New research shows how increasing telomere length and protecting the DNA and genetic material in chromosomes can combat aging.
The term “anti-aging” has become outdated in many circles, in part because we all know that while there are many ways to look younger, from healthy eating to retinol to lasers and more, there are no Ways to stop aging.
Or is there?
Cleveland Clinic Chief Health Officer Emeritus Michael Roizen, M.D., is world-famous not only for his best-selling books but also for his life's work focused on learning and then teaching how to make a person's biological age appear older than his or her actual age. young. age.
Millions of people were and are interested in the credible medical research behind it and how it can be applied to their lives.
In the 1990s, while Dr. Roizen was working as a physician and researcher at the University of Chicago Medical Center, his book “Real Age” became a phenomenon. It describes specific actions anyone can take to look younger than their actual age, including exercising, meditating, taking walks with your dog, flossing regularly, and cultivating strong friendships.
Not only does a person look younger, but he or she is biologically younger. This led to his first invitation to appear on Oprah and international acclaim. The book's advice is still widely accepted and is now taken for granted.
Then, over the next three decades, the science and research became more in-depth, focusing on cellular processes and how they affect our health and how we age, and Roizen's work followed suit. Inflammation is starting to take center stage, and so are ways to prevent it.
Recently, however, Dr. Roizen has been serving as a special advisor to a company developing a drug that allows the body to repair itself and mitigate the effects associated with aging.
Additionally, stem cells and DNA are the terms most commonly heard today, as discussions now emphasize that the path to recovery is actually from the inside out, being both proactive and preventive.
Cutting edge research on telomeres
This shift is largely the result of a breakthrough event in 2009, when the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine introduced the world to another now-familiar term: telomeres. The award is awarded jointly to researchers Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak, ” For their discovery of telomeres and how telomerase protects chromosomes.”
Specifically, Blackburn discovered a DNA sequence that protects chromosomes from degradation. Greder discovered telomerase, an enzyme that maintains the length and integrity of chromosome ends; Szostak helped show that telomeric DNA prevents chromosome breakage.
This is crucial because Blackburn likens telomeres to the caps on the ends of shoelaces, which protect the ends of chromosomes from fraying or tangling. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres get slightly shorter, and eventually, they become so short that the cell can no longer divide successfully and the cell dies.
Dr. Roizen explains it another way, referring to a more dramatic situation: “Telomeres are the reason why we want to get to the hospital quickly when we have a heart attack or stroke—we need to restore blood flow, So that the stem cells come in and become new heart cells and that's what restores function.”
Without blood flow, cells die quickly. So does the patient's ability to pump blood to other parts of the body.
Stem cells—no doubt you've heard some controversy about their effectiveness or ineffectiveness in treating a variety of physical conditions—are different from other cells in that they have relatively long telomeres. This means they can continue to divide and replicate without their telomeres shortening significantly, allowing them to regenerate and repair tissue throughout our lives.
Other cells cannot do this. With each division, telomeres become shorter, which results in a reduced ability to repair themselves.
Of course, when there's no emergency (such as a heart attack), all of this cell death happens much more slowly. But whether slow or not, unrepaired cell death impairs all of our functions.
Understanding how we handle telomeres and prevent cell death won't put us on the road to immortality. But it does mean a longer, healthier life, and that's reflected inside and outside our bodies—whether it's our vital organs, musculature and bones, our skin and posture, and the way we move.
“To repair ourselves long-term, we need to create stem cells or longer telomeres on our cells so they can keep replicating.”
– Michael Roizen, MD, chief health officer emeritus, Cleveland Clinic
Fifteen years after the Nobel Prize
Last April, Telomir Pharmaceuticals launched Telomir 1, a drug that showed how in a culture
It lengthens the telomeres of human cells and protects the DNA and genetic material in chromosomes to fight aging. Dr. Roizen works with the company as a special advisor to advance research.
The next step is to test how well the drug works in mammals, in this case dogs, to determine anti-aging and age-reversing effects. The first trial will use Telomir 1 as a treatment for osteoarthritis.
Human trials could begin in mid-to-late 2025. If successful, U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval may still be several years away. Other companies across the country are also conducting such studies.
There is no need to waste time waiting, and there are many things we can do ourselves to prevent telomeres from shortening too much, too quickly.
“What we've learned over time is that when we're stressed about something, we activate our natural repair systems,” Dr. Roizen said. “When you lift weights to build a muscle, you're stressing it, tearing it, and the stem cells in the muscle are essentially saying, 'You can tear me apart today, but I'm going to make something stronger tomorrow.' “The same goes for our bones, and our brains.
“The key is that in order to repair ourselves long-term, we need to create stem cells, or create longer telomeres on our cells so that they can continue to replicate,” he added.
Are we sure something is shortening telomeres? really.
“We know that people who eat a diet high in red meat and sugar will have shorter telomeres than people who eat a vegan diet,” Dr. Roizen said. “The same goes for people who don't engage in physical activity, or people who engage in extreme physical activity, or people who are socially isolated.”
Many activities—including those profiled in Dr. Roizen's first book, “True Age,” and detailed in his most recent book, “The Great Age Reset”—remain top choices for increasing telomere length:
• A healthy diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, fiber and lean protein, such as the Mediterranean diet
• Engage in regular physical activity, including cardio exercises and some form of regular strength training
• Have a circle of trusted friends who can help you when you need it
• Have an intimate relationship with your partner
• Use stress management techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness and meditation
• Get a dog that you walk.
It's unclear whether these activities lengthen short telomeres or simply prevent them from getting shorter.
Either way, it's a win as we await today's study results.
