As the oldest person in the world, Henrikje van Andel-Schipper attributed her longevity to a slice of pickled herring and a tumbler of orange juice every day.
When this Dutch dowager died in 2005 at the age of 115, researchers discovered that she had almost none of the chronic physical or mental ailments associated with aging, according to a postmortem medical assessment published last month in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.
She supported herself until she was 105. Up to her death, she was more alert and engaged than people half her age, cognitive testing showed. When the anatomists actually counted her neurons, they discovered she had the brain of a woman 50 years younger.
Based on animal experiments, gerontologists believe that one key to a healthy, longer lifespan may be found in a few master genes that affect cellular responses to famine, drought and other survival stresses. The more active these genes are, the longer an organism seems to survive--at least in the laboratory. Moreover, researchers are convinced that some genes may protect us against the risks of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia.
"A great many people carry the genes that cause heart attack, cancer and other diseases, but some have modifier genes that cancel out their risk," says Eric Topol, director of Scripps Genomic Medicine in La Jolla, CA. "We believe they actually have an inborn protection from aging."
In a 2,000 healthy people over 80 years old study's first phase, Dr. Topol and his colleagues have targeted variations of 100 genes that may influence aging. They plan to broaden their search soon to 500 genes and then to entire genomes.
Although researchers don't know the cause of aging, lifestyle, diet, education, exercise and health care are crucial to longevity.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, September 19, 2008
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