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Show and Stay Younger? Scientists whe study aging may beclosing in on the secrets of longevity live longer. Butit’s not inconceivable The rate of gerontological research is that in time a diet program will be de- such that sober analysts are making veloped that inay help lengthenlife. what mayseem like science-fiction pre- Does tension affect the aging process? Somepeuple who go through an intensely stressful emotional experi- dictions. In 1968, for instance, a panel of experts from the Rand Corporation —a renowned “tnink tank”—gave a ence—like bereavement or serious fi- timetable of sorts for longevity: by nancial reverses— seem to age suddenly. ‘rhis is especially true of people middleaged and older. Science can’t yet explain why this happens—or why it doesn’t happen to other people who go through similar experiences. But there’s evidence to show that severe or prolonged stress does have a deteriorating 1990, they said, artificial organs made of plastic and electronic components will be available; by the year 2000, a 100-year life span is likely to be achieved; by 2025, the clinical control of aging will be possible. Can the individual do anything now to keep young andlive long? effect on the body. Rejuvenating pills or injections are not yet ready, but there are ways of doing something about longevity. Don’t overeat; while this won’t extend your maximum life span, it will markedly reduce the hazard posed by that superkiller, Dr. James Birren, of the University of Southern California’s Gerontology Center, points out that it is not unusual for an older person to die shortly after the loss of a spouse or a child. “You cardiovascular disease. can’t say stress alone is the cause of this, and you can’t say it’s health . Keep physically active; a major problem with older people is their inability to coordinate well, but persons who exercise all their lives are much less apt to lose this ability. (If you're middleaged or older-and-just beginning a alone,” he speculates. “It’s probably an interaction of the two.” Conversely, studies with groups that live relatively sheltered and tensionfree lives make the point in reverse. For example, Dr. James Nix of Louisiana State University studied nuns and found they age more slowly-than other women. While they’re also subject to ailments physical-fitness program, check with At an oldsters’ beauty contest, these ladies showed age is a state of mind. associated with age—they get them later Too old to dance? Never, saysthis 88year-old who takes a weekly lesson. in life. They also are longer-lived than of aging—has no such fountain upits other women. Does aging blunt a person’s sex collective sleeve. But that sleeve is far drive? In part. Men and womendo ex- perience a lessening of sexual desire and activity as they grow into their sixties and seventies. And their physical responses to sex becomeless intense. But medical investigators emphasize that there’s no biological reason why persons in advanced old age can’t engage in sex. Surveys taken by Duke University’s Center for the Study of Aging and Human Responses show that some 60 percent of married couples between 60 and 74 remain sexually active. In one Duke study, four times as many older men as older women reported high sexual interest and activity, but many more of the men than womensaid they had high sexual interest and activity at younger ages, too. Generally speaking, youthful sexual vigor tends to carry over into old age. Will science ever discover the “Fountain of Youth’? More than 500 years have gone by since Ponce de Leon went looking for the fabled fountain that was to rejuvenate all who bathed in it. Gerontology-—the science from empty. At the University of Chicago Medical School, for exampie, researchers are working with novocain, which has shown some promise as a rejuvenating agent. In Wisconsin, Dr. Johan Bjorksten is working on hushhush enzyme injections that conceivably could increase the human life span by three decades. your doctorfirst.) Avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation; be sure you’re exposed to X-rays only when absolutely necessary for diagnostic or treatment purposes and go only to highly qualified X-ray technicians. Avoid long exposure to sunlight, too, otherwise your skin will age more quickly. Share your worries and anxieties with someore close to you; people who keep everything locked inside themselves do badly in coping with stress. Keep mentally vigorous; the brain is like the muscles of the body—the more it’s used, the more efficient it remains. @ Volunteer at Baltimore’s Gerontology Research Center undergoes nitrogen washout procedure used to make lung volume measurements during testing for age changes. |