attack and 3 blocked arteries. If I did not allow them to perform the operation, I'd be dead. But Yes, I did a lot of talking to God to try and rationalize my predicament.

Anyone in a similar situation will know what I am talking about when I say, I thanked that pig for donating it's heart valve to keep me alive.

[Naperville]

Excellent document on life expectancy and mortality over the last few hundred years. A lot has changed. Even with my health issues, I'm hoping to hit 80+. I hope that all of you live a happy and long life too.

"Without public health measures and without effective medicines diseases were killing most people at a very young age."

https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy

[MacLaren]

All of the people I’ve known that lived past the age of 80 had terrible diets and never exercised. Maintenance medications work I guess lol.

I hear ya.
Imo, there's a couple major reason people love long
1. Good state of mind.
2. As you mentioned, maintenance meds
But, #1 is where it's really at imo. Not only the will to live and be busy, but just being happy as one can be. Part of that is good healthy sex life too, imo.