Is it possible to stop the aging process?

Forever young

AiFA recent survey in the United States showed that Americans want to work until the age of 80.

And many Russian pensioners in their 60s and 70s can give a head start to the young. Moreover, older men have a higher working capacity than older women. Why? Vladimir Anisimov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor, President of the Gerontological Society at the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the Council of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, tells.

Are women weaker?Yulia Garmatina, "AIF": Vladimir Nikolaevich, why are men more efficient in old age?

Vladimir Anisimov: Not everyone, but only those with high intelligence. Smart people generally have a longer life expectancy. What does mind mean? This is the ability to solve non-trivial tasks. If you want to live longer, you need to train your brain. That is why classical music, which develops us, fine art, etc. are so highly valued.

In old age, the best way to prolong the youth of your brain is to learn foreign languages. Of course, it is difficult, but it gives good results. Even higher education prolongs life by 6 years – this has been proven by research. Moreover, the wives of those men who have higher education also live longer. There is no mysticism in this: it's just that such couples lead a healthier lifestyle, drink less, and exercise more.

– We're talking about men. And if a woman is smart, educated, will she also live longer?

– Alas, women with high intelligence, on the contrary, live less. Because they tend to worry more, they are subject to stress, they need to prove their worth to the stronger sex – after all, we have a male world. Women also get more in everyday terms: to raise children, to maintain comfort in the house.

And the smarter a woman is, the more problems she has – that's such a paradox. And women who do not go out of their way to take place in life, imitating men, take care of their health. Although, in general, the life expectancy of women all over the world turns out to be longer than that of men. Why? This is how nature arranged it.

The protective effect of the female hormone estradiol works for the benefit of women. This hormone protects against cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, diabetes, which is why the weaker sex is less likely to suffer from strokes, heart attacks.

And the cancer recedes– Both men and women want to maintain not only mental clarity, but also body vigor for as long as possible.

But they say that all people age at different rates. How do I know what makes you age faster?

– Indeed, we all age differently. In some, the bone system ages faster, in others – the cardiovascular system, in others - the endocrine system. It depends on the genetic characteristics of each person. Look at your parents to understand how you will look like when you are elderly. No wonder there is a saying among the people: if you want to know what your young wife will look like in many years, look at what your mother–in-law looks like.

– Is it possible to stop aging?

– It is more correct to say – "not to stop, but to slow down." Scientists are constantly working on this. With animals, this is possible: for example, mice and rats, on which experiments are conducted to slow down aging, look better, more cheerful, get sick less and live longer. This was achieved, among other things, with the help of biguanides – drugs that were originally used to treat type II diabetes mellitus (diabetes of the elderly). And studies conducted in our laboratory have shown that biguanides in laboratory mice and rats prevent the development of breast cancer, colon, lung, etc.

It also turned out that the risk of dying from cancer in diabetic patients taking drugs of this group is 25-40% less compared to those who received insulin. In a commentary published in the American scientific journal Science, it is claimed that biguanides have already saved more people from dying from cancer than any other drug in history. More than 120 million prescriptions for them are issued annually.

Now there are studies involving people without diabetes. It is assumed that biguanides will prove to be effective geroprotectors, that is, their use will not only slow down aging, but also reduce the risk of developing malignant neoplasms.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru18.11.2013