A recent special edition of Scientific American (Volume 14, 2004) was dedicated to the "Science of Staying Young." This special edition contains a number of very interesting articles that I encourage you to read; please feel free to email or ask me questions in person. Although some of the content is rather speculative, the articles provide excellent reviews of the science of aging including: delaying aging, biological clocks, atherosclerosis, restoring aging bones, artificial organs, and the fight against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

The article by Perls is particularly intriguing because it focuses on the oldest-old and comes up with surprising conclusions. He suggests that in contrast to what was once believed, individuals over the age of 90 are not the most debilitated group of elderly subjects; in fact, apparently they are resistant to disorders that disable and kill most people before they reach this grand age. Hence, survival of the fittest appears to apply and the "oldest-old" are more readily able to avoid, delay or recover from serious illnesses. Indeed, the author interviewed centenarians who said that their 90s were essentially problem-free; they were employed, were sexually active and still enjoyed the outdoors.

Although studies have claimed that about 50% of 90-year-olds have Alzheimer's disease, evidently these studies did not include subjects older than 93, and it now appears that these older individuals are more cognitively intact than the average octogenarian. Indeed, this would suggest that those reaching their 90s From the Director Roy G. Smith, Ph.D. in good health are not susceptible to Alzheimer's disease and may retain their cognitive functions indefinitely (T. Perls Scientific American 14:6, 2004).

As mentioned in the previous HCOA newsletter, significant contributing factors in Alzheimer's disease are environmental. Clearly, we can't control our genetic make-up, so what factors can we control that may lower our risk of being affected by Alzheimer's disease (M. Schmiedeskamp Scientific American 14:85, 2004)? It has been found that individuals with complex jobs, irrespective of their level of education, have reduced risk of developing AD; hence, it is important to challenge our brains. Aerobic exercise is also important, and more and more papers are appearing in the scientific literature showing that exercise protects brain cells from damage. Keeping blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes under control and having fruits and vegetables in our diets is also important. While ibuprofen use is associated with reduced risk of AD the appropriate clinical trials have not been completed.

Hormone-replacement therapy was considered protective, but has become more controversial based on results from the widely publicized Women's Health Initiative Study (WHIS); however, no clear scientific conclusions should be drawn from the WHIS because the study design was far from ideal and failed to address important issues. For example, women over the age of 65 were selected for the prevention of dementia study, whereas other studies indicate that estradiol replacement is potentially beneficial if initiated at a much younger age.

Thanks again, for the support to our many friends of the Huffington Center on Aging.

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