The process of ageing and longevity may be controlled biologically by specific alterations in chromatin state. The link between chromatin and ageing has mostly focused on histone deacetylation by the Sir2 family, but less is known about the role of other histone modifications in longevity. Histone methylation has a crucial role in development and in…
Read moreLongevity is a curious and important point. Does one want to live to old age. Does one want to die old and alert or become time expired and senile and old.This question has been highlighted by two reportsOne by the WHO who showed that in two districts of Glasgow that the expectation of live differed…
Read moreDietary restriction, which means a reduction of food intake by 40-60% without causing malnutrition can benefit health and extend lifespan of yeast, worms, flies, rodents and perhaps even primates. In the May 31st copy of Nature two papers important insights are given for the mechanism.After dietary restriction, the small roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. livses 20-50% longer…
Read moreFrailty in the ElderlyThe Japanese Centenarian Study has identified nine factors important in living to be 100-years and independent.-that is preserved activities for daily living, and good cognitive and social status)These are good visual acuity; regular exercise; spontaneous awakening in the morning; preserved mastication; no history of drinking alcohol; no severe falls after age 95…
Read moreIt is well established that reducing food intake increases life expectation.Studies of longevity in simple organisms have helped an understanding of how caloric restriction might increase life-span. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, nutrient withdrawal extends longevity through a pathway that requires the enzyme Sir2. Overproducing this enzyme can prolong the life of yeast grown…
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