What if the aging process could be reversed

Since over-the-counter products are classified as being cosmetic rather than medical, they are not regulated or tested in the same rigorous way and many simply do not work. Percec sees patients of all ages, but she described her ideal patient as being one that comes in at an early age to begin the process little by little. Percec works with patients to combat aging by using minimally invasive options whenever possible.

These options include chemical peels and injectables such as neurotoxins and fillers, and are recommended based on your specific wants and needs. However, some patients may be best suited for a surgical option, such as a face or eye lift, to diminish the signs of aging. Living in a highly polluted environment and not taking care of your body can contribute to early aging. Air pollution and toxic fumes have been shown to cause age spots, wrinkles, and other skin conditions, which can affect your appearance.

The nicotine that enters your body from smoking can cause the blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin to narrow, reducing blood flow and preventing your skin from getting enough oxygen and nutrients.

Without those protective caps, a shoelace can quickly come frayed and unusable. But as long as those protective caps persist, a shoelace can stay intact for quite some time — much like telomeres prevent damage from occurring to your underlying DNA. With intact telomeres, your cells are protected and they can continue functioning like normal.

Without telomeres, your cells essentially begin to age and die. The length of your telomeres begins to shorten as your body ages chronologically. Your chronological age is not the same as your biological age. In fact, your biological age is mainly determined by the length of your telomeres!

Short telomeres equate to an older biological age. Longer telomeres equate to a healthier, younger biological age. So it is completely within reason for a healthy 60 year old chronological age to be much younger biologically speaking, if they have long, healthy telomeres to continue to protect their cells.

As we age, our telomeres shorten, exposing our DNA and leaving our body vulnerable to the diseases of aging. Some of the common diseases of aging — onset by shortened telomeres — include: Heart disease, Strokes, Diabetes, Cancer, and in some studies , dementia.

When the telomeres in your cells become too short, they enter an aged, unhealthy state called senescence. That is what then makes a person susceptible to the diseases listed above. With the importance of telomeres to health and aging now understood, most people ultimately want to know how to protect them, and how to repair any degradation that has already occurred.

The scientific research team led by Dr. Shai Efrati, founder and director of the renowned Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research in Israel, proved — for the first time — that reversing biological aging is possible. These old mice looked younger again: their gray fur with bald spots became shiny and black again, and the organs and other tissues of these mice could regenerate or function better compared to when they were old R.

Other studies show that when senescent cells are destroyed, various aspects of aging can be improved R , R , R. Previous studies were done in mice. The approaches we just mentioned are currently being developed to also be used in humans, but this will take many years probably at least 15 years before we will see these technologies being used in humans. Some studies have shown that it could already be possible to reverse aging in humans.

At least when measured by epigenetic clocks. Epigenetic clocks try to measure our real, biological age — so, how old you really are. This is what epigenetic clocks try to measure. Epigenetic clocks look at the methylation patterns in our DNA. One way that the epigenome works is by putting small molecules, called methyl-groups, on the DNA. The more the DNA is covered with these methyl molecules, the less active the gene is a gene is a piece of DNA containing the building instructions for a protein.

Learn more about epigenetic clocks here. This paper is saying that may not be true. While medical research certainly seems to be on the verge of finding promising strategies to reverse the aging process, it is likely to be a long time before telomere-lengthening medications hit the market. But in the meantime, there are a number of things we can do to help reduce the effects of aging. It goes without saying that regular exercise is good for health, but numerous studies have hailed exercise for its beneficial impact on aging.

Other research — published in PLOS One in — suggested that running several times a week may slow the aging process for older adults, promoting better mobility and quality of life, while another study found running minutes daily could add 3 years to life expectancy.

Eating a healthy diet is also considered a key factor for healthy aging; last October, a study published in the journal Neurology suggested that following a Mediterranean-style diet may protect against brain aging.

The National Institute on Aging recommend following a diet that includes fruits, vegetables and grains — particularly whole grains — low-fat or fat-free dairy products, seafood, lean poultry and meats. They also recommend limiting the amount of saturated and trans fats, as well as levels of cholesterol , salt and added sugars.

When it comes to healthy skin aging — and reducing the appearance of those dreaded wrinkles and brown spots — the American Academy of Dermatology offer some advice:. A study identifies a link between social isolation and inflammation, suggesting that inflammation may help explain why isolation increases disease…. Some people from racial groups may find that they age differently from others.

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The effects of aging: can they be reversed? Written by Honor Whiteman on March 3, Share on Pinterest Aging is inevitable, but some studies suggest the effects of aging can be reversed. The genetic aging theory.