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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: longevity

longevity stories: 16 news summaries

 Mutant Genes 
 Linked to Long Life 

DNA-protecting enzyme may be key to living to 100

Nov 16, 09 8:43 AM CST
(Newser) - Scientists have spotted a link among people who live to age 100: high levels of telomerase, an enzyme that protects DNA and could possibly be simulated in life-lengthening drugs. The enzyme repairs telomeres, end sections of DNA that have been likened to plastic tips that prevent shoelaces from unraveling. In... More »

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DNA • enzyme • longevity • telomeres • Ashkenazi Jews • telomerase

 Sperm, Grapefruit Slow Aging 

Spermidine found to increase lifespans of fruit flies, worms

Oct 8, 09 1:25 AM CDT
(Newser) - The fountain of youth may be filled with grapefruit and human sperm, according to Austrian researchers. The scientists found that spermidine, a chemical compound abundant in both sperm and grapefruit, increased longevity by around a third in fruit flies and worms when it was added to their diet. Human immune... More »

MORE ABOUT:
sperm • aging • grapefruit • longevity • aging process

 7 Personality Traits 
 That Hurt Your Body 

Something for the cynical and anxious to feel cynical and anxious about

Sep 14, 09 8:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists probing the mind-body connection are finding ever more evidence of the ways temperament affects a person's health. Some personality traits can boost your health; others can weaken your immune system, give you job burnout or even send you to an early grave, Live Science reports. These include:
  • Cynicism:
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
mental health • anxiety • longevity

(Newser) - A new study suggests that children who eat more dairy products live longer lives, the BBC reports. Researchers followed up a 1930s study of childhood diets and found that those who had diets rich in milk, butter, and cheese had lower mortality rates from strokes and other causes. The children... More »

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milk • children • dairy • stroke • dairy products • longevity • calcium

World's
Oldest Man
Dies at 113

British man was one
of the last surviving WWI veterans

Jul 18, 09 6:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - Britain's oldest surviving veteran of World War I has died aged 113, the BBC reports. Henry Allingham, who became the world's oldest man after the death of a Japanese 113-year-old last month, passed away peacefully at a care home for veterans. Politicians and veterans' groups paid tribute to Allingham, who... More »

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veterans • death • Britain • oldest man • World War I • longevity • Henry Allingham

(Newser) - A few extra pounds can actually be good for you, the Globe and Mail reports. A recent long-term study of Canadian health records shows that people classified as overweight—with a Body Mass Index of 25 to 30—are 17% less likely to die than those with “normal”... More »

MORE ABOUT:
obesity • Body Mass Index • public health • overweight • mortality • longevity • scientific study • BMI • longitudinal study • women's issues

 Live Longer: Be Conscientious 

Researchers find industrious types live lengthier and less stressful lives

Nov 1, 08 10:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - The key to a longer life could lie in an individual's personality, the Los Angeles Times reports. University of California researchers analyzed 20 studies and discovered that conscientious people—disciplined, hardworking, and responsible folks—tend to live an average of 2 to 4 years longer than their more slapdash counterparts.... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health • psychology • morals • personality • longevity • morality

McCain and Mortality: What the Tables Show

A man his age has a 15% chance of dying in one term, 33% in two

Sep 3, 08 3:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - With all the talk about John McCain's advanced age and the suitability of his vice presidential pick, Politico offers up some statistics on mortality rates. According to the actuarial tables that insurance companies use, there is about a 15% chance that a 72-year-old man would die within 4 years—and... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • John McCain • presidency • age • longevity

New Release

 'Blue Zones'
 Harbor Key
 to Long Life 

Authors find world's oldest populations and keys to longevity

Jun 8, 08 3:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - It's not quite the Fountain of Youth, but one author spent 5 years exploring the world's "blue zones," or areas which sport unusual concentrations of long-lived people. In his new book, Dan Buettner details some keys to happy old age—including creating an environment that fosters physical activity,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
old age • longevity • dan buettner

 McCain's 'Real Age' Is 63 

Expert calculates candidate's years in biological time

May 25, 08 2:22 PM CDT
(Newser) - McCain may be 71.8 years old on paper, but his biological age is a youthful 63.7, according to the physician who wrote You: The Owner's Manual. Dr. Michael Roizen made the estimate based on McCain's recently-released medical records (though some details on the candidate's dietary and exercise... More »

MORE ABOUT:
cancer • John McCain • health • Body Mass Index • age • diet • blood pressure • exercise • longevity • heart health • McCain 2008 • medical records

Scientists Link Gene Mutation to Longevity

Alteration makes cells less receptive to
growth factor

Mar 5, 08 11:42 AM CST
(Newser) - A genetic mutation that makes cells less responsive to growth hormone has been linked to human longevity, Scientific American reports. A recent study looked at children of Ashkenazi Jews with a family history of long life and an average age of 98, and compared their genes with the children of... More »

MORE ABOUT:
medical breakthrough • health • growth hormones • aging • genetic mutation • genes • longevity • aging process • insulinlike growth factor 1 • Ashkenazi Jews

Century Mark Within Reach
for Many

Healthy habits boost chances of living to
100, even with illness

Feb 12, 08 9:50 AM CST
(Newser) - Even people with heart disease or diabetes can hit the century mark if they take care of themselves, two new studies say. The trick for living to 100 is managing illness well enough to stay independent. "It's kind of a threesome: get more years, better years, and better function,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
elderly • Boston • science • lifestyle • healthy habits • Harvard • longevity • health research

Gene Tweaking Dramatically Extends Life

Altered yeast microbes live 10 times longer
than control group

Jan 14, 08 5:33 PM CST
(Newser) - In a breakthrough that may have implications for humans, researchers have made the lifespan of yeast 10 times longer, doubling the previous record for life expansion, LiveScience reports. Genetic alteration and a low-calorie diet prolonged the microbe's existence from the typical 1 week to 10 weeks. The scientists involved have... More »

MORE ABOUT:
genetics • DNA • life expectancy • genes • microorganisms • longevity • yeast • life extension

AIDS Patients Are Living Longer, but Getting Sicker

Survivors hit with 'old age' health problems

Jan 6, 08 6:02 AM CST
(Newser) - Revolutionary drug cocktails mean AIDS sufferers are living much longer, but as they age they're suffering from medical problems that significantly lower the quality of those extended lives, the New York Times writes. AIDS survivors are struggling with illnesses usually associated with much older people, including cancers, kidney failure, lung... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health • drugs • AIDS • side effects • longevity

Fit Trumps Fat in Longevity

Fitness more important than body fat in living longer: study

Dec 5, 07 4:59 AM CST
(Newser) - You can live longer if you're fit, even if you're fat. That's the surprising result of a new study of older Americans that found a brisk daily walk helps seniors live longer, regardless of body fat. The report, published in the Journal of the American Medicine Association, suggests older Americans... More »

MORE ABOUT:
obesity • fitness • University of South Carolina • Journal of the American Medicine Association • Dr. Steven N. Blair • longevity

World's Oldest Man Is 112

The secret? Avoid alcohol and cigarettes, says Japan's Tomoji Tanabe 

Sep 19, 07 1:24 PM CDT
(Newser) - The world's oldest man celebrated his 112th birthday yesterday, the BBC reports. Japan's Tomoji Tanabe, born in 1895, attributes his longevity to sticking to a daily routine, drinking milk and avoiding alcohol and cigarettes. "I want to live indefinitely," he announced. "I don't want to die." More »

MORE ABOUT:
Japan • world record • Puerto Rico • oldest man • Tomoji Tanabe • Miyakonojo • longevity

16 Stories


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