Why are 95% of people who live to 110 women? You're as old as your stem cells

 

"As the search continues for ways to ameliorate the aging process and maintain the regenerative capacity of stem cells, let us not forget one of the most effective aging modifiers: sex," authors write. Human supercentenarians share at least one thing in common--over 95 percent are women. Scientists have long observed differences between the sexes when it comes to aging, but there is no clear explanation for why females live longer. In a discussion of what we know about stem cell behavior and sex, Stanford University researchers Ben Dulken and Anne Brunet argue that it's time to look at differences in regenerative decline between men and women. This line of research could open up new explanations for how the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone, or other factors, modify lifespan. It's known that estrogen has direct effects on stem cell populations in female mice, from increasing the number of blood stem cells (which is very helpful during pregnancy) to enhancing the regenerative capacity of brain stem cells at the height of estrus. Whether these changes have a direct impact on lifespan is what's yet to be explored. Recent studies have already found that estrogen supplements increase the lifespan of male mice, and that human eunuchs live about 14 years longer than non-castrated males. More work is also needed to understand how genetics impacts stem cell aging between the sexes. Scientists have seen that knocking out different genes in mice can add longevity benefits to one sex but not the other, and that males in twin studies have shorter telomeres--a sign of shorter cellular lifespan--compared to females. "It is likely that sex plays a role in defining both lifespan and healthspan, and the effects of sex may not be identical for these two variables," the authors write. "As the search continues for ways to ameliorate the aging process and maintain the regenerative capacity of stem cells, let us not forget one of the most effective aging modifiers: sex." Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by Cell Press. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Ben Dulken, Anne Brunet. Stem Cell Aging and Sex: Are We Missing Something? Cell Stem Cell, 2015; 16 (6): 588 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2015.05.006

Living to 100: Lifestyle advice for would-be centenarians

 

What lifestyle factors are linked to living to 100 years old? Credit: © beeandbee / Fotolia For the past 50 years, researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy have followed the health of 855 Gothenburg men born in 1913. Now that the study is being wrapped up, it turns out that ten of the subjects lived to 100 and conclusions can be drawn about the secrets of their longevity. Over the past half century, the University Gothenburg has hosted one of the world's first prospective studies of aging. The subjects are 855 Gothenburg men born in 1913. The first surveys were conducted in 1963. Now that it has been determined that ten of the men lived to 100, the study is being wrapped up. Promotes longevity Various surveys at the age of 54, 60, 65, 75, 80 and 100 permitted the researchers to consider the factors that appear to promote longevity. A total of 27% (232) of the original group lived to the age of 80 and 13% (111) to 90. All in all, 1.1% of the subjects made it to their 100th birthday. According to the study, 42% of deaths after the age of 80 were due to cardiovascular disease, 20% to infectious diseases, 8% to stroke, 8% to cancer, 6% to pneumonia and 16% to other causes. A total of 23% of the over-80 group were diagnosed with some type of dementia. Unique design "The unique design has enabled us to identify the factors that influence survival after the age of 50," says Lars Wilhelmsen, who has been involved in the study for the past 50 years. "Our recommendation for people who aspire to centernarianism is to refrain from smoking, maintain healthy cholesterol levels and confine themselves to four cups of coffee a day." Correlation with the mother's age It also helps if you paid a high rent for a flat or owning a house at age 50 (indicating good socio-econmic standard), enjoy robust working capacity at a bicycle test when you are 54 and have a mother who lived for a long time. "Our findings that there is a correlation with maternal but not paternal longevity are fully consistent with a previous studies," Dr. Wilhelmsen says. "Given that the same associations have been demonstrated in Hawaii, the genetic factor appears to be a strong one." But still we found that this "genetic factor" was weaker than the other factors. So factors that can be influenced are important for a long life. No smokers Two of the 100-year-olds dropped out of the study due to dementia and one for personal reasons. Facts about the other seven: • Two lived at home and five in assisted living facilities • None of them smoked • All of them exhibited good temporal and spatial cognition • All of them wore hearing aids • Most of them wore glasses, were able to read and watch TV • All of them were slim and had good postures • All of them used walkers "Normally we conducted the surveys at hospitals, but we visited the seven centenarians at home," Dr. Wilhelmsen says. All of them were clinically healthy, satisfied with their circumstances and pleased to be living where they were." Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by University of Gothenburg. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Lars Wilhelmsen, Mikael Dellborg, Lennart Welin, Kurt Svärdsudd. Men born in 1913 followed to age 100 years. Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal, 2015; 49 (1): 45 DOI: 10.3109/14017431.2015.1009940