WELLNESS AUTHOR
Eleanor P. Womack, M.D.
LONGEVITY IS A LIFESTYLE CHOICE n Dr. Womack shares a few, recent scientific breakthroughs in longevity.
L
ongevity is in the headlines of both the regular news and the scientific community publications these days, and there are now no fewer than 180 longevity institutes associated with universities in the world today. There is also a national board certification in “Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine,’’ in which practitioners can become experts in helping their patients develop a plan to pursue one’s health span and longevity. Without vibrant health, the prospect of longevity is not as appealing. In addition, a recent study shows that if we can delay the physical decline associated with old age, we could see over $38 trillion per year
AUGUST 2021
in economic benefits to society. This focus on extending health span instead of just lifespan should increase the relative quality of life. BREAKTHROUGH:
Telomere Length
Working with telomere length as a measure, there have been amazing breakthroughs in the science of longevity. Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that affect how quickly cells age. They are combinations of DNA and protein that protect the ends of chromosomes and help them remain stable. As they become shorter, and as their structural integrity weakens, the cells age and die quicker. Telomere lengthening
42
has become the “holy grail” of antiaging medicine. Eight years ago in 2013, Dr. Dean Ornish, clinical researcher at the University of California at San Francisco and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute at UCSF, published research showing that a lifestyle change which included diet, exercise and stress reduction could extend telomeres approximately 10% in length. BREAKTHROUGH:
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
More recently, Dr. Shai Efrati and his team of physicians at the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research in Israel
