KLRI Home > Publications > Special Reports

Special Reports

Gray is the New Gold: State of the Science 2009
Optimism in Aging Research

• Download the full report (1 MB PDF file)
• Executive Summary
• Table of Contents

Click here if you need to download Acrobat Reader to view this Special Report.

Table of Contents

State of the Science: 2009	2
Executive Summary	2
Introduction	4
The Longevity Dividend	4
Getting Scientists’ Attention	5
National Institutes of Health Appropriations: Fiscal Year 2008	6
Oxidation, Inflammation and Insulin Resistance	7
The Resveratrol Story	8
Telomeres and Insulin Resistance	10
Physical Fitness and Exercise Training	11
Caloric Restriction	12
Hormones and Aging	13
Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study	13
Ancillary Studies Related to KEEPS	14
Testosterone Effects on Atherosclerosis in Aging Men (TEAAM)	15
Hormone Therapy and Cognition	16
How Old Do You Feel?	15
Vitamin D: The Sunshine Hormone	17
How Much?	18
What We’ve Been Up To in 2008	19
Statin Use and Exercise	19
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Endocrine/Immune Function	20
Vinegar and Insulin Sensitivity	20
End Notes	21

Executive Summary

This State of the Science Report was produced just after the new President took office, ushering in an era of optimism and hope within the scientific community. As you read through the report and recognize the potential of the research being conducted within the longevity field, we hope you, too, will feel the same.

Among the research described in this year’s State of the Science Report:

The Longevity Dividend. The Longevity Dividend is based on the theory that if we can intervene scientifically to slow the aging process and delay the onset of age-related diseases, trillions of dollars now spent on health care could be redirected to schools, energy, jobs, infrastructure—the “dividend.” A group of leading scientists hopes to convince the federal government to change medical research funding from its focus on individual diseases to a focus that recognizes the importance of research into the underlying biology of aging. Only then, they contend, can the Longevity Dividend become a reality.

Oxidation, inflammation and insulin resistance. These are the “three horseman of aging,” believed to underlie nearly all age-related diseases and processes. Current work at KLRI includes a study to see if insulin sensitizers can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Elsewhere in the country, researchers are investigating the role of nutrition in stemming oxidation, inflammation and insulin resistance, finding that powerful plant-based antioxidants called polyphenols can prevent and reverse the effects of aging on memory brain cells and function.

Telomeres and insulin resistance. Telomeres are caps on the end of a cell’s chromosomes that help keep chromosomes stable, just as the cap on a pen prevents ink from leaking. With time, however, the telomere shrinks. The shorter the telomere, the worse the cell functions and the closer it is to death. New research suggest that in addition to age, being overweight or obese can wreak havoc on telomere length even in your twenties, thanks to insulin resistance.

Physical fitness and exercise training. To learn more about the benefits of exercise in preventing age-related declines, KLRI researchers have begun a study to measure the response of fit and unfit older men and women to two acute stressors: a blood pressure test, which increases oxidative stress, and a psychological test, which increases neuroendocrine stress, releasing inflammatory chemicals. Researchers will also look for any link between oxidative stress and neuroendocrine responses.

Calorie restriction. Numerous studies have found that restricting an animal’s calories by 25 to 30 percent can extend their lifespan. A five-year trial called CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Restricted Intake of Energy), which involves 250 healthy volunteers ages 25 to 45 assigned to either restrict their calories by 25 percent or be part of a control group, has already produced some interesting data. For instance, calorie restriction reduces insulin levels, core body temperature, energy expenditure and DNA damage. It can also increase cellular resistance to stress proteins.

Hormones and aging. While the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), designed to evaluate the effect of estrogen on heart disease in younger, postmenopausal women, continues, ancillary studies underway could provide interesting data on other topics. These include menopause and age-related skin changes and the effects of estrogen on blood cell function and the formation of blood clots. Meanwhile, KLRI’s TEAAM (Testosterone Effects on Atherosclerosis in Aging Men) completed recruitment and is engaged in the research necessary to track the effect of supplemental testosterone on a variety of age-related markers.

While both trials will examine the role of hormones in cognitive function, research published this year from other studies found no effects from either a low dose of estrogen or supplemental testosterone on cognition.

Vitamin D. Vitamin D is turning out to be a critically important vitamin for all aspects of health, particularly those related to aging. Low levels have been linked to urinary incontinence, problems swallowing (dysphagia), breathing ability (increasing the risk of pneumonia), age-related macular degeneration, dementia, influenza and several cancers, including colon, breast and prostate.i Yet 40 to 100 percent of elderly men and women living in the community, and more than half of postmenopausal women taking osteoporosis medication, have clinically low levels of vitamin D.

KLRI research.

• The results of a KLRI study published in the Journal of the American Aging Association this summer showed that statin use in older adults does not negatively affect aerobic exercise or high-intensity weight training.
• A study published in the journal Hormonal and Metabolic Research in March 2008 showed that after 10 weeks on a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, participants demonstrated significantly greater insulin sensitivity and lower levels of some circulating inflammatory markers. They also released fewer fat molecules that contribute to inflammation and oxidation.ii
• A small pilot study will investigate the effects of vinegar on hunger, fullness and glucose absorption over a three-hour period.

All in all, 2008 was a busy and productive year for biogerontologists everywhere and for KLRI scientists. We look forward to
further developments and to keeping you up to date on the most exciting findings in age-related science.